I have strongly supported the right to keep and bear arms. I truly believe that firearms in the hands of law abiding citizens makes our families and our communities more safe, not less safe.

This grandson of an Irish immigrant, after whom I was named, Richard Michael Cawley is my grandfather. I was right that - and I always tell kids that, you know, if my small life represents anything is that if you work hard, you study hard, and you never give up on your dreams and listen to people that care about, you can live those dreams. And for me to be up on the platform standing with my right hand in the air in the presence of my family and our new president [Donald Trump], it just tells me this is a great country. My grandfather was right.

However long I serve in public life, I'll stand on that basic liberty of the right to keep and bear arms.

President Trump has no higher priority than the safety and security of the American people. And he made it clear in this election, particularly in the wake of the terrorist attack in Paris where individuals had used a refugee program to gain access to that country.

We want a different type of leadership. We want a different direction for this country. And that's why I truly do believe that Donald Trump will be the president of the United States.

In Donald Trump, you have someone who will bring real change to Washington, D.C. He's a bold leader. He's distinctly American. He doesn't play by the old-fashioned rules. He's going to Washington, D.C., break up the status quo, and I believe get this economy moving again and have America standing tall in the world.

The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of our constitutional guarantee for all persons of this country.