Op Ed: Ben Cline standing up for the Constitution, limited government and individual liberties

By Tim Griffin

There’s been a lot of back and forth lately about the Sixth District’s nomination for Congress, and I felt like it was time to set the record straight about one thing: Ben Cline is the only battle-tested candidate in the race who’s ready to lead on day one and help President Trump pass an America First agenda.

While his opponents have done their best to distract convention delegates from Ben’s background and experience fighting special interests, defending our constitutional rights, and advancing a conservative message of limited government and individual liberty, it is clear he’s the only candidate in the race ready to actually back up what he says.

Just yesterday, Ben was endorsed by the NRA, who pointed out that Ben has been “a leader on expanding Second Amendment protections for Virginians,” and thanked him for sponsoring “Constitutional Carry” legislation, which would allow Virginians to carry a concealed handgun in Virginia without a permit. Ben is the only candidate in the race who’s defended our constitutional right to own and carry a firearm in Virginia.

He also has a 100% rating from the Family Foundation because of his commitment to stand up for religious liberty and the right to life. He sponsored legislation to defund Planned Parenthood and successfully passed a resolution encouraging Virginians to fly their flags at half-staff to mourn “innocents who have lost their lives to abortion.” Ben is the only candidate in the race who’s consistently fought for our pro-life values.

But his conservative values don’t end with defending the Second Amendment and protecting the unborn. He’s not afraid to take on his own party’s leadership in Richmond when it comes to championing government transparency and exposing corruption.  Because of Ben, all votes are now recorded in the General Assembly. Prior to this rule going into effect, many good, conservative bills were killed in committees or subcommittees without a recorded vote – meaning nobody would know who voted to support the bill and who voted to kill it. Don’t you think it’s time to shed some sunlight on Washington? Ben is the only candidate in the race who has a record of effectively reforming government and making it more transparent and accountable to the citizens.

Let us not forget that Ben has also led the fight against sanctuary cities and illegal immigration, something that congressional leadership in Washington has been unable to tackle. We have control of the Senate and the House, as well as a President who’s committed to keeping America safe, yet we can’t accomplish basic immigration reform that results in a physical wall being built on the southern border, ending extended family chain migration, and reforming the visa system to ensure the safety of American citizens. Once again, Ben Cline is the only candidate in this race who has actually stood up for our safety and is ready to support President Trump on these critical efforts the minute he’s elected.

So while some of Ben’s opponents may continue to cry foul and point fingers and try to distract delegates, nothing they do can detract from the fact that Ben is the only candidate in this race who’s consistently stood up for everything we, as conservatives, believe in and care about. His record of accomplishment is unrivaled and only Ben can be trusted to do what he says he’s going to do. Why? Because he’s been defending the Constitution, standing up for individual liberty, and fighting for the values that make America great. I hope you’ll join me in supporting him on May 19th at JMU in Harrisonburg.