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Mick Mulvaney'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.

Mick Mulvaney has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2016 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

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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 2016.

  • Rated 100% by National Right to Life Committee in 2014 (votesmart.org)
  • "I believe strongly in the sanctity of human life. Any attempt to harm an innocent child is wrong, and I am committed to promoting legislation that will protect the unborn." (mulvaney.house.gov)
  • "I believe that life begins at conception. […] Once you see what we saw, and lived what we lived, being pro-life is not about politics it is about, well, life." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by National Right to Life Committee (votesmart.org)
  • "As a member of the Pro-Life Caucus, I am committed to standing up for the lives of the unborn in Congress" (mulvaney.house.gov)
  • "As the tax reform discussion ripens, it is imperative we as lawmakers create a level playing field for all businesses, including 'pass-through entities' – which make up approximately 90% of all U.S. businesses." (votesmart.org)
  • "Enact Fundamental Tax Reform: Adopt a simple and fair single-rate tax system by scrapping the internal revenue code and replacing it with one that is no longer than 4,543 words--the length of the original Constitution." (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a pledge stating "I, Michael Mulvaney, pledge to the taxpayers of the state of South Carolina, and to the American people that I will: ONE, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses; and TWO, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates." (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "I am committed to taking the necessary steps to get our financial house in order. At a time when millions of Americans must tighten their collective belts, Congress needs to do the same. The actions we've taken so far are only a start – we must continue working to ensure our country's financial books are in order in the short term and for future generations as well." (mulvaney.house.gov)
  • "I voted for the omnibus appropriations bill today. It was far from perfect. But it marks a dramatic change in Washington. The base spending levels we approved today are $100 billion lower than those in 2008. I will say that again: when adjusted for inflation, the federal government will spend less on basic, discretionary spending this year than it did six years ago." (mulvaney.house.gov)
  • "I’ll continue to stand up and fight to cut taxes for Americans!" (www.mulvaneyforcongress.com)
  • "Stop the tax hikes. Permanently repeal all tax hikes, including those to the income, capital gains, and death taxes, currently scheduled to begin in 2011." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R.1105 "Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015" (votesmart.org)
  • Cosponsored "H. Res. 476, which denounces the use of federal coercion to lure states into adopting Common Core academic standards." (jeffduncan.house.gov)
  • "By moving to a per-pupil funding system, we will dramatically increase the dollars going directly to teachers in the classroom, give local districts the flexibility they need, and eliminate layers of needless bureaucracy in Columbia." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in Favor of S 1 - A Bill to Approve the Keystone XL Pipeline (votesmart.org)
  • "A veto for the Keystone XL Pipeline is a veto for American jobs. [...]" (twitter.com)
  • "We hear a lot of good things about alternative/renewable/green technologies, such as solar, wind, tidal, and methane-recapture. And rightly so, as these technologies offer tremendous opportunities for the future. However, I have never seen, nor read, nor heard any reputable expert or organization contend that any of the new technologies will be readily and economically available within the necessary timeline." (votesmart.org)
  • "Pass an 'All-of-the-Above' Energy Policy. Authorize the exploration of proven energy reserves to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources from unstable countries and reduce regulatory barriers to all other forms of energy creation, lowering prices and creating competition and jobs." (votesmart.org)
  • "Growth in wind energy is not driven by market demand, but instead by a combination of state mandates and a federal tax credit that is now more valuable than the actual market price of the electricity these plants generate. According to recent articles and reports, these very same market distortions that are driving wind energy expansion have also led to higher electricity costs for American families." (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating "[…] we believe that the authority to limit carbon emissions, even if that were actually a necessity, rests neither in the Constitution nor in the Clean Air Act but in the true free market of individual choices by the American people." (jeffduncan.house.gov)
  • Signed a letter stating "[…] we believe this carbon dioxide regulation – whose implementation is legally questionable at best – would do untold harm to the American people and our economy for decades to come." (jeffduncan.house.gov)
  • Voted in favor of S.J.Res.23 "A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of a Rule Submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to "Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units" (votesmart.org)
