Elton Gallegly's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Elton Gallegly refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2010 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.
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 2010.
- Elton W. Gallegly. H Amdt 209 to HR 1815. 109th Congress. An amendment numbered 12 printed in House Report 109-96 to lift the current ban on privately funded abortions at U.S. military facilities overseas. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted NO on 25 May 2005. (votesmart.org)
- National Right to Life Committee. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 100 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Planned Parenthood. 2008. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of Planned Parenthood 8 percent in 2008. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 3660. 106th Congress. To amend title 18, United States Code, to ban partial-birth abortions. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted YES on 4 May 2000. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 760. 108th Congress. To prohibit the procedure commonly known as partial-birth abortion. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted YES on 4 June 2003. (votesmart.org)
- NARAL Pro-Choice America. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. H Amdt 509 to HR 3962. 111th Congress. An amendment printed in Part C of House Report 111-330 to codify the Hyde Amendment in H.R. 3962. The amendment prohibits federal funds for abortion services in the public option. It also prohibits individuals who receive affordability credits from purchasing a plan that provides elective abortions. However, it allows individuals, both who receive affordability credits and who do not, to separately purchase with their own funds plans that cover elective abortions. It also clarifies that private plans may still offer elective abortions. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted YES on 7 November 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. S 3. 108th Congress. A bill to prohibit the procedure commonly known as partial-birth abortion. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted YES on 2 October 2003. (votesmart.org)
- National Taxpayers Union. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of the National Taxpayers Union 84 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 5638. 109th Congress. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the unified credit against the estate tax to an exclusion equivalent of $5,000,000 and to repeal the sunset provision for the estate and generation-skipping taxes, and for other purposes. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted YES on 22 June 2006. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 8. 108th Congress. To make the repeal of the estate tax permanent. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted YES on 13 April 2005. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. 2004. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Election National Political Awareness Test. Selected YES for: "4) Do you support permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?"
- Club for Growth. 2008. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of the Club for Growth 74 percent in 2008. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 1. 111th Congress. Making supplemental appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local fiscal stabilization, for fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted NO on 13 February 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 1424. 111th Congress. To provide authority for the Federal Government to purchase and insure certain types of troubled assets for the purposes of providing stability to and preventing disruption in the economy and financial system and protecting taxpayers, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual income tax relief, and for other purposes. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted NO on 10 March 2008. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. Gallegly Votes "No" on Wall Street Bill. 29 September 2008. "Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties) issued this statement today after voting against the Economic Stabilization Act. 'The underlying reason for Wall Street's troubles is the lax standards it has employed for determining who qualifies for home mortgages. Banks and other lending institutions have been giving loans to people who don't qualify and could not possibly pay back their loans. They have done so using gimmicks and sometimes through outright fraud, but more often under the lax regulations or nonsensical mandates imposed by the federal government. That includes giving loans to illegal immigrants with no discernible income. This bill does nothing to change that. There are no regulations or mechanisms in this bill to tighten standards and prevent a repeat failure. We must not bail out those who caused the problem. Instead, we must hold them accountable. This bill may favorably impact financial markets in the short run, but in the long run it will undermine our recovery and our free-market system. It will hurt the very families and businesses it is supposed to protect. I have repeatedly said I would vote for this bill only if it focused on Main Street, not Wall Street. But without protections against unscrupulous and overly lax lending practices, Main Street is not protected. It is business as usual, and that is unacceptable. I could not vote for the largest corporate bailout bill in American history without greater assurances that it would restore confidence in our financial system and address the long-term problems that caused this crisis. Therefore, I voted 'no.' (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. Gallegly Votes Against Non-Stimulus Act. 13 February 2009. "'Americans are hurting, our economy is in crisis, and we need to do better than pass a spending bill that is unfocused, spends heavily on social programs and is light on economic stimulus,' Congressman Elton Gallegly said today after voting against the misnamed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 'What our economy needs is a rifle shot of proven measures to boost the economy, not a shotgun that scatters pellets indiscriminately and is likely to miss the target. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office even predicts this bill will lower workers' wages and the country's gross domestic product over the next 10 years. That is not stimulation.'" (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. Op-Ed: Our Country Needs Jobs. 24 September 2009. "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's stimulus package was supposed to hold unemployment below 8 percent. Instead, since President Obama signed the bill in February, unemployment has skyrocketed nationally from 7.9 percent to 9.7 percent...The stimulus is failing because government cannot create jobs." (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. 2004. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Election National Political Awareness Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage themselves."
