Card image cap

Mitt Romney's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

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.

Mitt Romney has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2018 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 2018.

  • "I am pro-life and pro-family." (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • "Mitt Romney: 'A Million Abortions a Year Cannot be Squared With the Good Heart of America'. 22 January 2012. 'Today marks the 39th anniversary of one of the darkest moments in Supreme Court history, when the court in Roe v. Wade claimed authority over the fundamental question regarding the rights of the unborn. The result is millions of lives since that day have been tragically silenced. Since that day, the pro-life movement has been working tirelessly in an effort to change hearts and minds and protect the weakest and most vulnerable among us. Today, we recommit ourselves to reversing that decision, for in the quiet of conscience, people of both political parties know that more than a million abortions a year cannot be squared with the good heart of America.'" (votesmart.org)
  • "Mitt Romney. CNN Southern Republican Debate. 19 January 2012. 'I am pro-life. And the Massachusetts Citizens for Life and several other family-oriented groups wrote a letter two weeks ago and said they'd watched my record, that I was an avidly pro-life governor. I'm a pro-life governor. I am a pro-life individual.' " (votesmart.org)
  • "I support the Republicans’ Tax Cuts and Jobs Act." (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • "Mitt Romney. Meet the Press/Facebook New Hampshire Republican Primary Debate. 8 January 2012. 'But I can tell you this, the right course for America is not to raise taxes on Americans.'" (votesmart.org)
  • "The cost of preparedness may sometimes be high, but the cost of unpreparedness is almost always higher -- not just in tax dollars but in human life and in the survival of liberty and representative government." (votesmart.org)
  • "This will not be a cost-free process. We cannot rebuild our military strength without paying for it. Mitt will begin by reversing Obama-era defense cuts and return to the budget baseline established by Secretary Robert Gates in 2010, with the goal of setting core defense spending -- meaning funds devoted to the fundamental military components of personnel, operations and maintenance, procurement, and research and development -- at a floor of 4 percent of GDP." (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "I will work with like-minded senators who will oppose a budget process that prevents effective debate, amendments, and spending caps. I will look to eliminate ineffective and wasteful programs and to reform entitlements for people under 55 years of age." (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • "The corporate tax cut will encourage real wage growth; the only way to raise real wages is for businesses to grow, compete with other businesses for employees, and raise the wages they offer to recruit." (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • " I believe in the wisdom and intent of the United States Constitution. Among constitutional principles which must be reestablished are these: Powers not reserved to the federal government must be returned to the states. States should guide their own policies regarding such matters as education, transportation,[...] and school safety." (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • "I believe in the wisdom and intent of the United States Constitution. Among constitutional principles which must be reestablished are these: Powers not reserved to the federal government must be returned to the states. States should guide their own policies regarding such matters as education, transportation,[...] and school safety." (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • "I support the utilization of all our energy resources including gas, coal, wind, nuclear, geothermal, hydro, and solar. We are fortunate Utah’s coal power plants, which provide over 75 percent of our electricity, are at the forefront of the clean coal industry." (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • " I support greater efficiency standards in cars, trucks, and factories to reduce energy consumption and pollution." (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • " Bizarrely, in the face of our economic travails, the most active regulator is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Obama administration's war on carbon dioxide […] is the highest-profile EPA effort. But the EPA also continues to issue endless new regulations touching on countless other forms of economic activity--regulations that drive up costs, hinder investment, and destroy jobs." (votesmart.org)
  • "I support the second amendment. Gun laws and school safety measures should be established by each state, not imposed by the federal government. I do not support newly proposed federal gun legislation with the exception of the removal of bump stocks for public sale and an updated background check system promoted by Congress and President Trump." (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • "Mitt Romney. CNN Southern Republican Debate. 19 January 2012. 'QUESTION: My name is Sonny Cohen (ph). I'm from Sevier County, Tennessee. My question to any of the candidates is: Do any of you sincerely believe that Obamacare can either be repealed or reversed in its entirety? […] ROMNEY: Well, first of all, the executive order is a beginning process. It's one thing, but it doesn't completely eliminate Obamacare. It's one thing I want to get done to make sure that states could take action to pull out of Obamacare. But number two, we have to go after a complete repeal and that's going to have to happen. […] But I do believe that having been there, having been in the front lines, showing that I have compassion for people that don't have insurance but that the Obama plan is a 2,700-page massive tax increase, Medicare-cutting monster. I know how to cut it. I'll eliminate it. I will repeal it. And I'll return to the -- I'll return the power to the states, where the power for caring for the uninsured ought to reside constitutionally. '" (votesmart.org)
  • "Mitt Romney. Letter to the Voters of South Carolina. 20 January 2012. 'And I will repeal Obamacare. On my first day as president, I will direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to grant waivers from Obamacare to all 50 states.'" (votesmart.org)
  • "The Affordable Care Act should be repealed and not replaced by another one-size-fits all bureaucracy." (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "I firmly oppose illegal immigration. I support measures to secure our national borders. I support a simplified legal status verification system that will allow an employer to know whether a prospective employee is in the United States legally and that will sanction employers who nevertheless hire people here illegally." (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • "Mitt Romney. CNN Southern Republican Debate. 19 January 2012. 'And with regards to those that have come here illegally now, we're not going to round them all up and deport them, but we're also not going to give them a preferential pathway to become permanent residents or citizens. They need to go back home, apply for citizenship, apply for permanent residency, like everyone else. Coming here illegally should not give you an advantage being able to become a permanent resident of the United States.'" (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "We should maintain clear superiority in conventional military capabilities and at least parity in nuclear capabilities. American military strength is the best friend peace has ever known." (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • "I believe we should shape events to protect our interests and our ideals. In a time of testing, an American president must show strong leadership." (votesmart.org)
  • "The decision to send troops into a foreign country must be made only when a substantial American interest is at stake. This should be a very high hurdle. " (www.romneyforutah.com)
  • "I believe we should shape events to protect our interests and our ideals. In a time of testing, an American president must show strong leadership." (votesmart.org)

Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.

arrow_upward