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Aaron Schock's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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.

Aaron Schock has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2014 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests.

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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 2014.

  • Aaron Schock. Special Order. 26 January 2009. "Throughout my life, women have been able to obtain abortions only to realize after the fact the sadness that comes with any death." (www.votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. H Amdt 95. 112th Congress. Prohibiting Use of Federal Funds For Planned Parenthood. Aaron Schock voted Yea on 02/18/2011. (votesmart.org)
  • Family Research Council. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported the interests of the Family Research Council 100 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. H Amdt 509. 111th Congress. Prohibiting Federally Funded Abortion Services. Aaron Schock voted Yea on 11/07/2009. (votesmart.org)
  • NARAL Pro-Choice America. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported the interests of the NARAL Pro-Choice America 0 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
  • Planned Parenthood. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported the interests of Planned Parenthood 0 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. HR 3. 112th Congress. Prohibiting Taxpayer Funding of Abortion. Aaron Schock voted Yea on 05/04/2011. (votesmart.org)
  • National Right to Life Committee. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 100 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Human Events: Gen Y Republican. 9 December 2008. "I have one of the most conservative voting records in the state house. I've got a 100 percent pro-life, pro-family, 100 percent with the second amendment." (www.humanevents.com)
  • Aaron Schock. March For Life. 25 January 2011. "Abortion is one of the great tragedies of the last half century. In 2008 there were 1.21 million abortions in the United States, the equivalent of 100,000 abortions per month. I believe we need to continue to work with women, many of whom are afraid of the consequences of an unwanted pregnancy, on the alternatives to abortion. Crisis Pregnancy Centers, for example, provide various services to pregnant women including pre-natal care, counseling, pregnancy tests and information on adoption." (www.votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Video: Colbert Report: Better Know a District “ Illinois' 18th “ Aaron Schock. 15 April 2009. "Colbert: You are pro-life and pro-gun. Schock: Yes. Colbert: Where do you find the courage to swim against the tide like that? Schock: Well the Constitution protects individual freedoms and life. Being pro-life means that I believe in the sanctity of human life and protecting the unborn and I think thats still in concert with the 2nd amendment of the constitution which is the right to keep and bear arms." (www.colbertnation.com)
  • National Taxpayers Union. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported reasonable tax and spending policies as defined by the National Taxpayers Union 84 percent of the time in 2010." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Video: Cong Aaron Schock (R) talks about avoiding Defense Cuts & Coming Debt Ceiling Fight. 15 June 2012. "We can offer alternatives [¦] to the sequestration [¦] we had a series of hearings in the spring and last month past an alternative to the sequestration through the house of representatives [¦] it basically says 'here is our specific cuts to discretionary spending and to defense instead of just the across the across the board [¦] hatchet job [¦] the Department of Defense is not a sacred cow. I do not advocate for somehow making them [¦] not subject to cuts, but [¦] we've gotta be prepared to defend ourselves and our allies." (youtu.be)
  • Aaron Schock signed the Americans for Tax Reform Taxpayers Protection Pledge. "I, Aaron Schock, pledge to the taxpayers of the 18th district of the state of Illinois and to the American people that I will: ONE, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rate for individuals and business; and TWO, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates." (atr.org)
  • Aaron Schock. The Change America Didn't Vote For. 28 July 2009. "Their first act in Congress is to pass the $787 billion stimulus package meant to jolt the economy. Yet all it has done is jolt the national debt up to a new high of $11.5 trillion." (www.votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Schock Votes for Spending Discipline. 1 August 2011. "I joined with a majority of my colleagues to focus on cutting spending as opposed to increasing revenue. As a result, the bipartisan legislation cuts trillions of dollars from the debt, doesn't raise taxes and takes serious steps toward a path of fiscal solvency. This bill also focuses on the critical vote of a balanced budget amendment, which is an important aspect to fixing our problem for the longer term [¦] This bill continues to put our government on track for the first time since World War II to spend less than the previous year. America still has a debt crisis, but tonight was a step in the right direction toward putting our budget back on a path of fiscal solvency." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. $746,000 of Taxpayer Money for One Job. 21 July 2009. "What was the reaction? What was the response from the new administration and of this Congress? Well, we need to pass a stimulus bill, and we need to pass it now. No time for debate. No time for amendments. No time for input from the minority. We need to pass it now. This bill had less than 24 hours of debate on this floor before it was passed out of the floor, and yet the President took 4 days to sign it. What did it do? It spent $787 billion, the largest spending bill in our country's history. And what have we gotten? The administration says we created 150,000 new jobs after spending $112 billion. Well, get out your calculators. That is $746,000 of taxpayer money for one job. Where are the jobs?" (www.votesmart.org)