- Elton W. Gallegly. 2004. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Election National Political Awareness Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "a) Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes."
- Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants. 2005-2006. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of the Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants 20 percent in 2005-2006. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. H Amdt 497 to HR 2181. 105th Congress. An amendment to add a new section which provides that in further consideration of death sentence recommendations, life imprisonment shall be imposed instead, if the court has any doubt that a defendent actually committed the offense. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted NO on 25 February 1998. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. 2004. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Election National Political Awareness Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "a) Support national standards for and testing of public school students."
- Home School Legal Defense Association. 1999-2000. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of the Home School Legal Defense Association 60 percent in 1999-2000. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 1. 107th Congress. To close the achievement gap with accountability, flexibility, and choice, so that no child is left behind. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted YES on 23 May 2001. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 2454. 111th Congress. To create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming pollution and transition to a clean energy economy. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted NO on 26 June 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Environment America. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of Environment America 13 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. 2004. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Election National Political Awareness Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "c) Require states to compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately-owned land. d) Relax logging restrictions on federal lands. e) Relax standards on federal lands to allow increased recreational usage. f) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil). h) Support opening a select portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration. i) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution. j) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel. k) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits."
- Elton W. Gallegly. Issue Position: Energy. "The energy crisis is complicated. Its effect on families is not. While the economic downturn has temporarily lowered fuel prices, fundamental challenges remain. When the economy revives, world demand will resume its upward trend, with India and China vastly expanding their oil imports. Meanwhile, U.S. domestic refinery capacity has decreased due to new regulations requiring refiners to limit sulfur content and switch from the oxygenate additive MTBE to ethanol. Our nation needs a balanced energy policy to maintain our standard of living and a growing economy. This includes policies to promote renewable and alternative sources of energy and efficient use of our resources, as well as healthy domestic oil exploration and development. All are necessary to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Please be assured I will continue to develop and support legislation to reduce energy prices, both for the short term and long term, to lessen the impact on our economy and the environment." (www.house.gov)
- Elton W. Gallegly. 2004. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Election National Political Awareness Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "c) Ease federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. j) Support legislation that would protect manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers of firearms from civil lawsuits by crime victims."
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 1025. 103rd Congress. To provide for a waiting period before the purchase of a handgun, and for the establishment of a national instant criminal background check system to be contacted by firearms dealers before the transfer of any firearm. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted YES on 10 November 1993. (votesmart.org)
- Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. 2003. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence 25 percent from 1991 and 2003. (votesmart.org)
- Gun Owners of America. 2010. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. In 2010 Gun Owners of America gave Elton W. Gallegly a grade of A-. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 4296. 103rd Congress. To make unlawful the transfer or possession of assault weapons. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted NO on 5 May 1994. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 6842. 111th Congress. To restore Second Amendment rights in the District of Columbia. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted YES on 17 September 2008. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. 2004. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Election National Political Awareness Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "c) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes appeal mechanisms when claims are denied. e) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts. f) Establish limits on the amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits. g) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare. i) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage."
