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Brian Mast'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.
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.

Brian Mast did not provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2022 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

What is the Political Courage Test?

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 2022.

  • "As a father of four beautiful children with a fourth on the way, I'm a strong supporter of the right to life. I believe we must defend life at every stage and protect the most vulnerable members of our society. After serving in the Army for more than 12 years, I know what it means to protect life and see life lost. Our priority should always be to protect the innocent." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I support exception for defense of a mothers life or the case or Rape or incest." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by National Right to Life Committee. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 16% by Alliance for Retired Americans. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I will always protect Social Security and ensure that our government keeps the promises it has made to current retirees and those planning to retire. This is my top priority with regards to Social Security." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Protecting Medicare benefits and voted to expand access to treatments through Medicare" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S 610 "Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 1 "For the People Act of 2021." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 7% by Common Cause. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Nancy Pelosi's "For the POLITICIANS Act" would weaponize the FEC to effectively give the majority party control over the enforcement of campaign finance laws in the U.S. This should be non-partisan, but the swamp’s corruption knows no bounds!" (twitter.com)
  • Voted against HR 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021." (votesmart.org)
  • "There are many places defense budget resources could be allocated more wisely." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S 1605 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022." (votesmart.org)
  • "Our country needs an investment in critical infrastructure that is done responsibly and without raising taxes. For nearly a year, I've been asking for the plan to include full funding to restore America's Everglades, which is a priority that has broad bipartisan support. Instead, Democrats have chosen to prioritize partisan pet projects like $200 million for a park around the corner from Nancy Pelosi's house." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 91% by Council for Citizens Against Government Waste. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "This is a historic opportunity to invest in Florida's water infrastructure, which has major implications not just for the environment, but also for our economy and public health," Rep. Mast said. "Unfortunately, my urgent requests to increase funding for these projects have not been included in the bill. This amendment is an opportunity to correct that and ensure the Army Corps has the resources needed to accelerate Everglades restoration and stop harmful discharges." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 3684 "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "The House of Representatives was finally in session today to pass small business funding, more PPE distribution and increased testing. This is absolutely critical and a much needed lifeline for small businesses and hospital workers. But this should have happened much sooner. Instead of working with the urgency that this crisis deserves, Congress played political games for weeks, which cost countless jobs and an immeasurable number of businesses undoubtedly closed as a result. There are still improvements that need to be made to the federal government's response, so all 435 Members of the House of Representatives should be working around the clock on this instead of burying their heads in the sand for another several weeks or more. Congress needs to skip the partisan gridlock and do our jobs!" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 266 "Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "But the American people are not stupid. They know that the Biden Administration welcomed a crime crisis with open border policies and dangerous slogans like "defund the police.' They know that spending trillions of dollars won't curb inflation." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "At a time when Americans are already forced to spend more of their dollars due to record-breaking inflation, Democrats' solution is to recklessly spend trillions more on policies like welfare without work requirements and amnesty for illegal immigrants." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Tonight's vote was just the start of Democrats' attempts to jam through a multitrillion dollar socialist wishlist with the largest tax increase in decades to pay for it. Their reckless spending habit has already caused massive inflation and labor shortages, and I will do everything in my power to stop them from continuing down the path toward socialism." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "60% of Americans believe that Biden’s student loan giveaway will make inflation worse. It’s not fair to force families who are struggling to pay for their own kids’ school supplies to pick up the tab for other kids’ college educations." (twitter.com)
  • Voted against HR 2547 "Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "The VOTER ID Act is a commonsense solution that will provide transparency in federal elections, instill confidence in voters and hold states accountable to their citizens so we can bring back voter confidence in our elections," (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 5746 "Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "As Secretary of Defense James Mattis has said, climate change is a challenge that requires a whole-of-government response. If we're going to make progress to protect our environment, it's critical that people on both sides of the aisle speak out about the serious impact that climate change will have on our environment and our economy," Rep. Mast said. "Treasure Coast residents know all too well about the crippling impact on both the quality-of-life and economy when environmental disaster strikes. We must act now to find economically-viable solutions to address the risk of climate change." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 4447 "Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019." (votesmart.org)
  • "U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) today joined half a dozen bipartisan efforts to protect oceans and reduce carbon emissions by cosponsoring legislation aimed at protecting our environment. These bills emphasize removing ocean plastics, protecting coastal communities, restoring estuaries and combating climate change. "Florida's waterways are a natural treasure. I will never stop fighting for what is right and necessary to defend our environment. Working across the aisle, I know we can make progress to protect our environment and coastal communities because, together, we have made great progress to restore the Everglades and combat harmful algal blooms," Rep. Mast said. "These bills will all help us continue to move forward in that fight." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 9 "Climate Action Now Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "I am not certain if this question is asking if I support current gun control legislation or increased gun control legislation. I do not support increased gun control legislation." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 7910 "Protecting Our Kids Act." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S 2938 "Bipartisan Safer Communities Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 1425 "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6201 "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 3 "Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 6833 "The Affordable Insulin Now Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "President Biden’s order to halt construction on the border wall is costing taxpayers millions of dollars and making America LESS safe. #BuildTheWall #AmericaFirst" (twitter.com)
