Steve Bullock'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.
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Steve Bullock has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2020 Political Courage Test.
Presidential Election 2020 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| The most basic human right is the freedom to decide what does or does not happen to your body. Today, this basic right is under threat for American women. As president, Steve will fight to make sure women have the right to make their own healthcare decisions. This means rolling back the loopholes that Donald Trump has given to businesses that want to determine their employees' choices about birth control, and re-funding Title IX. It also means codifying Roe v. Wade and nominating judges who will stand up for women's healthcare rights. | |||
| Yes | Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare? | ||
| Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
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| Social security and Medicare are vital parts of the safety net that we need to protect. In the face of Republican threats to cut Social Security to pay for their massive tax cuts to the rich, we need to strengthen Social Security and improve opportunities for Americans to save for retirement. I also support expanding Medicare as part of my plan to ensure that every American has access to affordable, quality healthcare. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| I have spent my career fighting dark money in politics, and will continue to do so as President. I will sign several executive orders on day one of my presidency: to require any 501(c)4 or 501(c)6 organization that supports a political candidate or organization to disclose all contributions over $5,000, to require existing federal government contractors, and for those applying for federal contracts, to disclose all of their political spending, and require the public filing of a corporate tax returns and public listing of corporate officers for any corporation engaged in political contributions or spending. | |||
| Yes | Do you support increasing defense spending? | ||
| The president's most important job is to protect America, but that means providing for the defense of our country in a smart and responsible way. This means cutting existing programs that build outdated machinery our military does not need - and openly says it does not want - and focusing spending on next-generation technology to prepare for the battles of the 21st century. | |||
| Yes | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| No | Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19? | ||
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| While the wealthy have seen an economic recovery, many people who go to work every day are facing diminishing opportunities. I believe we must make sure every American who works hard has a fair shot at success. That means ensuring the opportunities that come from a great education and job training offer reliable and affordable healthcare and retirement security. That is why I will work to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. | |||
| Yes | Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards? | ||
| I believe that the government, schools, and private industry can work together to provide educational paths for all types of careers that will support a strong middle class. That is why I would provide free tuition for community college attendance, expand and improve public service student loan repayment programs so young people can afford to go to college and give back to their country, and invest in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). | |||
| Yes | Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Climate change is the defining challenge of our time. That is why I will rejoin the Paris Agreement on day one, require every federal agency to develop a plan to reduce carbon emissions each year of my administration, aggressively expand clean energy like solar and wind power and energy conservation efforts, reverse Trump's weakening of automobile fuel efficiency standards, direct the Departments of Interior and Agriculture to achieve net-zero emissions on our public lands by 2030, and take on the energy industry and stop dark money groups. | |||
| Yes | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| When I was growing up the NRA was a gun safety and hunting organization. Now it's a dark money political organization driving Americans further apart. We need to take immediate action to address gun safety as a public health issue. I support requiring background checks, using red flag laws to disarm people who pose a risk to themselves or others, getting rid of straw purchases, closing the boyfriend loophole, funding research on gun violence, stopping the sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, safe storage, and launching a national gun buy-back program. | |||
| No | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| Yes | Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19? | ||
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| The greatest strides we have made on healthcare since Medicaid and Medicare in our country was Obamacare. I want to build on that, not start all over. That is why I support a public option to ensure that all Americans have access to healthcare. I support expanding Medicare to states that haven't done so yet, ending surprise billing, and automatically enrolling families who are Medicaid eligible or eligible for a 100% cost subsidy on the ACA exchange. I also will bring down the cost of prescription medicines by negotiating drug prices and taking on the pharmaceutical industry. | |||
| No | Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border? | ||
| No | Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| America's greatest strength is the promise of freedom and opportunity. Almost all of our families have been immigrants at one point, coming here in search of a better life. Immigrants today are no different, escaping violence or persecution. At the same time, we need to make sure our borders are secure. I will work with Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform that grants DREAMers citizenship and provides a pathway to legal status and ultimately citizenship. I will ensure families remain together until their claims have been adjudicated, and use the right mix of people and technology to support the CBP. | |||
| Yes | Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)? | ||
| Yes | Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts? | ||
| There are young men and women entering military service this year who weren't even born on 9/11. We've been entangled in the region for too long, and it's time to reassess our posture. I want our brave servicemembers to come home as soon as possible, and I'll do everything in my power, including through diplomacy and working with our allies, to make that happen by the end of my first term. We must also ensure that this solution upholds fundamental human rights, such as women's rights and the rights of minorities, and that they will be respected after we depart. | |||
| Yes | Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)? | ||
| First, we need to stop tweeting tariffs, trade policy, and insults towards world leaders. As President, I would work to remove tariffs and pass trade deals that benefit all Americans. Trade deals would have to acknowledge the impacts on American workers, provide significant funding for retraining of impacted workers, and include strong labor and environmental protections for all parties. | |||
| Our top priority has to be getting corrupt money and influence out of our politics. Washington has been so thoroughly corrupted by Dark Money that it has been unable to tackle our biggest challenges. If we have a hope of solving climate change, addressing income inequality, and making our communities safer from gun violence, we need to fix this first. I would also prioritize rebuilding the institutions of trust in our representative democracy and America's standing in the world. Much damage has been done under Trump, but it is not irreparable yet. |
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