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Bill Posey'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.

Bill Posey 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.

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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 2022.

  • Rated 100% by National Right to Life Committee. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Speaker Pelosi: "We write to express our unified opposition to Congressional Democrats' efforts to repeal the Hyde Amendment and other current-law, pro-life appropriations provisions. As part of their pro-abortion crusade, Democrats have taken direct aim at these long-standing, bipartisan protections that generally prevent the federal government from using taxpayer dollars to support abortion procedures. Repealing these pro-life provisions would destroy nearly half a century of bipartisan consensus. Each year since 1976, Congress has included Hyde protections in annually enacted appropriations. No president in American history has ever vetoed an appropriations bill due to its inclusion of the Hyde Amendment." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 36 "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "As for Medicare, I am a strong supporter of Medicare and voted against President Obama's health care law, which cut over a half a trillion dollars from the Medicare budget. I also voted against legislation that would have made other changes for those who are nearing retirement. For those under age 55 who want to choose a different plan, I believe that we should allow them choices when they reach 65, but also ensure that they have access to traditional Medicare, with no changes, if they so desire. The Medicare Advantage plan that more than one in four seniors in my Congressional District have chosen is the sort of choice options that have proven very successful and should be expanded." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Alliance for Retired Americans. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "With regard to Social Security I have voted against making any changes to Social Security. I have also cosponsored and voted for legislation that would guarantee that Social Security checks are never held hostage to budget negotiations. This legislation guarantees that Social Security checks are paid. Social Security is a contract between seniors who paid into the program and the federal government, and these obligations must be met." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S 610 "Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "H.R. 7120 could have big consequences for public safety. Provisions included in the bill are designed to strip law enforcement officers of the same basic protections that most other government employees enjoy -- qualified immunity. Qualified immunity protects government employees from personal liability lawsuits when they make reasonable mistakes on the job. However, qualified immunity does not provide immunity or protection from state or federal criminal charges being filed for an illegal act." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021." (votesmart.org)
  • "As your Congressman, I am committed to a strong national defense. We must ensure that our troops are the best trained, best prepared and best equipped for the battlefield. This posture of strength is our best defense. We must recognize that the world is a dangerous place and we must remain vigilant. Fulfilling our commitments to those veterans who have served is not only the right thing to do; it is key to preserving our all-volunteer force. Like all areas of the budget, our national defense budget needs to become leaner and we can do this without cutting vital national security needs and essential training, vital facilities and operations like those at Patrick Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and the Naval Ordnance Training Unit." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by Center for Security Policy. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "This legislation makes important investments in our military from modernizing our forces with new technology to building up our naval fleet and funding the largest pay increase our troops have seen in over nine years," said Congressman Posey." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S 1605 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022." (votesmart.org)
  • "Residents and local businesses have expressed safety concerns about the upcoming high-speed rail project given the high number of fatalities already associated with the train since its South Florida operations began in 2018," said Rep. Posey. "There are several schools that are positioned in very close proximity or are adjacent to the tracks. Our amendment will help address some of the safety challenges facing our communities and I thank my colleague Rep. Brian Mast for partnering with me to ensure the safety of our Florida constituents." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 3684 "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "Contract workers at NASA and within the defense industry face severe financial hardship when they are restricted from reporting to work at the Cape or their respective program locations -- for many there's no telework option," said Congressman Posey who led a bipartisan effort working with the Administration and Congressional leaders to resolve the issue. "As we battle the coronavirus we don't want to risk losing our highly skilled workforce which ultimately could jeopardize our national security and critical space program investments. We must ensure that as we recover from the virus, our economy can get a quick restart and keeping as many workers in place as possible across the private and public sector is critical." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 266 "Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Americans are feeling the rise in prices at the gas pump and in our grocery stores. Favorite products are in short supply, and some are even not available. To make matters worse, they are discovering that the resolution before us is full of wasteful spending and big tax increases. The administration only responds to our economic crisis by making excuses and pointing fingers. Claiming supply chain disruptions and inflation are just high-class problems is incredibly wrong." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "Washington should pursue policies that tackle rising energy and food prices, fix our broken supply chain, create jobs, spur investment in American businesses and secure our border. This legislation moves our nation in the opposite direction, spending hundreds of billions of dollars, on top of the trillions of reckless spending Congress has already authorized, to further a radical agenda which is bankrupting our families and destroying economic opportunity across country." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Speaker Pelosi: "We write to you concerned with the massive executive overreach by President Joseph R. Biden to illegally cancel federal student loan debt. On Wednesday, August 24, President Biden announced that he would cancel $10,000 in federal student debt for individual Americans earning $125,000 or less per year or married couples making less than $250,000 a year. In addition, those who receive federal Pell Grants and make less than $125,000 a year would be eligible for total forgiveness of $20,000. Unfortunately, this policy will cost us over $300 billion and establishes a terrible precedent that will drive up the cost of higher education, exacerbating the very problem President Biden pretends to address." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 2547 "Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my strong opposition to H.R. 1 and my great disappointment that the Majority refused to allow my commonsense amendments to be offered to this bill. This bill was written behind closed doors and though Members of Congress offered over 180 amendments to improve this bill only 56 were allowed to be offered on the House floor. That is a travesty for Congress and the American people who want and deserve honest and transparent elections. This bill bans voter identification laws and mandates States implement mail-in voting both of which will lead to massive election fraud. Even European countries have rejected these failed policies due to fraud." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 5746 "Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by American Energy Alliance. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 4447 "Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019." (votesmart.org)