  • "We are in the midst of a war on terror and continue to be the target of radicals who want to do our country harm. Ensuring we know who is entering our country and why they are here is essential to national security," Rep. Mast said. "Beyond the threat of terrorism, securing our border is vitally important to preventing drug and human trafficking. Improving communication is a critical component of this mission." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "When I questioned the Secretary of State Tony Blinken, he made it abundantly clear that border security was NOT a priority of the Biden administration. Safe and secure borders must be a TOP priority. We need to start putting #AmericaFirst again, not last!" (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3004 "Kate's Law." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3003 "No Sanctuary for Criminals Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "We all know our immigration system, illegal and legal, is broken. For far too long, politicians in Washington haven't had the will to fix it. For starters, we must secure the border and prevent visa overstays. We must also reform our legal immigration system to end arbitrary policies that continue to hurt our economy so we can be welcoming to those who want to be in the United States and follow our laws. The time is long overdue for Congress to lead on this issue by fixing the crisis on the border, defunding sanctuary cities, providing a solution for DACA recipients, and strengthening the rule of law." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3003 "No Sanctuary for Criminals Act." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3004 "Kate's Law." (votesmart.org)
  • "I strongly opposed the Iran Nuclear Deal and commend President Trump for withdrawing from it. That's why I've voted to institute new sanctions on Iran, as well as North Korea and Russia. Moreover, Russia's attempts to sow discord in the American electoral process must not be tolerated and must be met with a strong response to protect the foundation of our democracy." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "It’s past time for the ‘swift and firm response’ the Biden Administration promised. Putin cannot be allowed to steamroll sovereign nations. Permanently end Nord Stream 2 and impose sanctions that will hit Russia where it hurts." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 4695 "Protect Against Conflict by Turkey (PACT) Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6968 "Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Rep. Mast voted in favor of Division 1 of the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2471, which included robust investment to modernize our military, funding for Israel's Iron Dome and $13.6 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine. He also voted in favor of H.R. 6968, to prohibit the importation of energy products of the Russian Federation." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to President Biden: "We write today urging you to continue to work with our NATO Allies to provide the Ukrainian Air Force with the additional aircraft needed to defend and secure its skies. In light of reports that you are exploring the option of working with Poland to transfer Soviet-era aircraft to Ukraine, we want to express our support for this effort and encourage you to implement this policy without further delay, including by backfilling Poland's aircraft supply to ensure their security. On Saturday, March 5th, President Zelenskyy spoke to Members of Congress, describing the grim and distressing situation facing the people of Ukraine following Russia's unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine's sovereign territory. We commend you for the support you have provided to Ukraine and the sanctions and measures implemented swiftly, in coordination with our allies and partners, in response to Russia's aggression thus far." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S 3522 "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "The tax cuts passed have allowed you to keep more of your money, stimulated the economy, and led to more investment. Now, we must continue working to close special interest loopholes and lobbyist-driven deductions, while making the individual tax cuts permanent." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "This is a great moment for our country and our community: the first major tax reform bill since the 1980s. Every dollar less the government takes is a dollar more back in your pocket and this bill means the government will be taking a lot less. By cutting tax rates, doubling the standard deduction and drastically increasing the child tax credit, our bill will put more money back in your paycheck and restore competitiveness for American Main Street!" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Amabassador Lighthizer: “Taiwan has already expressed strong interest in negotiating a fair, reciprocal, and high-standard bilateral trade agreement with the United States….As the trade and investment relationship with Taiwan already supports an estimated 373,000 U.S. jobs, working toward the negotiation of a high-standard and comprehensive U.S.-Taiwan bilateral trade agreement would further enhance our shared goal of enhancing the global competitiveness of U.S. industries while spurring American job creation.” (justfacts.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 support exception for defense of a mothers life or the case or Rape or incest.
No 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?
There are many places defense budget resources could be allocated more wisely. Historically, tax cuts from presidents on both sides of the aisle have actually produced increases in revenue.
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
Yes Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
Yes Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
Yes Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders?
No Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation?
I have not been able to find one country throughout history who is been able to text more and spend more in order to reduce their debt and grow their economy.
No Do you generally support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
I believe education is one of those issues, above all, that could be made better by returning control to the local level. Federal education standards are also tied to federal dollars. To me it seems foolish and wasteful to send tax dollars from one person to the federal government only to have them return those dollars to The state.
Yes Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline?
No Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
Yes Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry?
Yes Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change?
No Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
No Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
I am not certain if this question is asking if I support current gun control legislation or increased gun control legislation. I do not support increased gun control legislation.
Yes Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
Yes Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
Yes Do you support same-sex marriage?
I believe article 1 section 8 of the Constitution specifically defined the roles of the federal government, and the 10th amendment tells us that everything else should belong to the states. Therefore as marriage is not covered in the Constitution this is an issue that I believe should be handled at the state level.
Yes Do you support increased American intervention in Iraq and Syria beyond air support?
Yes Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon?
Sometimes there are people in this world that are simply evil, ISIS is one example. Such people need to be erased and we should be at peace with that.
Yes Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts?
As a former federal employee, I believe diverging funds to plans similar to the thrift savings account is a great alternative to traditional Social Security contributions.

