Card image cap

Ken Calvert's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Republican for U.S. House (CA) - District 41

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.

Ken Calvert has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2024 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 2024.

  • Rated 100% by National Right to Life Committee (None)
  • "The House GOP fought for and achieved significant conservative wins in the omnibus spending bill. The bill includes the largest increase in military spending in 15 years. Reversing years of decline under President Obama...The bill maintains all existing pro-life policies, including the Hyde amendment, the Dickey-Wicker amendment, and the Weldon amendment." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 26: "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (None)
  • "I continue to have serious concerns about our federal debt. As this graph shows, the leading driver of debt is our mandatory spending. Anyone who is serious about wanting to solve our debt problem must acknowledge the need to slow the rate of growth in these programs." (x.com)
  • "I recently signed a bipartisan letter along with more than 300 of my House colleagues to ensure the Medicare Advantage program continues to offer affordable, high-quality, patient-centered coverage options." (x.com)
  • Rated 20% by Alliance for Retired Americans (None)
  • Rated 75% by National Tax Limitation Committee (None)
  • "Bernie Sanders admits he doesn't know how much his socialist agenda will cost taxpayers. He’s admitted middle class families will see a tax hike to pay for government run health care. More tax hikes are coming to pay for the rest of his socialist agenda." (x.com)
  • "Democrats are just getting started on their radical, socialist agenda. They are planning massive tax hikes and more giveaways. We must stop this embrace of socialism." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1: "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 75% by National Tax Limitation Committee (None)
  • "Democrats are just getting started on their radical, socialist agenda. They are planning massive tax hikes and more giveaways. We must stop this embrace of socialism." (x.com)
  • "The high taxes, soft-on-crime laws, and housing policies enacted by radical Democrats in California are driving more and more people out of our state. We have to reverse course on these misguided policies." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1: "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by End Citizens United (None)
  • Rated 6% by Common Cause (None)
  • Voted against HR 1: "For the People Act of 2021" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021." (votesmart.org)
  • "Thank you for coming by to talk about how we can better protect our communities. I will continue to stand with local law enforcement as they bravely do everything in their power to keep Californians safe." (x.com)
  • "We can work to end racism, fight for equal justice, and demand accountability from law enforcement without defunding the police and jeopardizing the safety of our neighborhoods." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7900: "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023" (votesmart.org)
  • "In my role as the Ranking Republican on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee I have fought to prioritize and fund programs essential to our continued military dominance. I just spoke on the House floor about why I support this funding bill." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2670: "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 4365: "Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024" (votesmart.org)
  • "I promised voters I would stop the runaway spending in DC. Unlike Pres. Biden and Democrats in Congress who recklessly spent trillions of taxpayer money, The Fiscal Responsibility Act will do just that – return fiscal responsibility and sanity to the federal spending process." (x.com)
  • "Bidenomics has resulted in avg Americans being poorer than they were 4 years ago. Democrat spending, over-regulation and their war on American energy production is crushing family budgets. If voters want to stop lingering inflation + high gas prices, then we need a new President." (x.com)
  • "I continue to have serious concerns about our federal debt. As this graph shows, the leading driver of debt is our mandatory spending. Anyone who is serious about wanting to solve our debt problem must acknowledge the need to slow the rate of growth in these programs." (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 5376: "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "I’m happy to announce that I have secured federal funding to support local efforts to reduce homelessness in the Fiscal Year 2024 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill." (x.com)
  • "House Democrats approved an infrastructure bill today on a party-line vote that embraces the job-killing Green New Deal and ignores the realities of regions, like the Inland Empire, where people want affordable housing and value outdoor space around their homes and communities." (x.com)
  • "I’m an original cosponsor of the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Act (H.R.8275), which was introduced yesterday by @GOPLeader. The bill takes steps to ensure that homeless veterans receive the housing vouchers and supportive services that they deserve." (x.com)
  • "The high taxes, soft-on-crime laws, and housing policies enacted by radical Democrats in California are driving more and more people out of our state. We have to reverse course on these misguided policies." (x.com)
  • "Bidenomics has resulted in avg Americans being poorer than they were 4 years ago. Democrat spending, over-regulation and their war on American energy production is crushing family budgets. If voters want to stop lingering inflation + high gas prices, then we need a new President." (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 5376: "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "Since Joe Biden took office inflation has risen by 17.2% due to reckless levels of inflationary spending passed by Democrats in DC. House Republicans are fighting to put a stop to the runaway spending that is hurting American families." (x.com)
  • "President Biden's decision to arbitrarily forgive up to $20,000 in student loan debt for families making up to a quarter million dollars is unfair and inflationary. This move is a slap in the face of any family that saved for their child's education or any college graduates who worked tirelessly to pay off their student loans. It's also outrageous to ask the millions of hard-working Americans who didn't go to college to pony up the tax dollars to cover the costs of sending the children of upper-middle class families to college. This debt won't magically disappear, it will be paid for by taxpayers to an estimated tune of more than $300 billion dollars, with outstanding student loan debt projected to return to its current level of $1.6 trillion in just four years. Once again, the Biden administration is advancing massive amounts of inflationary spending on the backs of American taxpayers to transfer money to its favored political supporters. This game of picking winners and losers is wrong and it's propelling our economy deeper into a recession. President Biden's plan does nothing to address the root problem, which is the rising cost of a college education. Since 1980, the average cost of a college education has risen by 1,200%. Instead of helping to curb those costs, today's announcement will have the opposite effect and raise tuition rates across America." (None)
  • Rated 0% by National Education Association (None)
  • Voted against HR 5746: "Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 6% by Common Cause (None)
  • Voted against HR 4: "John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 4447: "Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019" (votesmart.org)
