Nathan Bech's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Nathan Bech has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2014 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests.
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
Massachusetts Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test
The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.
| a) Abortions should always be illegal. | |||
| b) Abortions should always be legal. | |||
| c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester. | |||
| d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape. | |||
| X | e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered. | ||
| f) Dilation and extraction or "partial-birth" abortion procedures should be legal. | |||
| X | g) Medicare, Medicaid, and federal subsidies should be prohibited from being used on abortion procedures. | ||
| The discovery of DNA has allowed us to see that a new human being, genetically distinct from either parent, is formed at conception. That exact same genetic signature will be replicated billions of times throughout our lives without a single modification. Given current science, I can define no other date for the beginning of human life without being arbitrary. It is the duty of the people's government to defend all citizens against all violence. The American Medical Association has stated that there are no conditions under which partial-birth abortion would provide any medical or therapeutic advantage over a live birth. | |||
Indicate what federal funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.1) Budget Priorities2) Defense Spending3) TaxesIndicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.Family Income TaxesOther TaxesDeductions/Credits
| Maintain Status | a) Agriculture | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Arts | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Defense | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Education | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) FEMA | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) Homeland security | ||
| Maintain Status | h) International aid | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Law enforcement (Federal) | ||
| j) Law enforcement (State) | |||
| Maintain Status | k) Medical research | ||
| Maintain Status | l) National parks | ||
| Maintain Status | m) Public health services | ||
| Maintain Status | n) Scientific research | ||
| Maintain Status | o) Space exploration programs | ||
| Slightly Increase | p) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | q) United Nations | ||
| Slightly Decrease | r) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Armed forces personnel training | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Intelligence operations | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Military hardware | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) National missile defense | ||
| Greatly Increase | f) Pay for active duty personnel | ||
| Greatly Increase | g) Programs to improve troop retention rates | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Research and development of new weapons | ||
| Greatly Increase | i) Troop and equipment readiness | ||
| Slightly Decrease | a) Less than $12,000 | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) $12,001-$40,000 | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) $40,001-$100,000 | ||
| Slightly Decrease | d) $100,001-$180,000 | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) $180,001-$350,000 | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) $350,001 and above | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Eliminate | b) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | d) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Eliminate | f) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Charitable contribution deduction | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Child tax credit | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Earned income tax credit | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Medical expense deduction | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Mortgage deduction | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Student loan credit | ||
| Yes | 4) Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax? | ||
| Yes | 5) Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year? | ||
| I support a balanced budget that emphasizes incentives for work, job creation, and investment within our borders. Our government must work within a sustainable budget -- not one focused on short-term political popularity. The role of government is best defined at the local and state level. Appropriations must be made on merit and not on seniority. I support much more defined roles for each level of government in order to promote specialization/efficiency. I will never vote for an unfunded mandate, no matter the party. I will vote for the replacement of "earmarks" with floor votes on political pet projects. | |||
| As a veteran of two wars, I know first-hand that the defense budget must receive the same scrutiny as any other appropriation. Veterans funding and battlefield support for deployed troops must be the top two priorities of our defense budget. Our troops deserve to know that we will root out any kind of contracting fraud or waste that siphons away resources from their missions. Our veterans must know that their futures will be as secure as they have made ours. I will be a tireless advocate of Barnes Air National Guard Base and Westover Air Reserve Base. | |||
| I am a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. I will only vote for a tax increase when I am convinced that inefficiencies, waste, and patronage have been wrung out of our federal government. I believe that reforms I will undertake can prevent us from ever needing to raise more revenue through higher taxes. In fact, economic data and history indicate that lowering certain taxes can produce higher tax revenue collections. John F. Kennedy pursued this policy. As runaway entitlement and earmark spending shows, our budget is being busted by a worsening spending addiction and not a famine of revenue. | |||
| I favor across-the-board tax relief for all Americans, but especially for small businesses. Our corporate tax rate is 9% above the international average. This forces businesses to move jobs overseas and pay taxes in foreign countries. I will oppose any effort to increase marginal tax rates or cut deductions/credits, unless matched exactly by a decline in tax rates or new deductions/credits. I also favor increases in the Earned Income Tax Credit and bipartisan proposals to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax. | |||
| I have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which holds me accountable for maintaining or replacing tax deductions. I will support tax credits and deductions that further decrease the tax burden on investment, self-improvement, and economic advancement. It is time that our tax policy work with the economy and not against it. The current tax code should be completely overhauled and made friendly to economic growth. Our government needs revenue, but it must not come at the cost of dreams deferred and ventures not begun. I will vote against any bill that raises the cost of creating a new American job. | |||
| I will vote for budget amendments that move us closer to a sustainable, realistic, and efficient federal budget. I will vote against wasteful spending and tax policies that endanger this long-term goal. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.
