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Gus Bilirakis' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Republican for U.S. House (FL) - District 12

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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.

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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 2024.

  • Rated 100% by National Right to Life Committee in 2023-24 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Today is the 2nd anniversary of the Dobbs vs. Jackson Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe vs. Wade and paving the way for states to enact laws that better protect the lives of unborn children. I remain unapologetically pro-life and will continue to fight for the unborn!" (x.com)
  • Rated 100% by Campaign for Working Families in 2019-20 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 26 "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" in 2023 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 14% by Alliance for Retired Americans in 2023 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "We'll conduct rigorous oversight to rein in abuses of power, root out corruption, & provide transparency. We'll stop WH overspending, and strengthen Social Security & Medicare." (x.com)
  • Voted against S 610 "Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act" in 2021 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by FreedomWorks in 2024 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "New studies confirm the 2017 Tax Reform package raised revenue for the government. The lower rates also attracted more businesses to come back to the U.S. and resulted in the top 1% of earners paying more then they would have under the old tax system." (x.com)
  • Rated 87% by The Club for Growth in 2022 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "We can’t keep ignoring the rising violence toward our law enforcement community. These heroes place themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities. They deserve our support- not constant disparaging remarks and calls to defund the police. #BackTheBlue" (x.com)
  • "We must defend, not defund the police. #BackTheBlue" (x.com)
  • Rated 100% by National Association of Police Organizations in 2023 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 4365 "Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "ICYMI- I was glad to have secured language in the spending bill which passed the House that will designate $1 million to coordinate research efforts between the Dept. of Defense and VA regarding the harmful effects of exposure to burn pit toxins." (x.com)
  • In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? "No" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S 1605 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by Council for Citizens Against Government Waste in 2022 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "My colleagues and I have done meaningful work in thwarting Democrats’ reckless spending proposals, but we must build upon this success in 2024 by continuing to restore fiscal sanity." (x.com)
  • Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? "No" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 3684 "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" in 2021 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 7301 "Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Food, energy, and housing prices all continue to climb, while working families' income decreases. We can’t keep doubling down on failed policies that are only making the problem worse!" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 5735 "THRIVE Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 8294 "Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by National Education Association in 2023-24 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 2547 "Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act" in 2021 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Biden’s plan to transfer student loan debt to hardworking Americans is estimated to cost at least $300 billion, with most of the benefits going to households in the top 60 percent of earners." (x.com)
  • "After SCOTUS ruled against his student loan giveaway scheme, Biden is pushing an administrative rule change for student loan forgiveness. Time & again Biden puts his liberal agenda ahead of the needs of hardworking American families and our Constitution." (x.com)
  • Rated 100% by Independent Petroleum Association of America in 2023 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Representative Bilirakis is a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over federal energy policy. He intends to use this position to work in a bipartisan fashion to eliminate barriers to domestic energy production and encourage economic growth. He has also been a cosponsor of legislation to build the Keystone Pipeline – which would provide an instant boost to domestic energy production that will lower energy costs, ensure less dependence on hostile nations, and create tens of thousands of jobs, in areas where job opportunities are scarce." (bilirakis.house.gov)
  • Rated 0% by League of Conservation Voters in 2023 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 "Lower Energy Costs Act" in 2023 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by Gun Owners of America in 2023 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Rather than address violent crime, last week President Biden doubled down on House Democrats’ radical policies that attack the Second Amendment rights of all Americans. Rest assured, I will always defend the 2nd Amendment." (x.com)
  • Do you generally support gun-control legislation? "No" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 92% by National Rifle Association in 2022 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 1425 "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act" in 2020 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Health care costs rose nearly 30 % in the last year, which is the largest increase on record. As we work to create an economy that is strong, we have to lower healthcare costs by improving transparency, creating competition, and fostering innovation." (x.com)
  • Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? "Yes" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 19, the Lower Cost More Cures Act because it will lower the cost of prescription drugs while promoting innovation and facilitating the development of new treatments and cures!" (x.com)
  • "Democrats and Republicans want to reduce the cost of Rx drugs; we just disagree on how to achieve that goal. All options must be explored, Americans are desperate for relief." (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 3 "Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 6833 "The Affordable Insulin Now Act" in 2022 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2 "Secure the Border Act of 2023" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "He is a co-sponsor of the Secure the Border Act which passed the House and would require the Administration to restart border wall construction, require transparency and combat human trafficking. He has voted to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. He has spoken on the House Floor on several occasions, written multiple editorials and testified in hearings about the urgency of this crisis and making it clear that future spending votes must be tied to significant border security measures." (bilirakisforcongress.com)
  • "We’ve simply got to secure the border!" (x.com)
  • Rated 92% by Federation for American Immigration Reform in 2021-22 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7108 "Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act" in 2022 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I applaud the President’s decision to re-impose sanctions against Iran, a known bad actor on the international stage and state sponsor of terrorism. I've consistently supported sanctions against Iran and other hostile countries, like Russia and N. Korea." (x.com)
  • "Iran could be close to having nuclear capabilities. Instead of harsh sanctions against Iran, Biden announced he would waive sanctions on non-military international cooperation with Iran’s nuclear program. We cant afford weakness against known adversaries." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 8034 "Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 5692 "Ukraine Security Assistance and Oversight Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I have extreme compassion for Ukrainians and abhor Putin's illegal war, but I've been a strong opponent of continued U.S. funding for Ukraine. There's no accountability for funds, no exit strategy & we have our own dire national security needs to fund." (x.com)
  • "Of course I support the people of Ukraine as they fight back against a brutal Russian invasion, however, Americans deserve transparency and accountability for how their tax dollars are being spent as well as a well-thought out exit strategy." (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 8035 "Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7521 "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act" in 2024 (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Proud to vote for the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which passed the House. It protects Americans & prevents adversaries, such as China, from targeting, surveilling, & manipulating the American people through online apps like TikTok." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7520 "Protecting Americans' Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "This is further proof that Big Tech cannot be trusted to police itself and protect the rights of its users!" (x.com)
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 always support pro-life measures.
No In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
No In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
No Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
No Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
No Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
No Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
No Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
While I don't think the government should pick winners and losers when it comes to funding renewable energy options, I do support government grant awards to help innovators create advanced technology for low carbon imprint renewable energy like nuclear energy, for instance.
No Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
Yes Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
Yes Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
Yes 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 legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
Yes Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
Yes Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
So long as it is recommended by the military experts in our Armed Services
Next Congress I will work to pass my Veterans� Burn Pit Exposure Act which will grant veterans harmed by inhalation of burn pit toxins presumptive status in order to qualify for benefits. Next, I will continue work to reduce the cost of prescription drugs by furthering my legisaltion that became law last year which streamlines the FDA approval process, allowing generics to compete in the market which helps lower costs. School safety is also a priority. I want to see passage of my legislation that will require large school districts to have at last one school resource officer per school.

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