  • "The Green New Deal is nothing more than a socialist agenda disguised as an environmental policy. It will destroy our economy and quality of life. I’ve signed the discharge petition to force a vote on the bill so defenders of free markets can send socialists a strong message." (x.com)
  • "We cannot afford to let Democrats in Congress weaken America by taking the country backwards. Raising taxes on middle-class families to pay for government-run health care and socialist plans like the Green New Deal will devastate our economy and quality of life." (x.com)
  • Rated 7% by League of Conservation Voters (None)
  • "In the same week gas prices hit a record high, the Biden Administration cancelled massive lease sales in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. It is now abundantly clear that the Biden Administration has no interest in providing true relief at the pump and will continue to end domestic production of oil in service to a progressive green energy agenda that disproportionately hurts middle-class and lower-income Americans. As the world unifies in eliminating purchases of Russian oil and gas, America is one of a very few nations capable of scaling up production to supply the world's energy needs. The Biden/Pelosi war on American energy is driving high gas prices and undermining our national security at a time when the stakes have never been higher. I have no faith that the Biden Administration will reverse this decision and will instead continue to beg dangerous dictators to produce oil, while pretending that windmills and solar panels alone can solve our energy crisis. This is a failure of leadership that has become the hallmark of President Biden, and ultimately the only way to end the managed decline of America by Democrat one-party rule will be in November at the ballot box." (None)
  • "By announcing an additional release from the SPR, President Biden is acknowledging that increasing supplies of oil reduces the price of gas. However, at the same time, Biden continues to back policies that are making it more difficult and more expensive to increase supplies of American made energy. By doing so, Biden is contributing to the high prices at the pump. Just this week, Biden proposed $45 billion in new taxes on American energy producers. Today's announcement is political theater and avoids the real steps America needs to take to lower gas prices and secure our energy independence. Let's unleash our energy producers with policies that create jobs, lower prices, and secure America's future." (None)
  • Rated 100% by American Energy Alliance (None)
  • Voted against HR 1446: "Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021" (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 92% by National Rifle Association (None)
  • Voted against HR 8: "Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021" (votesmart.org)
  • "In Britain, thousands allowed to go blind due to rationing of eye surgeries…this is the inevitable outcome of socialized medicine and why Medicare for All would mean ALL of us suffer" (x.com)
  • "Democrats also want to repeal and replace Obamacare. The problem is their idea of "replace" is a DMV-style government run healthcare system." (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 1425: "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Phase II of the Congressional action to address the COVID-19 pandemic has been approved by the Senate & signed into law by the President. It includes provisions offering paid leave benefits for Americans, bolstered unemployment benefits and free diagnostic testing for the virus." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6201: "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 6833: "The Affordable Insulin Now Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "To bring down the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries I have cosponsored the Phair Pricing Act (H.R.1034) to require all price concessions between a pharmacy and Pharmacy Benefit Managers be directed at lowering the price patients pay for medications." (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 3: "Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5378: "Lower Costs, More Transparency Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 76% by NumbersUSA (None)
  • "A record number of individuals on our terror watchlist illegally tried to cross our border last year. A record number of individuals illegally crossed without being caught and processed by our border patrol. These trends are a threat to our national security and must be stopped." (x.com)
  • "America has a national security interest in securing our border, supporting our ally Israel, and partnering in the international effort to stop Putin’s aggression. Today, there’s only a clear, broad, bipartisan, bicameral agreement on Israel and funding our U.S. military operations in the Middle East. I believe we should get that work done now by passing my Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act and then focus on resolving our differences on the border and Ukraine. I also believe, and the White House has confirmed, that President Biden can take actions to secure the border today without Congressional action." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2: "Secure the Border Act of 2023" (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 76% by NumbersUSA (None)
  • "I agree with Attorney General Jeff Sessions – We simply have to end the policies of sanctuary cities. They make our nation less safe." (x.com)
  • "Tonight, the Corona City Council is set to discuss a possible response to SB 54, the so-called sanctuary state law. Yesterday, I sent the council this letter urging them to stand with our local law enforcement officers and protect the safety of our community." (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 6: "American Dream and Promise Act of 2021" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6968: "Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 340: "Hamas International Financing Prevention Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6126: "Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7108: "Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7691: "Making emergency supplemental appropriations for assistance for the situation in Ukraine for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes." (votesmart.org)
  • "America has a national security interest in securing our border, supporting our ally Israel, and partnering in the international effort to stop Putin’s aggression. Today, there’s only a clear, broad, bipartisan, bicameral agreement on Israel and funding our U.S. military operations in the Middle East. I believe we should get that work done now by passing my Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act and then focus on resolving our differences on the border and Ukraine. I also believe, and the White House has confirmed, that President Biden can take actions to secure the border today without Congressional action." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5692: "Ukraine Security Assistance and Oversight Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S 3522: "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "A federal judge ruled this week that the Biden Administration illegally colluded with social media platforms to silence Americans. The ruling is a victory for free speech, First Amendment rights, and a warning sign for Big Tech." (x.com)
  • "Big tech censorship is alarming and wrong. Congress must provide oversight and consider action to protect the free speech rights of ALL Americans." (x.com)
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.
The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legally available.
X c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
X d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
X e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
X f) Eliminate public funding for abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
g) Other or expanded principles

