Rod Lingsch

Rod Lingsch was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1981 to 2003. Lingsch earned associate degrees from the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics in 1976 and from the Central Texas College Police Academy in 1995. He also earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1981 and a graduate degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1999. His career experience includes working as a corporate pilot, police officer, and business owner.[1][2][3]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a writer, policy researcher, and congressional candidate focused on restoring transparency, accountability, and practical problem-solving to government. My background is rooted in independent research, systems analysis, and long-form writing, where I have spent years studying how federal policy, incentives, and institutional design affect real people at the local level.

I am the author of COMMON SENSE: For a New Golden Era, a policy-focused book that examines structural failures in modern governance and proposes reforms aimed at fiscal responsibility, institutional clarity, and citizen trust. My work emphasizes clear rules, constitutional boundaries, and policies that are understandable to the people they govern, rather than driven by political theatrics or short-term crises.

I entered public life out of concern that too many decisions in Washington are made without honest explanation, measurable outcomes, or accountability for failure. I believe voters deserve plain-spoken answers, transparent reasoning, and leadership that treats public service as a responsibility rather than a career.

My campaign centers on evidence-based reform, respect for the rule of law, and a commitment to civic trust by prioritizing solutions that are durable, lawful, and focused on long-term national stability rather than partisan gain.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Honest, transparent governance that strengthens the economy.

I believe economic stability depends on honest policymaking and clear rules. Inflation, rising costs, and declining trust are the result of opaque decisions, short-term incentives, and policies that are not explained plainly to the public. I support transparent, fact-based economic governance that prioritizes fiscal responsibility, predictable rules, and long-term growth so families, workers, and businesses can plan for the future with confidence.Practical, constitutional reforms to fix education and healthcare systems.

Education and healthcare are too important to be governed by slogans or crisis-driven legislation. I advocate for practical, constitutional reforms that focus on accountability, clear standards, and outcomes rather than bureaucracy. Policies should be understandable to families and professionals alike, respect constitutional limits, and ensure that public resources are used effectively to deliver real results.Public service should earn trust through accountability and results.

I believe public office is a responsibility, not a career path. Voters deserve leaders who explain their decisions honestly, measure outcomes, and accept accountability for failure. My campaign is focused on restoring trust in government by emphasizing transparency, measurable results, and respect for the rule of law, rather than fundraising, theatrics, or partisan gain.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about policies that improve how government systems function over the long term, particularly economic governance, education, healthcare, veterans’ affairs, and institutional accountability. I care deeply about transparency in public decision-making, fiscal responsibility, and laws that are written clearly enough for citizens and veterans to understand how the system works for them. I am focused on restoring public trust by ensuring policies operate within constitutional boundaries and are judged by real outcomes rather than political narratives.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

