Bob Dieterich'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.
Bob Dieterich refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2012 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 2012.
- Bob Dieterich. Video: US Congressional Candidate Bob Dieterich meets NY20DA grassroots. 12 March 2012. "Q: Your thoughts on Abortion & Same Sex Marriage? A: My personal views, I've always been pro-life, and I think my public policy views are different than that. I think theres some room for some decisions on a personal level and my whole campaign is about government backing out of our lives [¦] There are definite restrictions, I think, as far as funding. There's absolutely no room for government funding [¦] Late term abortion, absolutely not." (www.youtube.com)
- Bob Dieterich. Times Union: My Ballot New York Congressional District 19. 13 October 2012. Responded "After 11 years of military operations in Afghanistan, I believe that we must work with both our military leaders and Afghan civilian leadership to bring the conflict to a successful conclusion. I am also firmly committed to maintaining a presence there to prevent a resurgence of the Taliban" to the question: "NATO forces are expected to leave Afghanistan in about two years. How do you envision the U.S. role in that country, and in the broader region, up to and after that time?" (c3.thevoterguide.org)
- Bob Dieterich. Congressional (Candidate) Corner: Bob Dieterich. 6 August 2012. "I think everything should be on the table. I think defense is one of the things that you have to be very careful about cutting [¦] but there is room." (wamc.org)
- Bob Dieterich. Issues. 7 September 2012. "While Bob understands that our defense budget can and must be trimmed to meet economic realities, he supports increased funding for intelligence, special operations and counter-terrorism operations." (dieterichforcongress.com)
- Bob Dieterich. Issue Position: Taxes. 1 January 2012. "Taxes are the price we, as citizens, pay for the services we receive from the government. Every citizen should contribute fairly, no matter how large or how small that contribution. Every citizen should feel a part of this great nation. However, every citizen should be able to determine what their fair share is easily. The tax code needs to be revamped and simplified so that it is clear what the costs are and what our share of the burden is. This would eliminate the feeling that others are not shouldering the burden or that we are not responsible for contributing because we are of modest means. We are all in this together." (votesmart.org)
- Bob Dieterich. Times Union: My Ballot New York Congressional District 19. 13 October 2012. Responded "Reforming and simplifying our tax code to ensure that every taxpayer is treated in a fair and equitable manner is the next step" to the question: "What course of action would you support in order to reduce the national debt? In which areas would you like to see government spending cut? In what ways should changes to the tax code be made?" (c3.thevoterguide.org)
- Bob Dieterich. Dieterich On the Issues: Economy, Spending and Jobs. 9 October 2012. "As the CFO for a well-respected community bank and the area's 2011 "CFO of the Year," Bob understands that we cannot tax and spend our way out of this "Great Recession." For too long, our federal government has spent money it did not have for programs that we did not need. Legacy entitlements, wasteful spending, poor Congressional oversight and the interest payments on a $15.7 trillion national debt will have a devastating impact on our children and future generations if we do not take immediate action. Bob is running for Congress to serve as "America's CFO" and bring our spending in line with federal revenue, forcing Washington to live within its means, just as we do! The reckless fiscal decisions of our nation's leaders now threatens to leave a weakened America to our children. Bob Dieterich will not allow that to happen. In Washington, he will promote bi-partisan solutions to the most pressing issue facing our generation"our nation's bloated budget"and create the conditions necessary to grow our economy and add jobs!" (dieterichforcongress.com)
- Bob Dieterich. League of Women Voters NY: Voter Guide 2012. Responded "Next we must reform and simplify our tax code. Once the code is simplified and stable, consumers and businesses will find it more attractive to operate on American soil and we will see a turnaround in permanent, well-paying jobs" to the question: "Economy: What should the federal government do to strengthen the national economy and reduce unemployment?" lwvsaratoga.org/pdfs/LWVSaratoga2012VoterGuide.pdf
- Bob Dieterich. Times Union: My Ballot New York Congressional District 19. 13 October 2012." [...] we should start by simplifying our tax code which is overly complex and burdensome. By eliminating or limiting deductions and exemptions, we can lower the corporate tax rate while broadening the tax base, thereby encouraging business owners who are moving operations out of the country to maintain a domestic presence. Similarly, we must eliminate unnecessary regulations and ensure that local, state and federal regulations are not duplicative or even conflicting. Congress must also end the practice of setting expiration dates on tax rates as uncertainty is hostile to economic growth. As the CFO of a community bank, I understand that business owners must have the ability to make short- and long-term decisions on hiring, expansion or even pricing of goods and services which is impossible in this divisive political climate" to the question: "If elected, how would you work to get the U.S. economy moving and help make its businesses globally competitive?" (c3.thevoterguide.org)