  • "I am a firm advocate for the individual right to keep and bear arms." (mulvaney.house.gov)
  • "Mick Mulvaney has a record of standing up for gun rights against extremists who don’t support our right to bear arms. We must stand together and send a message that the 2nd Amendment is not negotiable." (www.mulvaneyforcongress.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.Amdt.1098 "Prohibits District of Columbia from Implementing Certain Firearm Laws" (votesmart.org)
  • "Does the health care system need some reforms? Absolutely. But a government takeover is absolutely not the answer. Everyone agrees that many aspects of our health care system need to be reformed. There are millions of Americans who cannot afford to purchase health insurance and many that are unhappy with their existing coverage. However, many of the solutions can be found – as they so often are — in more personal control, free-market competition, common-sense reforms and a crackdown on frivolous malpractice lawsuits." (mulvaney.house.gov)
  • "I’ll continue to fight to repeal and replace Obamacare because the American people deserve laws that actually work!" (www.mulvaneyforcongress.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R.3762 "Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015" (votesmart.org)
  • "This bill, which I supported, will empower governors to deploy the National Guard, revises laws that illegal immigrants (and this administration) are exploiting to their advantage, and reduces the time that it takes to process and return people to their home countries." (mulvaney.house.gov)
  • "If the last 30 years have taught us anything about dealing with illegal immigrants, it is that it is simply not possible to deport 12 million people. Some folks will yell and scream that we should – and that that should be the end of the discussion – but the truth of the matter is that we are not going to do that." (votesmart.org)
  • "Anyway, a few of us in the House tried to stop what has come to be known as 'executive amnesty' back in December, by using the power of the purse to deny the President funding to carry out his orders. However, for various reasons, not the least of which was the fact that the Senate at that time was still controlled by Democrats, the so-called 'Mulvaney Amendment' died in committee." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R.5759 "Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014" (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by the Human Rights Campaign (votesmart.org)
  • "DOMA makes clear that for purposes of the federal government, marriage is defined as between one man and one woman. The use of federal property or federal employees to perform anything but opposite-sex ceremonies is a clear contravention of the law." (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating "As you know, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was passed by Congress with bipartisan support and signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. The law of the land is the federal government defines marriage as between one man and one woman. Unfortunately, the Department of Defense seems intent on circumventing this law." (votesmart.org)
  • "Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R., S.C.) pulled off a rare feat Wednesday, winning broad support to 'sunset' a cybersecurity bill after seven years despite opposition from the powerful chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence." (votesmart.org)
  • "No one here is talking about tying the government's hands when it has specific and credible information regarding crime or terror. The Constitution itself contemplates searches and seizures under certain conditions. And in the interest of securing life and liberty, we respect those conditions. But we cannot permit our government to abuse its authority - because when that happens, our government loses its moral authority." (votesmart.org)
  • "A stable Iraq with an inclusive government and a stable Syria with Assad gone' is not an answer. It is a foolish hope based on a defunct concept of "nation building.' To think that we are going to solve 1400 years of religious strife is so detached from reality as to make one wonder if the Administration is taking the matter seriously." (votesmart.org)
  • "No one here is talking about tying the government's hands when it has specific and credible information regarding crime or terror. The Constitution itself contemplates searches and seizures under certain conditions. And in the interest of securing life and liberty, we respect those conditions. But we cannot permit our government to abuse its authority - because when that happens, our government loses its moral authority." (votesmart.org)
  • "The number one priority for the federal government is to provide for a strong national defense. We must not lose sight of that fact. We must also accept that protecting our families here sometimes means we must become involved in areas far away." (votesmart.org)
  • "Some politicians, like Mr. Spratt, have favored privatizing social security. I disagree with that approach as a cure-all. Instead, I look forward to working to find a comprehensive solution that keeps social security both solvent and sustainable." (votesmart.org)
  • "We continue to ignore the real cause of our debt: non-discretionary spending, which includes Social Security and Medicare." (www.mulvaneyforcongress.com)

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