My campaign is supported by individuals rather than formal organizations. Over more than two decades of writing, research, and public discussion, I have spoken with thousands of Americans from across the country and from many different walks of life. Many of those individuals have encouraged me to run for Congress based on my reform ideas and policy work. While I am not currently endorsed by national organizations or political figures, my candidacy is grounded in grassroots support from citizens who value transparency, accountability, and practical reform.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I grew up poor, on welfare, with domestic violence. By any standard, I should not have been successful in life, but God blessed me with exceeding my life goals. During college worked as an engineer in Radio and TV. 22-years USAF F-111D/F Aircraft Commander and AETC Instructor Pilot. Deployed into combat as a pilot and later on the ground with the Army. Thrived mentoring junior officers in leadership positions as a Flight Commander, Operations Officer, and Instructor Pilot. After USAF, owned a successful business. Worked as a Texas Police Officer. 2010-2021, Defense Contractor with a TS clearance. Flew with CBP agents in Texas and Arizona for DHS. Provided ISR overwatch for the military and State Department in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last 6 years as contractor trained 777 SMW Afghan officers in ISR operations at Kabul, Afghanistan. My mission ended there on April 17, 2021. As a lifelong learner and researcher, I developed solutions for America’s problems, people loved them. I offered my solutions for America’s problems to hundreds of politicians from both parties across the U.S., and none ever expressed interest. Due to the deep partisan division in America, I feel compelled to run for Congress in Texas’ 35th District.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Restore America’s free market economy and pay off the federal debt. America is broken because the people we entrusted to run our government have bankrupted it. Politicians put our country $34 trillion in debt with $183 trillion in unfunded liabilities. The federal government has no revenue to fix anything, so they keep printing money adding $5 billion per day to the debt, stealing from our children’s future. My tax program eliminates every current federal and state tax, removing the tax burden from workers and businesses. My tax program is a flat tax that restores taxation to its Constitutional mandate. It will raise $75 billion per day so we can pay off the federal debt. Paying down the debt will enable economic reform we desperately need.Welfare reform that lifts people out of poverty and saves $2 trillion per year. The federal government has 83 welfare programs. Include the states, and that number jumps to more than 600. The welfare bureaucracy is too expensive and requires people to remain in a substandard government-subsidized way of life. Since 1935, $40 trillion has been spent on welfare and poverty remains at 11-13%. My welfare reform is a single program that replaces every federal and state program, saving up to $2 trillion per year. My program is not welfare, but a system that increases worker compensation and immediately lifts people out of poverty, providing them hope for their future. Please go to www.USCF.Life to learn more.I want to end the power that the wealthy and politicians have over our lives. When those who have power over us have no accountability to a higher authority, they will subjugate us. If you read Plato's and Aristotle’s political works and contrast them with what is happening in America, you will truly understand what they meant when they said some people should never be allowed to hold power. America desperately needs my solutions to fix the problems politicians and the wealthy created, which includes major political reform. We can heal America by holding those in power accountable; then, we can begin to fix other important issues like education, poverty, homelessness, immigration, crime, the criminal justice system, and much more.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about the ideals of America, and I have faith in the American people. I wish I could say there is a public policy of the current administration that I could be passionate about. Policies exacted have been the complete opposite of what needs to be accomplished to fix any of America’s problems. All political rhetoric this century is embroiled in deep lies that are determined to destroy America. As a pilot, I have talked with thousands of people across America and worldwide. I lived in other countries for more than a decade. I can tell you unequivocally that America is the most diverse and least racist country on Earth, and Americans are the friendliest and least racist people in the world. Besides aviation, a passion throughout my life is to learn and understand objective truths to eliminate human pain and suffering. The culmination of more than 5 decades of study and research, I have mapped out solutions to solve America’s problems, so that all Americans can have equal opportunity to fulfill their American dream. Please go to www.USCF.Life to learn more.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My mother and God’s grace. As a single parent, my mother worked two jobs and put herself through nursing school while caring for her five children. Growing up poor on welfare was difficult, and it seemed everyone around us used that as a reason to make our lives more difficult. My mother’s courage and conviction inspired me while growing up. No matter how desperate times became, her strength to persevere through any difficulty showed me that there is nothing that we can’t overcome if we put our mind to it, as she would often say. I contribute the success in my life from the values instilled by my mother. When life is hard growing up, education does not seem as important as survival, but children still dream of their future. My dream was to become a pilot. While everyone struggles with life’s ups and downs, it’s what we learn and how we respond to those struggles that defines who we are. It’s not the lack of money that makes us poor, but the failure to follow through with our dreams and aspirations. By not dwelling on the past, my eyes were opened to future possibilities, and it was God’s grace that showed me the path to my success.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

