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Healthcare
4.00
Economics
3.00
Candidate Name
Floyd Taylor
District
Indiana US House District 9
Values
Grade
Values
Party
Independent
Experience
Challenger
Grade
Democracy
3.67
Accessibility
4
Governance
4
Cost
Choice
4
X
Freedom
Voting
4
3
Community
2.67
B+
Overall Grade
Education
3.00
Affordability
Equity
Opportunity
4
3
2
Environment
Public Safety
Inclusion
4
2
2
Stability
Funding
Belonging
4
2
3
Notable Information
Candidate Name
Candidate for:
Indiana US House District 9
Independent
Challenger
Notable Information
Sources
Reference links
MADVoters Survey Responses
Healthcare: The Big Beautiful Bill is projected to cut $31 billion from Indiana’s Medicaid funding, including almost $13 billion in hospital funding, over the next decade. What will you do if elected to ensure healthcare affordability and access given these changes? (Source: Indiana Hospital Association)
HEALTHCARE: MEDICAID CUTS AND ACCESS
The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" threatens catastrophic damage to Indiana's healthcare infrastructure: $31 billion in Medicaid funding cuts over 10 years, $12.7 billion hitting hospitals directly, 180,000 Hoosiers losing coverage, and rural hospitals facing closure.
I've already drafted three comprehensive bills addressing this crisis — full legislative text with enforcement mechanisms, available at floyd2026.com.
1. MEDICAID INTEGRITY, ACCESS & ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
Protects Medicaid funding through block grant flexibility (states can redesign delivery without losing federal matching funds), fraud reduction (saves $3-12 billion annually), rural hospital protection (direct federal support), and coverage continuity (prevents automatic disenrollment).
Fiscal Impact: $3B-$12B in federal savings through efficiency gains, reinvested in coverage protection.
2. MAIN STREET HEALTH COMPACT ACT
Guarantees denial-free care and establishes a public option for all Americans. If your doctor recommends treatment, you get it — no insurer can block it. Creates a government-backed health plan available in every county, with automatic expansion if private insurers withdraw. Includes transparent pricing (no surprise bills), comprehensive coverage (dental, vision, mental health, substance abuse, long-term care, reproductive health), and anti-gouging protections with caps on drug prices and insurance overhead. Six-month implementation timeline.
Fiscal Impact: $8-15B over 10 years, replaces the Affordable Care Act with comprehensive denial-free coverage.
3. RURAL MOBILE HEALTH ACCESS ACT
Direct federal response to rural healthcare deserts: grants for mobile medical clinics, geographic targeting (prioritizes counties with hospital closures), preventive care focus, and zero patient cost (federally funded, no insurance required).
Fiscal Impact: $1-3B over 10 years, prevents emergency room overload.
THE STRATEGIC APPROACH
Traditional Medicaid operates through state-federal matching. When federal funding drops, states cut services. My legislation creates parallel pathways: Main Street Health Compact guarantees denial-free care through a public option that automatically expands when private insurers fail, mobile clinics funded directly by federal grants, and rural hospital support that doesn't depend on per-patient Medicaid reimbursement.
THE CONGRESS APP ELEMENT
If elected, I'll use the Congress App to let IN-09 constituents vote on specific Medicaid protection measures: Should we prioritize rural hospital funding? Should mobile clinics focus on preventive care or chronic disease management? How should we balance coverage expansion vs. provider payment rates? Your input determines my votes.
WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING
My opponent Erin Houchin: Attending pharmaceutical company events, thanking corporate executives, co-sponsoring narrow bills. Zero comprehensive response to the $31B Medicaid crisis.
My Democratic opponent Brad Meyer: Advocating for Medicare for All — good long-term policy, but has zero chance of passing in the next Congress. Not a viable response to immediate Medicaid cuts.
MY APPROACH
Three legislative solutions ready to introduce Day 1, addressing the immediate crisis through multiple pathways. All published at floyd2026.com with full text and fiscal breakdowns.
