Gary Clift's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
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Gary Clift refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2010 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.
Issue Positions
For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2010.
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Abortion Issues: h) Other or expanded principles: "This is a States' Rights issue per the 10th amendment of the United States Bill of Rights."
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: " g) Medicare, Medicaid, and federal subsidies should be prohibited from being used on abortion procedures."
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "4) Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?"
- Gary Clift. 2010. Campaign for Liberty: California Candidate Surveys. Selected YES for: "Indicate the tax cuts you are willing to vote for: Estate Tax Cut" (www.campaignforliberty.com)
- Gary Clift. My Agenda: Create Jobs. "Congress spent over $400,000 dollars for every job they claim to have created with the Stimulus. Even more alarming is that Congress only appropriated 6% of the Stimulus money to transportation and roads even though roads are one of the responsibilities of Congress outlined in Article I Section 8 of our Constitution. Washington cannot create jobs efficiently when it tries "one size fits all" solutions to a problem that is local. Government is most efficient at the local level so we should return money to State and local governments." (cliftforcongress.com)
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts that they manage themselves."
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Social Security Issues: f) Other or expanded principles: "Social Security money must be invested in a trust fund and not used to fill gaps in the federal budget. We have promised Social Security to all the taxpayers who have been paying into it over the years so we should not take it away; however we should allow States to take over the Social Security money given to their state on a voluntary basis provided the States agree to maintain benefits promised by the Federal government."
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Education Issues: l) Other or expanded principles: "The U.S. Department of Education should be reduced 10% every year until it is gone and the money used to fund it should stay in states so that they can create their own unique curriculums. This will helps States compete to have the best education systems and successful policies can be emulated by other states. We will also remove the huge administrative cost of administering education at the federal level."
- Gary Clift. Issue Position: Education. "In order for Americans to compete in the 21st Century, we must place a renewed focus on our schools; especially math and science education. This is why resources should be directed to the states and not wasted at the federal level. We have fifty unique states. Yet Congress insists on "one size fits all" solutions for education and many other important issues where there are many options which may bring us to better outcomes." (votesmart.org)
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "c) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil);" " d) Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles;" " e) Strengthen fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles;" "f) Support domestic oil exploration in areas that are currently restricted;" " g) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels;" "h) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel;" " i) Support research and development of nuclear reactors as an alternative energy source."
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Environment and Energy Issues: m) Other or expanded principles: "I would like to see States do all of the programs I check-marked above but the federal government has no authority to do it or mandate it in the Constitution."
- Gary Clift signed the Contract from America. "Stop costly new regulations that would increase unemployment, raise consumer prices, and weaken the nation's global competitiveness with virtually no impact on global temperatures." (www.thecontract.org)
- Gary Clift. 2010. Campaign for Liberty: California Candidate Surveys. Selected YES for: "Will you oppose so-called "Cap and Trade" legislation?" (www.campaignforliberty.com)
- Gary Clift. 2010. Sacramento Bee: Voter Guide: US House 10. Responded: "NO, this is a job and business killer. Jobs will continue to go overseas and actually increase carbon emissions," to question: "Should companies be forced to pay higher taxes if they do not reduce greenhouse emissions? Why or why not?" (www.thevoterguide.org)
- Gary Clift. Issue Position: Energy. "Cap and trade is not an energy policy; it is a tax on business and industry and will ultimately be passed on to the voters. This is not the way to make American industry competitive. Controversial decisions such as where to drill oil domestically should be made by the states and citizens using the oil. Imposing federal mandates limiting oil production while voters willingly consume petroleum products from other countries is at odds with our values; Free Enterprise, Competition, States' Rights and National Defense. Some states will drill for oil and others will build windmills; the beauty of a States' Rights energy policy is that we allow the states to compete for the best energy policy. States will emulate the successful energy policies of competing States just as the founders intended." (votesmart.org)
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "a) Allow individuals to carry concealed guns."
