Card image cap

Ed Markey'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.

Ed Markey has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2020 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 2020.

  • "Abortion is health care. Today, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that where a person lives shouldn’t determine their ability to receive access to abortion. I will continue to fight to protect reproductive freedom and this essential constitutional right." (twitter.com)
  • "Ed Markey is 100% Pro-Choice: Ed is a vocal advocate for a woman's right to choose, which is why he's earned the endorsements of Planned Parenthood and NARAL. Ed will stand up to extremists in Congress who attempt to overturn Roe vs. Wade." (votesmart.org)
  • "Overturning #RoevWade would not end abortion, it would just end safe abortion." (twitter.com)
  • Rated 100% by Planned Parenthood. (votesmart.org)
  • "In the dead of night, Senate Republicans turned their backs on the middle class, along with any legislative standards, all to fulfill their sacred obligation to the super wealthy and corporate donors to whom they promised massive tax breaks." (votesmart.org)
  • "I propose implementing a stair-stepped reduction on capital gains tax based on income." (votesmart.org)
  • "Let’s be clear, Trump’s "tax plan" is about ensuring the rich get richer and working families get left behind." (twitter.com)
  • ""We should not be surprised that House Republicans proposed a scheme full of massive giveaways for the top one percent and big corporations at the expense of millions of workers and families," " (votesmart.org)
  • "He opposes any changes to Social Security that would reduce benefits for our nation's seniors, including misguided proposals to raise the retirement age or reduce cost of living adjustments." (votesmart.org)
  • "Just 2 days after saying this, Trump’s budget proposes cuts to Medicare, Medicaid & Social Security. Trump is a serial liar & will continue to lie in order to gut benefits that working people EARNED. Let's expand these programs, not cut them to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy." (twitter.com)
  • Rated 100% by Alliance for Retired Americans. (votesmart.org)
  • "Senator Markey has fought to protect Social Security and has consistently advocated for necessary cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) and the repeal of both the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, which currently limit the benefits for surviving spouses of military or civilian government employees. has also vocally opposed any attempt to privatize Social Security." (votesmart.org)
  • "I support the #FairElectionsNow Act bc it will help fix our broken campaign finance system in wake of #CitizensUnited" (twitter.com)
  • "Post-#CitizensUnited, I’m proud to cosponsor bill w @SenatorDurbin to help fix our broken campaign finance system" (twitter.com)
  • Rated 100% by Common Cause. (votesmart.org)
  • "Since the Supreme Court's Citizens' United decision, a tsunami of undisclosed, unlimited campaign spending has infected our democracy," said Senator Markey. "This must change. Elected officials should be listening to their constituents, not the special interests. That's why I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the Fair Election, which reforms our broken campaign finance system and empowers American citizens to take back their government." (votesmart.org)
  • "Qualified immunity makes it almost impossible for a victim of excessive force by a police officer to hold that officer accountable in a court of law. That must end," said Senator Markey. "If we want to change the culture of police violence against Black and Brown Americans, then we need to start holding accountable the officers who abuse their positions of trust and responsibility in our communities. That means once-and-for-all abolishing the dangerous judicial doctrine known as qualified immunity. I thank Senators Sanders and Warren for their partnership on this important legislation." (votesmart.org)
  • "As a founder of the national Nuclear Freeze movement, Senator Markey has worked to end the proliferation of nuclear weapons since the beginning of his career. While in the House of Representatives, Markey co-founded the Congressional Bipartisan Task Force on Nonproliferation and has consistently spearheaded Congressional efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Recently, Senator Markey has advocated for over $200 billion in budget cuts to our nation's wasteful and redundant nuclear defense programs." (votesmart.org)
  • "It is a false choice to think we must choose between defense spending & cures for #Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. #NDAA" (twitter.com)
  • "President Trump can find billions for a border wall and increased defense spending, but slashes the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department. The Trump budget is about more emissions and more munitions." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • "Last month, Congress passed a spending bill that will finally infuse an additional $3.3 billion to support improved surveillance, more research, and state grants to combat the #OpioidCrisis through prevention, treatment, and recovery services. #RxSummit" (twitter.com)
  • "@realDonaldTrump’s $200B #infrastructure scam expects cash-strapped states to drive most of the progress on 1/8th of a tank of gas. We need $1 trillion in direct federal spending to rebuild our infrastructure, not Trump's monetary mirage." (twitter.com)
  • "States up and down the East Coast are investing in their ports to accommodate bigger ships. Investing in the Port of Boston ensures our local industries, manufacturers, and workers are competitive in an increasingly globalized economy," said Senator Edward J. Markey. "This strong federal investment in this dredging project will help further upgrade the harbor in order to accommodate more and larger ships, to bring in more jobs, more investment, and more economic prosperity." (votesmart.org)
  • "This Department of Transportation TIGER grant provides an important bridge for the community of Lowell to educational improvement, economic development, and employment opportunities. This TIGER grant is a smart investment, because when we invest in our roads, our universities, and our communities, we are investing in the workers and industries that bridge the gap between the impossible and the remarkable. ‎With this grant funding for ‎Lowell, TIGER really stands for 'Totally Invested in Guaranteeing Excellence for Riverhawks'. I thank Congresswoman Tsongas and local officials for their leadership securing this vital infrastructure funding." (votesmart.org)