| X | a) Support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns. | ||
| b) Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office. | |||
| c) Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees. | |||
| X | d) Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties. | ||
| e) Support prohibiting ads containing candidates' name that are paid for by third parties from airing 60 days before a primary and 30 days before a general federal election. | |||
| f) Support instant run-off voting (IRV). | |||
| g) Support designating Election Day as a national holiday. | |||
| X | h) Support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations. | ||
| X | i) Support limiting the President's use of signing statements in order to prevent an alternative interpretation of the bill. | ||
| j) Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege. | |||
| I support a massive expansion of governmental transparency. I will propose a more potent Freedom of Information Act and demand that every non-entitlement check written by the federal treasury be posted on the Internet. My own party's involvement in contracting corruption should reawaken the reform agenda that brought us to power in 1994. I support a limited, judicially-overseen, shield law to protect journalists and whistle-blowers who accurately report government malfeasance. I will vote to end the full-color political newsletters sent out at taxpayer expense and postage-free by Washington politicians. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.
| a) Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes. | |||
| b) Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes. | |||
| X | c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released. | ||
| X | d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment. | ||
| e) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes. | |||
| f) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs. | |||
| X | g) Support strict penalties for internet crime (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses). | ||
| h) Require that crimes based on sexual orientation be prosecuted as federal hate crimes. | |||
| I support an increase in federal funding for enforcement of child sex abuse and kidnapping laws. The United States must work to stop the smuggling and exploitation of the vulnerable. I will oppose any increase in aid to countries with a demonstrated unwillingness to cooperate with these efforts. I will propose doubling the sentencing guidelines for federal elected or appointed officials who are found guilty of racketeering, extortion, embezzlement, or other serious corruption. The bill will include a provision to consolidate the various inspectors general into a single entity. I will propose a conflict-of-interest affidavit for any appropriation over $100,000. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.
| a) Support the federal government funding universal pre-K programs. | |||
| X | b) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school. | ||
| X | c) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school. | ||
| d) Allow teachers and professionals to receive federal funding to establish charter or magnet schools. | |||
| X | e) Increase funding for the Pell Grant program. | ||
| X | f) Decrease interest rates of Stafford Loans. | ||
| X | g) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college. | ||
| h) Ban university financial aid officers from owning stock in or accepting gifts from student loan lenders. | |||
| i) Require universities to disclose financial relationships with lenders. | |||
| X | j) Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind). | ||
| k) Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind). | |||
| As someone who has studied in a half-dozen countries and up to the graduate level, I know how education is the gateway to success. I support lowering Stafford Loan rates and creating more flexible repayment programs. I will propose a doubling of Pell Grants for students who finish high school requirements in three years, as I did. As a supporter of academic freedom, I do not support the federal government interfering with the internal affairs of private colleges and universities. Military Master Physical Trainers should be allowed to serve 25% of their contracts within public schools teaching physical fitness/discipline. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.
