Joel Krautter for United States Representative - District 2
Republican
By Denise Rivette
Montana Independent News posed the same four questions to all candidates in the United States Representative race in District 2. Republican Joel Krautter’s views are presented in their entirety below.
What are the Montana values that will guide your decision-making?
The leadership characteristics that will guide me in Washington start with a commitment to being a good listener to one’s constituents, especially people who have experience in a particular industry or profession that is relevant to legislation being considered. I don’t claim to have all of the answers and that is why I’m committed to listening, in order to identify problems and craft solutions. It’s also important to listen to people we may not normally agree with because if we spend more time listening to each other in good faith, rather than attacking each other, we can find common ground. I did that as a legislator in Helena. We also need representation that will strive to be thoughtful and informed on the pros/cons and potential impacts to the people of eastern and central Montana of any proposed legislation.
We need representation that will strive for statesmanship in Washington that’s been in decline. It’s not a coincidence that as our politics have become angrier and more divisive, with more name-calling and personal attacks, that Congress has also become more dysfunctional and chaotic. I’m running because Washington needs a new generation of leadership that will crush chaos and work to restore stability in our nation.
If elected, my commitment to the people of the 2nd Congressional District is that I will be a representative of all of the people of the eastern and central Montana congressional district, ahead of personal interest or party. I will get up every day and give everything I have to give to get the job done correctly for the people of eastern and central Montana and deliver results, not just rhetoric. I will also avoid the fanfare and distractions that seem to surround other members of Congress.
As a common-sense conservative, I believe that when making a decision about legislation, my first obligation is to the Constitution, then my constituents and conscience and finally to my political caucus.
What skills, knowledge and experience do you possess that make you the better candidate?
I grew up in Deer Lodge, am a Billings attorney and small business owner, and a former legislator from Sidney. While I live in Billings now, I lived in Sidney for 8 years and it will be important for a representative of this huge eastern and central Montana congressional district to have a good understanding of the challenges facing both rural Montana, as well as the larger communities of Billings, Great Falls and Helena. I’m the only candidate in this race that brings that dual perspective. At 36 years old, I’m the youngest person in this race and I represent a new generation of leadership for Washington, that is committed to pushing back against the chaos and dysfunction preventing us from solving any of our nation’s problems.
What are your top priorities to address during your term if you are elected?
My top priorities in Washington are protecting our Constitution and constitutional rights, supporting fiscal responsibility and reining-in the out-of-control federal spending, keeping taxes low, supporting Montana agriculture and small businesses, securing our U.S. southern border, together with supporting investments in public safety.
I will also be a voice for the needs and challenges facing working people because Washington already has enough millionaires and career politicians there and I am a working person, so I will be in touch with these issues and be able to fight for working people.
What legislative language would you propose or support to address those priorities?
On the issue of reining-in our federal deficit spending and getting our Congressional house in order I believe it starts by reforming our legislative process.
First, we need to have single-subject legislation in Congress, rather than large thousand-page, multi-subject omnibus bills. Single subject legislation, as we have in Montana, allows bills to pass or fail on their own merits and promote transparency, which can have a limiting effect on government.
Second, we need to get back to regular order – bills starting in committees, being debated and voted on and then moving to the full house for more debate, amendments, votes and compromise, rather than large legislation being negotiated behind closed doors with small groups of people and then having normal procedures bypassed.
Finally, we need to get back to asking whether whatever the federal government wants to do is specifically contemplated by the Constitution as being the responsibility of the federal government or not. We don’t need to federalize every issue when states and local governments are usually best positioned to know how best to deal with various issues.
On other issues I would support legislative language and bills that are consistent with the priorities and values outlined in this interview and that would take into account input from my constituents.