  • "#BigOil already receives $7+ billion in tax breaks and loopholes every year. The #GOPTaxScam gave @exxonmobil another $6 billion just last quarter. @GOP, how many pay stubs will working families have to check to match that?" (twitter.com)
  • "In the dead of night, Senate Republicans turned their backs on the middle class, along with any legislative standards, all to fulfill their sacred obligation to the super wealthy and corporate donors to whom they promised massive tax breaks." (votesmart.org)
  • "It is outrageous that the #GOP thinks we can afford huge tax breaks for the most profitable corporations on the planet, but not even HALF of what we need to help those suffering from the #opioidcrisis." (twitter.com)
  • ""We should not be surprised that House Republicans proposed a scheme full of massive giveaways for the top one percent and big corporations at the expense of millions of workers and families," " (votesmart.org)
  • "Massachusetts small businesses are fighting for their economic survival as they are forced to close through no fault of their own" said Senator Markey. "The CARES Act provides billions of dollars in important relief to keep small businesses afloat during this crisis, and our offices are here to help owners and workers navigate the federal support available at this time." (votesmart.org)
  • "The Republican coronavirus proposal is a corporate relief package, not a worker relief package. Any economic relief package needs to put families and workers first. Republicans must negotiate a real bipartisan relief package, not just a corporate bailout." (twitter.com)
  • "This pandemic is disproportionately affecting small business owners and gig and service workers who cannot do their jobs or keep their businesses afloat from home. I’m fighting in the Senate for them." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 748 - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. (votesmart.org)
  • "American leadership was key to crafting this global roadmap to a clean energy future. Now, governments and businesses have a strong signal to invest in and develop the technologies that will make a low carbon economy a reality. America can lead this clean energy revolution, and then we can partner with developing nations to share this technology and protect the world's poorest and most vulnerable." (votesmart.org)
  • "Donald Trump’s solar panel tax is doing exactly what it was designed to do - kill the solar industry. This is a direct attack on hundreds of thousands of American blue-collar workers." (twitter.com)
  • "Markey is a Congressional champion for unleashing America's clean energy revolution and creating the jobs that accompany increasing energy efficiency and harnessing clean energy resources. In the House of Representatives, Markey authored the renewable electricity standard in the historic American Clean Energy and Security Act. In the Senate, he introduced the American Renewable Energy and Efficiency Act, which would quadruple America's clean energy production, create 400,000 jobs and save American households $90 billion by 2030." (votesmart.org)
  • "This #BigOil-masterminded fuel economy rollback would mean an additional 2.2 billion metric tons of pollution by 2040 (equal to 43 coal-fired power plants) & cost consumers hundreds of billions in higher gas spending. Trump is steering us toward disaster." (twitter.com)
  • "American leadership was key to crafting this global roadmap to a clean energy future. Now, governments and businesses have a strong signal to invest in and develop the technologies that will make a low carbon economy a reality. America can lead this clean energy revolution, and then we can partner with developing nations to share this technology and protect the world's poorest and most vulnerable." (votesmart.org)
  • "My colleagues and I demand answers as to how @EPAScottPruitt came to the disastrous conclusion to gut the critical fuel economy emissions standards. We want to know every meeting Pruitt had with the oil industry and auto industry that dealt with this subject." (twitter.com)
  • "Transportation now emits more GHGs than any other sector in the U.S. Since federal spending helps shape how our transportation system is designed, to #ActOnClimate, we need a paradigm shift in the way federal dollars are spent. Every dollar spent must account for climate impacts." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of S J Res 53 - A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Repeal of the Clean Power Plan; Emission Guidelines for Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Existing Electric Utility Generating Units; Revisions to Emission Guidelines Implementing Regulations." (votesmart.org)
  • "If we can manufacture smart cars and smart appliances, then we can make and deploy smart gun technology to save lives," said Senator Markey."Smart gun technology is smart gun safety policy. Smart gun technology can literally keep guns out of the hands of those who should not have them and prevent countless accidental deaths." (votesmart.org)
  • "In Massachusetts, would-be gun buyers "must complete a four-hour gun safety course, get character references from two people", and have a one-on-one interview with a police officer. We have the lowest gun death rate in America. Let's do this everywhere." (twitter.com)
  • "Protecting the safety and security of Massachusetts' schools, streets and communities is of the utmost importance to Senator Markey, who supports common-sense gun control reforms, including universal background checks for all firearms sales, reinstituting the ban on assault weapons, making gun trafficking a federal crime, a prohibition against high capacity ammunition magazines, and closure of the loopholes surrounding the creation of undetectable, plastic guns." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S Amdt 4750 - Fix Gun Checks Act of 2016. (votesmart.org)
  • "Ed voted in support of ObamaCare, which builds on many of the improvements found in the 2006 Massachusetts health reform law." (votesmart.org)
  • "Happy 8th birthday to the Affordable Care Act! The best birthday present is that, after a little over a year, the only thing @realDonaldTrump has managed to repeal and replace is his own cabinet. #ACA" (twitter.com)
