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Bob Gibbs' 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.

Bob Gibbs 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.

  • "Every life is precious, a gift from God. We should do everything we can to protect the lives of the unborn, those who are the most vulnerable and voiceless. I have always supported pro-life efforts and believe groups that perform abortions, like Planned Parenthood, should not get one dime of taxpayer dollars." (votesmart.org)
  • "While I have always supported pro-life legislation, this year I was proud to vote to stop taxpayer dollars from being used to fund abortions [...]" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. (votesmart.org)
  • "We cannot tax our way out of deficit spending and should not do it on the backs of Ohio's families." (votesmart.org)
  • "While critics and naysayers are busy defending the status quo of higher taxes and special interest loopholes, House Republicans just delivered on our promise of real tax cuts for middle and working-class families." (votesmart.org)
  • "But this does not address mandatory spending, which is the real driver of our national debt. This includes programs like food assistance, welfare, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest on our debt. Reforms are needed to ensure these programs work efficiently and are sustainable. Because of the way ObamaCare was written and enacted, mandatory spending also includes large portions of ObamaCare funding. Mandatory spending is on autopilot and will continue with or without Congress' annual appropriations process." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Alliance for Retired Americans. (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating: "The good news is that current law is on our side to restrain spending. Congress should hold overall spending to the caps levels already in place while ensuring our men and women in uniform have the tools necessary to do their job. Doing so would be a modest step on a path towards balancing the budget. We respectfully request that you adhere to the existing spending caps currently in law in order to preserve our ability to defend our nation, protect our seniors, and pass down a strong Republic to the next generation of Americans. If we can't at least agree to stick to the caps, we will cease to be the "land of opportunity," where one's circumstances at birth needn't define one's life trajectory." (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Now is not the time to draw down our forces or shrink the Defense budget." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • "The top priority of the federal government is the safety of the American people and the security of our nation. Today, I was proud to join my colleagues in an overwhelmingly bipartisan in providing the necessary resources for the men and women in uniform to do achieve that priority." (votesmart.org)
  • "In many ways, our transportation infrastructure serves as the backbone of the economy, increasing our competitiveness and leading to greater opportunity and prosperity for all Americans. Congress must provide appropriate investment in our infrastructure, whether it is for roads, bridges, highways, waterways, ports or rail." (votesmart.org)
  • "Today's vote for the FAST Act is a critical step in maintaining our investments in the nation's transportation network. This bipartisan legislation provides states with the long-term certainty needed in planning their infrastructure projects." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 22 - Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. (votesmart.org)
  • " We need a tax code that gives Americans the opportunity to rise and that encourages economic growth. Our tax system should encourage American companies to stay in the United States and to hire American workers. Having the highest corporate tax rate in the world only incentivizes companies to move their operations and workforce overseas." (votesmart.org)
  • "It should be as simple as a clean funding bill to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program, but Senator Schumer and Speaker Pelosi are playing politics once again and holding up relief for the small businesses that need it." (www.facebook.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 266 - Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. (votesmart.org)
  • "Instead of creating a "one size fits all" education policy, we need to provide school districts the ability to make decisions that are best for them at the local level." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by National Education Association. (votesmart.org)
  • "Making it harder and more expensive to mine and utilize coal will hurt Americans that are already hurting the most. I believe in an energy policy that encourages the responsible development of our naturals resources, creates jobs and powers our economy with safe and affordable energy." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1119 - SENSE Act. (votesmart.org)
  • "We are blessed with the natural resources and workforce to maintain America's position as a global energy leader. Yet once again, the President proposes energy policies that will hurt our global standing, and hurt American workers and American struggling to pay their energy bills. We cannot tax, mandate, and regulate the American economy into prosperity. Responsible energy policies, those that unleash the American spirit of entrepreneurship and ingenuity, are the only way to encourage a flourishing energy industry." (votesmart.org)
  • "Between CPP and the Waters of the United States rule, the EPA has not met a massive power-grab it doesn't like. Once again, this administration is abusing executive authority to implement a radical anti-energy agenda at the expense of hard-working Ohio families. Analysis of this plan has already concluded that the CPP will increase the price of electricity, and to move forward with implementation is irresponsible. I applaud the 26 states, including Ohio, suing the Obama Administration to stop this federal overreach." (gibbs.house.gov)
  • Rated 0% by League of Conservation Voters. (votesmart.org)
  • "The Second Amendment is not a suggestion; it is a God-given right of the people to self-defense. I have consistently supported legislation that protects and expands an American’s right to keep and bear arms. Gun control regulations will only hurt law-abiding citizens while doing nothing to keep guns out of the hands of criminals." (votesmart.org)
  • "The Supreme Court Justices clearly saw the foolishness in the State court's decision and reversed it this week, reasserting that the right to bear arms 'extends to all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence' when our Nation was founded." (votesmart.org)
  • "Obamacare must be repealed." (votesmart.org)
  • "Since I first got to Congress, one of my top priorities has been to get rid of Obamacare. Today, I voted to provide relief to the millions of Americans impacted by Obamacare's individual mandate, its taxes and penalties, and the regulations that have driven up insurance costs for so many Americans." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6201 - Families First Coronavirus Response Act. HR 6201 - Families First Coronavirus Response Act. (votesmart.org)