Budgetary PrioritiesUsing the key below, indicate what levels of federal funding you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category.

Maintain Funding Status a) Agricultural
Eliminate Funding b) Arts
Greatly Increase Funding c) Defense
Slightly Increase Funding d) Education
Maintain Funding Status e) Environmental
Slightly Decrease Funding f) International Aid
Greatly Increase Funding g) Law Enforcement
Greatly Increase Funding h) Medical Research
Slightly Increase Funding i) National Aeronautical Space Administration (NASA)
Maintain Funding Status j) National Parks
Slightly Increase Funding k) Public Health Services
Greatly Increase Funding l) Scientific Research
Greatly Increase Funding m) Terrorism Prevention
Greatly Increase Funding n) Transportation and Highway Infrastructure
Greatly Decrease Funding o) Welfare
p) Other or expanded categories

Defense SpendingUsing the key below, indicate what levels of federal funding you support for the following categories. Select one number per category.

Slightly Increase Funding a) Armed Forces personnel training
Greatly Increase Funding b) Covert intelligence operations
Slightly Increase Funding c) Military hardware
Slightly Increase Funding d) Pay for active duty personnel
Greatly Increase Funding e) National Missile Defense Program
Slightly Increase Funding f) Programs to improve military retention rates
Slightly Increase Funding g) Research and development of new weapons
Greatly Increase Funding h) Troop and equipment readiness
i) Other or expanded categories

TaxesUsing the key below, indicate what levels you support concerning taxes, deductions, and tax credits in the following categories. Select one number per tax.Income Taxes - Family IncomeIncome Taxes - Retiree IncomeOther TaxesDeductions/Credits