One attends events. One advocates for long-term solutions that won't pass. One drafts immediate legislative responses.
All legislation available for public audit at floyd2026.com.
— Floyd Taylor, Independent for IN-09
Economics: AI and data centers are having a huge impact on jobs and communities across the nation, particularly in Indiana. What is Congress’s role in addressing this developing technology? What action will you take to hear and represent the concerns of Hoosiers on this topic?
Economics: Dozens of AI data centers are planning to come to Indiana, drawn by the state’s “business-friendly” reputation. How should Indiana manage these large industrial site proposals and their potential impact on communities? (Source: Citizens Action Coalition)
AI AND DATA CENTERS: CONGRESS'S ROLE IN ADDRESSING DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY
AI and data centers are reshaping Indiana's economy. Congress has a critical role in ensuring technological advancement benefits workers and communities — not just corporations and investors.
INDIANA'S SPECIFIC SITUATION
Data centers bring economic opportunities: infrastructure investment, construction jobs, and tax revenue. But they also bring challenges:
Job displacement: AI automation threatens manufacturing, logistics, and service sector jobs across IN-09
Energy demands: Data centers consume massive electricity, straining rural grids
Water usage: Cooling systems require millions of gallons, impacting communities facing water scarcity
Property tax impacts: Tax incentives for data centers shift burdens to residential property owners
Workforce mismatch: High-tech jobs require skills most displaced workers don't have
Congress must address both sides: maximizing economic benefits while protecting workers and communities from negative externalities.
MY LEGISLATIVE RESPONSE: COMMUNITY-INTEGRATED AI & DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENT ACT
I've already drafted comprehensive data center regulation legislation. Not proposals. Full legislative text with enforcement mechanisms, published at floyd2026.com.
The Community-Integrated AI & Data Center Development Act (Short Title: "Community Data Benefit Act") establishes federal standards for data center development through:
1. COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENTS (REQUIRED FOR FEDERAL INCENTIVES)
No federal tax incentive, grant, or fast-track permitting available unless the data center operator executes a legally binding Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) with the host community that includes:
Local Hiring: Minimum 30% of construction jobs and 40% of permanent operations staff from within the host county
Workforce Training: Partnership with local educational institutions to provide training in IT, electrical, mechanical, and operations roles
Community Investment Fund: Annual contribution equal to at least 0.5% of gross revenue to support local infrastructure, schools, and public services
Infrastructure Upgrades: Commitment to upgrade roads, water systems, and utilities impacted by facility operations
This ensures communities benefit proportionally from data center development, not just corporations.
2. ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE INTEGRATION
Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) Standards: Facilities must achieve PUE of 1.3 or better within two years of operation (industry best practice)
Renewable Energy Requirements: Minimum 50% renewable energy within five years, scaling to 80% by year ten
Grid Stability: Coordination with local utilities to prevent residential rate increases and brownouts
Waste Heat Repurposing: Facilities must implement waste heat capture for district heating, agriculture, or industrial processes where feasible
This addresses energy consumption and environmental impact without blocking development.
3. PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY DASHBOARDS
Data centers receiving federal benefits must maintain public dashboards showing:
Energy consumption and source breakdown (renewable vs. fossil fuel)
Water usage and wastewater treatment
Local hiring numbers and wage data
Community investment fund expenditures
Compliance with CBA commitments
Independent audit results
Transparency protects taxpayers and communities. When data centers receive public subsidies, their operations must be publicly auditable.
4. REAL ENFORCEMENT WITH FINANCIAL PENALTIES
Department of Commerce enforcement with penalties up to $50,000 per day for violations of:
CBA commitments (local hiring, community investment)
Energy efficiency standards
Renewable energy requirements
Public reporting obligations
No voluntary compliance. No industry self-regulation. Real enforcement with real consequences.
