Card image cap

Steve King'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.

Steve King 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.

  • Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? "Pro-Life" (votesmart.org)
  • In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? "No" (votesmart.org)
  • "Our nation's entitlement programs are on autopilot, driving our nation further and further into debt and putting a tighter and tighter squeeze on spending for important functions like funding the military and the federal courts. This path is unsustainable. The Task Force on Executive Overreach will examine the many issues fueling our nation's entitlement crisis and look for ways to rein in this growing problem." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Alliance for Retired Americans. (votesmart.org)
  • "The reform of entitlements is a necessary thing if we are ever going to get this country to balance." (votesmart.org)
  • Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? "No" (votesmart.org)
  • "President Obama neglected to serve the needs of our military for years, and the result has been a decrease in America's military strength that the National Defense Authorization Act was written to address," said King. "President Trump promised to rebuild our military, and this bill does so. It contains the largest pay raise in nine years for our troops, and it provides resources for additional aircraft, tanks, and submarines. We live in a dangerous world, and it is imperative that America's enemies know that we have a military that is fully capable of meeting any demand that is placed upon it." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 89% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? "No" (votesmart.org)
  • Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
  • "Rescue Package($2.2T) is finally on its way to @realDonaldTrump . Hard fought, peppered with junk—but much of the bill had to be done. Small Business, unemployment, HealthCare providers, workers & equipment & vaccine research. Let us all stick with the Trump program—we are all in." (twitter.com)
  • Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards? "No" (votesmart.org)
  • Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
  • Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? "No" (votesmart.org)
  • Do you generally support gun-control legislation? "No" (votesmart.org)
  • Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 6201 - Families First Coronavirus Response Act. (votesmart.org)
  • Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
  • Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
  • "As they expressed their will, which was, Let's just open up dialogue, they had to also recognize that when you open up dialogue, you start down the path of dialogued negotiations, United Nations resolution, sanction, blockade, and eventually, if Iran is committed, there is going to be a showdown." (votesmart.org)
  • "In those negotiations, you understand that if we fail to convince Iran that they should stop nuclear development, are you prepared, then, to go to the United Nations for a resolution? Are you permitting sanctions against Iran? If the sanctions aren't effective, are you prepared to blockade Iran? If you are prepared to blockade Iran, and the blockade is not effective, and they continue to develop a nuclear weapon, and somebody has got to step up to that line in the sand with men and equipment and munitions and military supplies and put blood on the line along with the treasure, are you prepared to step up to that line in the desert sand? Of course the Ambassadors were real nervous about that discussion long before I got to the part about the line in the sand in the desert." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 89% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • "I would assess any proposed increase in American intervention beyond air support in Middle Eastern conflicts on a case by case basis. The Middle East is a large world region and the conflicts and nations diverse, so this question cannot be answered with a yes or no answer. " (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 89% by Center for Security Policy. (votesmart.org)
  • "We all know, Mr. Speaker, you can't live in peace and prosperity if you are living underneath that black al Qaeda flag. That is a result of leading from behind. That is a result of stepping out of Iraq and handing that country over. " (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Public Citizen. (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating: "We remain concerned about the impacts of these retaliatory tariffs from our major trading partners on Iowa agriculture products coming to fruition. We strongly urge you to quickly resolve our trade differences and avoid a trade war." (votesmart.org)
  • Signed a letter stating: "We write in support of negotiating strong and fair trade agreements to reduce tariffs on American-made goods, promote U.S. jobs, enhance domestic and international investments, and address other barriers to growing our national economy." (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-life Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
Human life begins at conception and therefore all babies in utero must be protected under the law. While we currently cannot diagnose the exact moment of conception, we can determine whether or not there is a heartbeat early on in a pregnancy. For this reason, I've introduced the Heartbeat Protection Act in the 115th Congress, which would ensure that if a heartbeat is detected, the baby is protected.
No In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
No In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
No Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
No Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
No Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
According to the U.S. Constitution, education is a matter to be determined by the people and the States. There is great wisdom in this design. Just as every child is unique, each child has a different learning style, and academic and personal gifts and interests. The education market should be free from unnecessary Federal regulation so that, to the greatest degree possible, students, parents, teachers, communities and the States can create an environment with as much choice and variety in education as possible.
Yes Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
No Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
No Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
The 2nd amendment is absolutely clear: "the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
Yes Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
As is true in the case of education, the U.S. Constitution has given the States and the people the province of health care. Again, there is great wisdom in this design. Each individual has unique healthcare needs, and they should neither be prevented from securing the healthcare they do need, nor forced to buy health insurance that they either do not like, want, or need, simply due to ObamaCare, an overly zealous, massive federal regulation. It's time for health freedom in the U.S., and that begins with a complete repeal of ObamaCare, as if such law had never been enacted.
Yes Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
Yes Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
Our nation's borders and immigration laws either mean what they say, or the Rule of Law on which our liberty is secured and tyranny is held at bay is fundamentally undermined, and this entails serious consequences for the viability of our nation today and into the future. It is therefore essential that we build the wall to safeguard our nation's immigration laws. The Southern Border is porous and in need of a Wall to reinforce its integrity. Furthermore, we cannot continue to reward those who defy the very laws that our citizens live under to be rewarded for their crime.
No Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
Yes Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
Unknown Position Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
I would assess any proposed increase in American intervention beyond air support in Middle Eastern conflicts on a case by case basis. The Middle East is a large world region and the conflicts and nations diverse, so this question cannot be answered with a yes or no answer.
My top three priorities are protecting human life from conception until the natural end of life; ensuring the integrity of our nation's immigration laws; and advancing the Rule of Law so that the United States continues to be a land of liberty and opportunity today and for future generations. The 21st Century world poses many challenges and opportunities. And yet we as a nation must be strong internally in order to help ensure a more peaceful, stable world. Our policies must advance the dignity of human life, the family and the Constitution. These are building blocks of a strong America.

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

arrow_upward