Eliminate a) Less than $25,000
Slightly Decrease b) $25,000 - $75,000
Slightly Decrease c) $75,000 - $150,000
Slightly Decrease d) Over $150,000
e) Other or expanded categories
Slightly Decrease f) Over $40, 000
g) Other or expanded categories
Slightly Decrease a) Alcohol taxes
Eliminate b) Capital gains taxes
Maintain Status c) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Decrease d) Corporate taxes
Slightly Decrease e) Gasoline taxes
Eliminate f) Inheritance taxes
g) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Charitable deductions
Slightly Increase b) Medical expense deductions
Maintain Status c) Mortgage deductions
Slightly Increase d) Child tax credit
Slightly Increase e) Earned income tax credit
Maintain Status f) Student loan tax credit
g) Other or expanded categories

Taxes

Yes 2) Should a married couple filing jointly pay the same taxes as if they were an unmarried couple filing separately?
No 3) Would you use Social Security surpluses to balance the budget?
4) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and governmental reform issues.

a) Support public taxpayer funding for congressional candidates who comply with campaign spending limits.
X b) Increase the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
c) Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
d) Provide free or low-cost television advertising to candidates who agree to voluntary campaign spending limits.
e) Ban unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
X f) Prohibit non-U.S. citizens from making soft money contributions to national parties or party committees.
X g) Require full disclosure of funding sources of issue advocacy commercials which appear within 60 days of an election.
X h) Remove all contribution limits to federal candidates and parties.
X i) Require congressional candidates to raise over half of their campaign money from their home state.
X j) Require that unions give members the option of not having membership dues used for political purposes.
Yes k) Support the federal government mandate that creates national voting system standards.
No l) Do you support amending the Constitution to limit the number of terms that members of Congress can serve?
Yes m) Do you support voting on-line?
X n) Other or expanded principles
50% in district for House of Representatives.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.

a) Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
X b) Increase spending to build more federal prisons.
X c) Impose "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve full sentences with no chance of parole.
X d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X e) Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
X f) Increase funding for community policing programs.
g) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
h) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
i) Enforcement of civil rights should primarily be the responsibility of the federal government.
X j) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
k) Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
X l) Other or expanded principles
Deport all resident aliens convicted of a felony.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning illegal drugs.

X a) Increase penalties for selling illegal drugs.
X b) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
c) Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
d) Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
X e) Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S.
f) Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs."
g) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning education.

a) Support national standards and testing of public school students.
X b) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any publicly-funded school.
X c) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any participating school: public, private or religious.
X d) Support charter schools where teachers and professionals receive authorization and funding to establish new schools.
e) Increase funding for block grants to states to help them hire additional teachers.
X f) Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
g) Increase funding for computers and computer training in public schools.
h) Increase funding for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
i) Eliminate restrictions on federal education funding, giving educators or local school districts more flexibility to design and implement their programs.
X j) Increase funding of programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans to help students pay for college.
X k) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
X l) Other or expanded principles
Allow prayer in school. Eliminate bilingual education.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment and affirmative action.

a) Increase funding for national job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
X b) Reduce government regulation of the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
X c) Establish empowerment zones in areas with large numbers of unemployed people.
X d) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
X e) Encourage employers to offer flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
f) Eliminate any federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
g) Increase the federal minimum wage.
h) Considering race and gender in government contracting decisions is appropriate for the federal government.
i) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
j) Continue federal affirmative action programs.
X k) Discontinue federal affirmative action programs.
l) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding America's environment and natural resources.

a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
b) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
X c) Support opening a select portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration.
d) Support the U.S. re-entering the current Kyoto treaty process to limit global warming.
X e) Require states to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately owned land.
X f) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
g) Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline or diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
h) Provide tax credits for state and local bonds to preserve open spaces, build parks, improve water quality and redevelop brownfields.
i) Support the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act prohibiting commercial logging in our national forests.
X j) Provide states and local communities with more flexibility to address their respective environmental problems.
X k) Other or expanded principles
Use peer-reviewed science in all regulations. Invest federal dollars in hi-tech pollution research.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.

a) Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
b) Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
X c) Ease federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
X d) Repeal federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
X e) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
f) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
X g) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
h) Require a license for gun possession.
i) Raise the minimum age for ownership of handguns from 18 to 21.
X j) Other or expanded principles
No federal database of gunowners. Instant-check only.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health issues.

