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Tina Smith'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.
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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.

Tina Smith submitted the 2020 Political Courage Test after the official deadline.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Minnesota Congressional Election 2020 Political Courage Test

Pro-choice Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
As the only Senator to have worked for Planned Parenthood, I believe that a woman's decision about their health care should be between them and their provider. As both Lt. Governor and now as Senator, I have fought to protect reproductive health care and stood against the endless assaults on reproductive rights.
Yes Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
Unknown Position In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
We have to make sure that after a lifetime of work, Social Security is available for you once you retire. That means making sure Social Security benefits are easily accessible to recipients, people aren't unfairly penalized for earning benefits later in their career, and that the Social Security trust fund is sufficiently solvent. In the Senate, I co-sponsor Senator Mazie Hirono's Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act, which would ensure that Social Security benefits reflect the increasing costs faced by seniors and improve the long-term solvency of the Social Security trust fund.
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
It's time to get dark money and corruption out of politics. The only way we can build an economy that works for everyone is if we put an end to the influence that corporate special interests and dark money have on politicians. I support reversing the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision that allowed unlimited amounts of dark money into our elections. I also support legislation to make organizations buying ads online disclose who they are and who funded them, and I've co-sponsored legislation to end campaign contributions by foreign-controlled corporations.
No Do you support the protection of government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct?
I support the Justice in Policing Act, which would establish a comprehensive set of needed federal-level reforms to a system that is designed to shield police officers from accountability and consequences and denies justice to victims of police violence. These long overdue reforms would include ending qualified immunity, establishing a national use of force standard, creating a registry of police misconduct, and banning dangerous practices like chokeholds and no-knock warrants. And we need to prohibit police union contracts that create unfair barriers to effective investigations, civilian oversight, and holding police departments accountable to the communities they are sworn to serve.
Unknown Position Do you support increasing defense spending?
Congress must ensure that defense spending is at an appropriate level to ensure the national security of the United States. I also believe that all areas of federal spending can be made more efficient and believe that Congress must aggressively pursue savings across the budget, including at the Department of Defense. I do believe that there is not sufficient accountability for Pentagon spending and that we should do a better job of allocating resources at DoD to meet the actual national security threats that we face.
Yes Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
No Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
I have fought tirelessly to ensure families, small businesses, and our health care workers are getting the resources they need. I supported extended and expanded unemployment benefits, forgivable loans available to small businesses, worker protections at firms that receive government support, and key accountability and transparency measures. I also helped secure a new law limiting foreclosures and evictions and requiring lenders to let borrowers struggling financially to delay their mortgage payments. In addition, I am fighting to secure additional funds to help renters and homeowners who are struggling to pay for their housing costs during this economic crisis.
Unknown Position Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
A strong public education system is one of the most important investments we can make, and the federal government should be a partner for to ensure a high-quality education is available to every student. I wrote a bill to address teacher shortages, particularly in rural areas, and to help improve teacher workforce diversity. In response to COVID-19, I helped pass $13.2 billion in aid for K-12 schools and have called on McConnell to bring up the House-passed HEROES Act. This bill would provide $225 billion to help schools do things like improve their ventilation systems and address other pandemic-related challenges.
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 address climate change, protect our country's national treasures, and fight back against efforts by this Administration to roll back responsible environmental policy. In the Senate, I authored and introduced the Clean Energy Standard Act, which would establish a federal clean energy standard and set us up to achieve net-zero emissions from the electricity sector by mid-century. This legislation also allows each state to decide the best path for them to reach net-zero emissions from electricity and encourages the development of new zero-emission technologies.
Yes Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
It's time to take action on gun violence. Too many of our communities have been devastated and American families' lives shattered. We can - and must - pass common-sense laws that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous individuals.
No Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
Yes Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19?
In the Senate, I helped pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which provided workers with paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave. Under this law, workers can receive leave if they or their child have COVID-19, have to quarantine, or need leave to care for a child whose school or childcare provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19. The bill made this possible by providing small and midsize employers refundable tax credits that reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing paid sick and family leave wages to their employees.
No Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
No Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
Our communities are strong because of our immigrant neighbors and friends. We need to make sure our immigration system is one that is reflective of our country's values and needs and one that prioritizes the dignity of the individuals seeking opportunity in the United States.
Unknown Position 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)?
Unknown Position Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
The United States should continue to support the Afghanistan government and military, who must bear primary responsibility for stopping the resurgent Taliban. The U.S. should continue to provide advice and training to Afghani leaders and its military, share intelligence and support humanitarian efforts. But this should all be done with an eye toward reducing and ending U.S. military involvement sooner rather than later. Our national security is best served when the military is not our only tool. We must make effective use of diplomacy, which is essential if we are going to solve tough security challenges without military conflict.
Yes Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
I've called on the Trump Administration to end the trade war that's hurting, rather than helping, American farmers. I successfully pushed for improvements to the USMCA, which will ease trading relationships and protect Minnesota farmers and producers. The USMCA adds certainty for Minnesota farmers, businesses and consumers by opening new markets for U.S. dairy farmers, strengthening protections for workers, and improving access to affordable medicine. I've also fought against illegal trade practices by China, standing up for Minnesota's iron and steel industry and manufacturers around the state when China's subsidies and trade cheating has put Minnesota workers' jobs at risk.
Please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.

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