Card image cap

Tom Spangler's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Key


Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.

Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.

Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.

Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.

Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Tom Spangler has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2014 Political Courage Test.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Indiana Congressional Election 2014 Political Courage Test

Pro-life Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
I support Pro-Life Legislation.The law of the land today is that the woman has a choice as it relates to Abortion. Being a male and having no idea of how a woman would feel concerning having to making a this choice do to possibly dying, conception due to rape or incest, my hope and prayer is that she makes the right choice. I know that our Creator is a loving and just God.
Yes In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
Yes In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
I would support a small increase on the top 1%. I also support tax reform such as a flat tax and or a transaction tax.
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
I believe we need to have limits on campaign spending and expenses. This would be $500,000 for Congress and $1,000,000 for Senator. The money would come from our taxes. This can be covered by elimination of all pensions for Congress.
No Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
I believe All life is valuable.
Yes Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support lowering taxes as a way of promoting growth in the economy?
Yes Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation?
I support lowering taxes to the low and middle class. I support tax incentives for small businesses. I support tax incentives for large corporations that desire to relocate their factories from another country to the USA.
Yes Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants?
I support education reforms only if the reforms are first developed and approved by teachers and educators not by Congress.
Yes Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline?
Yes Do you support reducing restrictions on offshore energy production?
Keystone pipeline is more jobs. We need to be energy self-sufficient.
Yes Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change?
Yes Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
God has given our country and my district an abundance of fossil fuel. I believe we need to use this fuel while at the same time continue to research and develop better and more economical ways of controlling these emissions. The wrong answer is that we can only go one way.
No Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
However, we need to have an accountability system in place for the mentally ill.
No Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act?
The figures currently show that many Americans now have Health Insurance that would not have had it. We need to fix the negatives in this bill and expand the positives.
Yes Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
If they came here illegal then we need to follow our laws.
No Do you support same-sex marriage?
I do feel however that no ones civil rights should be withheld from them as it relates to their life-style choices.
Yes Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict?
Yes Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon?
However, we should at least try a diplomatic approach before any type of military action.
No Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts?
Our social security system has worked thus far. To improve it we just need to raise the withholding cap to $250,000.

SpendingIndicate what federal spending levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.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.

Slightly Increase a) Agriculture
Maintain Status b) Arts
Slightly Increase c) Defense
Greatly Increase d) Education
Maintain Status e) Environment
Greatly Increase f) Homeland Security
Slightly Decrease g) International aid
Greatly Increase h) Medical Research
Slightly Increase i) Scientific Research
Maintain Status j) Space exploration
Slightly Decrease k) United Nations
Slightly Increase l) Welfare
m) Other or expanded categories
Greatly Decrease a) Capital gains taxes
Greatly Decrease b) Corporate taxes
Slightly Increase c) Excise taxes (alcohol)
Slightly Increase d) Excise taxes (cigarettes)
Slightly Increase e) Excise taxes (transportation fuel)
Slightly Decrease f) Income taxes (low-income families)
Slightly Decrease g) Income taxes (middle-income families)
Greatly Increase h) Income taxes (high-income families)
Maintain Status i) Inheritance taxes
Maintain Status j) Payroll taxes
k) Other or expanded categories
1. Bring transparency to our Federal Gov't. I want the people in my district to know exactly what is going on in Washington DC. I will accomplish this by the use of web-site and newspaper. 2. Put a major priority on Education. Teachers need to make more money and be in the decision making process. 3. Replace our current welfare programs with new programs that will have incentives to work and improve your own standard of living. Also will support an increase in the minimum wage.

Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.

arrow_upward