CLIFTON CAUTHORNE

• Education. “I believe that southwest Virginia needs well-funded and technologically-equipped public schools that are staffed with qualified and well-paid teachers.  We need to make it easier to open effective charter schools in the Commonwealth.  Since new jobs require new training, I will push for more post-secondary opportunities for our people.  On the issue of homeschooling, I support keeping the ‘Religious Exemption’ strong in Virginia and allowing home schooled students to participate in all public school extracurricular activities.  Last, I oppose Common Core.”

 

• Health Care. “I oppose Obamacare.  I oppose the governor’s desire to unilaterally expand Medicaid.  However, since many people in the fourth district find themselves in the ‘coverage gap’ (they earn too little to qualify for Obamacare subsidies and make too much to qualify for Virginia Medicaid), I would be willing to support efforts to obtain federal funds to help dealwith the problem if those funds do not bind us to obligations that we cannot financially meet.”

 

• Judicial Appointments. “I favor moving from the current system of appointing judges in Virginia to a system where they are elected by the people.” 

 

• Taxes. “I pledge to never vote for any bill that will raise the overall tax burden for southwest Virginians.”

 

• Transportation. “I will work with other southwest Virginia representatives to make sure that we get our fair share of the state’s transportation money.  For the record, I would have opposed the transportation bill passed in 2013 that increased taxes on Virginians.”