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G. K. Butterfield, Jr.'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.

G. K. Butterfield, Jr. 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.

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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 2020.

  • Rated 100% by Planned Parenthood. (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating: "We write today in strong opposition to two interim final rules (IFRs) released on October 6, 2017, that may leave women across the United States without access to health insurance coverage for birth control. We call on the Administration to rescind these IFRs and restore policies that facilitate access to affordable contraception for millions of women. Birth control is health care, plain and simple." (votesmart.org)
  • "Instead of working toward comprehensive improvements to the tax code that would benefit the majority of Americans, this plan would hand trillions of dollars in tax cuts to the wealthy and large corporations. We should be doing everything we can to support working families through tax reform and job creation." (votesmart.org)
  • "The GOP tax bill that passed the House today means millions of North Carolinians will lose out to corporate interests and the richest Americans. House Republicans today voted to raise taxes on 86 million families in order to hand 83 percent of the tax benefits to the wealthiest one percent of Americans." (votesmart.org)
  • "Freedom of speech is one of the most important tenets of our Constitution; however, extending this right to corporations and eliminating limits on individual campaign contributions has the unintended effect of empowering the wealthy and special interest groups at the cost of the common American." (votesmart.org)
  • "The Supreme Court has ruled to drown out the voice of the common man in elections by, again, empowering those with vast monetary resources. Since the Citizens United decision, the massive infusion of corporate financing has dramatically altered the electoral process, making it more difficult for the interests of everyday Americans to be heard. This will occur more widely as a result of the McCutcheon decision." (votesmart.org)
  • "The American people have spoken--enough is enough. We are in the midst of a movement and an historic moment of national outrage as we mourn those who have been killed by police brutality and racial injustice" said Butterfield. "Led by the Congressional Black Caucus and in response to the call of the people, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed the House today. There is a need for bold, transformative legislation that will help change the culture of systemic racism in policing, and this legislation will do just that. This is not a time for mere proposals and studies; this is a time for real change. We need bold action, and we need it now." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7120 - George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. (votesmart.org)
  • "Over the past eight years, I have strongly supported the military installations across the eastern region and have worked to make sure new military technologies like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the KC-46 Tanker are based in eastern North Carolina." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating: "Preserving the agreement in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that required increased spending to be spread evenly between defense spending and non-defense discretionary accounts which have both been harmed by the ongoing sequester;" (votesmart.org)
  • "Congressman Butterfield strongly supports other modes of transportation including rail and aviation. He has long advocated for improving passenger rail service and deploying high-speed rail in North Carolina. He has been a leading advocate for aviation and has helped protect air traffic control towers at airports in Kinston and New Bern which are integral to public safety." (votesmart.org)
  • "Congressman Butterfield supports maintaining and improving all modes of transportation from highway and rail to airports and seaports. The First District is strategically located on Interstate 95 and is close to major ports such as Wilmington, and Norfolk, Virginia. A connected North Carolina provides job opportunities, strengthens commerce, and creates a stronger global economy." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 22 - Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. (votesmart.org)
  • "Instead of working toward comprehensive improvements to the tax code that would benefit the majority of Americans, this plan would hand trillions of dollars in tax cuts to the wealthy and large corporations. We should be doing everything we can to support working families through tax reform and job creation." (votesmart.org)
  • ""Tax reform should be bipartisan and provide protections for critical programs that working families and small businesses rely on, while ensuring that our country's top earners and corporations pay their fair share of taxes." (votesmart.org)
  • "The GOP tax bill that passed the House today means millions of North Carolinians will lose out to corporate interests and the richest Americans. House Republicans today voted to raise taxes on 86 million families in order to hand 83 percent of the tax benefits to the wealthiest one percent of Americans." (votesmart.org)
  • "I was proud to join my colleagues in passing the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. Democrats fought for and secured not only an additional $310 billion in funds for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), but also the exclusive use of $60 billion of those funds for community financial institutions." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 266 - Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. (votesmart.org)
  • "If we are to lead the world into a new energy future, Congress must support these new industries and assist in the emergence of clean energy technologies." (votesmart.org)
  • "President Obama has pursued an all-of-the-above energy strategy, which I support and is outlined in his Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future. This strategy responsibly uses the nation's natural resources like oil and gas, reduces dependence on foreign oil, and continues the development of advanced alternative fuels." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 9 - Climate Action Now Act. (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating: "We write in strong opposition to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recently proposed Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule, which would replace the 2015 Clean Power Plan (CPP) with a far weaker rule that poses direct threats to both human health and the environment and undermine U.S. efforts to combat climate change. This rule will undoubtedly have severe consequences for the health and well-being of the communities we represent, many of whom have long endured profound environmental injustice. In contrast, EPA's own assessment demonstrated that the CPP would have saved thousands of lives each year." (votesmart.org)
  • "Congress must allow a vote on this bipartisan legislation so that we can keep firearms out of the hands of those who intend to cause harm." (votesmart.org)
  • "There are common-sense bills that exist, including bipartisan approaches to reduce gun violence in America. I call on the Republican majority to immediately bring gun violence prevention legislation to the House floor for a vote." (votesmart.org)
  • "For the last ten months, the American people have rejected attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act by President Trump and Congressional Republicans. Instead of working to lower health care costs for all Americans, President Trump is committed to dismantling our health care system simply to make a political point." (votesmart.org)
  • "I will continue to strongly oppose this heartless Republican effort that strips health care from millions of Americans." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6201 - Families First Coronavirus Response Act. (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 9% by NumbersUSA. (votesmart.org)
  • "This week, President Trump abused the backdrop of the Oval Office to feed the American people divisive and distorted rhetoric, while still ignoring the reality that a wall is wasteful and it is impractical and inconsistent with our values." (votesmart.org)
  • "I am an original sponsor of bipartisan immigration reform legislation that would create a path to permanent legal status for Dreamers, and I call on Speaker Ryan to do the right thing and immediately bring it to the floor for a vote." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 9% by NumbersUSA. (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6 - American Dream and Promise Act of 2019. (votesmart.org)
  • "I believe this agreement is the only credible option on the table to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon." (votesmart.org)
  • "President Trump's decision today to unilaterally withdraw the United States from the JCPOA is reckless and shortsighted. Walking away from the JCPOA without a clear strategy will have destabilizing consequences for the Middle East and the rest of the world. Today's decision leaves the United States isolated from some of our closest allies, further abdicates our role as a global leader, and empowers countries like Russia and China to fill the void left behind by our exit from the agreement." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • "Why, you may ask, do I continue to speak against the war in Afghanistan? Because American servicemembers are still dying." (votesmart.org)
  • "There is no decision more important than a vote to commit a young man or woman to war to potentially give their life for our country. That is one reason that I am opposed to President Obama's decision to allow U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan. While he says that we are withdrawing our troops, the fact remains that 32,800 members of the American military remain in harm's way in Afghanistan at this very moment." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 77% by Public Citizen. (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5430 - United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act. (votesmart.org)
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
Pro-choice a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life?
b) Should abortion be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy?
Yes c) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
Yes d) Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
e) Should federal subsidies be prohibited from being used for abortion procedures?
f) Other or expanded principles