John Locke’s First and Second Treatise of Government and Montesquieu’s The Spirit of Law are the foundation of my political philosophy and the true destiny of proper government. Our Founding Fathers understood this and built our Federal Republic on those principles. Starting in 1830, President Jackson set things in motion, turning America into a Democracy. Historians claim the Civil War solidified the Federal government’s power; I’m not so inclined to agree. The 16th Amendment solidified the federal government’s power over the people through taxation. Citizens vigorously opposed it; however, as usual, Congress ignored the will of the people. Our Founding Fathers made Senators accountable to their States and Representatives to their Constituents. This balanced the power between Senators and Representatives and between the states and the federal government. The 17th Amendment stole away the State’s power to appoint its Senators, having them elected by constituents just as Representatives. This solidified the federal government’s control over the states. Montesquieu and John Locke, in their works, both relate the importance of balancing the division of powers between the branches of government as fundamentally necessary to secure the liberty of the people. Liberty is the division of power. Tyranny is a concentration of power.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

How about starting with speaking the Truth? We all know politicians lie; however, it is particularly sad when voters seek comfort in living by their lies. As Elena Gorokhova expressed living under Soviet rule, “The rules are simple: they lie to us, we know they're lying, they know we know they're lying, but they keep lying to us, and we keep pretending to believe them.” Some politicians even claim that the “Speech and Debate” clause in Article I, Section 6 of the Constitution gives them the right to lie. They insist they would not be able to pass a single bill if they could not lie; how pathetic. During hearings, politicians will scold civilians called to testify with the threat of a felony if they don’t tell the truth while those same politicians themselves blatantly lie. Representative Harry Reed gleefully admitted on national TV that he lied, stating that it served its purpose by undermining an opposing party's campaign. Now, he has an airport named after him.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Besides my depth and breadth of experience, as a lifelong learner and researcher, I have always worked to solve problems in search of objective truths. I understand issues from both a conservative and liberal perspective. While there is some validity to liberal concerns, their solutions are the exact opposite of what needs to be accomplished to fix America’s problems. The culmination of 5 decades of study and research, I have mapped out solutions to restore America’s free-market economy, end income inequality, replace all state and federal taxes while paying off the federal debt, welfare reform to end poverty, restore quality education, reduce healthcare costs while improving quality of care, end homelessness, end illegal immigration, fix naturalization, reform the criminal justice system, mitigate crime, reduce prison population, political reform and more. Please go to www.USCF.Life to learn more.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Allegiance to Country, Constitution, and Constituents in that order. Any elected official who puts loyalty to party, elitists, or self above their country, constitution, or constituents has demonstrated that they are not worthy to hold the office. All government officials swear allegiance to the Constitution and that they will defend it against all enemies. The people we elect to office are expected to uphold the Constitution as it is written as the Founding Fathers intended. It is not continuously evolving based on interpretation as President Biden stated. Elected officials serve all their constituents, not just the ones who voted them into office. They must represent their constituents with truth and transparency. They should promote legislation that serves their constituents and the country. They should also serve on committees and work to promote the well-being of all Americans.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That I could help reclaim America for Americans while serving the needs of citizens with truth, transparency, dignity, and respect.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The launch of Freedom 7 when Alan Shepard became the first American in space. I was 4 ½ years old. I was in kindergarten, so I didn’t see the launch and recovery until the next morning. When I turned on our black and white TV to watch Saturday morning cartoons, the only thing on the 3 TV channels was the space flight. I was so fascinated by it that I watched it over and over on each of the channels. Growing up, my family and I watched every Mercury and Apollo space launch. NASA and the space flights became something everyone talked about, and it really seemed to unify our country. Watching NASA’s space flights motivated me to become a pilot in the USAF.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was delivering newspapers for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Greensburg Tribune-Review. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette would deliver the newspaper to our home at 5:00 am. I would deliver them to about 50 homes around the neighborhood before school. After school, I would ride my bike 3 miles to the newspaper store and pick up the Greensburg Tribune-Review newspapers. I deliver them to 65 homes along a route from the store back to my neighborhood. I did this all through the 5th and 6th grades.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite reads are non-fiction special forces and spy novels.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Spider-Man, with great power, there must also come great responsibility. As a fan of Marvel movies, I was particularly moved by Spider-Man: No Way Home. I can relate to Peter Parker’s compassion and wanting to reform the villains from alternate universes. When I was in the 7th grade, I was baffled when my friends from elementary school suddenly became bullies. I was only 4’11”, but whenever I saw someone bullying another, I would interject to stop it. Then I became the object of their bullying and often the person I was trying to protect would join in the arrack. This became my motivation as a lifelong learner and researcher. I would go to the public library and read books on psychology, philosophy, and religion to understand my peers better.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Herald of Darkness from Alan Wake 2