  • The Club for Growth. 04/18/2012. "On the votes used to calculate its ratings, The Club for Growth attaches more value to those votes it considers more important. For 2010, The Club for Growth gave Aaron Schock a rating of 72 percent." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. HR 5297. 112th Congress. Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments. Aaron Schock voted Nay on 09/23/2010. (votesmart.org)
  • Americans for Prosperity. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported the interests of the Americans for Prosperity 100 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Issue Position: Jobs and the Economy. "The current response in Washington has been disheartening. Instead of incentivizing employers to hire more workers and increase output, the government has now thrown trillions of dollars at varying big businesses, bailing them out in the name of saving the economy, claiming these businesses are 'too big to fail'. Well where is the bailout for the American taxpayer? Where is the bailout for the American Small Business?" (www.votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Schock Reiterates Need For Timely, Targeted And Responsible Stimulus Plans. 28 January 2009. "While I strongly believe we need to pass a timely, targeted and responsible stimulus plan, this bill crafted by Speaker Pelosi without bipartisan input, does not rise to the challenges we are facing [¦] The price tag for this bill is nearly a trillion dollars, and only 8 percent of that total goes to our transportation and infrastructure priorities. This simply is not enough." (www.votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Schock Statement on Presidents [sic] Deficit Reduction Plan. 13 April 2011. "The President actually wanted a second stimulus spending bill last year. Every one of his initiatives has involved new spending of record setting proportions. He uses plenty of euphemisms to disguise his new spending initiatives such as labeling them 'investments.' He says we have to spend a trillion dollars on his healthcare bill to save money. Only in Washington can you spend a trillion dollars and claim you are reducing the deficit." (www.votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Schock: The Definition Of Insanity Is Doing The Same Thing Twice And Expecting Different Results. 16 December 2009. "As the old axiom goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting different results. With that in mind, it's astounding Speaker Pelosi would repeat the same mistakes with her second stimulus as she did with her first. Once again, her idea of a stimulus bill is to throw government spending at our problem, compounding the mistakes of the first stimulus with more borrowing on the backs of future generations. Nothing illustrates the disconnect Speaker Pelosi has with the taxpayers across the country more than her decision to double down on stimulus spending before jet-setting off to support cap and trade policies, which are projected to cost the US economy millions of jobs." (www.votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Schock Statement on Passage of Budget Control Act of 2011. 29 July 2011. "Today, the House passed another proposal that offers bipartisan agreed upon solutions to ensure our country meets its financial obligations as well as continues to reduce spending for this year and over the next decade. For years the government has not been accountable for the chronic overspending that has taken place. The Budget Control Act is a common-sense and responsible step toward the accountability that has been lacking in Washington [¦] For years, the government has let itself go on a spending binge that has now surpassed over $1 trillion in deficit spending a year. This is an unsustainable path we can no longer continue down." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Letter To Dr. Christopher Koch, State Superintendent of the Illinois State Board of Education. 15 March 2011. "Currently, local school districts are allowed to use the advance funding model to receive their share of Title I and IDEA federal funds. The advance funding model allows a school district to receive their share of federal funding before the actual expenditure is made. However, with the January 10th announcement, the Illinois State Board of Education will require school districts to move to the reimbursement model starting on July 1, 2011 [¦] For many school districts, especially smaller and rural school districts, this change can be detrimental as they may not have the necessary funding available to absorb the cost of providing Title I and IDEA services upfront [¦] We are concerned that should the State of Illinois be unable to make its payments to school districts in a timely manner, school districts will be hit twice as hard if there is a delay in both their federal and state funds." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. HR 910. 112th Congress. Energy Tax Prevention Act. Aaron Schock voted Yea on 04/07/2011. (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. HR 2454. 111th Congress. Energy and Environmental Law Amendments ("Cap and Trade"). Aaron Schock voted Nay on 06/26/2009. (votesmart.org)
  • Environment America. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported the interests of Environment America 0 percent in 2009." (votesmart.org)
  • League of Conservation Voters. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 10 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