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 3962. 111th Congress. To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted NO on 7 November 2009. (votesmart.org)
- American Public Health Association. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of the American Public Health Association 22 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. Rep. Gallegly Votes Against Healthcare Fraud And Abuse. 21 March 2010. "I and many of my colleagues believe issues of portability, increasing costs and rescinding coverage must be addressed. However, in doing so, we must also protect a patient's right to choose the best coverage for him or herself in a vibrant, competitive marketplace, not force Americans into a one-size-fits-all government-run program designed by Speaker Pelosi." (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. Affordable Health Care For America Act. 7 November 2009. "Mr. GALLEGLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the amendment offered by Mr. Boehner. I have long supported changes to current health care system which reduce health care costs through increased efficiency and provide affordable insurance for people with preexisting conditions. But, at the same time, any changes to our current system should ensure doctors and patients are allowed to make health care decisions--not government bureaucrats." (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. Gallegly Votes For Health Care Reform; House Fails To Pass It. 7 November 2009. "Today I voted for healthcare reform that would have lowered healthcare costs without raising taxes, without cutting Medicare, without spending more than $1 trillion and without putting the federal government in charge of Americans' health care decisions," said U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties)." (votesmart.org)
- National Latino Congreso. 2007-2010. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of the National Latino Congreso 0 percent in 2007-2010. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. 2004. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Election National Political Awareness Test. Checked SUPPORT for: "f) Support the detention of asylum seekers from countries known to sponsor terrorism." Immigration Issues: g) Other or expanded principles: "prohibit acceptance in the US of matricula consular cards which are issued by foreign governments for their nationals in the U.S."
- Elton W. Gallegly. Issue Position: Illegal Immigration. "Illegal immigration remains one of the most pressing domestic issues facing the United States today. It carries strong national security considerations, as well. I have been a leader on illegal immigration since my early days in Congress. In 1995, I chaired the Congressional Task Force on Immigration Reform. We published a 200-plus page report with more than 80 specific recommendations. Most of those recommendations became law the following year. My efforts earned me recognition in 2006 as one of the Top Ten Illegal Immigration Hawks in Congress by Human Events magazine and induction into the U.S. Border Patrol Hall of Fame. Today we do not face a lack of laws. We face a lack of willingness to enforce our laws. The answer to illegal immigration is fairly simple. First, we must enforce our laws. Second, we must remove the magnets that persuade illegal immigrants to risk their lives to come to the United States. Finally, we must remove the benefits that make it easy for them to stay." (www.house.gov)
- Federation for American Immigration Reform. 2007-2008. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of the Federation for American Immigration Reform 92 percent in 2007-2008. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. Ventura County Star - No Real Enforcement Under 'Amnesty Bill'. 13 June 2007. "The answer is no. It will encourage it because, once again, we're giving amnesty to all who broke our immigration laws, no matter how severely or how recently. It's an invitation to future abuse...In short, the current Senate bill is nothing more than a very liberal amnesty wrapped in smoke and mirrors. While we succeeded last week in stopping bad legislation from moving forward, we must remain vigilant. Americans deserve real immigration reform this time around, not another amnesty that doesn't solve the problem but, in fact, exacerbates it." (votesmart.org)
- Peace Action West. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Elton W. Gallegly supported the interests of Peace Action West 8 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 4899. 111th Congress. Supplemental Appropriations Act. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted NO on Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes on 1 July 2010. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 4899. 111th Congress. Supplemental Appropriations Act. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted NO on Requiring Timetable for Withdrawal from Afghanistan on 1 July 2010. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. Rep. Gallegly: Our Goal Is And Must Remain Defeating Al Qaeda. 1 December 2009. "Partial measures and artificial deadlines are not acceptable. While I support the President's decision to increase troop levels in Afghanistan, I question whether it is enough to achieve our goals with minimal casualties. I hope it is, but I also urge the President to keep an open mind on deploying more troops if necessary and to act quickly to protect our forces already there." (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. 2004. Project Vote Smart: California Congressional Election National Political Awareness Test. Selected NO for: " j) Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?"