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Poverty, my mother defeated those demons when she remarried and sold the house we grew up in. She was required to pay back $35,000 to the Pennsylvania welfare system. I was 16 and that helped me have a more positive outlook on my life.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The House of Representatives and Senate each have separate and distinct powers granted by our Constitution; collectively, Congress has 18 specific powers. The exclusive Constitutional powers of the House of Representatives include the sole power to impeach and the right to originate revenue bills. America is at an impasse. When the federal government is $34 trillion in debt, and everything it earns through taxation goes towards welfare, entitlements, and paying the interest on the federal debt, the Feds have no options but to print $1.8 trillion each year adding to the federal debt. If Texas voters elect me to office, I will work with the House and Senate to pass my tax reform so that we can pay off the federal debt. When we start paying down the federal debt, America will begin to heal, and we can start working on all the other programs that our government has neglected over the last 25 years. Please go to www.USCF.Life to learn more.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

A career politician who serves in the best interest of its citizens is the exception, not the norm. History shows us that no matter what form of government, career politicians will do what is in their best interest to keep them in office as long as possible. When career politicians have established power, they will do whatever it takes to stay in power. This is what our government is doing to us this century as career politicians divide Americans into tribal groups and continually bear false witness against their political opponents. Career politicians don’t have real-world life experiences that help them relate to their voters. As such, they are more likely to make decisions based on what makes them feel good without considering the unintended consequences. As our Founding Fathers suggested, it would be best if people went into politics after a successful career. People who have careers before entering politics have demonstrated their worthiness so that people in their communities can better relate to them through their work/life experiences. My political reform with term limits encourages people to have a career before they enter politics and works to eliminate all forms of political corruption.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Corrupt politicians and their loyal followers who are determined to destroy America. Politicians created every problem that is leading to the collapse of society and our great nation. Read Cloward­Piven’s 8 Levels of Control and Saul Alinsky’s 12 Rules for Radicals. You will recognize the playbook politicians have used over the last 50 years. Then, read who Saul Alinsky dedicates his book to. Have you ever noticed that 30% of the people will always support their politicians even when buildings are burning down around them? Today, we call this the Dunning-Kruger effect. 2,500 years ago, Plato summarized this phenomenon in his Allegory of the Cave. All these examples relate to the causes of America’s imminent downfall. To understand where America is heading, read Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, and Solzhenitsyn’s The Gulag Archipelago. Russians had a saying under Soviet control: The future is known; it is the past that keeps changing. More than 100 countries tried socialism and communism at the cost of 200 million lives, and liberals in America still think they can do it better. If events continue on their present course, it is unlikely that America will survive this decade. As America goes, so goes the world! Please go to www.USCF.Life to learn what we can do to save America.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes, the Founding Fathers wanted representatives to have the shortest term possible so citizens could quickly remove bad politicians from office. They considered a one-year term but recognized that representatives would spend all their time campaigning. Unfortunately, with all the changes politicians made to our political system over the last 94 years, even the two-year term no longer does what our Founding Fathers intended. America desperately needs political reform to return to its founding principles. Term limits would be a good place to start. Please go to www.USCF.Life to learn more.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Our Founding Fathers considered term limits but decided against them for several reasons. They expected citizens to take their experience into politics after a successful career. They believed voters would be the best judge of who could serve them in office. They also expected the 2-year term limit would allow citizens to recognize bad politicians and vote them out of office quickly. Now, because of Gerrymandering, welfare buying votes, lobbyists buying influence, elitists spending billions to pay for their favorite politicians, and don’t forget the politician’s favorite tool “the lie” there is little voters can do to get corrupt politicians out of office. Additionally, these issues and the 17th Amendment made it difficult to remove bad Senators. 45 Democrats and 15 Republicans served more than 40 years in the House. Current advocates argue for a maximum of 2 terms for Senators and 3 for Representatives. This may work for Senators, but the time in office for Representatives is too short and would make them even less effective. Additionally, politicians only require 5 years in office to receive a nice retirement income at 62. I advocate for a maximum of 10 years as a state and/or federal Representative and 12 years as a state and/or federal Senator. I also propose that politicians be required to spend 10 years in office to receive partial retirement at 65 and a minimum of 20 years to get full retirement. Politicians without real-world experience have shown that they make very poor legislative decisions. I believe my design for term limits would encourage citizens to have a career before entering politics. However, we still need to work on eliminating all the other forms of political corruption. Please go to www.USCF.Life to learn more.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Jim Jordan