  • "#Massachusetts, home of universal health care, is ready to fight this immoral effort to destroy the #aca! #OurFirstStand #savehealthcare". (twitter.com)
  • "Republican effort to repeal #ACA would rip coverage from 1.6M newly-insured Americans with substance use disorders. #JointAddress" (twitter.com)
  • "I stand in solidarity with Whole Foods, InstaCart, and Amazon warehouse workers striking today. All people deserve safe working conditions, fair pay, and good benefits including paid sick leave. I urge you not to cross these picket lines." (twitter.com)
  • It’s the day after rent and bills are due and 6.6 million more Americans have filed for unemployment. "In the next #COVID19 relief package, it is clear that we need: -expanded sick leave -more direct cash payments -relief for renters" (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6201 - Families First Coronavirus Response Act. (votesmart.org)
  • "We need universal healthcare and paid sick leave." (twitter.com)
  • "Building a border wall, detaining families and children at our border, and turning back asylum seekers fleeing violence and persecution are un-American policies and are antithetical to our time-honored values." (votesmart.org)
  • "Declaring a fake national emergency and spending unappropriated funds on a wall unconstitutionally usurps Congress’s power of the purse and is just the latest example of this President’s excessive overreach and misuse of executive power." (twitter.com)
  • Rated 10% by NumbersUSA. (votesmart.org)
  • "This threat is as empty as the offices of federal agencies that have already been shut down because of Trump’s hissy fit over funding for his wall. Trump might know how to close his foundation, his university, and his mind, but he can’t close our Southern border in a fit of rage." (twitter.com)
  • "He'll fight in the Senate to pass comprehensive immigration reform that encourages individuals who were educated here to innovate here, cracks down on employers who hire undocumented workers, lays out a path to citizenship for the eleven million undocumented immigrants who are already here and allows the DREAM Act's "dreamers" -- those individuals who were brought here at a young age -- to earn citizenship by serving in the U.S. military or pursuing higher education." (votesmart.org)
  • "Now is the time. You are the people! Let's fight for every refugee, immigrant, child & family that deserves their shot at the American dream" (twitter.com)
  • Rated 10% by NumbersUSA. (votesmart.org)
  • "When President Trump says he only wants immigrants to enter the U.S. legally, and then proposes to shut off legal immigration avenues like asylum, it’s clear he’s simply the anti-immigrant nationalist he admits to being." (twitter.com)
  • Rated 0% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • "Iran must return to compliance with the nuclear agreement, and so must Donald Trump. It will make us safer than we are today and provide the grounds for a diplomatic path forward to address Iran's other malign behavior." (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating: "We remain hopeful with strong U.S. leadership, we can ensure vigorous enforcement of the JCPOA, as well as implementation of non-nuclear and multilateral sanctions, including CAATSA, to keep the American people secure and safeguard American interests." (votesmart.org)
  • "The Trump Administration's decision to withhold certification also makes it harder for the United States to continue to build and strengthen the multilateral efforts needed to tackle other, pressing global security challenges, especially with a nuclear North Korea. American leadership is essential to addressing the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, but undermining the Iran deal will only raise doubts around the world if the United States will remain true to its word." (votesmart.org)
  • "Congress is the only entity that can authorize military force. We cannot and must not get drawn into war with Iran." (twitter.com)
  • "I oppose the resumption of a U.S.-led ground combat against insurgents fighting the Afghan government. The war between the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents cannot be won by military force; it will end only through political agreement." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • "Ed opposes unfair trade agreements that hurt American workers. He voted against the Central American Free Trade Agreement and the Free Trade Agreements with Panama, Columbia and Korea, because they lacked essential protections for American workers and the environment." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 80% by Public Citizen. (votesmart.org)
  • "The United States should only enter into international trade agreements with countries that safeguard workers' rights and protect our environment in order to promote a healthy global economy. This trade agreement also has the potential to massively increase the amount of America's natural gas that can be exported with automatic approvals, which could drive up U.S. prices and hurt American consumers, businesses and our national security. We can have free trade, but only if it is fair trade. I look forward to robust debate in Congress on this agreement that will impact nearly every American worker and business." (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating: "This list of TPP flaws is not exhaustive, but it signifies some of the provisions that need to be renegotiated before the agreement is considered by Congress. It is simply not accurate to call an agreement progressive if it does not require trading partners to ban trade in goods made with forced labor or includes a special court for corporations to challenge legitimate, democratically developed public policies. Passing TPP before these and other provisions are fixed will hasten the erosion of U.S. manufacturing and middle class jobs, and accelerate the corporate race to the bottom." (votesmart.org)
  • "The USMCA is a trade deal that will hinder progress on climate action for a generation. This is a profound environmental and climate failure." (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.
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) Prohibit public funding of abortions and to organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
I support a women's right to choose as defined by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade.

