Jeff Esmus' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
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Jeff Esmus has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2020 Political Courage Test.
California Congressional Election 2020 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| We need to respect life while still upholding our values. Under our Constitution, all people enjoy the right to privacy under the law. As your representative, I pledge to work to heal our nation's bitter divide on the issue of abortion. As Americans, we must recognize the need to compromise where we can in order to achieve unity. I believe I can be that voice of moderation and compromise in this world of zero-sum politics. I chose to run independent for that very reason. Please visit esmusforeveryone.com for more information. | |||
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| Yes | Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare? | ||
| Medicare and Social Security are programs that we need to not only guard and protect, but we must also expand these programs to meet the needs of our seniors, many of whom have worked their entire lives. In Congress, I will support any bill that expands Social Security benefits and I will work to lower the age for medicare eligibility to support our elderly citizens who may be too young to be eligible for medicare, but may no longer be able to work due to chronic illness or disability. Thank you for your consideration. Please visit esmusforeveryone.com for more. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| The American people deserve to know exactly where candidates receive their funding. I support overturning the Supreme Court decision Citizens United for that very reason, by Constitutional amendment if necessary. We must fully disclose all of the details of campaign funding to the public. I pledge to fully disclose any and all sources of funding that my campaign receives. | |||
| No | Do you support increasing defense spending? | ||
| President Dwight Eisenhower warned the nation against the industrial military complex and the threat of overly influential defense contractors. We need to reevaluate how to achieve peace in the twenty-first century, including investing in diplomacy rather than strength alone. Our children and grandchildren deserve to inherit a world where the threat of nuclear war is in decline instead of increasing. Please read more about my anti-war platform at esmusforeveryone.com . Thank you. | |||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| When our country falls into recession, we absolutely need to use the tools of the federal government to both jump-start our economy and protect vulnerable families. We also need to be competitive on the worldwide stage. To attract and retain corporate growth and presence in this country, we need to maintain a corporate tax that is fair and sustainable. I am however not in favor of conditions and policies that allow giant corporations to pay nothing in federal income tax. We must ALL pay our fair share, including successful corporations. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards? | ||
| As a teacher, I fully recognize the importance of having the federal government play a role in our education system. However, federally required standards will only complicate the jobs of teachers, administrators, and school district officials. I believe we need to focus our attention on expanding federal assistance to the schools that need it most and investing more in arts, music, and career technical education. Too many of our schools simply cannot offer these important programs that every student in this country should have access to. Please visit esmusforeveryone.com for more information. Thank you. | |||
| Yes | Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| No | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| No | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| Second Amendment Rights under our Constitution must be protected and preserved. We must be careful not to punish our law-abiding citizens whose only crime is obeying the law. | |||
| No | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| My approach to lowering the cost of health care in 2020 is to focus on the cost of prescription drugs and providing access to preventive care. Let's be clear in recognizing that the ACA does not achieve either of those ends. What the ACA does provide is protections for Americans with preexisting conditions. We cannot allow the most vulnerable Americans to fall sick, die, or go into bankruptcy over medical bills. | |||
| No | Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border? | ||
| No | Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| No | 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)? | ||
| Yes | Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts? | ||
| We cannot give future administrations the power to pull our country into more armed conflicts in the middle east in the name of WMDs. Our young people are too valuable to fight and die in wars that costs taxpayers trillions just to produce unclear benefits. Our generation will be the one to redefine peace and diplomacy in the twenty-first century. Please join me in putting America first and read more about my anti-war policies at esmusforeveryone.com | |||
| Yes | Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)? | ||
| My top three priorities include 1 - rebuild our aged and crumbling infrastructure 2 - ensure equal rights and equal pay for women by passing national paid family leave and passing the ERA 3 - promote family unity by keeping our mothers and fathers home and out of war, increase funding for career technical education to empower young parents, and expand criminal justice reform by keeping mothers and fathers out of jail with the power of education over incarceration. Shrinking our military presence abroad, shrinking our incarceration rate, and closing corporate tax loopholes will allow for increased funding for education. |
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