5. WORKER PROTECTION AND RETRAINING
Companies deploying AI that displaces workers must:
Provide 90-day notice before automation-related layoffs
Fund retraining programs for displaced workers
Contribute to federal workforce transition fund
Prioritize hiring retrained workers for new positions created
AI advancement shouldn't mean economic devastation for working families.
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR IN-09
Indiana is aggressively courting data center development. Without federal standards, communities face:
Race to the bottom: Counties competing by offering larger tax breaks with fewer community protections
Privatized profits, socialized costs: Corporations reap benefits while communities bear infrastructure strain
Job mismatch: High-tech jobs go to imported workers while displaced locals have no retraining pathway
Environmental damage: Massive energy and water consumption without accountability
The Community Data Benefit Act ensures data centers contribute to communities, not just extract value.
THE CONGRESS APP APPROACH
If elected, I'll use the Congress App to let IN-09 constituents vote on data center policy questions:
Should local hiring requirements be higher than 30%/40%?
Should renewable energy requirements be more aggressive?
Should communities have veto power over data center construction?
How should community investment funds be allocated?
Your input determines my votes.
WHAT HOUCHIN IS DOING
Attending corporate events. Promoting Indiana's "business-friendly" environment. Advocating for fewer regulations on tech companies.
Zero legislation protecting communities from data center negative externalities.
WHAT MEYER IS DOING
Meyer likely supports worker protections and environmental standards. But he's running a traditional Democratic campaign in a Trump+25 district with a 45% ceiling. His good policies won't become law if he can't win the general election.
MY APPROACH
Published data center regulation legislation ready to introduce Day 1. Addresses community benefits, local hiring, energy efficiency, transparency, and enforcement. All available for public audit at floyd2026.com.
BOTTOM LINE
Data centers will reshape Indiana's economy. Congress must ensure that transformation benefits workers and communities — not just shareholders and executives.
My Community Data Benefit Act establishes:
Community Benefit Agreements required for federal incentives
Local hiring minimums (30% construction, 40% operations)
Energy efficiency standards and renewable integration (50-80%)
Public transparency dashboards
Real enforcement with financial penalties up to $50,000/day
Worker protection and retraining requirements
One promotes "business-friendly" deregulation. One advocates protections without electoral viability. One drafted comprehensive data center accountability legislation.
Full text available at floyd2026.com. All policy positions subject to constituent input through the Congress App.
— Floyd Taylor, Independent for IN-09
Education: Describe your stance on the Department of Education and its role in education administration, funding, and protections for students with disabilities.
Education: Since 2012, Indiana has spent over $5.5 billion in taxpayer dollars on charter schools and the private school voucher program. If elected, would you support or oppose the use of taxpayer dollars to funding private schools and charter schools? Why or why not? (Source: ICPE)
EDUCATION: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND STUDENT PROTECTIONS
The Department of Education debate shouldn't be ideological. It should be pragmatic: What federal role is essential for Indiana students, and how do we structure it effectively?
MY ANSWER: THE PUBLIC EDUCATION REVITALIZATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (PERA)
I've already drafted comprehensive federal education reform legislation. Not proposals. Full legislative text with fiscal breakdowns, published at floyd2026.com.
PERA establishes a modern federal role in education through voluntary Spending Clause conditioning: states accepting federal education dollars agree to transparency, accountability, and equity standards. States can opt out if they refuse the deal. No forced mandates. No federal takeover.
WHAT PERA PROTECTS AND IMPROVES
1. SPECIAL EDUCATION (IDEA) WITH FULL FUNDING
PERA maintains federal enforcement of disability rights while dramatically increasing funding:
Increases federal special education funding toward the promised 40% of per-student costs (currently only 10%)
Maintains federal enforcement when states or districts fail to comply with IDEA
Protects students with disabilities in under-resourced districts
Includes teacher training and professional development for special education staff
Indiana receives significant IDEA funding. PERA protects that funding stream while increasing federal support so local property taxes aren't crushed by unfunded mandates.