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

As a pilot who has traveled the world and all across America, I have always enjoyed talking to people because everyone has touching and memorable stories. No matter what country I’m in and who I talk to I find that we all have more in common than differences. The other thing I hear quite often is people just want to be able to live their lives and raise their families without government interference or threats from criminals. The most encouraging stories are from those who suffered some loss and can still carry on with hope and love. It always seems that those who have the least show themselves to be the most compassionate.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Too risky in today’s world!

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Compromise is necessary and essential in politics; however, after the last historic compromise between Democrats and Republicans during President Clinton’s first term, America has only experienced the escalation of partisanship. Compromise is the most essential skill of diplomacy that politicians seem unable to grasp. America’s politicians have been in a political civil war since President Clinton’s second term. By 2020, America met all the milestones for civil war except armed conflict. The reason that Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were displeased with Democracy was by what they experienced. They recognized those in power would always transform a Democracy into an oligarchy. Our Founding Fathers understood this history and gave us a Federal Republic instead of a Democracy for this reason. They also recognized that in a Democracy, political parties will always become a 2-party system where they fiercely oppose each other. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “In a Democracy, the government you elect is the government you deserve.” We must work to eliminate all forms of political corruption. We need to build a political system and government based on Meritocracy. My political reform works to resolve these issues. Our Founding Fathers laid the foundation for elected officials to continually improve America, and we Americans certainly deserve better than what politicians have subjected us to this century. Please go to www.USCF.Life to learn more.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

My priority would be to have my tax reform legislation passed by the House and Senate within four years so that we could start paying off the federal debt. When I first developed my tax reform plan in June of 2000, we could have paid off the federal debt in 1 year. When I first offered my tax plan to more than 100 politicians from both political parties in 2005, we could have paid off the federal debt in two years. When I offered my tax plan to politicians a second time in 2010, some aides told me it was unlikely my tax plan would be accepted, but we still could have paid the federal debt off in 3 years. As one aide stated, politicians won’t give up income and business taxes because of the control it gives them. If we implemented my tax plan today, it would take 8 years to pay off the $34 trillion federal debt. Politicians offer no solutions because they know the tax structure cannot pay off the debt they created. My tax plan eliminates federal, state, county, and municipal taxes and fees. It replaces the IRS with my Federal Monitoring Service. My tax structure is a single flat tax of 1% on the Daily Aggregate of U.S. Dollar Funding Flows that will generate more than $25 trillion each year. When we start paying down the federal debt, we can start fixing all the other problems plaguing America.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

The U.S. House must use its investigative powers to eliminate all political corruption. The U.S. government spent $400 million taxpayer dollars on multiple investigations into President Donald Trump based on the Russian collusion hoax that the State Department fabricated, the FBI set in motion, and was paid for by Hillary Clinton and the DNC. We now know by undisputed facts that numerous Representatives lied to the American people and fed false information to the legacy media about the Russian collusion hoax for years to undermine President Trump’s administration. When their soft coup did not work, they tried impeachment. When impeachment did not work, their only remaining option was character assignation. This is where I would start conducting my research if Texas voters give me the honor o