  • "I support an all of the above approach to developing our own American energy -- oil, gas, nuclear, solar, hydroelectric, wind and biofuels. And, energy conservation needs to be a part of our energy strategy as well." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 95% by Independent Petroleum Associations of America. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Rather than the mountain of red tape and burdensome rules from federal agencies, we need a federal government that opens the doors for safe energy development. We can start to open those doors by allowing more responsible development of traditional sources of energy right here in the U.S." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted agaisnt HR 9 "Climate Action Now Act." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 1425 "Patient Protection and Affordable Case Enhancement Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Medicare for All" proposals -- embraced by all 2020 Democrat presidential candidates and the New Green Deal -- is Obamacare on steroids. Medicare for All puts Washington politicians and government bureaucrats in charge of health care decisions because it completely bans private health insurance. That flies in the face of American Constitutional principles of freedom." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6201 "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6833 "The Affordable Insulin Now Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Rather than abandoning border security, the Biden-Harris administration must abandon the failed policies that created the crisis. Restoring our border is essential to putting the safety and security of Americans first, to protect immigrants from exploitation and harm, and to deprive the drug cartels of victims and revenue." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to President Biden: "For the sake of public health, rule of law, and the security of this nation, we urge you to keep Title 42 in place. We also request an in-person Member-level briefing with senior Administration officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DHS on your Administration's rationale for ending Title 42 and actions it intends to take to improve border security and deter illegal immigration at our southern border." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "There has long been a crisis on our border. During the previous administration I visited our border and saw firsthand how open and dangerous it has become. It is the responsibility of the federal government to protect our nation and that means securing our borders and maintaining operation control over them, including funding border fencing/wall or whatever barrier is needed to stop human traffickers, drug dealers, violent criminals, terrorists and other illegal crossings into to the United States. The President is correct to take this issue seriously and within his authority to declare an emergency and act to protect our nation." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Allowing unvetted immigration into the United States when we have been told there will be terrorists among them is risky and dangerous. I have supported pausing our refugee and immigration programs from nations that we know pose a serious national security threat and implementing 9/11 Commission recommendations, such as putting in place a reliable entry/exit system. In the past, presidents have rightly initiated similar travel restrictions. Our first responsibility is to protect the homeland, and we must do all we can to guard against terrorist threats to our nation." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to President Biden: "Under the previous administration, Title 42 combined with a litany of other deterrence policies helped in drastically reducing illegal immigration at our southern border, keeping our Border Patrol agents, local communities, and migrants safe. Unfortunately, your Administration has not used the tools available to it to deter illegal immigration, including by reducing interior immigration enforcement, dismantling the Migrant Protections Protocols (MPP), and releasing hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants into the interior of the United States. As a result, Title 42 is the only means left to deter illegal immigration and keep our communities healthy and safe." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3003 "No Sanctuary for Criminals Act." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 6968 "Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 4695 "Protect Against Conflict by Turkey (PACT) Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S 3522 "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "I've been a strong supporter of fiscal restraint and I believe that Congress has a Constitutional duty to set the government's spending priorities rather than simply impose an across the board cut like was done in 2013 through the sequestration process, which let's unelected bureaucrats decide our spending priorities. That is why I voted against sequestration, because the cut does not distinguish between critical programs and wasteful spending. We need spending cuts that are more targeted and focus on waste, fraud, abuse and duplicative programs." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Since the last reform over thirty years ago, the tax code has become complicated and time consuming for individuals, full of loopholes and costly for businesses of all sizes. In order to create jobs and stay at the forefront of innovation we need to remain competitive. Reforming the tax code will help us accomplish these goals and will mean more take home pay and less taken out of your pocket. Florida families, employees and senior citizens deserve a tax code that respects and rewards hard work, is accountable and protects a lifetime of savings. It's now up to the Senate to continue this effort and build upon this reform." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Ambassador Lighthizer: "As members of the Congressional Wine Caucus, we write to express our strong concern about U.S. retaliatory tariffs on European wine. These retaliatory tariffs cause economic harm to the thousands of U.S. wineries, exporters, importers, retailers, and restaurants who depend on a vibrant, healthy wine market for their livelihood. Any expansion of these tariffs would further exacerbate the harm already caused. As you know, our local wine communities are a driving force in the national economy with a total economic impact of $220 billion annually. The European Union (EU) and the U.S. are the largest wine producing regions in the world and they serve as each other's largest export markets. In fact, the combined wine trade between the U.S. and EU totaled $4.7 billion in 2018." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Secretary Perdue: "Florida's vibrant lobster fishery has suffered harm by the tariffs imposed by the Chinese government. Spiny lobster is the state's second largest commercial fishery with an average annual catch of seven million pounds and a total value of more than $45 million. Spiny lobster is renowned for its quality and freshness and is immensely popular in China during holidays and other special events. An estimated 80 percent of all spiny lobster harvested in Florida is exported to China and other Asian ports as a live product. Tariffs placed on spiny lobster by the Chinese government have greatly increased the price of Florida's spiny lobster exports. Meanwhile, the Chinese government is reducing or eliminating tariffs on competing products from other countries and have begun importing greater numbers of spiny lobster from Australia, Brazil, and the Caribbean." (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.
The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legally available.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
X d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
X e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Eliminate public funding for abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
g) Other or expanded principles