| X | a) Increase funding for national job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in todays job market. | ||
| X | b) Reduce government regulation of the private sector. | ||
| X | c) Encourage employers to offer child care services, flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies. | ||
| d) Increase the federal minimum wage. | |||
| X | e) Support the right of workers to unionize. | ||
| f) Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment. | |||
| g) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws. | |||
| h) Include gender identity in federal anti-discrimination laws. | |||
| I support the right of workers to freely associate in a union so long as workers are never forced to sign a contract to take a job. Both corporations and labor unions should be prohibited from making political contributions from union dues or corporate dividends. I will vote to instruct the National Labor Relations Board to only recognize new unions that have been organized through secret ballots. I oppose intimidation by all sides in labor disputes and believe that good government policy can promote the interests of both the worker and the employee. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.
| X | a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act. | ||
| X | b) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act. | ||
| X | c) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil). | ||
| X | d) Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles. | ||
| X | e) Strengthen fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles. | ||
| X | f) Support domestic oil exploration in areas that are currently restricted. | ||
| X | g) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels. | ||
| X | h) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel. | ||
| X | i) Support research and development of nuclear reactors as an alternative energy source. | ||
| X | j) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits under "cap and trade" laws. | ||
| k) Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming. | |||
| X | l) Support international voluntary emission targets to limit global warming. | ||
| I am an environmentalist, conservationist, and friend of our planet. Yet I strongly support drilling for more oil in our own country. I understand that we can steward the land while benefiting from the resources it gives us. I support an "all of the above" approach to solving our energy crisis. We cannot be snobs when it comes to our energy choices. There is a global market for energy that forces us to compete with growing economies across the planet. The development of domestic energy, through environmentally-responsible methods, is crucial to America getting and staying out of the Middle East. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.On (c) and (d), indicate what levels (#1-6) you support for the following categories.
| X | a) Allow individuals to carry concealed guns. | ||
| b) Ban the sale, ownership or possession of handguns except by law enforcement and other government officials. | |||
| Maintain Status | c) Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | ||
| Slightly Decrease | d) Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | ||
| The constitutionally-protected right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is essential to the American experiment. I join responsible law enforcement and firearms rights organizations in supporting enforcement of existing laws and youth safety education. Criminal control laws work far better than gun control laws. The underlying causes of gun violence cannot be solved through strict gun laws. These social pathologies will find a way to manifest themselves in another form of violence. Only law-abiding citizens obey gun laws. American sportsmen and sportswomen have been on the forefront of wildlife conservation and their sport should be respected. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.
| a) Implement a universal healthcare program to guarantee coverage to all Americans, regardless of income. | |||
| X | b) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts. | ||
| X | c) Allow the importation of prescription drugs into the United States. | ||
| d) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare. | |||
| e) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage. | |||
| X | f) Support expanding child healthcare programs. | ||
| g) Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government. | |||
| The debate over universal health care is meaningless when costs are at current levels and growing higher each day. Even if the will existed, the money simply does not. No matter our best intentions, Massachusetts residents are finding out what mandated health care coverages can do to a family budget. Universal health care will occur when we get affordable insurance. A first step will be getting government out of patients' and doctors' way. The federal medical insurance bureaucracy is dangerously large. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.
| a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country. | |||
| b) Establish English as the official national language. | |||
| X | c) Support a temporary worker program. | ||
| X | d) Support harsher financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants. | ||
| e) Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States. | |||
| X | f) Illegal immigrants should have to return to their countries of origin before being considered for citizenship. | ||
| g) Illegal immigrants should be given a pathway to citizenship. | |||
| h) Support merit-based visas over family-based visas. | |||
| Immigrants make our nation stronger. This nation was built by the brave souls who set out for our shores. The difficulty comes when some immigrants refuse to obey our laws. They cannot be allowed to come into this nation without screening for security, health, and criminality risks. I will vote to build a border fence on our southern border. If we forgive someone for being here illegally, it is imperative from a security perspective that they return to their home country and follow the standard visa process. Law-abiding legal immigrants should receive first pick of citizenship slots. | |||
International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international aid.International PolicyIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international policy.International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.