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Gun Issues: e) Other or expanded principles: "I do not support a federal assault weapons ban, concealed weapons ban, or ammunition caps. I think registration of guns should be left up to the States and not the Federal government."
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Selected SLIGHTLY DECREASE for: "c) Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns;" "d) Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns."
- Gary Clift. 2010. Campaign for Liberty: California Candidate Surveys. Responded "YES" to question: "Will you vote to oppose any legislation that allows the federal government to prohibit the sale, use, or carrying of firearms?" (www.campaignforliberty.com)
- Gary Clift. Issue Position: National Defense. "Furthermore congressional attacks on the 2nd amendment must be stopped. The 2nd amendment is a strong deterrent against invasions by foreign nations and many have speculated that it is the reason why Japan hesitated to attack the continental United States during World War 2." (votesmart.org)
- Gary Clift. Issue Position: Right to Arms. "I am opposed to assault weapons bans, ammunition caps, and laws which require "proof of necessity" for concealed weapons permits. Any criminal who is willing to break the law by killing another person will not care about laws regarding possession of the weapon they use to kill. Instead gun control laws only end up hurting law abiding citizens by handicapping their ability to protect themselves.." (votesmart.org)
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "g) Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government."
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Health Care Issues: h) Other or expanded principles: "The Federal government must maintain the healthcare promises it has made to tax payers the last several decades; however we should work towards abolishing the Federal government's role in healthcare and let States administer their own programs by shifting the money used for these programs back to the States."
- Gary Clift signed the Contract from America. "Defund, repeal and replace the recently passed government-run health care with a system that actually makes health care and insurance more affordable by enabling a competitive, open, and transparent free-market health care and health insurance system that isn't restricted by state boundaries." (www.thecontract.org)
- Gary Clift. 2010. Campaign for Liberty: California Candidate Surveys. Selected YES for: "Will you oppose any attempt to nationalize our health care system, including any sort of public option for insurance?" (www.campaignforliberty.com)
- Gary Clift. 2010. Sacramento Bee: Voter Guide: US House 10. Responded: "NO. This is a states' rights issue. Federal government should return money to the individual states and allow them to use resources in the most beneficial manner at the state level," to the question: "Should Congress allow the federal government to compete with private insurers in offering health insurance? Why or why not?" (www.thevoterguide.org)
- Gary Clift. Issue Position: Health Care. "... there is nothing that government does that is more efficient or less costly than the private sector; government does not and will not ever have the same incentives to stay efficient like a business does because businesses must stay efficient or they will go bankrupt...Furthermore if the citizenry really wants universal healthcare, it would be more cost effective at the state level; as bad as the state is at balancing a budget, the federal government doesn't even seem to try. States have Constitutional authority to address healthcare, not the federal government (though I would rather neither try to run healthcare and instead leave healthcare to the free market). When costs of a federal plan skyrocket, you can bet California will be the state that's taxed with the bill." (votesmart.org)
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Checked SUPPORT for:" f) Illegal immigrants should have to return to their countries of origin before being considered for citizenship."
- Gary Clift. 2010. Sacramento Bee: Voter Guide: US House 10. Responded: "NO. There is a legal process. It should be followed and enforced," to the question: "Should Congress make it easier for immigrants to become U.S. citizens? Why or why not?" (www.thevoterguide.org)
- Gary Clift. 2010. NumbersUSA: Candidate Survey. Responded "YES" to the question "Do you OPPOSE offering the officially estimated 11 million people illegally in the U.S. long-term work permits and/or a path to citizenship (whether through a blanket amnesty or an "earned legalization" or other form)?" (www.numbersusa.com)
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Budgetary, Spending, and Tax Issues: s) Other or expanded principles: "We should end all undeclared wars."
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Selected NO for: " i) Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan?;" "j) Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan?"
