tRep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) has an 83 percent ranking from Heritage Action. He’s served in the Air Force, and ran a small business before coming to Congress two years ago. He recently conducted a wide-ranging e-mail interview with The Stream about abortion, immigration, health care, and conscience rights. The interview is published below, and is lightly edited for clarity.

The Stream: You voted to protect taxpayers from funding most abortions. What are your thoughts on where Congress will go before 2018 in terms of protecting the unborn?

Rep. Barry Loudermilk: The number of pro-life Republican members of Congress is larger than it has been in years, and we will continue to promote a strong pro-life agenda. So far this year, we have passed legislation to undo an Obama regulation that prohibited states from denying taxpayer funds for Planned Parenthood clinics. 

Each year Republicans attach an amendment, known as the Hyde Amendment, to appropriations bills. This amendment prohibits any federal funds from being used for abortions*. In January, the House passed the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” which would make the Hyde Amendment permanent. 

Currently, we are working closely with the Trump Administration to ensure that pro-life protections are included in the America Health Care Act, which is being negotiated in the House.

With Republicans holding Congress and the White House, we have a tremendous opportunity to go a long way in bringing protections back to the unborn. The last two years have been productive in the House on the pro-life front, and I expect these will move again this year.

TS: Related, what will you do to protect conscience rights, which were effectively eliminated when the Obama administration rewrote the Weldon Amendment last year?

Rep. Loudermilk: I’ve been concerned by the actions of the former Administration in regards to the Weldon Amendment because it doesn’t protect our right of conscience. This is why I co-sponsored the Conscience Protection Act, H.R. 4828, in the 114^th Congress, and am co-sponsoring the same bill, H.R. 644, this year.

TS: In 2015, you criticized then-candidate Donald Trump’s idea of a Muslim ban. What are you thoughts on the Executive Order stopped by the Seattle judge and its replacement, and what policy does he think would be most effective in terms of vetting refugees and other immigrants?

Rep. Loudermilk: While I agreed with the sentiment of candidate Donald Trump in his effort to stop radical Islamist terrorists from traveling to the United States, I disagreed with using ‘religion’ as the criteria. The criteria used to determine whether someone is a potential threat must be objective, not subjective. In other words, it has to be provable. Religion is a state of belief that cannot be proven or disproven. Furthermore, Islam gives terrorists the latitude to lie, if necessary, for them to carry out Jihad, so religion alone could not be a valid criterion to stop anyone from entering the United States.

The President’s Executive Orders banning entry by individuals from certain nations uses objective criteria that can be tested, measured and verified. This is why I fully support both of his orders.

TS: There are a lot of congressional debates right now about the ACA, infrastructure spending and tax reform. What do you predict in terms of these three Trump administration priorities?

Rep. Loudermilk: Our first major priority in Congress is to fix America’s health care system, which has been ravaged by Obamacare. We are in the process of advancing legislation that would repeal the pillars of Obamacare and establish a path to give Americans freedom, choice, and affordable access to health care. Since Obamacare has been around for several years, its tentacles have grown long and deep, and cannot be rooted in a short time. If we only repeal Obamacare, we will be back to 2008, when healthcare costs and regulation were already becoming out of control.

We are working on a three-pronged process where we use reconciliation, a limited budgetary procedure that can get through the Senate, to repeal the financial components of Obamamcare.

This will virtually gut the program, leaving a shell, which can be removed through the regular legislative process. Secretary Tom Price, who wrote the Obamacare replacement bill when he was in the House, will begin removing Obamacare regulations through rulemaking powers in the second phase. And in phase three, Congress will pass new legislation, once again giving states the primary authority in governing the health insurance industry.

After we get through Phase 1 of reforming health care, we will be working on major tax reform. Although these ‘big ticket’ items receive a lot of attention, we will also be working on passing legislation to continue reducing the impact of big government regulation on all Americans.

TS: What is your reaction to the American Health Care Act, and what do you support and not support in it?

Rep. Loudermilk: The new healthcare bill is working its way through the legislative process, established by the founders of our republic, where it is being subjected to hundreds of amendments. While the bill definitely needs some improvements to get my support, I am confident my concerns will be heard and considered during the process.

The introduced bill includes the full repeal language of the 2015 bill, which I supported; however, President Trump has required concurrent replacement, which has added several additional provisions in this bill. I believe we will be able to amend the bill – and have a good start toward fixing America’s health care system, and putting Americans back in control with real choices in insurance coverage. 

TS: Lastly, what do you have to say to liberal activists who are refusing to legitimize President Trump, including threats against the President, Members of Congress, etc.? Do you think the media comparison of these protests to the Tea Party is accurate?

Rep. Loudermilk: In our country, everyone has the freedom to express their grievances. But we also have the responsibility to be respectful of others whose views and opinions may be different from our own. Everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves in a civil manner.

The recent tantrums, threats, and violence by this faction is not only disrespectful, but seeks to deny others who may disagree from being heard. Because you don’t get your own way doesn’t validate behavior like setting a vehicle on fire, physically harming someone or making other types of threats. We have the freedom, as Americans, to express our opinions, but it should be done peacefully without aggression or breaking laws. 

*The Hyde Amendment allows federal funding to be used for abortions related to pregnancy resulting from incest or rape, as well as for saving the life of the mother.