- Elton W. Gallegly. H J Res 88. 109th Congress. Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted YES on 18 July 2006. (votesmart.org)
- Elton W. Gallegly. HR 3396. 103rd Congress. To define and protect the institution of marriage. Project Vote Smart Summary: Elton W. Gallegly voted YES on 12 July 1996. (votesmart.org)
- Family Research Council. 2010. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Endorsements. 30 September 2010. Family Research Council endorsed Elton W. Gallegly in the 2010 General Election. (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) regarding abortion.
| a) Abortions should always be illegal. | |||
| b) Abortions should always be legal. | |||
| c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy. | |||
| d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape. | |||
| e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered. | |||
| f) Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial-birth" abortion. | |||
| g) Prohibit public funding of abortions and of organizations that advocate or perform abortions. | |||
| h) Other or expanded principles | |||
Using the key, indicate what federal funding levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category.Budget Priorities
| Maintain Status | a) Agriculture | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Arts | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Defense | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Homeland security | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) International aid | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Law enforcement | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Medical research | ||
| Maintain Status | j) National parks | ||
| Maintain Status | k) Public health services | ||
| Maintain Status | l) Scientific research | ||
| Maintain Status | m) Space exploration programs | ||
| Slightly Increase | n) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | o) Welfare | ||
| p) Other or expanded categories | |||
Defense Spending
| Maintain Status | a) Armed Forces personnel training | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Intelligence operations | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Military hardware | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment | ||
| Maintain Status | e) National missile defense | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Pay for active duty personnel | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Programs to improve troop retention rates | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Research and development of new weapons | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Troop and equipment readiness | ||
| j) Other or expanded categories | |||
Using the key above, indicate what federal tax levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category.TaxesIncome Taxes:Family IncomeRetiree IncomeOther Taxes:Deductions/Credits:
| Slightly Decrease | a) Less than $25,000 | ||
| Maintain Status | b) $25,000-$75,000 | ||
| Maintain Status | c) $75,000-$150,000 | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Over $150,000 | ||
| e) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Over $40,000 | ||
| g) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Eliminate | f) Inheritance taxes | ||
| g) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Maintain Status | a) Charitable contributions | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Child tax credit | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Earned income tax credit | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Medical expense deduction | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Mortgage deduction | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Student loan credit | ||
| g) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Yes | 4) Do you support permanent repeal of the federal estate tax? | ||
| Yes | 5) Do you support eliminating taxes on dividends paid to individual investors? | ||
| Yes | 6) Should a married couple filing jointly pay the same taxes as if they were an unmarried couple filing separately? | ||
| 7) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.
| a) Support public taxpayer funding for federal candidates who comply with campaign spending limits. | |||
| X | b) Increase the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns. | ||
| c) Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office. | |||
| d) Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees. | |||
| e) Allow ads paid for by soft money that support or attack a candidate for federal office. | |||
| f) Allow issue advocacy commercials by corporations, labor unions, and non-profit groups which appear within 60 days of a general election and within 30 days of a primary election. | |||
| g) Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties. | |||
| Undecided | h) Do you support instant run-off voting (IRV)? | ||
| No | i) Should Election Day be a national holiday? | ||
| No | j) Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions? | ||
| Yes | k) Should marriage be restricted to a union only between a man and a woman? | ||
| l) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.
| X | a) Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes. | ||
| b) Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes. | |||
| X | c) Impose "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve full sentences with no chance of parole. | ||
| d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released. | |||
| e) Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment. | |||
| f) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes. | |||
| X | g) Support additional criminal penalties if a fetus is killed in the commission of a federal crime against a pregnant woman. | ||
| h) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability be prosecuted as federal hate crimes. | |||
| X | i) Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth. | ||
| j) Impose stricter penalties for those convicted of white-collar crimes. | |||
| X | k) Enforcement of civil rights should primarily be the responsibility of the federal government. | ||
| l) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults. | |||
| m) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding drugs.
| X | a) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs. | ||
| b) Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs. | |||
| c) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. | |||
| d) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes. | |||
| X | e) Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. | ||
| f) Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs." | |||
| g) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.
