REPLACING:

Mike Braun (R)

WORK HISTORY:

U.S. House of Representatives (Member, IN-03); Bradley Co. (Broker); Indiana State Senate (Member, District 17); Hagerman Group (Director of Business Development); Greg Zoeller for Attorney General (Campaign Manager); Focus on the Family (Public Policy) [i]

EDUCATION:

Diploma, Columbia City High School; BA, Indiana University Bloomington; MBA, Grace College School of Business [ii]

CAMPAIGNED ON:

Secure the Border; Defend Life; Support Our Veterans; Prioritize National Defense; Oppose Wokeness in Schools and Sports; Unleash the American Economy; Stop Reckless Spending and Reduce the National Debt; Secure Our Elections; Back the Blue; Stand with Our Ally Israel [iii]

ON THE ISSUES

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

Banks describes himself as a “pro-life advocate,” touts his voting score from the Family Research Council, and applauded President Trump’s judiciary accomplishments on the issue. He touts his work to prohibit taxpayer dollars from funding abortion and pledges to vote for judges and justices “who respect the Constitution, especially the precious right to life.” [iv] In January 2023, Banks suggested support for efforts that would prevent women from leaving Indiana to access reproductive care. [v] Banks and his wife Amanda have long relationships with Focus on the Family, where they both worked in public policy. [vi]

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

In October 2024, Banks introduced the End Executive Branch Amnesty Act, a bill that would overturn several Biden administration immigration policies, including limiting the use of Temporary Protected Status to protect migrants from deportation. [vii] Banks calls himself a “strong and vocal advocate for securing our border,” and supports the Trump administration’s immigration policies, including building a border wall and reinstating “Remain in Mexico.” [viii] During his first campaign for Congress, Banks’ platform included eliminating federal funding for sanctuary cities, deporting all criminal illegal aliens, opposing any legislation that would result in amnesty, opposing expansion of guest-worker programs, implementing an entry-exit visa tracking system, and encouraging employers to use rapid-response E-Verify systems. [ix]

ECONOMY & JOBS:

Banks’ campaign platform advocates for “pro-growth policies,” and for filling the “skills gap between training and available jobs.” He supports reducing the national debt and derides the Biden administration’s “reckless, runaway spending.” He has also introduced legislation that would require a report on the inflationary impact of any spending bill that passes Congress. [x] 

TAXES:

In 2017, Banks voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, arguing the bill would provide “middle-class tax relief while promoting investment, job creation and sustained economic growth.” [xi] He supports making the individual tax cuts from that bill permanent. [xii]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

In the 118^th Congress, Banks’ first bill was legislation to codify Qualified Immunity and protect law enforcement from “costly, frivolous lawsuits.” His campaign platform says he is a “proud supporter” of law enforcement and touts his work to “forcefully” push back on the Defund the Police movement. [xiii] 

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

The League of Conservation Voters has given Banks a 1% lifetime score for his votes on environmental issues. [xiv] He has opposed much of the Biden administration’s energy policy, including cancelling the Keystone Pipeline and halting oil and gas leases on federal lands. [xv] He has also decried the administration’s “burdensome emissions regulations,” restricting leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, pushing for “inefficient fuel sources” like wind, ending subsidies for oil and gas, pushing for “environmental justice,” rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, and proposing a climate disclosure rule. [xvi]

FOREIGN POLICY:

An Afghanistan veteran and member of the Armed Services Committee and Select Committee on China, Banks emphasizes prioritizing “service members’ ability to defend the nation against potential threats – while also being as fiscally responsible as possible.” In a July 2024 interview, he cited his service as foundational in his rejection of hawkish foreign policy – including his votes against the vast majority of U.S. aid for Ukraine. [xvii] His campaign platform blames President Biden’s “failure of leadership” for attributing to America’s “diminished” standing on the world stage. He also describes China as posing an “existential threat” to national security, and pledges to “always fight for a national security policy that puts America first.” Banks has also highlighted his support for Israel, including for continued military assistance that “allows Israel to defend itself from radical terrorists who wish to annihilate the world’s only Jewish State.” He cosponsored the Maximum Pressure Act, which would codify sanctions issued by the Trump administration on Iran to maintain a “maximum pressure campaign” on the regime. [xviii] After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Banks advocated for fast-tracking LNG export approvals; supporting the Midcat Pipeline; pushing European Union countries to reverse course on inhibiting nuclear power; sanctioning Russian oil, gas, and timber; and removing energy exemptions in U.S. sanctions on the Russian Central Bank. [xix]

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

In May 2017, Banks voted for the American Health Care Act, the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. While he described it as “not a perfect bill,” he touted its provisions to repeal the medical device tax and eliminate the individual mandate. [xx] He has introduced a bill that aims to curtail large companies buying smaller hospitals and then raising prices. [xxi] In a 2021 op-ed, he advocated for Republicans to use the reconciliation process to pass health care, to eschew a “closed-door process” for proposals, and to articulate a “clear vision” for conservative policy. [xxii] As Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Banks co-authored a 2023 budget report that included proposals to reduce the ACA’s regulatory mandates; reduce regulations (including repealing McCarron-Ferguson and opposing price controls); reform the employer sponsored insurance (ESI) exclusions by providing a capped exclusion for all spending on health insurance by and on behalf of the tax filer; and streamlining Medicaid and CHIP, among other proposals. [xxiii]

DEMOCRACY:

In 2021, as Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Banks introduced the Save Democracy Act – a bill that would prohibit automatic voter registration for federal elections; require full Social Security Numbers to register to vote; prohibit states from sending out unrequested absentee ballots; prohibit the use of public ballot collection boxes; require proof of ID for absentee voting and in-person voting; require at least two representatives of each Presidential campaign to be permitted to observe polls; require that ballot counting continue until completed; and more. [xxiv] He describes ensuring election integrity as a “top priority,” with “the clear goal of making it easy to vote and harder to cheat,” and touts his work to fight back “against Democrats’ unconstitutional efforts to federalize our elections.” [xxv] In January 2021, Banks was one of 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the election.[xxvi]

SOCIAL ISSUES:

On his campaign website, Banks pledges to “oppose wokeness in schools and sports.” He says he is “staunchly opposed” to Critical Race Theory and “other liberal propaganda, like the 1619 project,” and touts his work on a discharge petition to force a vote on legislation that would cut federal funding to any school that “forces female athletes to compete against biological males.” [xxvii] In December 2023, Banks and Senator JD Vance introduced a bill that would require universities to comply with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. [xxviii] In December 2022, Banks was one of 169 House Republicans to vote against the Respect for Marriage Act. [xxix]