1) SpendingIndicate what federal funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category- you can use a number more than once.2) TaxesIndicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category- you can use a number more than once.

Maintain Status a) Agriculture
Maintain Status b) Arts
Maintain Status c) Defense
Maintain Status 1) Intelligence operations
Maintain Status 2) Military hardware
Maintain Status 3) National missile defense
Maintain Status 4) Salary and benefits for active duty personnel
Maintain Status 5) Programs to improve troop retention rates
Maintain Status 6) Research and development of new weapons
Maintain Status d) Education
Maintain Status e) Environment
Maintain Status f) Homeland security
Maintain Status g) International aid
Maintain Status h) Medical research
Maintain Status i) Scientific research
Maintain Status j) Space exploration
Maintain Status k) United Nations
Maintain Status l) Welfare
m) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Capital gains taxes
Maintain Status c) Cigarette taxes
Maintain Status d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gasoline taxes
Slightly Decrease f) Income taxes (low-income families)
Slightly Decrease g) Income taxes (middle-income families)
Slightly Increase h) Income taxes (high-income families)
i) Other or expanded categories
4) Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?
Yes 5) Do you support using government funds in an effort to stimulate and improve the economy?
6) Other or expanded principles
No 3) Do you support the elimination of the federal estate tax?
No a) Do you support privatizing elements of Social Security?
Yes b) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
Yes c) Do you support increasing the federal minimum wage?
d) Do you support the ability of workers to unionize?
Yes e) Do you support federal funding for job-training programs that retrain displaced workers?
f) Other or expanded principles
a) Do you support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns?
Yes b) Should Congress regulate indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
No c) Do you support removing all contribution limits on federal campaigns?
d) Should candidates for federal office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
e) Do you support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations?
f) Do you support limiting the President's ability to define how legislation is applied through the use of signing statements?
g) Other or expanded principles
Yes b) Do you support programs that provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related training and job-placement assistance when released?
Yes c) Do you support programs that provide prison inmates with substance abuse treatment?
d) Do you support reduced prison sentences for non-violent offenders?
No e) Do you support mandatory prison sentences for selling illegal drugs?
f) Other or expanded principles
Yes a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
Yes a) Do you support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students?
Yes b) Do you support federal funding for universal pre-K programs?
c) Do you support federal funding for charter schools?
d) Do you support federal funding for K-12 school vouchers?
Yes e) Do you support the federal government providing college students with financial aid?
f) Other or expanded principles
Yes b) Do you support international emissions targets aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
Yes c) Do you support allowing energy producers to trade carbon credits under a "cap and trade" system?
Yes d) Do you support strengthening fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles?
e) Do you support domestic oil exploration in federally-protected areas?
Yes f) Do you support federal funding for the development of alternative energy?
Yes g) Do you support the development of nuclear reactors?
h) Other or expanded principles
Yes a) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
Yes b) Do you believe that the Second Amendment guarantees the right of individual citizens to own guns?
c) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns?
d) Do you support a ban on assault rifles?
e) Other or expanded principles
Yes a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
Yes a) Do you support a publicly-administered health insurance option?
Yes b) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
Yes c) Should the federal government expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts?
d) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
Yes e) Do you support relaxing regulations on the importation of prescription drugs?
f) Other or expanded principles
b) Do you support decreasing the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country?
c) Do you support establishing English as the official national language?
d) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
e) Other or expanded principles
Unknown Position a) Do you support a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants?
Yes a) Do you support United States military action in Afghanistan?
Yes b) Do you support increasing military assistance for Afghanistan?
c) Do you support increasing economic development assistance for Afghanistan?
d) Should the United States continue to strike suspected terrorist targets in Pakistan?
e) Do you support granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States?
f) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
Yes g) Do you support increasing sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates?
Yes h) Do you support the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq?
i) Do you support the United States' involvement in free trade agreements?
j) Other or expanded principles
b) Do you support allowing openly-gay men and women to serve in the United States military?
Yes c) Do you support federal funding for embryonic stem cell research?
d) Should the federal government end affirmative action programs?
e) Other or expanded principles
Yes a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman?
Please explain in a total of 100 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.

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