| X | a) Support national standards for and testing of public school students. | ||
| X | b) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any public school. | ||
| X | c) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any private or religious school. | ||
| X | d) Allow teachers and professionals to receive authorization and funding to establish charter schools. | ||
| e) Increase funding for block grants to states to aid in the hiring of additional teachers. | |||
| X | f) Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay. | ||
| g) Increase funding for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings, infrastructure, technology). | |||
| X | h) Support granting states limited control over Head Start programs. | ||
| X | i) Support changing the mission of Head Start to emphasize improving the math and reading skills of disadvantaged children. | ||
| j) Providing education is not a responsibility of the federal government. | |||
| k) Support affirmative action in public college admissions. | |||
| X | l) Increase funding of programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans to help students pay for college. | ||
| X | m) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college. | ||
| n) Other or expanded principles | |||
1) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.2) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action.
| X | a) Increase funding for national job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market. | ||
| X | b) Reduce government regulation of the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion. | ||
| X | c) Provide tax credits or grants to businesses that offer child care services to employees. | ||
| d) Encourage employers to offer flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies. | |||
| e) Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment. | |||
| f) Increase the federal minimum wage. | |||
| g) Support the right of workers to strike without fear of being permanently replaced. | |||
| X | h) Allow workers to sell company stock and to diversify their company retirement funds into other investment options. | ||
| i) Other or expanded principles | |||
| a) The federal government should consider race and gender in government contracting decisions. | |||
| X | b) The federal government should discontinue affirmative action programs. | ||
| c) The federal government should continue affirmative action programs. | |||
| d) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws. | |||
| e) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.
| a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act. | |||
| b) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act. | |||
| X | c) Require states to compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately-owned land. | ||
| X | d) Relax logging restrictions on federal lands. | ||
| X | e) Relax standards on federal lands to allow increased recreational usage. | ||
| X | f) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil). | ||
| g) Strengthen emission controls and fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles. | |||
| X | h) Support opening a select portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration. | ||
| X | i) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution. | ||
| j) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel. | |||
| X | k) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits. | ||
| l) Support the U.S. re-entering the Kyoto treaty process to limit global warming. | |||
| m) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.
| a) Renew the ban on the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting. | |||
| b) Maintain and strengthen the current level of enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | |||
| X | c) Ease federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | ||
| d) Repeal federal 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) Establish a national database of ballistic "fingerprints" to track guns used in criminal activities. | |||
| X | j) Support legislation that would protect manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers of firearms from civil lawsuits by crime victims. | ||
| k) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health care.
| a) Providing health care is not a responsibility of the federal government. | |||
| b) Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income. | |||
| X | c) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes appeal mechanisms when claims are denied. | ||
| d) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes the right to sue when claims are denied. | |||
| X | e) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts. | ||
| X | f) Establish limits on the amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits. | ||
| X | g) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare. | ||
| h) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under private managed care plans. | |||
| X | i) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage. | ||
| j) Support automatic enrollment of children in federal health care programs such as CHIP and Medicaid. | |||
| k) Allow 55-65 year-olds to buy into Medicare. | |||
| X | l) Support stem cell research on existing lines of stem cells. | ||
| m) Allow laboratories to create new lines of stem cells for additional research. | |||
| n) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.
| a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country. | |||
| X | b) Establish English as the official national language. | ||
| c) Increase the number of visas issued for agricultural workers. | |||
| d) Relax restrictions barring legal immigrants from using social programs (e.g. public housing, food stamps). | |||
| e) Support amnesty for certain illegal immigrants who already reside in the United States. | |||
| X | f) Support the detention of asylum seekers from countries known to sponsor terrorism. | ||
| X | g) Other or expanded principles | ||
| prohibit acceptance in the US of matricula consular cards which are issued by foreign governments for their nationals in the U.S. | |||
International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding United States economic assistance.
| X | a) Aid should be granted to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives. | ||
| X | b) Aid should be granted to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States. | ||
| c) Aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses. | |||
| d) Aid programs should be scaled back and eventually eliminated. | |||
| e) Other or expanded principles | |||
International Policy1) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the Middle East.2) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Central and East Asia.3) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the United Nations.