2. UNIVERSAL SCHOOL MEALS (ELIMINATES STIGMA, IMPROVES OUTCOMES)
PERA establishes universal school meal programs for all public schools receiving federal funds:
Every student eats, regardless of family income
Eliminates administrative waste of means-testing
Reduces stigma that prevents eligible students from participating
Improves attendance and academic performance (hungry kids can't learn)
USDA reimbursements and à la carte revenues offset costs
IN-09 has significant rural poverty. Universal meals address food insecurity while cutting bureaucratic overhead.
3. STUDENT DATA PRIVACY (SECTION 21)
PERA includes the strongest student data protections in federal law:
Parental consent required for data collection beyond instructional use
Data minimization (only collect what's necessary)
Automatic deletion within one year of graduation
Ban on behavioral advertising and commercial tracking on school devices
Mandatory breach reporting within 30 days
Independent biennial audits by federal oversight office
Data Protection Officers in every LEA
This addresses the EdTech surveillance problem: companies collecting student data, selling it, and profiling children for commercial purposes.
4. TEACHER COMPENSATION TIED TO MARKET BENCHMARKS (SECTION 22)
PERA aligns teacher pay with equivalent private-sector professions:
Future collective bargaining agreements must meet market benchmark standards
Existing CBAs remain untouched (no retroactive changes)
Federal scholarships and paid residencies for teacher preparation
Five-year loan forgiveness for teachers in high-need schools
Housing stipends in high-cost areas
Interstate credential reciprocity (reduces barriers to teacher mobility)
Indiana has teacher shortages. PERA addresses this by making teaching financially competitive with other degree-requiring professions.
5. REAL-TIME FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY (SECTION 20)
PERA requires public dashboards showing how every federal education dollar is spent:
Quarterly updates with disaggregated data by student subgroup
No login or registration required (fully public)
Per-student spending breakdowns
District financial data in standardized format
Independent audits by Office of Public Education Accountability (OPEA)
Transparency protects taxpayers and students. When spending is public, waste and fraud are visible.
6. MULTIPLE GRADUATION PATHWAYS (SECTION 6)
PERA recognizes students have different talents and career goals:
Academic pathway (traditional college prep)
Career and technical education pathway
Arts and humanities pathway
Hybrid pathways combining elements
Students shouldn't be forced into one-size-fits-all academic tracks. PERA gives students options that reflect their strengths and aspirations.
7. FEDERAL FUNDING EXCLUSIVELY FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS (SECTION 4)
PERA directs federal education dollars exclusively to public schools operated by local educational agencies (LEAs):
Parents still choose private, charter, or religious schools for their children
Federal taxpayer dollars go to institutions serving all students without exclusion
No change to parental choice rights
Clarifies that public education funding is for public education
WHY SPENDING CLAUSE CONDITIONING WORKS
PERA doesn't force states to comply. It's a voluntary deal:
"If you accept federal education dollars, you meet federal transparency and accountability standards."
States can opt out. They lose federal funding, but they keep full autonomy. States opting in get federal support with conditions ensuring funds are used effectively.
This is constitutional, well-established, and respects state sovereignty.
THE CONGRESS APP APPROACH
If elected, I'll use the Congress App to let IN-09 constituents vote on education policy questions:
Should we fully fund IDEA at 40%?
Should universal meal programs include fresh, locally-sourced food?
Should we prioritize rural broadband for distance learning?
How should we balance transparency requirements with local flexibility?
Your input determines my votes.
WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING
Erin Houchin: Likely supports eliminating the Department of Education (Republican platform) without offering alternative protections for special education students, rural schools, or Title I funding. No published plan.
Brad Meyer: Defends the Department's current structure without addressing legitimate criticisms of bureaucratic overreach and inefficiency. Ideologically sound but politically unviable in a Republican-controlled Congress.