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories.State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels you will support.

Slightly Increase Funding a) Education (Higher)
Greatly Increase Funding b) Education (K-12)
Maintain Funding Status c) Environment
Maintain Funding Status d) Health care
Maintain Funding Status e) Law enforcement
Maintain Funding Status f) Transportation and Highway infrastructure
Slightly Decrease Funding g) Welfare
Greatly Increase Funding h) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Capital gains taxes
Maintain Status c) Cigarette taxes
Maintain Status d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Estate taxes
Maintain Status f) Gasoline taxes
Maintain Status g) Property taxes
Eliminate h) Sales taxes
Maintain Status i) Vehicle taxes
Maintain Status j) Other or expanded categories
No k) Should Internet sales be taxed?
l) Other or expanded principles
CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.d) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative and gubernatorial candidates?

Yes a) Do you support the current limit of two, four-year terms for Florida governors?
Yes b) Do you support the current limit of two, four-year terms for Florida state senators?
Yes c) Do you support the current limit of four, two-year terms for Florida state representatives?
Yes 1) Individual
Yes 2) PAC
Yes 3) Corporate
Yes 4) Political Parties
Yes e) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
No f) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
No g) Do you support voting on-line?
Yes h) Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying and ensuring accuracy of votes?
Yes i) Should all ballot initiatives include a fiscal impact statement?
Yes j) Do you support prohibiting the reporting of media exit polling results until all polling locations in Florida are closed?
No k) Should Florida recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
Yes l) Should Florida restrict marriage to a union only between a man and a woman?
Yes m) Do you support further restrictions on smoking in public places?
n) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.

a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
b) Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
X c) Support the use of the death penalty in Florida.
X d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X e) End parole for repeat violent offenders.
f) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
g) Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
X h) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
X i) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
j) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes.
k) Ban the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.
l) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
X m) Increase state funding for additional security of critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks.
n) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

X a) Support national standards and testing of public school students.
b) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
c) Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
d) Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
X e) Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
X f) Support displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools.
g) Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
h) Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
X i) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
j) Increase state funding to reduce class sizes.
k) Increase state funding to make pre-school available to all four-year-old children.
l) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
m) Support age-appropriate sexual education programs that teach about abstinence, contraceptives and HIV/STD prevention methods.
n) Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
o) Support local school district control over school gun policy.
p) Other or expanded principles

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning employment.Affirmative Action: Should race, ethnicity or gender be taken into account in state agencies' decisions on:

X a) Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
X b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector to encourage investment and economic expansion.
c) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding or relocating businesses.
d) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children of low-income working families.
f) Include sexual orientation in Florida's anti-discrimination laws.
g) Other or expanded principles
a) College and university admissions
b) Public employment
c) State contracting
d) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

X a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
b) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused or abandoned.
Yes c) Do you support the citrus canker eradication policy in Florida?
Yes d) Should the Preservation 2000 fund be used only for its intended purpose?
Yes e) Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
f) Should state environmental regulations be stricter than federal law?
g) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.

a) Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
b) Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
c) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
d) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
e) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
f) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
g) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
h) Require a license for gun possession.
i) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health issues.

a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms or state-funded care where necessary.
b) Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
c) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
d) Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
e) Support patients' right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied by their HMO.
f) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
g) Legalize physician-assisted suicide in Florida.
h) Increase state funding for training health workers to recognize and respond to the release of biological agents.
i) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare.

X a) Support current time limits on welfare benefits.
X b) Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
c) Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients.
X d) Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
e) Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
f) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
g) Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
X h) Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to expand state services to include the working poor.
i) Other or expanded principles
In a total of seventy-five (75) words or less, please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.

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