  • National Rifle Association. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Endorsements. 04/18/2012. National Rifle Association endorsed Aaron Schock in the 2010 general election. (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Hands of the 2nd Amendment. 12 March 2011. "Lawful gun owners in our state should not have to live in fear that the state of Illinois could jeopardize their personal safety. I believe the Attorney General's focus should be on those who have actually broken the law, instead of attacking law abiding citizens by criminalizing a Constitutional right." (www.votesmart.org)
  • Gun Owners of America. 04/18/2012. "In 2010 Gun Owners of America gave Aaron Schock a grade of 91." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Human Events: Gen Y Republican. 9 December 2008. "I have one of the most conservative voting records in the state house. I've got a 100 percent pro-life, pro-family, 100 percent with the second amendment." (www.humanevents.com)
  • Aaron Schock. Letter To The Honorable Lisa Madigan, Attorney General. 15 March 2011. "Publicly releasing the personal information of gun owners seems more like an intimidation tactic to discourage the lawful ownership of firearms than a way to serve the public interest." (www.votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Schock Hails Supreme Court's Decision to Hear Chicago Gun Case. 1 October 2009. "The right to keep and bear arms is not location specific, we need to ensure law-abiding citizens all across the county have access to this important right [¦] Throughout my career, I have been a strong supporter of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. During my time as a State Representative I had the privilege of sponsoring a number of pro second amendment bills, including those which would grant the citizens of Illinois the option to carry a concealed firearm. As a Member of Congress, I intend to be just as vigilant in guarding the constitutional rights of gun owners." (www.votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Schock Statement Regarding Supreme Court Decision McDonald v. City of Chicago. 28 June 2010. "I have strongly supported the Second Amendment during my lifetime. Throughout my career, I have introduced and consistently voted in favor of pro-gun legislation. With the handgun being the most prevalent form of self-defense in our nation, I am pleased that our nation's highest court has ruled that Constitutional rights apply throughout the nation and may not be abridged by overreaching local governments. However, I am still concerned that it took a decision from our nation's highest court in order to affirm a right given to us by the Constitution." (www.votesmart.org)
  • American Public Health Association. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported the interests of the American Public Health Association 0 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. HR 2. 112th Congress. Repealing the Health Care Bill. Aaron Schock voted Yea on 01/19/2011. (votesmart.org)
  • National Latino Congreso/William C. Velásquez Institute. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported the interests of National Latino Congreso/William C. Velásquez Institute 0 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
  • Federation for American Immigration Reform. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported the interests of the Federation for American Immigration Reform 100 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. HR 5281. 112th Congress. DREAM Act. Aaron Schock voted Nay on 12/08/2010. (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Chicago Tribune: Editorial board questionnaires. "There are some foreigners that choose not to follow the legal pathway and procedures set forth to enter our country. While their intentions might be noble: to work hard and earn a decent living for their family, there is no excuse for their illegal entry into the United States [¦] Regarding the DREAM Act, I believe we must pursue comprehensive immigration reform and not act in a piecemeal approach. Furthermore, I don't support President Obama's recent announcement that the Department of Homeland Security would no longer deport certain undocumented immigrants if they were brought to the United States as young children and have no record of trouble with the law. It is estimated that this policy will lift the threat of deportation from approximately 800,000 undocumented immigrants [¦] . In making this unilateral policy shift, I believe the President has not only exceeded his authority by circumventing Congress, but he has demonstrated that he cares more about winning votes in November than really solving this problem." (elections.chicagotribune.com)
  • Aaron Schock. Video: Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois on Gay Marriage. 22 April 2010. "I do not support gay marriage, and I believe in the definition of marriage being between one man and one woman." (www.youtube.com)
  • American Family Association. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported the interests of the American Family Association 94 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
  • Human Rights Campaign. 04/18/2012. "Aaron Schock supported the interests of the Human Rights Campaign 0 percent in 2010." (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. HR 2965. 112th Congress. Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act. Aaron Schock voted Nay on 12/15/2010. (votesmart.org)
  • Aaron Schock. Human Events: Gen Y Republican. 9 December 2008. "I have one of the most conservative voting records in the state house. I've got a 100 percent pro-life, pro-family, 100 percent with the second amendment." (www.humanevents.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Aaron Schock. Chicago Tribune: Editorial board questionnaires. "I believe we need to keep an open mind on the best way to reform the Social Security system therefore, I will not commit to one specific policy or proposal." (elections.chicagotribune.com)

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