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.

Maintain Status a) Agriculture
Maintain Status b) Arts
Slightly Increase c) Defense
Maintain Status d) Education
Maintain Status e) Environment
Slightly Increase f) Homeland Security
Maintain Status g) International aid
Maintain Status h) Medical Research
Maintain Status i) Scientific Research
Slightly Increase j) Space exploration
Greatly Decrease k) United Nations
Slightly Decrease l) Welfare
Eliminate a) Capital gains taxes
Greatly Decrease b) Corporate taxes
Greatly Decrease c) Small business taxes
Maintain Status d) Excise taxes (alcohol)
Maintain Status e) Excise taxes (cigarettes)
Maintain Status f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel)
Maintain Status g) Income taxes (low-income families)
Slightly Decrease h) Income taxes (middle-income families)
Slightly Decrease i) Income taxes (high-income families)
Eliminate j) Inheritance taxes
Maintain Status k) Payroll taxes
l) Other or expanded categories
These answers are given with the caveat that if we had more funds or a surplus of our budget these are places where I would like to see more dollars spent.
1. Be placed on the committee of transportation and infrastructure where I can work toward having the US Army Corps of Engineers, the EPA, and FEMA fund the completion of needed repairs to infrastructure surrounding Lake Okeechobee, and establish a route for Lake Okeechobee discharges to be sent toward the river of grass. 2. Establish a system where the VA must compete to provide care to veterans. Provide anytime anywhere care to our veterans.

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