MY APPROACH
PERA is comprehensive federal education reform:
Protects special education with increased funding
Guarantees universal school meals
Enforces strongest student data privacy protections in federal law
Aligns teacher compensation to market benchmarks
Requires real-time financial transparency
Offers multiple graduation pathways
Maintains voluntary state participation through Spending Clause
BOTTOM LINE
The Department of Education debate is a distraction. The real question is: What should federal education policy accomplish?
PERA answers that question with full legislative text, fiscal analysis, and enforcement mechanisms.
Students with disabilities get federal protection and increased funding. Rural schools get support. Teachers get competitive pay. Students get fed. Data privacy is protected. Financial transparency is mandatory.
One wants elimination without alternatives. One defends a broken status quo. One drafted comprehensive reform legislation.
Full text available at floyd2026.com. All policy positions subject to constituent input through the Congress App.
— Floyd Taylor, Independent for IN-09
Democracy: In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge or threat facing our democracy right now? If elected, what will you do to help overcome this challenge or threat?
DEMOCRACY: THE BIGGEST THREAT AND HOW TO OVERCOME IT
The biggest threat to American democracy isn't any single politician, party, or foreign adversary. It's the structural disconnect between representatives and the people they're supposed to represent.
Voters increasingly feel — correctly — that their votes don't translate into actual representation. Once elected, representatives answer to party leadership, lobbyists, major donors, and corporate PACs. Not constituents.
When that disconnect becomes severe enough, people lose faith in the system itself. They stop voting. They stop engaging. Or worse, they embrace authoritarian alternatives because "at least someone is doing something."
That loss of faith is the existential threat. Every other democratic problem — gerrymandering, dark money, media polarization, election denial — flows from the same root cause: a system where representation is theoretical rather than verifiable.
THE FOUR PILLARS OF THE PROBLEM
1. Party Discipline Over Constituent Will
Representatives vote with their party 90%+ of the time, regardless of how their district feels about specific bills. Leadership decides what reaches the floor. Whips enforce compliance. Independent thought gets punished with committee removals and primary challenges.
The result: Your representative's vote often reflects party strategy, not your interests.
2. Lobbyist and PAC Influence
The lobbying industry exists because access to representatives is purchasable. Corporate PACs don't donate out of civic generosity — they expect returns. And they get them.
Even "good" PACs create the same structural problem: representatives answering to donors instead of constituents.
3. Opacity by Design
Most legislation is written behind closed doors, often by lobbyists, and dropped hours before votes. Representatives admit they don't read the bills they vote on. Constituents have no way to track who influenced what or why their representative voted a certain way.
4. Information Asymmetry
Voters get talking points. Insiders get the actual legislation. By the time the public understands what passed, it's already law.
MY LEGISLATIVE RESPONSE
I've drafted multiple bills directly addressing democratic accountability. All published at floyd2026.com with full text and fiscal breakdowns.
1. THE CONGRESS APP (THE CORE INNOVATION)
The Congress App isn't legislation — it's infrastructure. It binds my votes to verified IN-09 constituent input through real-time polling on every bill.
Constituents review legislation before votes
Verified IN-09 residents vote yes/no
My congressional vote follows the majority
Full audit trail published publicly
This eliminates the gap between voter and representative. You don't trust my judgment. You direct my vote.
That's the only structural fix to the representation problem.
2. BILL TRANSPARENCY ACT
Requires Congress to:
Publish full legislative text minimum 7 days before any vote
Provide plain-language summaries alongside legal text
Disclose all lobbyist contributions to bill drafting
Mandate fiscal analysis from independent CBO scoring before votes
Public hearings for any bill exceeding $1 billion in spending
No more midnight bills. No more 2,000-page surprises. No more "we have to pass it to find out what's in it."