Using the key, indicate what federal funding levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.Budget Priorities

Slightly Decrease a) Agriculture
Maintain Status b) Arts
Maintain Status c) Defense
Greatly Increase d) Education
Greatly Increase e) Environment
Greatly Increase f) Homeland security
Maintain Status g) International aid
Greatly Increase h) Law enforcement
Greatly Increase i) Medical research
Greatly Increase j) National parks
Greatly Increase k) Public health services
Greatly Increase l) Scientific research
Slightly Decrease m) Space exploration programs
Slightly Increase n) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Slightly Increase o) Welfare
Greatly Increase p) Emergency preparedness
q) Other or expanded categories

Defense Spending

Greatly Increase a) Armed forces personnel training
Slightly Increase b) Intelligence operations
Maintain Status c) Military hardware
Slightly Increase d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment
Eliminate e) National missile defense
Greatly Increase f) Pay for active duty personnel
Slightly Increase g) Programs to improve troop retention rates
Slightly Increase h) Research and development of new weapons
Slightly Increase i) Troop and equipment readiness
Eliminate new nuclear weapons including nuclear bunker busters and mininukes

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:

Greatly Decrease a) Less than $25,000
Slightly Decrease b) $25,000-$75,000
Maintain Status c) $75,000-$150,000
Slightly Increase d) Over $150,000
Maintain Status f) Over $40,000
g) Other or expanded categories
Slightly Increase a) Alcohol taxes
Slightly Increase b) Capital gains taxes
Slightly Increase c) Cigarette taxes
Greatly Increase d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gasoline taxes
Greatly Increase f) Inheritance taxes
g) Other or expanded categories
a) Charitable contributions
b) Child tax credit
c) Earned income tax credit
d) Medical expense deduction
e) Mortgage deduction
f) Student loan credit
g) Other or expanded categories
Greatly increase incomes over $1 million
No 4) Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
No 5) Do you support making President Bush's tax cuts permanent?
6) Discuss your proposals for balancing the federal budget. (75 words or less. Please use an attached page if the space below is not adequate.)
7) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