- Bob Dieterich. Dieterich On the Issues: Education. 7 September 2012. "The education of our young people was not addressed in the Constitution because our Founders rightly believed that such decisions were best made at the local level. Bob supports state and local control over education while ensuring that parents have the ultimate responsibility to promote the education of their children. He supports school choice and fewer restrictions on home schooling. On federal funding issues, Bob will not allow taxpayer dollars to be used to support a bloated administration but only to support the direct education of America's children, particularly those in underprivileged neighborhoods where those funds are needed most." (dieterichforcongress.com)
- Bob Dieterich. Dieterich On the Issues: Energy. 7 September 2012. "While we must continue to make progress in renewable energy production, we should be supplementing these efforts by increasing domestic oil and natural gas production in environmentally safe ways. Bob believes that such a common-sense approach can lower energy costs for seniors, families, farmers and small businesses and done in a way that safeguards our air, soil and water." (dieterichforcongress.com)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Bob Dieterich. Congressional Candidate Dieterich Weights in on Supreme Court Ruling. 28 June 2012. "Unlike Representative Tonko, who advocates for big government solutions to problems best addressed locally, I continue to stand opposed to any legislation which restricts the right of the American people to make their own decisions about their health care and insurance coverage. When I am elected to Congress in November, I will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to repeal this ill-advised piece of legislation and promote meaningful health care reform which reduces the cost of health care and promotes market-driven solutions to expand coverage. Further, I will not allow this or any administration to reform health care by robbing the Medicare program of desperately needed funding. Instead, I will: work to eliminate costly regulations which do not protect patients or consumers but simply drive up the cost of doing business; work with state officials in New York to promote tort reform which would reduce the cost of medical malpractice insurance and put an end to "defensive medicine;" encourage more creative, affordable health insurance plans which would protect individuals from the risk of financial ruin in the event of accident or illness." (dieterichforcongress.com)
- Bob Dieterich. Dieterich On the Issues: Health Care Reform. 9 October 2012. "The Affordable Care Act of 2010 was sold to the American people as desperately needed legislation which would reduce the cost of health care and expand insurance coverage to millions of uninsured residents. As we now know, the cost of health insurance has only become more expensive as a result of this unworkable and wildly expensive legislation. The independent Congressional Budget Office now estimates that the ACA will cost twice what was originally anticipated upon its passage in part due to the expansion of various government agencies to administer programs created by the bill and ensure compliance with hundreds of new regulations. Clearly, this was not the kind of health care reform our country needs. Bob supports private market solutions to reduce the cost and improve the quality of health care. He advocates tort reform to lower the cost of practicing medicine and encourages states to be the independent laboratories our Founders intended them to be, experimenting with reforms and protocols which would ensure expanded access to health care at lower cost without bankrupting the country." (dieterichforcongress.com)
- Bob Dieterich. Dieterich On the Issues: Immigration. 7 September 2012. "Before voting for any programs which create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, the borders must be secure. This is a matter of our nation's security and must be addressed first by increasing the number of Customs and Border Patrol agents and providing them with the tools necessary to protect the borders. States must be given some flexibility to address illegal immigration within their states when crime rates affect local communities. And finally, guest worker programs should be streamlined making it easier for guest workers to be identified, screened and returned to their home countries upon the expiration of their permit." (dieterichforcongress.com)
- Bob Dieterich. Video: US Congressional Candidate Bob Dieterich meets NY20DA grassroots. 12 March 2012. "Q:Gay marriage a clarification? A: I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, but I do have to say I would support a gay or lesbian couple having all the same rights that everybody else on earth has [¦] I think if you call it a marriage, it changes the definition for people who have that. So I wouldn't support that." (www.youtube.com)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.