3. CAMPAIGN FINANCE TRANSPARENCY
My campaign already operates this way voluntarily:
Zero corporate PAC money
Zero dark money
Zero party committee funding
Every dollar documented at floyd2026.com
I'd push legislation requiring the same standards for all federal candidates: real-time donor disclosure, dark money source identification, and PAC influence tracking.
4. REDISTRICTING ACCOUNTABILITY
Indiana's congressional maps were drawn to protect incumbents, not represent communities. Federal standards for independent redistricting commissions would reduce partisan gerrymandering without eliminating state authority over the process.
WHAT I'LL DO IF ELECTED
Day 1:
Activate the Congress App for all IN-09 voters
Publish every meeting, every donor interaction, every staff communication relevant to legislation
Introduce the Bill Transparency Act
Refuse all corporate PAC contributions (already my standing policy)
Ongoing:
Vote according to constituent input via Congress App
Publish reasoning for every vote (even when constituent-directed)
Host monthly transparent town halls (in-person and digital)
Maintain real-time campaign finance dashboard
The Methodology, Not the Ideology
The Congress App approach isn't left or right. Conservative voters in IN-09 get represented when they're the majority. Progressive voters get represented when they're the majority. Libertarian voters get represented when they're the majority.
The system represents whoever actually lives here. Not who funds the campaigns.
That's the difference between democratic theater and democratic infrastructure.
WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING
Erin Houchin: Votes with party leadership consistently. Takes corporate PAC money. Operates with traditional opacity. Treats representation as a personal mandate from election night, not an ongoing accountability relationship.
Brad Meyer: Good on transparency rhetoric, but operates within the traditional party fundraising system (ActBlue, Democratic Party support). Would face the same party discipline pressures as any Democratic representative.
MY APPROACH
Build infrastructure that makes representation verifiable rather than theoretical. The Congress App is proof-of-concept for a replicable model: representatives accountable directly to constituents through transparent technology.
BOTTOM LINE
The biggest threat to democracy is the gap between elected representatives and the people they're supposed to represent. Every other democratic crisis flows from that gap.
You can't fix it with better candidates running the same system. You fix it by changing the system itself.
Congress App binds votes to constituent input
Bill Transparency Act requires public legislation review
Zero corporate PAC money removes donor influence
Real-time financial transparency eliminates dark money
One operates inside the broken system. One advocates reform without electoral viability. One built infrastructure to bypass the broken system entirely.
Full legislation available at floyd2026.com. All policy positions subject to constituent input through the Congress App.
— Floyd Taylor, Independent for IN-09
Community: Describe your stance on ICE and its role in immigration enforcement and detention.
Community: What role or responsibility do local and state governments have with regards to immigration enforcement?
COMMUNITY: ICE, IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, AND DETENTION
Immigration enforcement is a legitimate federal function. The question isn't whether ICE should exist — it's whether ICE operates with accountability, due process, and constitutional protections that Americans expect from any law enforcement agency.
MY POSITION: REFORM, NOT ABOLITION
ICE has a legitimate role enforcing immigration law. But the agency has documented problems that erode public trust and harm communities:
Detention conditions that have resulted in preventable deaths
Due process failures (US citizens wrongly detained, asylum seekers deported without hearings)
Lack of transparency in enforcement priorities and outcomes
Insufficient oversight of contractor-run detention facilities
Workplace raids that destabilize communities and harm employers
Abolishing ICE solves none of these problems. Reforming ICE addresses all of them.
THE FOUR PRINCIPLES OF MY APPROACH
1. ENFORCEMENT OF EXISTING LAW
Immigration law is federal law. It should be enforced consistently — not selectively based on political pressure or sanctuary policies.
That includes enforcement against employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers. Illegal hiring is a federal felony. Unauthorized border crossing is a misdemeanor. Yet enforcement disproportionately targets workers while employers face minimal consequences.
Real enforcement targets both sides of the illegal labor market — not just the people with the least power.