- Gary Clift. Issue Position: National Defense. " Our priority should be protecting our citizens and our borders. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have distracted the Federal government from its constitutional duty to protect American citizens, in America, above all else." (votesmart.org)
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Selected YES for: "b) Do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman?"
- Gary Clift. 2009. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Special Election, District 10 Political Courage Test. Social Issues: h) Other or expanded principles: "Gay marriage is a States' Rights issue; decisions made by individual States should be respected by the Federal government."
- Gary Clift. 2010. Sacramento Bee: Voter Guide: US House 10. Responded: "NO. This is a states' rights issue," to question: "Should Congress repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act which makes it illegal for the federal government to recognize gay marriages? Why or why not?" (www.thevoterguide.org)
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.
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. | |||
| 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. | ||
| This is a States' Rights issue per the 10th amendment of the United States Bill of Rights. | |||
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 | ||
| Greatly Decrease | b) Arts | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Defense | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Education | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Environment | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) FEMA | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Homeland security | ||
| Greatly Decrease | h) International aid | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Law enforcement (Federal) | ||
| Maintain Status | 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 | ||
| Greatly Decrease | q) United Nations | ||
| Maintain Status | r) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Armed forces personnel training | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Intelligence operations | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Military hardware | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment | ||
| Maintain Status | e) National missile defense | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Pay for active duty personnel | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Programs to improve troop retention rates | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Research and development of new weapons | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Troop and equipment readiness | ||
| Eliminate | a) Less than $12,000 | ||
| Eliminate | b) $12,001-$40,000 | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) $40,001-$100,000 | ||
| Greatly Decrease | d) $100,001-$180,000 | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) $180,001-$350,000 | ||
| Greatly Decrease | f) $350,001 and above | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | b) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Inheritance taxes | ||
| g) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Maintain Status | a) Charitable contribution deduction | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Child tax credit | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Earned income tax credit | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Medical expense deduction | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Mortgage deduction | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Student loan credit | ||
| g) Other or expanded categories | |||
| 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? | ||
| 6) Other or expanded principles | |||
| States should be able to keep their own money in their State and spend on the public programs they want to more efficiently so a, b, d, e, h, j, k, l, n, o, and r should become voluntarily funded by the States and not by the Federal government. States should be allowed to make their own environmental laws. When environmental concerns exist that go into multiple States, Article III Section 2 of the Constitution gives the Supreme Court the sole authority over Controversies between two or more States. The Federal Congress should not be involved in the environment. The... | |||
| We should end all undeclared wars. We need to defend our borders against the drug cartels as they are killing, torturing, and kidnapping people in America. Article IV Section 4 of the United States Constitution says the federal government must protect States against invasion and against domestic violence; the violence these drug cartels cause is at least one of the two. | |||
| I believe we should work towards the removal of the federal income tax (provides roughly 40% of the federal budget) and the IRS while allowing States that wish to have an income tax do so and my answers reflect how I would like the States to deal with the income tax. If we stopped the endless occupation and destruction on foreign countries which is costing us close to a trillion dollars every year, we would have enough money to provide a Constitutional government focusing on domestic defense and issues and phase out the federal income tax entirely. | |||
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. | |||
| 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. | |||
| X | f) Support instant run-off voting (IRV). | ||
| X | 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. | ||
| X | j) Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege. | ||
| I support the continued denial of contributions from foreign countries and foreign citizens for candidates seeking public office. We are limiting the speech of foreigners to ensure our citizens continue having free speech by having elected officials who only represent them. | |||
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. | |||
| c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released. | |||
| 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. | |||
| c,d,e are states rights issues. | |||
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. | |||
| e) Increase funding for the Pell Grant program. | |||
| 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. | |||
| X | i) Require universities to disclose financial relationships with lenders. | ||
| 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). | |||
| The U.S. Department of Education should be reduced 10% every year until it is gone and the money used to fund it should stay in states so that they can create their own unique curriculums. This will helps States compete to have the best education systems and successful policies can be emulated by other states. We will also remove the huge administrative cost of administering education at the federal level. | |||
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 today's 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) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.
