Michael Riley's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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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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Michael Riley refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2012 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.
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 2012.
- Michael Riley. GoLocalProv: 2012 Voters Guide. Responded "I am pro-life with the exceptions of rape, incest and life of the mother. The government should never be involved in funding abortions." to the question: "Abortion." (www.golocalprov.com)
- Michael Riley. GoLocalProv: 2012 Voters Guide. Responded "I want out of Afghanistan as soon possible. I would need to rely on the military leaders and opinions on the ground for when the most optimal time would be, but I want it soon, very soon." to the question: "Afghanistan." (www.golocalprov.com)
- Michael Riley. Defense and Foreign Policy. 14 September 2012. "As we continue to face threats from all corners of the globe, we must also give weight to the advice of our military leaders who are on the front lines day in and day out. Unfortunately, too often we have seen politicians in Washington make critical defense policy decisions at least in part based on the results of polling numbers. For the sake of our troops, the victories they have won, and the sake of our country, we must put an end to this practice. We shall support them and provide them with the resources that are needed to win the fight. Beginning with our Revolutionary War heroes nearly 250 years ago Rhode Islanders have always played a proud role in the arsenal of democracy, from the ships on the high seas to Bunker Hill. While we must continue to make difficult and smart budgetary choices, defense is one area where we must remain strong." (www.rileycongress.com)
- Michael Riley. PowerPlayer: Republican Congressional Candidate Michael Riley. 30 April 2012. "Rhode Island taxes are just too high across the board . If we want more taxpayers we need to attract them not repel them." (www.golocalprov.com)
- Michael Riley. Facebook: Timeline. 24 July 2012. "looking at the economy, I would say higher taxes does not work for RI or the country. we need solutions that work, mr. president. I have the solutions." (www.facebook.com)
- Michael Riley. Issue Position: Jobs and the Economy. 1 January 2012. "This administration instead seems intent on leading our nation down a path toward insolvency; it has grown our national debt from $10 trillion to $15 trillion in just the past three years, resulting in a $48,000 debt for every person in America. This nation CANNOT expect to regain its financial footing until we get our debt under control. Unfortunately Democrats in the Senate have blocked nearly all measures to curtail spending and has also failed to pass a budget for the last two years. It is exactly this dereliction of duty that has caused paralysis to grip our country. A basic tenet of balancing a budget is to NOT spend more money than we take in. Today 40 cents of every dollar spent by the Federal Government is borrowed money. This is both fiscally unsustainable and morally unacceptable [¦] The only way out of this economic morass is for businesses to spend and grow. If we expect our small businesses to begin to invest and expand, we need to provide an economic environment that fosters entrepreneurship and confidence that sustains that growth [¦] Removing uncertainty over taxes and reducing government spending levels are fundamental to a sound economy." (votesmart.org)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Michael Riley. Issue Position: Education. 1 January 2012. "America's future depends on the generation that will follow in our footsteps and they will need an effective public education system to help them succeed. We need to continue to insist on reforms in our schools, and to empower parents and local communities to allow them to make the decisions that are best for their students. We need to encourage new ideas and competition [¦] we should reward the teachers who go above and beyond, no matter how long they have been teaching at their school. We must all insist on excellence; our children deserve nothing less." (votesmart.org)
- Michael Riley. Energy. 14 September 2012. "Contrary to the policies of this administration and many Democrats, I would encourage the development of all resources with the stated goal of elimination of our reliance on foreign oil. That means increased drilling on land and sea. It means s looking at ideas like the Pickens Plan and quickly implementing them. It means exploring new technologies like helium cooled Nuclear Reactors." (www.rileycongress.com)
- Michael Riley. GoLocalProv: 2012 Voters Guide. Responded: "We need to enable and encourage all sources of energy development without subsidies. Not only would this put market forces back in charge of allocation, it would increase the use our natural resources and reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy." to the question: "Energy & the Environment." (www.golocalprov.com)
- Michael Riley. The Riley Plan. 29 May 2012. "Riley said that license revenues and fees from energy contracts for federal lands for oil and natural gas deals should be dedicated to funding gaps in Social Security and Medicare accounts. Currently, two percent of all available offshore federal lands are being used to generate income for the federal bureaucracy, and only six percent of federal lands are being utilized. The underground and offshore resources are staggering." (www.rileycongress.com)
- 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.
- Michael Riley. GoLocalProv: 2012 Voters Guide. Responded "This act is an example of government overreach and it is ripe for repeal. Many good things came out of this attempt and should be kept such as preexisting condition coverage and coverage of college age children. Some things weren't included like tort reform and selling insurance across state lines." to the question: "Affordable Care Act." (www.golocalprov.com)
- Michael Riley. Twitter: RileyforRI. 3 August 2012. "we need to repeal this legislation before government grows beyond citizens control (fb.me)
- Michael Riley. GoLocalProv: 2012 Voters Guide. Responded " I am not in favor of the Dream act as proposed" to the question: "DREAM Act." (www.golocalprov.com)
- Michael Riley. GoLocalProv: 2012 Voters Guide. Responded "I am also sympathetic to the plight of those illegal immigrants cited by the President in his executive order however his order was inappropriate and as congressman I would be very concerned by his use of executive order to bypass existing laws" to the question: "Illegal Immigration." (www.golocalprov.com)
- WPRO News: Republicans in 2nd District Primary meet in 1st debate. 05 September 2012. "Riley said although he disagrees with President Obama's recent executive order granting amnesty to certain young immigrants, he does support creating a path to citizenship. 'We need to have a heart and think about how we deal with them and that may someday include a path to citizenship,'" said Riley." (630wpro.com)
- Michael Riley. GoLocalProv: 2012 Voters Guide. Responded "I am for traditional marriage; however I believe this is a states' rights issue and as such should be up the people of Rhode Island." to the question: "Same Sex Marriage." (www.golocalprov.com)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
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