2. DUE PROCESS FOR ALL DETAINEES
The Constitution doesn't have an asterisk. Anyone detained by federal agents — citizen or not — deserves:
Right to a hearing before an impartial judge
Right to legal counsel (especially for children)
Access to family contact and humanitarian needs
Protection from indefinite detention without review
Verification of identity before deportation (US citizens have been wrongly deported)
Due process isn't a privilege. It's a constitutional requirement.
3. DETENTION FACILITY ACCOUNTABILITY
Private contractors operate many ICE detention facilities with minimal oversight. That model creates perverse incentives: contractors profit from longer detentions and more detainees.
Reforms should include:
Independent inspections with public reporting
Medical care standards equivalent to federal prisons
Real consequences for facilities that violate detainee rights
Phase-out of for-profit detention contracts
Public transparency dashboards showing detention populations, lengths, outcomes
Detention is custody, not punishment. Conditions must reflect that legal distinction.
4. PRIORITIZE PUBLIC SAFETY THREATS, NOT WORKING FAMILIES
ICE has finite resources. Those resources should focus on:
Violent criminals
Human traffickers
Drug traffickers
Repeat immigration violators with criminal records
Not:
Long-time residents with US citizen children and no criminal history
Agricultural and caregiving workers integral to Indiana's economy
Asylum seekers following legal processes
Domestic violence victims afraid to report crimes
Enforcement priorities should reflect actual public safety risk, not political theater.
THE INDIANA REALITY
IN-09 employers depend on immigrant labor in agriculture, food processing, construction, and caregiving. This isn't abstract policy — it's economic reality.
Workplace raids that pull workers out of meat processing plants and dairy farms don't "secure the border." They destabilize Indiana businesses, harm US citizen coworkers, and traumatize children whose parents disappear during ICE operations.
The answer is legal immigration pathways that match workforce reality — combined with enforcement against employers who exploit the broken system.
WHAT CONGRESS MUST DO
Expand legal immigration to meet documented workforce needs (agriculture, caregiving, manufacturing, healthcare)
Modernize visa programs so employers can hire legally
Enforce employer accountability through real penalties for illegal hiring patterns
Reform detention standards with independent oversight and transparency
Fund immigration courts to clear the years-long backlog forcing prolonged detention
Protect Dreamers and long-term residents with permanent legal status pathways
THE CONGRESS APP APPROACH
If elected, I'll use the Congress App to let IN-09 constituents vote on specific immigration enforcement questions:
Should ICE prioritize criminal threats over long-term residents?
Should detention facilities be subject to mandatory independent inspections?
Should employer enforcement match worker enforcement?
Should legal immigration expand to match workforce needs?
Your input determines my votes.
WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING
Erin Houchin: Supports aggressive ICE enforcement without addressing due process failures, detention conditions, or employer accountability. Treats immigration as purely a border issue while ignoring the economic and humanitarian dimensions.
Brad Meyer: Frames immigration as fundamentally economic — match immigration to labor needs, end illegal hiring, create legal pathways. Good policy framework, but he avoids the ICE accountability question directly. And in a Trump+25 district, his framing won't move enough votes to win the general election.
MY APPROACH
ICE is a legitimate agency that needs serious reform. Enforce the law. Protect due process. Hold detention facilities accountable. Prioritize real threats. Expand legal pathways. Enforce employer accountability equally with worker accountability.
BOTTOM LINE
ICE should exist. ICE should enforce immigration law. ICE should operate with constitutional protections, transparent oversight, and accountability for detention conditions.
Enforcement of law — including employer accountability
Due process for all detainees
Detention facility accountability with independent oversight
Priority focus on public safety threats, not working families
One supports enforcement without accountability. One frames immigration economically without addressing ICE directly. One offers a reform framework with constitutional protections built in.
All policy positions subject to constituent input through the Congress App.
— Floyd Taylor, Independent for IN-09
