Derek Schmidt
Nationalist
Republican
House Representative
Kansas - District 2
Current Position: US House Representative KS-2
Running For: House Representative - District 2
Policy Positions
Economic Policy
- Against Planned Parenthood funding; sought to terminate Medicaid contracts with Planned Parenthood and petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a ruling in Planned Parenthood's favor
- For reducing federal spending and extending tax relief; supports the Working Families Tax Cut for Kansas families, small businesses, and farmers
- For the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Health Care
- Against the Affordable Care Act (ACA); joined multistate lawsuit challenging its constitutionality, arguing the individual mandate encroached on state sovereignty
- Against COVID-19 public health restrictions; opposed governor's orders limiting church gatherings, issued memo calling the order likely unconstitutional, urged law enforcement not to enforce it, and acted to countermand mask and social distancing orders
Environment
- Against EPA greenhouse gas regulations and climate change executive orders; joined lawsuits challenging Obama-era Clean Power Plan, methane emissions regulations, and Biden's January 2021 executive order on climate change and greenhouse gas social costs
- For maintaining and expanding Keystone XL Pipeline; opposed Biden executive order revoking its permit
Civil Rights
- Against same-sex marriage; defended Kansas's ban on same-sex marriage in court and sought to block issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples, though dropped the case after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage a constitutional right in 2015
Voting Rights & Democracy
- Against the 2020 presidential election results; joined Texas v. Pennsylvania lawsuit seeking to overturn Biden's wins in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania
- Against federal voting rights legislation passed by the U.S. House; joined attorneys general objecting to the bill as unconstitutional and an intrusion on states' rights to manage elections
Immigration & Foreign Affairs
- For border security; cosponsored and passed the Laken Riley Act and Sarah's Law to address illegal immigration consequences
- Against DACA; joined letter threatening litigation if Trump did not terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy
- For deporting non-citizen fraudsters; backing legislation to deport fraudsters who are not U.S. citizens
Public Safety
- Against cannabis legalization; worked to strike down Wichita's voter-approved ordinance reducing marijuana possession penalties, and issued a 2018 opinion declaring all forms of marijuana including CBD oil unlawful in Kansas
- For law enforcement funding; backed legislation supporting law enforcement and received Kansas Sheriffs Association award
- For gun rights; endorsed by the NRA-PVF