KSMU: Welcome, Mr. Adair, and thanks for joining us.
Adair: "Thank you, Michele, for the opportunity."
KSMU: If you are elected to represent southwest Missouri in the United States House of Representatives, what will your top agenda items be?
Adair: "Sure. I like to start with tax reform. I want to simplify our tax system. There's a fair tax bill that's been introduced, but it wasn't passed yet. So it needs to be worked on. But, in that, everyone will pay the same rate as a sales and a use tax at that time, and that eliminates filing a personally, corporately, capital gains. And so it eliminates a ton of reporting. The IRS would simply become a collection source. So I want to see that. I want to secure the borders. That's pretty straightforward. I want to see a wall built on the southern border. And something, for sure electronically, up in the north border, if not even a wall. Past that, I want to see economic redevelopment in America similar to an enterprise zone. But where small town Missouri, Native America, African America, you know, even in big city where an enterprise zone will work at a neighborhood smaller level to create, in simple terms, places, shopping centers where families can go eat, shop, work, that creates community. We need to see that come again."
KSMU: Abortion is a hot button issue right now with several states facing ballot issues on the subject. What are your views on abortion and whether women have a right to choose?
Adair: "On abortion? I'm going to oppose abortion, except for in the situation where a mother's health is clearly in danger and documented medically."
KSMU: The voting process has been a key topic of discussion both at the federal and state level. How do you think the U.S. can ensure fair elections while also ensuring that everyone has an equal chance to cast a ballot?
Adair: "Yeah, I mean, you're going to have to go probably back to a manual count, even though there was a lot of questioning whether the electronic counting was correct. I'd like to see absentee voting limited. Obviously, fair elections are critical, particularly since it was such an issue. I know they've made some strides forward. Once I get into office, that'll be a situation where, you'd particularly need to show a valid ID. I'd like to come into that as well, not just a voter ID, but a valid ID just to help a lot of that."
KSMU: What do you think should be done to address illegal immigration issues in the U.S.?
Adair: "Yeah, I'm very much opposing illegal immigration. Part of that's why I want to secure the southern and the northern border, and I want to engage the Coast Guard to do a better job on the oceans. We simply, we've built tons of highways. We can easily build these walls and monitor them with drones and, you know, heat cameras. There's a lot of technology that's available to us. So I think it's just simply deciding to do that. And then we also have to come to a simpler immigration legal process. It's actually very complicated, expensive. So we've — we have to come and fairly do that but, you know, allow people that can work here and have that background to come in here because, you know, we have a very difficult legal immigration situation, as well, that we need to work on."
KSMU: Do you think the US should continue to fund the war in Ukraine? Why or why not?
Adair: "Because it's a fight against Russia, I think if we were going to seriously fight, we need to fight Russia, not through a third party. So, I don't want to fund the war. We need to decide who we're really fighting. Instead of going through a third party, we need to decide ourselves if we're going to fight or not. I want to see America come less as a police action. And that's just how I feel. The real fight's with Russia. So if we want to fight Russia, let's make a really hard decision, which is very serious instead of playing with it through Ukraine."
KSMU: What are your views on the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas?
Adair: "I'm a strong supporter of Israel. So, if elected, I will, I believe Israel has the right to the land, given in scripture. So I want to see Hamas and Hezbollah removed from the West Bank. I believe it should be Israeli territory. So I'll support any Israeli action in terms of securing that part of Palestine."
KSMU: If your political party wins a majority in the U.S. House, what should voters expect?
Adair: "The Republican Party, you know, we're going to come back to hopefully a balanced budget. I want to come back to the principal the federal government was really set up for international and interstate issues, things that couldn't be handled at the state level. I think there's, what I'll be championing is the true international interstate functions of the government I want to see. But I think a lot of things should be handled at the state level. So I'd like to see some of the departments, actually commerce, energy, education, even health and welfare. A lot of things can be handled without a double administration at a federal level and get more funds into the state where they belong. Some things need to stay at the government, defense, Department of State, transportation, Department of Interior. You know, probably energy as well. Some energy because of the international effects of that. So I want to see the federal government limited in a simple answer to that."
KSMU: In your opinion, what makes southwest Missouri's 7th District a unique place, and what can our elected representatives contribute to leadership discussions in the nation's capital?
Adair: "I love the people in southwest Missouri. They're very hard working, honest. There's a lot of integrity, a lot of community pride when I've talked to people in small towns and the larger towns. So I think we represent truly the heart of America in Missouri in terms of doing the right thing. People, when I tell people I want to do the right thing, you know, the hard working people go, 'absolutely.' Let's — they love some of the things I've said about eliminating the IRS with a fair tax, securing the borders. People — most people I talk to agree with me. So this is a government of the people. I believe the people of southwest Missouri in whole agree with the things I've spoken, and I want to represent them, and I want to open a roundtable effect, which goes two ways where people really can bring the best ideas to their representative in the House. And then even as we approach the other party, we need to be open to the best idea, whether wherever that comes from, and have those conversations privately to stop a lot of this public acrimony and name calling. We have to come back to a respect of all the people engaged and listen to the right idea and do the best idea. So those are things they can expect from me."
KSMU: Well, Mr. Adair, thank you so much for joining us today.
Adair: "Oh, thank you. It was a privilege. And thanks for taking the time."
