John Katko'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.
John Katko has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2020 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.
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 2020.
- "John's position on abortion is consistent with his Catholic faith. He believes that all life has worth, every individual has potential, and every child deserves opportunity." (votesmart.org)
- Voted in favor of HR 4712 - Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. (votesmart.org)
- Voted in favor of HR 1 - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. (votesmart.org)
- "He has fought for lower taxes, responsible levels of government spending, and reforms to outdated and burdensome regulations." (www.johnkatkoforcongress.com)
- "Central New York seniors have paid into the Medicare and Social Security systems their entire lives, and they deserve to know that they will receive the benefits they've earned. That's why John believes that no changes can be made to these programs for individuals in our community who are at or near retirement and depend on these programs." (votesmart.org)
- "I have long supported a constitutional amendment to reform our campaign finance system and firmly believe that we must take a bipartisan approach to make this happen," (votesmart.org)
- "I strongly believe we need campaign finance reform, and acted on the first day of this Congress to introduce a bipartisan constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and impose campaign contribution limits." (votesmart.org)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Rated 95% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
- "First and foremost, I supported this measure because it prioritizes our national defense. With this vote, Congress has lifted defense spending caps and provided a boost in military spending to ensure the safety of our nation both at home and abroad. With ongoing threats from North Korea and throughout the world, our military must be strengthened. This measure will ensure that the brave men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom and our democracy have the resources that they need." (votesmart.org)
- Voted in favor of HR 22 - Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. (votesmart.org)
- "John knows that a solid transportation network is indispensible to a strong economy. John served as a key negotiator of a long-term highway bill, which ended years of funding uncertainty for our nation's highway programs, and worked for improvements that will make it easier for local governments to work with and benefit from federal highway programs." (votesmart.org)
- Voted in favor of HR 1 - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. (votesmart.org)
- "I applaud House passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill that delivers crucial relief and support to Central New York. As this bill was negotiated, I advocated for additional resources for Central New York hospitals and frontline providers, relief for small businesses, and support for working families in our region. The package that passed the House today delivers on these priority items." (votesmart.org)
- "Central New York parents, educators, and administrators know best when it comes to educating our children and improving education in our schools. We must credit our teachers with the ability to make decisions on the local level and give them the flexibility they need to teach students using unique, inventive, and creative methods reflective of local conditions," said U.S. Rep. John Katko. "We can't teach students in the City of Syracuse the same way that we teach students in Fulton, in Auburn, in Palmyra, or Fayetteville-Manlius. Each school district -- and each child -- is different. Our education standards must reflect that." (votesmart.org)
- "The Every Student Succeeds Act significantly scales back the federal government's role in education, providing greater flexibility so that decisions on education can be made at the state and local level." (votesmart.org)
- "Top-down, Washington-based decision making isn't working for our schools. John worked to pass legislation to end the federal Common Core mandate so our teachers and parents can tailor education to the needs of individual students." (www.johnkatkoforcongress.com)
- Voted in favor of HR 5 - Student Success Act. (votesmart.org)
- "As a part of that, consumers must be allowed to make free market choices, and new technology should not be forced upon them." (votesmart.org)
- "Our country must continue efforts towards achieving energy independence. John supports domestic production of energy, as well as investment in research for clean and renewable energy." (votesmart.org)
- Voted in favor of HR 1119 - SENSE Act. (votesmart.org)
- "But Democrats seem more interested in pursuing far left policies â like the Green New Deal and out-of-touch plans on healthcare â than fulfilling the basic obligations of the legislature." (www.facebook.com)
- "John believes we need to enforce gun safety, not reactionary gun control. As a longtime federal prosecutor, John believes we can do more to enforce the laws on the books now and better eliminate loopholes. In Congress, John will oppose any effort to confiscate legal firearms and restrict purchases of legal firearms and ammunition. John will fight to ensure New York State's SAFE Act does not become federal law: No federal firearm bans· No national gun ownership registry· No federal restrictions in lawful purchase of firearms and ammunition " (votesmart.org)
- Rated 92% by National Rifle Association. (votesmart.org)
- "John has fought to get rid of onerous taxes on medical devices, health plans, and individuals without health coverage that were imposed by Obamacare. He has pushed Congress to offer a workable alternative, while opposing repeal efforts that aren't accompanied by an alternative plan." (www.johnkatkoforcongress.com)
- Voted in favor of HR 6201 - Families First Coronavirus Response Act. (votesmart.org)
- Rated 19% by NumbersUSA. (votesmart.org)
- "The president wants a wall. But you can't have border security without barriers. And that's why we have already 700 miles of barriers. So, what we are talking about here is enhancing those barriers to make the border more secure. So, why can't both sides sit down and just hash out the terminology and get it done? I think we can all win on that." (votesmart.org)
- "John believes we need to secure our nation's borders, including our Northern border, and has supported legislation requiring 100% border security." (votesmart.org)
- Voted in favor of HR 6136 - Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2018. (votesmart.org)
- Rated 19% by NumbersUSA. (votesmart.org)
- "Congress must also continue to work towards a permanent legislative solution to fix our nation's broken immigration system. Over the past several weeks, I have been a key negotiator on a compromise bill which emphasizes keeping families together, enhances border security and provides status for Dreamers. I'm hopeful that we can pass this measure through the House this week." (votesmart.org)
- Rated 95% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
- "We embarked upon these diplomatic negotiations to prevent conflict with Iran. But by removing sanctions and unfreezing billions of dollars in Iranian assets, we risk eliminating U.S. diplomatic leverage and only increase the risk of conflict in the future. These concerns are shared by many of my colleagues in Congress, across party lines." (votesmart.org)
- "I am troubled that this agreement gives Iran generous sanction relief without the necessary certifications for restricting its nuclear capabilities. There is no guarantee that Iran will abide by the terms of these negotiations. If Iranian leaders want relief from economic sanctions, they must agree to clear inspection and verification protocols, with immediate consequences if they fail to fully comply or cooperate with the terms of an agreement. Without these basic concessions, we simply cannot accept that Iran will be prevented from developing nuclear weapons." (votesmart.org)
