Dianne Feinstein's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Office:
- U.S. Senate (CA) - Sr, Democratic
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.
Dianne Feinstein has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2018 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.
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 2018.
- Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? "Pro-Choice" (votesmart.org)
- In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
- In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
- Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
- Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
- "It's clear who the Republicans considered a priority while writing this bill. Republicans gave a huge tax cut to corporations and the rich, and it will be paid for by middle-class families." (votesmart.org)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "Senator Feinstein has long been a champion for policies to address climate change. As chairman of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, one of her top priorities each year is robust funding for research and development of renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency improvements." (votesmart.org)
- Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
- "She will also continue to author and support additional legislation to enact sensible gun laws, including: closing the gun-show loophole, holding arms manufacturers accountable, raising the minimum age to purchase firearms, and preventing those on the terrorist watch list from buying a gun. " (feinsteinforca.com)
- Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act? "No" (votesmart.org)
- "Wastes $18 billion in U.S. taxpayer funding over the next two years on the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border that he claimed Mexico would pay for." (votesmart.org)
- Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? "No" (votesmart.org)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "Senator Feinstein strongly supports U.S. and international efforts to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). She believes that the international community must take action to prevent this terror organization from further consolidating control in the Middle East and exporting violent terrorism worldwide." (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.
| Yes | Do you support United States' combat operations in Afghanistan? | ||
| No | Do you support a timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan? | ||
| As Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I just returned from Afghanistan. I support the recently signed Strategic Partnership Agreement, which provides for a continued US force presence. The details of our future mission and footprint in Afghanistan have yet to be determined, and I look forward to engaging with the Administration on these questions. The answers will determine whether this war will ultimately be won or lost. | |||
Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing the federal budget.In order to balance the budget,
| Yes | do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| Yes | do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| do you support reducing Medicaid spending? | |||
| do you support reducing Medicare spending? | |||
| Yes | Is balancing the budget a legislative priority? | ||
| I strongly supported the proposals of the bipartisan Bowles-Simpson Commission, which recommended reducing the number of tax brackets and eliminated many current tax deductions that disproportionately benefited the very wealthy. The Bowles-Simpson Commission was estimated to raise an additional $785 billion over the next decade, relative to current policy. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Yes | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | Do you support spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the temporary extension of unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the 2010 temporary extension of tax relief? | ||
| Yes | Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | ||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes | Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| I wrote the assault weapons ban that was the law of the land for a decade. Against all odds we passed that bill in 1994. Now the National Rifle Association essentially has a stranglehold on Congress. Recently I have been frustrated by Congress� unwillingness to pass commonsense measures to reduce gun violence. Even after Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was seriously injured and six others killed in a January 2011 shooting, Congress failed to ban the large-capacity ammunition feeding device that allowed the shooter to kill and injure so many people so quickly. I deeply regret this. | |||
| No | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | ||
| Yes | Should individuals be required to purchase health insurance, as mandated in the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | ||
| No | Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| Yes | Do you support allowing illegal immigrants, who were brought to the United States as minors, to pursue citizenship without returning to their country of origin? | ||
| No | Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration law by state and local police? | ||
| I strongly support a comprehensive immigration reform bill. I support the DREAM Act, which allows young people brought to this country who possess good moral character to be eligible for a conditional path to citizenship. | |||
| Yes | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| I am working to repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and resotre the 1,100 federal marriage benefits to legally married same-sex couples. My bill has 31 Senate co-sponsors and has already passed the Senate Judiciary Committee | |||
| Yes | Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict? | ||
| Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon? | |||
| No | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
SpendingIndicate what federal spending levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.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.
| a) Agriculture | |||
| b) Arts | |||
| c) Defense | |||
| d) Education | |||
| e) Environment | |||
| f) Homeland Security | |||
| g) International aid | |||
| h) Medical Research | |||
| i) Scientific Research | |||
| j) Space exploration | |||
| k) United Nations | |||
| l) Welfare | |||
| m) Other or expanded categories | |||
| a) Capital gains taxes | |||
| b) Corporate taxes | |||
| c) Excise taxes (alcohol) | |||
| d) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | |||
| e) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | |||
| f) Income taxes (low-income families) | |||
| g) Income taxes (middle-income families) | |||
| h) Income taxes (high-income families) | |||
| i) Inheritance taxes | |||
| j) Payroll taxes | |||
| I strongly supported the proposals of the bipartisan Bowles-Simpson Commission, which recommended reducing the number of tax brackets and eliminated many current tax deductions that disproportionately benefited the very wealthy. The Bowles-Simpson Commission was estimated to raise an additional $785 billion over the next decade, relative to current policy | |||
| Among my top priorities for next year include: I will continue to be a prudent voice for deficit reduction. I will continue my efforts to repeat DOMA and restore the 1,100 federal marriage benefits to legally married same sex couples. I will continue my work in developing a national nuclear waste strategy that creates a repository for radioactive waste currently distributed across the country |
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