X a) Support public taxpayer funding for federal candidates who comply with campaign spending limits.
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) Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
f) Require Section 527 organizations to register with the Federal Election Commission as Political Action Committees.
g) Do you support instant run-off voting?
Yes h) Should Election Day be a national holiday?
No i) Do you support a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and woman?
j) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
b) Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with educational, vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
e) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
X f) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
X g) Impose stricter penalties for those convicted of corporate crimes.
h) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
i) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
X b) Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
c) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
d) Allow doctors to recommend 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."
X g) Support a federal law to standardize testing and penalties for steroid use in professional sports.
h) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Support national standards for and testing of public school students.
b) Allow parents to use vouchers, (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any public school.
c) Allow parents to use vouchers, (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any private or religious school.
d) Allow teachers and professionals to receive authorization and funding to establish charter schools.
e) Reward teachers with merit pay for working in low-income schools.
X f) Increase funding for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings, infrastructure, technology).
g) Support affirmative action in public college admissions.
X h) Increase funding of programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans to help students pay for college.
X i) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
j) 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.
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.
X 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.
X f) Increase the federal minimum wage.
X g) Support the right of workers to strike without fear of being permanently replaced.
X h) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
i) Other or expanded principles
X a) The federal government should consider race and gender in government contracting decisions.
b) The federal government should discontinue affirmative action programs.
X c) The federal government should continue affirmative action programs.
d) Other or expanded principles

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

X a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
X b) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
X c) Support Clear Skies Act to reduce power plant emissions by setting a national cap on pollutants.
d) Require states to compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately-owned land.
e) Relax logging restrictions on federal lands.
f) Relax standards on federal lands to allow increased recreational usage.
g) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
X h) Strengthen emission controls and fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
i) Support opening a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration.
X j) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
X k) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
l) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits.
X m) Support the Kyoto Protocol to limit global warming.
n) Other or expanded principles

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

X a) Reauthorize the ban on the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
X b) Maintain and strengthen the current level of enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
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.
X f) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
X g) Require a license for gun possession.
h) 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.
X b) Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income.
c) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
d) Establish limits on the amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X e) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
f) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
X g) Support automatic enrollment of children in federal health care programs such as CHIP and Medicaid.
X h) Support stem cell research on existing lines of stem cells.
X i) Allow laboratories to create new lines of stem cells for additional research.
j) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
b) Establish English as the official national language.
X c) Support a temporary worker program that would enable illegal immigrants to work in the United States legally.
d) Relax restrictions barring legal immigrants from using government funded social programs (e.g. public housing, food stamps).
e) Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.
f) Other or expanded principles

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.
X c) Aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
d) International 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?
Yes c) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
d) Should the United States send more troops to Iraq?
e) Discuss your proposals for an exit strategy in Iraq. (75 words or less. Please use an attached page if the space below is not adequate.)
f) 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?
b) Should the United States use military force to dismantle the North Korean nuclear weapons program?
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?
b) Should the United States decrease its financial support of the United Nations?
Yes c) Should the United States commit troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions?
d) Other or expanded principles
4) Should the United States lift the travel ban to Cuba?
5) Should the United States increase its financial support to Colombia to combat "the war on drugs?"
6) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund distribution of contraceptives?
7) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund abstinence education?
8) Other or expanded principles

International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

Yes 1) Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
No 2) Do you support the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)?
Yes 3) Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
Yes 4) Do you support continued U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
Yes 5) Should a nation's human rights record affect its normal trade relations (most favored nation) status with the United States?
No 6) Do you support the trade embargo against Cuba?
Yes 7) Should trade agreements include provisions to address environmental concerns and to protect workers' rights?
8) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.

a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
No b) 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?
c) Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
Yes d) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
Yes e) Do you support the prohibition of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment of prisoners in U.S. custody?
f) Do you support a policy of pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to U.S. national security?
g) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.

a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage themselves.
b) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts managed by private firms contracted by the government.
X 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 individual eligibility 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.
b) Continue the moratorium on Internet taxation.
c) Implement government 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.
h) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
X 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 welfare recipients.
g) Other or expanded principles
On an attached page, disk, or via email, please explain in a total of 75 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.

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

arrow_upward