- "Moving forward, Congress will play a critical role in the approval of this proposed agreement. As part of that review process, I will be very mindful of a number of items that have not been addressed in this agreement. First, Iran remains the largest state sponsor of terrorism, wreaking lethal havoc throughout the Middle East and especially Israel. Second, Iran retains the ability to manufacture nuclear weapons in the future and is allowed to retain all key aspects of nuclear bomb-making. Third, we will not have real-time, unfettered access to inspect sites in Iran to ensure that they are complying with the agreement. And finally, I have major concerns for the four Americans who remain captive inIran for political purposes." (votesmart.org)
- "The dangerous nuclear deal put in place with Iran by the last Administration handed out billions in sanction relief while allowing Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, to continue its path towards a nuclear weapon. This agreement, which faced widespread scrutiny and opposition from both sides of the aisle, gave far too many concessions to Iran without providing safeguards for our country and our allies in the region. The President's decision today to withdraw from this flawed deal and re-impose lifted sanctions is an enormous step forward in prioritizing our national security. We must now work with our allies to put economic pressure on Iran and ensure the regime renounces its nuclear arms ambitions." (votesmart.org)
- Rated 95% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
- Rated 100% by Public Citizen. (votesmart.org)
- Signed a letter stating: "While we each have our own concerns with the Trans-Pacific Partnership, we are united in our opposition to the agreement and in our belief that the TPP will harm many working and middle-class families in New York and across the country." (votesmart.org)
- Voted in favor of HR 5430 - United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act. (votesmart.org)
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
| Pro-life | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| I believe that all life has worth, every individual has potential, and every child deserves opportunity. Myopponent supports abortion on demand. I do not. And I am opposed to federal funding of abortions. At the same time, I know the importance of comprehensive preventative and prenatal care for women, and my wife Robin is a registered nurse currently working in women?s healthcare in Central New York. As our Member of Congress, I will ensure that full coverage of maternity care is included in whatever new health care reform is advanced. | |||
| Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| Not at this time. When we get more Americans back to work, the federal government will realize needed increases in tax revenue | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Yes. But I support equitable, fair campaign finance reform that respects the underlying intent and protections created by our Founding Fathers. | |||
| Yes | Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| My twenty-plus years of experience as a federal prosecutor tells me that capital punishment can be an effective deterrent. But such decisions are best left to the individual states and not Congress. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | ||
| No. Decisions on what gets taught, how, and when in our public schools are best made by classroom teachers and education professionals on the local and state level, not by federal bureaucrats. As a Member of Congress, I will advocate for the federal government fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for students with special needs. It is a grossly underfunded federal mandate, and its costs are weighing down local school systems and local taxpayers. | |||
| Yes | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| Yes | Do you support reducing restrictions on offshore energy production? | ||
| Yes, but in a balanced, level fashion. | |||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes, but not at the expense of consumer choice. | |||
| No | Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| We need to do more to enforce the laws on the books now and better eliminate loopholes. We need to enforce gun safety, not reactive gun control. The Second Amendment protects the individual right of law abiding Americans to own a firearm. But those rights should not extend to known terrorists and convicted criminals. | |||
| Yes | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | ||
| I support the complete overhaul of Obamacare, whether that includes its formal repeal and replacement or well-crafted amendment based on consensus and common sense, preserving its most popular and cost effective provisions. We need real, workable, and truly affordable health care reform that allows Americans to choose and control their own insurance coverage. It must be patient-centered first and foremost, with decision-making controlled by the patient and his or her medical professionals, not bureaucrats and politicians. | |||
| Yes | Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| American is a nation built on laws. Any immigration reform must respect those immigrants who have played by the rules despite economic hardship or short term family separation. America needs a realistic approach to immigration that is tough, fair and practical ? tough in terms of better enforcement and border security; fair meaning that taxpayers should not have to shoulder unfair burdens; and practical so that any reform effectively addresses the problem and restores the rule of law. | |||
| Unknown Position | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
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| Regardless of my personal views, this is ultimately a state issue that has already been decided. | |||
| 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? | ||
| If needed. As a nation, we must take pause and think before using military force. However, we must project a strong military to the negative actors of the world. The use of ground troops should absolutely be the last resort. But in terms of strength of negotiation, our Commander in Chief must have all military options available to him or her in each situation. | |||
| Yes | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| Social Security and Medicare are a sacred promise that must be honored. Always. | |||
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 | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Arts | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Defense | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) International aid | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Medical Research | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Space exploration | ||
| Maintain Status | k) United Nations | ||
| Maintain Status | l) Welfare | ||
| m) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Maintain Status | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Payroll taxes | ||
| k) Other or expanded categories | |||
| First and foremost we must end the partisan bickering and put an end to Washington career insiders taking care of their own. Secondly, onerous aspects of Obamacare must be fixed to reduce the financial burden placed on working families and small businesses. Additionally, real economic reform must be tackled, including simplifying the tax code for families and incentivizing small businesses and manufactures to expand and hire new employees. |
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