| Yes | a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process? | ||
| b) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state? | |||
| No | c) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq? | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Yes | a) Should the United States use diplomatic and economic pressure to encourage North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program? | ||
| No | b) Should the United States use military force to destroy the North Korean nuclear weapons program? | ||
| No | c) Should the United States remove the North Korean government from power? | ||
| Yes | d) Should the United States increase financial support to Afghanistan? | ||
| Yes | e) Should the United States increase military support to Afghanistan? | ||
| f) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Yes | a) Should the United States maintain its financial support of the United Nations? | ||
| No | b) Should the United States decrease its financial support of the United Nations? | ||
| Undecided | c) Should the United States commit troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions? | ||
| Yes | 4) Should the United States lift the travel ban to Cuba? | ||
| Undecided | 5) Should the United States increase its financial support to Colombia to combat "the war on drugs"? | ||
| Yes | 6) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund distribution of contraceptives? | ||
| Yes | 7) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention fund abstinence education? | ||
| 8) Other or expanded principles | |||
| There are several things that need to be done - and Bush Administration has begun to do - in order to speed up the reconstruction of Iraq and, at the same time, reduce the costs of the U.S. operation. The U.S. should quickly train a new Iraqi police force and turn over law enforcement functions to Iraqis. Our government is also requesting a greater role by our allies, including NATO, in the rebuilding and administration of Iraq. Finally, we must continue to work expeditiously to hand over the governing of Iraq to the Iraqi people. | |||
| The US commitment of troops for UN peacekeeping missions should be evaluated on a case by case basis depending on many factors, including US vital national interests. | |||
International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.
| No | 1) Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)? | ||
| Undecided | 2) Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)? | ||
| Yes | 3) Do you support continued U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)? | ||
| No | 4) Should a nation's human rights record affect its normal trade relations (most favored nation) status with the United States? | ||
| Yes | 5) Do you support the trade embargo against Cuba? | ||
| Undecided | 6) Should trade agreements include provisions to address environmental concerns and to protect workers' rights? | ||
| 7) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.
| Yes | a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical? | ||
| Yes | b) Should the United States adopt stricter rules for student visa applications from nations known to sponsor terrorism? | ||
| Yes | c) Should the United States grant law enforcement agencies greater discretion to read mail and email, tap phones, and conduct random searches to prevent future terrorist attacks? | ||
| Yes | d) Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country? | ||
| Yes | e) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support a policy of pre-emptive strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to national security? | ||
| g) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.
| X | a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage themselves. | ||
| X | b) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts managed by private firms contracted by the government. | ||
| c) Invest a portion of Social Security assets collectively in stocks and bonds instead of United States Treasury securities. | |||
| d) Increase the payroll tax to better finance Social Security in its current form. | |||
| e) Lower the annual cost-of-living increases. | |||
| f) Raise the retirement age for when individuals are eligible to receive full Social Security benefits. | |||
| g) Other of expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding technology and communication.
| a) Collect taxes on commercial Internet transactions. | |||
| X | b) Continue the moratorium on Internet taxation. | ||
| c) Implement regulation of Internet content. | |||
| d) Support government mandates to curtail violent and sexual content on television. | |||
| X | e) Support strict penalties for Internet crimes (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses). | ||
| X | f) Support legislation to detail how personal information can be collected and used on the Internet. | ||
| g) Regulating the Internet is not a responsibility of the federal government. | |||
| X | h) Impose regulations on "spam" emails. | ||
| i) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.
| X | a) Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs. | ||
| b) Increase funding for child care programs. | |||
| X | c) Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants. | ||
| d) Direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based, or other non-profit organizations. | |||
| e) Abolish all federal welfare programs. | |||
| X | f) Support housing assistance for low-income families. | ||
| g) Other or expanded principles | |||
| My top legislative priorities are the same today as they were when I was first elected to Congress in 1986. They are the economy, education, health care and criminal justice. The one issue that ties them together, particularly in California, is illegal immigration, which hurts our ability to provide quality education and health care of U.S. citizens and legal residents, while depressing our economy and clogging our criminal justice system. |
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