| X | a) Support the United States granting aid to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives. | ||
| X | b) Support the United States granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States. | ||
| X | c) Eliminate United States aid for any nation with documented human rights abuses. | ||
| X | d) Aid granted by the United States should be scaled back and eventually eliminated. | ||
| Yes | a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process? | ||
| Yes | b) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state? | ||
| Yes | c) Should the United States impose greater international sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates? | ||
| Yes | d) Should the United States support the Lebanese government against insurgent forces? | ||
| Yes | e) Should the United States maintain its troop levels in Iraq? | ||
| Yes | f) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq? | ||
| Yes | h) Should the United States apply greater economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea if it fails to abide by its agreement to suspend its nuclear program? | ||
| Yes | i) Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan? | ||
| Yes | j) Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan? | ||
| Yes | k) Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes? | ||
| No | l) Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan? | ||
| No | m) Should the United States decrease military support for Pakistan? | ||
| Yes | n) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan? | ||
| Yes | o) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo? | ||
| Yes | p) Should the United States provide economic and military support to the Transitional Government of Somalia? | ||
| Yes | q) Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses? | ||
| Yes | r) Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo? | ||
| No | a) Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China? | ||
| No | b) Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade? | ||
| Aid should be provided to help another nation a) recover from a natural disaster, b) bolster the true and genuine interests of the United States, and c) eventually gain self-sufficiency. I support federal international aid that does not constitute foreign entanglements. Every aid payment should be sent with the clear legislative condition that assistance is time-limited. No country should expect the right to be on the perpetual dole of the United States taxpayers. | |||
| As a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, I support bringing troops home as soon as possible. We must make a conditions-based withdrawal that is orderly and leaves behind a safe, stable, and responsible ally against our terrorist enemies. I oppose timelines that invite defeat. I have studied in the Middle East for several years, including in Jerusalem. I believe that Israel makes mistakes. So do the Palestinians, who also deserve a state. But it is also firmly my belief that the Israeli state should receive unwavering international support for its existence. The anti-Israel violence must end now. | |||
| As an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, I know that we must support or Pakistani and Afghan allies. They are not perfect but they are the best we have. The Afghan people are suspicious of us because of how the United States left after the Soviets were defeated. We must be a long-term partner in their goals of a democratic society. | |||
| Trade agreements and organizations must support the principles, values, and interests of the United States and its sovereignty. I oppose any common international currency, national ID card, or organization that violates our sovereign and ultimate law - the United States Constitution. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.
| No | a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical? | ||
| No | b) Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications, to prevent future terrorist attacks? | ||
| Yes | c) Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country? | ||
| Yes | d) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to United States national security? | ||
| No | f) Do you support the creation of a federal identification card system? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support long-term use of National Guard troops to supplement the armed forces in assignments overseas? | ||
| Yes | h) Should the United States expand its missile defense shield? | ||
| i) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.
| No | a) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry? | ||
| No | b) Do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support federal funding for research on existing embryonic stem cell lines? | ||
| No | d) Do you support federal funding to create lines of stem cells from new embryos? | ||
| No | e) Should the federal government consider race and gender in government contracting decisions? | ||
| No | f) Should the federal government continue affirmative action programs? | ||
| Yes | g) Should the federal government regulate internet gambling? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.
| X | a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts that they manage themselves. | ||
| b) Ensure the viability of Social Security by increasing the payroll tax. | |||
| c) Decrease benefits paid to retirees. | |||
| X | d) Support proportional increases of Social Security benefits based on the cost of living index. | ||
| e) Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits. | |||
| f) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.
| X | a) Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs. | ||
| X | b) Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants. | ||
| c) Support housing assistance for welfare recipients. | |||
| d) Abolish all federal welfare programs. | |||
| e) Other or expanded principles | |||
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