Congressman Ralph Abraham, M.D., R-Alto, officially qualified for re-election at the Secretary of State’s Office in Baton Rouge on Wednesday.
A family physician, veterinarian, business owner, veteran and farmer, Dr. Abraham is seeking his second term representing Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District after being elected in 2014. This is the first public office he has held.
“Representing Louisiana’s 5th District has been a tremendous honor. I am humbled every day that the folks at home have trusted me to be their conservative voice in Washington, and I go to work every day trying to get our country back on the right track for them. After eight years of Obama, there is much work to be done, but I believe we can turn our nation around,” Dr. Abraham said.
Dr. Abraham has consistently been a strong conservative voice in Congress. He returns home to the district after votes each week to be with the constituents and his family.
Dr. Abraham is a gun owner and staunch supporter of the Second Amendment. He opposes any attempt from the left to take away guns or restrict our Constitutional rights.
Dr. Abraham is a former member of the U.S. Army Reserves and National Guard. He volunteers as a pilot for the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Air Force’s Green Flag division. He understands the sacrifice our men and women in uniform have made for this country. That is why he opposes Obama Administration rules of engagement policies that prevent our troops from achieving complete victory over our enemies, including ISIS. He voted against the Iran Deal and is an unwavering supporter of Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East. He cosponsored legislation to prevent Syrian refugees from entering the United States and believes that securing our borders should be one of the top goals for keeping our nation safe.
Dr. Abraham and his wife, Dianne, have three grown children and eight grandchildren. As a family man, Dr. Abraham has supported policies that reflect our Louisiana values. He introduced legislation to prevent Obama from stripping funding for our public schools unless they comply with his transgender bathroom orders. He cosponsored legislation to provide protections for religious people who fear the government will force them to participate in actions contrary to their religion. He has voted to defund Planned Parenthood and called for Congressional investigations into the organization’s practice of selling parts of aborted babies. He has a consistent record of supporting pro-life legislation, including cosponsoring legislation to declare that life begins at conception; cosponsoring the “Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” to ban abortions after 20 weeks; and cosponsoring a bill to prevent taxpayer money from being used in abortions.
“Our nation was founded on Christian principles, principles we are drifting away from. We must be free to practice our religion without fear of government intervention, and we must defend the lives of the unborn,” said Dr. Abraham, a life-long Southern Baptist.
As the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, Dr. Abraham passed legislation to grant our disabled veterans an increase in their benefits. He has championed the Veterans Choice Program so that our veterans can access medical care when they need it, rather than wait potentially months for an appointment with the VA. In response the VA wait times scandal, he cosponsored the VA Accountability Act, which gives the VA the authority it says it needs to fire the bad employees who have failed to provide heroes with the care they deserve.
“The VA is failing our heroes. Bringing accountability to this system has been one of my top priorities. Our veterans and their families sacrificed so much for our country, and now its government is failing them. That is unacceptable, and I will continue to fight for our heroes,” Dr. Abraham said.
Dr. Abraham built and grew a family medical practice in rural Mangham, Louisiana. He has seen the horrors of Obamacare first hand and has repeatedly voted to repeal it while supporting efforts to replace the failed policy with a plan that works for the people.
Dr. Abraham has supported bills to curb a Washington, D.C, that’s grown too big and forgotten the people. He serves on the Science, Space and Technology Committee where he works to prevent needless regulations from the EPA and the IRS. He passed legislation to stop an Obama executive order from increasing building costs in Louisiana in the name of climate change. He cosponsored the REINS Act to reel in out of control regulations being handed down from bureaucrats that are killing jobs. He has cosponsored legislation to impose term limits on Congress so we can weed out career politicians. He voted against bills that busted spending caps because he believes the country must get serious about its nearly $20 trillion debt.
“Too many in Washington are working only for what’s in the best interests of Washington, not the people. If we are ever going to get our nation going in the right direction, our leaders must remember that they are there to serve the people, not the other way around,” Dr. Abraham said.
Agriculture is one of the largest industries in the 5th District and Louisiana, and Dr. Abraham is the only member of the Louisiana Congressional delegation who serves on the Agriculture Committee.
From that position, he’s worked to reduce SNAP fraud so that taxpayer money isn’t wasted and those who truly need help get the support they need. He’s also introduced legislation to initiate more economic growth in the agriculture sector.