| a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act. | |||
| 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. | ||
| j) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits under "cap and trade" laws. | |||
| k) Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming. | |||
| l) Support international voluntary emission targets to limit global warming. | |||
| I would like to see States do all of the programs I check-marked above but the federal government has no authority to do it or mandate it in the Constitution. | |||
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. | |||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | ||
| Slightly Decrease | d) Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | ||
| I do not support a federal assault weapons ban, concealed weapons ban, or ammunition caps. I think registration of guns should be left up to the States and not the Federal government | |||
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. | ||
| X | d) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare. | ||
| X | e) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage. | ||
| f) Support expanding child healthcare programs. | |||
| X | g) Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government. | ||
| The Federal government must maintain the healthcare promises it has made to tax payers the last several decades; however we should work towards abolishing the Federal governments role in healthcare and let States administer their own programs by shifting the money used for these programs back to the States. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.
| a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country. | |||
| X | 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. | |||
| X | h) Support merit-based visas over family-based visas. | ||
| i) Other or expanded principles | |||
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. | ||
| b) Support the United States granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States. | |||
| 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. | ||
| Undecided | a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process? | ||
| Undecided | b) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state? | ||
| Undecided | c) Should the United States impose greater international sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates? | ||
| Undecided | d) Should the United States support the Lebanese government against insurgent forces? | ||
| No | e) Should the United States maintain its troop levels in Iraq? | ||
| Yes | f) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq? | ||
| Undecided | 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? | ||
| No | i) Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan? | ||
| No | j) Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan? | ||
| Yes | k) Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes? | ||
| Yes | l) Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan? | ||
| Yes | m) Should the United States decrease military support for Pakistan? | ||
| No | n) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan? | ||
| No | o) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo? | ||
| No | p) Should the United States provide economic and military support to the Transitional Government of Somalia? | ||
| No | q) Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses? | ||
| No | r) Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo? | ||
| Undecided | a) Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China? | ||
| Undecided | b) Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela? | ||
| Undecided | c) Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements? | ||
| Undecided | d) Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade? | ||
| Aid should be granted through voluntary donations to the Federal government when extraordinary circumstances of disaster arise. I think the president should announce the need for donations on prime time and Im confident many of Americas will donate to fund rescue efforts in foreign countries. However because this is not a national security issue it should only happen through voluntary donation. | |||
| The troops should be pulled out by Congress, Iraq should pay for contract security forces with its billions in budget surplus. | |||
| We must secure our borders. | |||
| We should work to increase free trade with all nations and avoid treaties that lock us into one country or another for trade | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.
| Undecided | 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? | ||
| No | d) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | g) Do you support long-term use of National Guard troops to supplement the armed forces in assignments overseas? | ||
| Undecided | h) Should the United States expand its missile defense shield? | ||
| We must secure our borders, our National Security is at risk. If a missile defense shield is expanded with U.S. tax dollars it should protect our borders and not the borders of other countries. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.
| 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | g) Should the federal government regulate internet gambling? | ||
| Gay marriage is a States Rights issue; decisions made by individual States should be respected by the Federal government. | |||
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. | |||
| d) Support proportional increases of Social Security benefits based on the cost of living index. | |||
| X | e) Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits. | ||
| Social Security money must be invested in a trust fund and not used to fill gaps in the federal budget. We have promised Social Security to all the taxpayers who have been paying into it over the years so we should not take it away; however we should allow States to take over the Social Security money given to their state on a voluntary basis provided the States agree to maintain benefits promised by the Federal government. | |||
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. | |||
| We should work towards the abolishment of federal welfare programs by letting States develop their own systems with their tax dollars. The money should stay in the State; we dont need the government taking an administrative fee and sending the money back. | |||
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