congress Joseph Sempolinski Contact information

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Joe is a strong Constitutional Conservative and lifelong resident of the Southern Tier. He was born in Elmira, raised in the Painted Post area and lives in Canisteo with his wife and daughters.

Joe is the chairman of the Republican Party of Steuben County. He formerly served as the head of the New York State based Congressional staff for the 23rd District.

Joe knows the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes like no one else. He has spent his career fighting for the people of this region. He will stand up to the Biden agenda and never quit.

Constitutional Conservative

Joe is a proud Constitutional Conservative. The first action any member of Congress takes when entering into office is swearing an oath stating, in part, to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Joe will take this oath seriously. Our republic is based on the Constitution and cannot prosper when our lawmakers ignore our founding document. Joe’s first consideration when examining a proposed law is whether it is in line with the Constitution. Joe opposes efforts to undermine the Constitution, including the proposals coming from the Democrat Party to have a federal takeover of our electoral process.

Jobs, Economy and Debt The Biden administration is leading us to an economic disaster. Inflation threatens to rob hardworking families of their savings. The federal government simply cannot spend at the levels of the Biden administration without ruining the economy. The focus of the federal budget needs to be on the roles laid out for the federal government in the Constitution, not solving problems better handled by the states or the private sector. The federal government needs to be a partner for businesses that are seeking to add jobs, not a hindrance.

Joe will be totally focused on rebuilding the economy post-COVID. For too long, the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes have been left behind economically. Joe will work tirelessly to promote job growth in our region. Restoring the economy of the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier will be Joe’s top priority as Congressman.

Healthcare / Covid

Joe is against single payer health care. A government run health care system will not allow the competition needed to drive costs down and stimulate innovation. The key to getting people access to care is lowering costs not government control.

The COVID vaccine was a major achievement of the Trump administration. It should be available to all who want it, especially those at high risk of COVID complications. However, Joe is against government mandates forcing people to take the vaccine to work, attend school or participate in the life of our nation.

Second Amendment

Joe is pro-2nd amendment. Joe is a SCOPE and NRA member and a gun owner. The right to bear arms is a fundamental, individual, human and Constitutional right. Joe supports interstate reciprocity for gun permits. At the state level, the NY SAFE ACT should never have become law.

Pro-Life

Joe is Pro-Life. Human life is sacred and the purpose of our government is to protect the inalienable rights of all people, including the right to life. Joe is the proud father of a daughter with Down Syndrome. For Joe, the issue of abortions based on fetal disability is an area of particular concern.

Law and Order

Joe stands with our police. The push to defund police from the radical Left is insane and has already cost lives. The vast majority of police officers are true heroes who put their lives on the line dealing with the most dangerous problems in society. We need to make sure that our public safety is a priority at every level of government. Joe feels we need to build a society where the law is respected; on the streets, in our classrooms and in the halls of Congress.

Immigration

The Biden Administration has caused a crisis on the southern border of this country. Joe’s position is if immigrants wish to come to America they need to do it legally and our border needs to be secure. Drug trafficking, human trafficking and other crimes are the sad results of having a border that is not secured.

National Security

Joe stands with the members of our armed services. Our military is the strongest and most effective in the world. We need to keep it that way. We need to remember that the role of our military is to protect America first. We should only put the precious lives of our service members at risk when absolutely necessary. Also, we need to make sure our military focuses on defending America, not implementing the latest liberal ideologies. When our service members come home, Joe will always stand with them to make sure they get the care they have earned.

The Biden Administration’s failed withdrawal from Afghanistan was a tragedy. Even basic competence would have prevented losses of American and Afghan lives. Furthermore, the Biden Administration is incapable of standing up to the threat of the Chinese Communist Party. We cannot tolerate a future where Chinese Communist military, political and ideological aggression is unchecked.

Agriculture

The Southern Tier and Finger Lakes are some of the most beautiful agricultural regions in America. Wine, dairy, fruit and many other agricultural industries form the bedrock of the local economy. Joe will work to support our local farmers and make sure that the federal government works with them to ensure their businesses are viable. Too often the federal government can be a hindrance to agricultural industries instead of a partner.

Education

Joe believes that our children need to be educated, not indoctrinated. Sadly, liberal ideologues seek to control and divide rather than educate by teaching our children radical ideas, like Critical Race Theory. We need to return the focus of our educational system to teaching our children the skills needed to be productive citizens. Control of schools needs to be localized. Also, parents need to be at the forefront of education. Parents deserve to be heard when it comes to what their children are learning, not attacked for speaking up. Joe will always stand for free speech. Conservatives deserve to be able to speak out, even on liberal college campuses. Joe is a former administrator at a private religious school and his wife is a public school teacher.

Defending Freedom of Speech

The freedom of speech is fundamental to a functioning republic and is explicitly called for in our Constitution. However, the far left wishes to silence all those who disagree with their ideology. They attempt this through “cancel culture” and through their allies in the big tech world. Joe will always stand up for the rights of individuals to speak their thoughts and ideas freely. In a free society, the way to defeat an idea is by arguing for a better idea, not by silencing those who think differently.