Anil Kumar's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
On The Ballot: Running, Democratic for U.S. House (MI) - District 10
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.
Anil Kumar has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2016 Political Courage Test.
Michigan Congressional Election 2016 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| I was baptized Catholic and as a physician I have always believed in the sanctity of life, however I sincerely believe that this is a personal choice. Also as a physician, I believe that decisions about a woman's health should be between her and her doctor. As a person of faith I believe that I do not have a right to judge other people and that the government should keep out of decisions regarding a woman's reproductive rights within the purview of the law. | |||
| 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? | ||
| The reduction in defense spending must be directed toward not engaging in wars, and not expanding our military arsenal, especially nuclear. We must also ensure that military personnel should be paid and given benefits in accordance with what they deserve. Most of the military waste is because of lobbyists, and when in office I would make sure that they are kept out of defense spending. Income tax increases must be the last resort, and has to be coupled with checks and balances that ensure the appropriate and targeted use of the money for the specific need for the increase. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Campaign finance reform is the most important element of ensuring the democratic process. Currently money can buy votes. This has to be stopped. When in office I will do the utmost to overturn Citizens United, and figure out ways to minimize or completely abolish the role of money in politics. | |||
| No | Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | ||
| No | Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| Our prison system needs fundamental reform. Currently non-violent offenders are treated as hardened criminals, which makes these individuals more susceptible to recurring criminal activity. Sentencing has to be instituted based on the severity of the crime and our attitude towards non-violent offenders should be shifted from being punitive to one of support and rehabilitation. | |||
| Yes | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| In periods of recession and low economic growth, it has been shown that federal spending is a good means of promoting economic growth. This bolsters the economy by providing jobs. Lowering taxes has also been shown to promote economic growth because it incentivizes employers to use the money saved from taxes to create jobs. Similarly providing tax incentives to small businesses helps create jobs. However, tax incentives to big corporations usually has negative economic value, as most big corporations evade taxation and do not have the conscience of community service or public good and are mostly directed by sheer profit. | |||
| No | Do you generally support requiring states to adopt federal education standards? | ||
|
|||
| Checks and balances have to be instituted before federal grants are issued, however much research should be conducted before instituting the particular requirements. I believe we need to rethink the K-12 education system. No Child Left Behind has been disastrous and funding based on test scores has proven counterproductive. We need to empower our teachers to focus on education as a mission for lifelong learning and development. | |||
| No | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| Yes | Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| Yes | Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | ||
| Renewable energy is the key to our future. Our energy requirements must be met with safe methods, with the least alteration to natural habitats. Fracking, the Keystone Pipeline and other issues related to fossil fuel must be evaluated with strict criteria. These criteria have to meet all the requirements of long term safety of our health, and of the environment, similar to what the FDA does for testing new drugs. The Keystone Pipeline may help increase jobs, and therefore early evaluation of its safety should be undertaken expediently. | |||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Climate scientists strongly believe that climate change is a result of human activity, especially excessive carbon emissions. We have to decrease our carbon footprint for our own safety, and the safety of future generations, and logical, common sense regulations by the federal government should be instituted in order to prevent a major catastrophe in the future. | |||
| Yes | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| I support the 2nd Amendment. With great rights come great responsibilities. Every human life is precious, therefore in order to eliminate unnecessary loss of human life, common sense legislation must be instituted with thorough background checks and attention to mental illness. | |||
| No | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| The Affordable Care Act has many elements which have helped society, especially providing service to a multitude of uninsured patients that were seeking medical help via emergency rooms, which was draining our healthcare economy, and preventing patients from obtaining healthcare early and effectively. However, healthcare still requires major reform. As a physician who has a clear understanding of patients' needs and the extensive waste and abuse of healthcare dollars, when elected I will be able to institute corrective legislation. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
|
|||
| I do believe we need to reform the immigration system so that we have no illegal immigrants. I support a pathway to citizenship for childhood arrivals and a pathway to legal permanent residence for parents to keep families together. Immigration enforcement should be focused on penalties for businesses that hire illegal immigrants. I would support expanded access to the E-Verify system so every employer can hire with confidence. For skilled and labor workers not readily available in our country we should, after due diligence, seek out work visas for these immigrants so that our industry and manufacturing continues to prosper. | |||
| Yes | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| Yes | Do you support increased American intervention in Iraq and Syria beyond air support? | ||
|
|||
| Military force should be the ultimate last resort. In my understanding diplomacy and political recourse will nearly always work. Military use should be on the table as an option, but should almost never actually be used. | |||
| No | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| Although it sounds reasonable that individuals may get control of their investments, it is a slippery slope that may lead to the privatization of Social Security thereby taking away the public safety net that Social Security offers us. | |||
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.
| Maintain Status | a) Agriculture | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Arts | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Defense | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Greatly Increase | e) Environment | ||
| Greatly Increase | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) International aid | ||
| Greatly Increase | h) Medical Research | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Space exploration | ||
| Maintain Status | k) United Nations | ||
| Slightly Increase | l) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Small business taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Greatly Increase | e) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | k) Payroll taxes | ||
| l) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Greatly increase spending in skills training. Greatly increase spending for our veterans, especially for their rehabilitation and jobs training. No veteran should be jobless, homeless or helpless. Increase spending for mental health institutions. Mental health issues are the prime cause of homelessness, criminal activity, and drug addiction, which drains billions of dollars from our economy. Increase education on to help institute a culture of equality. | |||
| My first priority is healthcare reform with full prescription drug coverage for seniors, capping deductibles and copays. The funding for this could be made available by eliminating waste and abuse, and decreasing pharmacy costs by repealing laws which prohibit the CMS from negotiating with pharmaceutical companies. Second is to institute debt free education and skills training paid for by a tax credit program. We also need early head start programs, increased funding for education, and have policies put back into the hands of teachers instead of bureaucrats. Additionally, bring back jobs to America by enforcing better trade deals. |
Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.