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Tulsi Gabbard's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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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.

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

Tulsi Gabbard submitted the 2020 Political Courage Test after the official deadline.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Presidential Election 2020 Political Courage Test

Pro-choice Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
The very real possibility of Roe v Wade being overturned terrifies me. I am sick of women's bodies being used as pawns so politicians can score cheap political points at the expense of their freedom and safety. I am wholly committed to abortion remaining safe, legal and rare. We must commit to defending a woman's right to choose. I also support sensible codifying of Roe v Wade preventing third-trimester abortion except when there are grave or life-threatening health consequences for the mother.
No In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
No Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
Regime change wars are wasteful and have drained our country of trillions of dollars, undermined our national security, and cost the lives of thousands of our men and women in uniform. I will bring an end to this failed foreign policy and withdraw America from ongoing conflict that achieves nothing and wastes so much.
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
The corrupting power and influence of big money special interests drives the agenda in Washington DC and is a direct threat to our democracy. As president, I will work fiercely to get corporate money and lobbyists out of politics and put you back in control of your government. We've got to close the legal loopholes that give special interests so much influence and take away your voice.
No Do you support increasing defense spending?
Short-sighted, self-serving leaders in the grip of the military industrial complex have brought us into a new Cold War and nuclear arms race with Russia and China, threatening the future of the planet and the entire human race. On day one of my presidency, I will call a summit between the United States, China, and Russia to work to end this new Cold War, stop the arms race, reduce tensions, and increase cooperation going forward.
No Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
No Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
Foreign policy is domestic policy. We can achieve new levels of economic growth, and debt and deficit savings, without changing tax policy. As president I will end counterproductive and wasteful regime change wars, work to end this new Cold War and nuclear arms race and take the trillions of dollars that we've been spending, and invest those resources in serving the needs of the American people - healthcare, education, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, protecting our environment. There are many urgent needs here that we need to address and we've got to get our priorities straight
No Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
We need to make sure we are investing in the future of all of our children. In order to invest in our future, we have to provide adequate resources and meaningful accountability to ensure that all our students have equal access to quality education.
Yes Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
Yes Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
We need to invest in 100% renewable and safe energy sources like wind, solar, and geothermal. I also support a ban on fracking, ending the $26 billion/year in fossil fuel subsidies, ban offshore drilling, harness innovation to create jobs in renewable energy, provide better opportunities for our farmers, ensure every American has clean air and water, and ban all subsidies or waivers to the nuclear power industry, which should itself be completely responsible for paying for its own insurance and paying the long term cost for safe storage of nuclear waste over centuries.
Yes Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
We cannot allow partisan politics to get in the way of taking meaningful action in areas where both parties agree and that have the support of most Americans across this country. Here are a few examples: Both Democrats and Republicans support legislation I have co-sponsored to ban bump stocks. Both Democrats and Republicans support legislation to uphold Second Amendment rights and strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
No Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
I support a single-payer system where everyone contributes and is covered, and that will also allow individuals to access private insurance if they choose. If we truly want to reform our healthcare system, we cannot give big insurance and big pharma a seat at the table to draft legislation. Unlike so many of my colleagues in Congress, I will not bow to the pressure of lobbyists and special interest groups and will instead stand up for the interests of the American people.
No Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
No Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
I will not accept the false choice between compassion and security that is currently being offered to us. We need comprehensive immigration reform to address our broken immigration laws and we need to have a serious conversation about the most effective and humane ways to compassionately secure our borders while building bridges and cooperative foreign policy with other countries. Most urgently, we must pass DACA to ensure children who know no other home are allowed to remain in the US and take steps to ensure children are not separated from their parents.
Yes Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)?
Yes Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
Americans are not being prioritized by the Federal government. I therefore pledge to be your voice in Washington. I will put an end to the failed policy of being the world's police and nation builder, redirecting the trillions of dollars wasted on wasteful wars and weapons. I will ensure these funds will be redirected back to us at home and spent on building a cleaner, safer, healthier America.
No Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
On day one of my presidency, I will call a summit between the United States, China, and Russia to work to end this new Cold War, stop the arms race, reduce tensions, and increase cooperation going forward.

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