  • "Following the President's address last night, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-05) re-introduced the Build Up Illegal Line Defenses With Assets Lawfully Lifted (BUILD WALL) Act. He was joined in this effort with Congressmen Mark Meadows (NC-11), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Phil Roe (TN-01), Rob Bishop (UT-01), Bob Gibbs (OH-07), and Jody Hice (GA-10)." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 83% by NumbersUSA. (votesmart.org)
  • "Just last month, we passed the funding bill for our military, the Department of Energy, and appropriated $1.6 billion for the construction of a wall on our southern border." (www.facebook.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6136 - Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2018. (votesmart.org)
  • "My vote today was not just to stop the President's actions on DACA and DAPA, which effectively legalizes millions of illegal immigrants. This resolution and the amicus brief it authorizes is one of several efforts by the House to restore the balance of powers our Founding Fathers spelled out in the Constitution. President Obama has taken actions that overstep his authority on everything from illegal immigration to EPA regulations" (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 83% by NumbersUSA. (votesmart.org)
  • "Iran should not be rewarded for behavior that threatens us or our allies in the Middle East. President Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran is reckless and until Iran can prove it is not moving forward with a nuclear weapons program and funding terrorist groups, Congress should keep economic sanctions against Iran in place." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • "We need to reverse the Iran nuclear deal before they get their hands on a nuclear weapon." (votesmart.org)
  • ""It is reckless to lift economic and military sanctions in exchange for hoping the Iranians will change their ways. Even as Congress debated and considered this deal, the leader of Iran was calling for the destruction of Israel within 25 years. We cannot allow such threats and rhetoric to be rewarded with money and arms." (votesmart.org)
  • "Our enemies abroad have taken advantage of Obama's weaknesses. I opposed the nuclear deal with Iran from day one. It is irresponsible to allow a nation that chants "Death to America" and calls for the destruction of our ally Israel to conduct nuclear research. That is why I have voted against this deal. We need to reverse the Iran nuclear deal before they get their hands on a nuclear weapon." (votesmart.org)
  • "Our top priority needs to be the protection and safety of our nation. We are facing threats at home and abroad. ISIS is a real threat to the United States; it is not the JV team Obama says it is. We must do everything we can to protect our nation and prevent a major attack on U.S. soil." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating "In order to limit the presence of terrorists and extremists, counter the activities of our adversaries, and strengthen Israel's security we urge you to advance our regional interests by implementing a strategy including the following elements: Underscore Israel's right to self-defense. It is longstanding U.S. policy to support Israel's ability to defend itself by itself and support its qualitative military edge. With the region in flux, it remains critical that we reiterate to both friend and foe in the region that we continue to support Israel's right to defend itself. We must also look for ways to augment our support in the context of the current 10-year Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Israel and to ensure that Israel has access to the resources and materiel it needs to defend itself against the threats it faces on its northern border. The U.S. should continue to oppose international efforts to isolate and weaken Israel. Increase pressure on Iran and Russia with respect to activities in Syria. Working with our allies and partners, we urge you to maintain and increase pressure on Iran and Russia to constrain their destabilizing activities. America must continue economic and diplomatic efforts to counter Iran's support for Hezbollah and other terrorist groups as well as Russia's support for the brutal Assad regime. We encourage full implementation of sanctions authorized in the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a broadly supported bipartisan bill that you signed into law. Clear and sustained American action and close coordination with our allies and partners can send an important message of resolve to malign actors in the region. Increase pressure on Hezbollah. By forcefully and fully implementing the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015, the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments Act of 2018, and other sanctions aimed at Hezbollah and those who fund it, America can reduce their ability to threaten and challenge Israel. Additionally, we must continue to press UNIFIL to carry out its U.N. Security Council mandate, including investigating and reporting the presence of arms and tunnels on Israel's border." (votesmart.org)
  • "ISIS-linked investigations in 50 states. Must give military, law enforcement & intel community tools to defeat ISIS". (twitter.com)
  • Rated 0% by Public Citizen. (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating: "Thank you for your commitment to pursuing strong and enforceable bilateral trade agreements between the United States and our allies around the globe. Trade has been and continues to be instrumental in growing our nation's economy, creating U.S. jobs, promoting American-made products and services, and advancing our values." (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating: "We write today to reaffirm the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The effort you have led to modernize the agreement for the 21st century is incredibly important and, in combination with the historic tax cuts that you signed last year, has the potential to unleash the American economy unlike any other time before. NAFTA provides the foundation for a strong North American economy that will allow us to compete -- and win -- against the rest of the world." (votesmart.org)
  • "Better trade deals for American workers. Promise made. Promise kept. @realDonaldTrump #USMCAWin". (twitter.com)
  • "Canada & Mexico are two of our most important trading partners for US food and agriculture industries. We need #USMCAnow to provide certainty and increase trade opportunities for Ohio farmers." (twitter.com)
  • "The new trade deal lowers & eliminates various tariffs on American agriculture products. It also sets strict standards on digital trade & intellectual property. American farmers will have better access to Japanese markets for agriculture products." (twitter.com)
  • "When we export American-made products, it benefits American workers. Int’l trade must be done on a level playing field. That’s why it’s important to approve USMCA." (twitter.com)

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