a) Providing health care is not a responsibility of the federal government.
b) Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income.
X c) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights to define and enforce the rights of insured patients, including greater access to specialists and emergency rooms, wider choice of health care providers, and appeal mechanisms when claims are denied.
X d) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes the right to sue when claims are denied.
X e) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes the right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
X f) Support legislation to provide prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
X g) Increase research funding of the human genome to find cures for diseases such as cancer, AIDS/HIV, Alzheimer's, and heart disease.
X h) Increase federal funding for training health workers to recognize and respond to the release of biological agents.
X i) Prohibit the procedure of cloning human embryos.
X j) Other or expanded principles
Patients Bill of Rights must include limitations on punitive damages.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.

X a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
X b) Provide extra federal aid to states with higher numbers of immigrants for necessary medical and social services.
c) Prohibit states from passing laws that deny human services (medical care, education) to illegal immigrants or their children.
d) Increase the immigration quota for computer scientists and other information technology workers.
X e) Establish English as the official U.S. language.
X f) Collect fingerprint data from all U.S. visa applicants which would be accessible to all federal immigration-related agencies.
g) Allow legalization for certain illegal immigrants working in the U.S.
X h) Other or expanded principles
No general amnesty for illegal aliens.

International AidIndicate which principles (if any) you support regarding U. S. economic assistance.

X a) Aid should be granted to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
X b) Aid should be granted to countries when it is in the security interests of the U. S.
X c) Aid should be granted to countries that are close allies of the U. S. and in need of financial/military assistance.
d) Aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
e) Aid programs should be scaled back and eventually eliminated except for extraordinary circumstances.
f) Other or expanded principles

International PolicyIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the Middle East.Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the United States-United Nations relationship.

a) The U.S. should take military action against Iraq only as part of an international effort.
b) The U.S. should end the economic embargo against Iraq.
c) The U.S. should not continue to play a prominent leadership role in the peace process between Israel and the Palestine Authority.
d) The U.S. should support the formation of a Palestinian state.
X e) Other or expanded principles
X a) The U.S. should participate in United Nations peacekeeping missions only when vital U.S. interests are involved.
b) The U.S. should not commit military troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
c) The U.S. should withdraw completely from the United Nations.
X d) Other or expanded principles
No 3) Should the U.S. have full diplomatic relations with Cuba?
Yes 4) Should the U.S. recognize and extend full diplomatic relations to Taiwan?
Yes 5) Should the U.S. increase its financial support to Colombia for the "war on drugs?"
Yes 6) Do you support the cooperative threat reduction programs with Russia to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons? ___ Yes ___ No ___ Undecided
Yes 7) Do you support the recent withdrawal of the U.S. from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty in order to deploy a national missile defense system?
Yes 8) Should the U.S. hold nations accountable for terrorists who operate from their country?
9) Other or expanded principles
The U.S.should support Israel's right to exist as a free and secure state.
U.S. forces should never be commanded by a foreign commander.

International Trade

Yes 1) Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
Yes 2) Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
Yes 3) Do you support continued U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
Yes 4) Do you support China becoming a member of the World Trade Organization?
Undecided 5) Should a nation's human rights record affect its normal trade relations (most favored nation) trading status with the United States? ___ Yes ___ No ___ Undecided
Yes 6) Should the President have "fast-track" authority to negotiate trade agreements?
Yes 7) Do you support the trade embargo against Cuba?
8) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.

Yes 1. Do you support the President using military tribunals to try terrorist suspects when the President deems ordinary civil courts to be inappropriate or impractical?
Yes 2. Should the U.S. adopt higher qualification rules for student visa applications from nations known to sponsor terrorism?
Yes 3. Should law enforcement agencies be granted greater discretion to read mail and email, tap phones, and conduct random searches to prevent future terrorist attacks?
Yes 4. Should federal law enforcement agencies share intelligence data with local law enforcement agencies?
Yes 5. Should the federal government provide states with funding for homeland security?
6. Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.

X a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage themselves.
b) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts managed by private firms contracted by the government.
c) The federal government should invest a portion of Social Security's assets collectively in stocks and bonds instead of U.S. Treasury securities.
d) Increase the payroll tax to better finance Social Security in its current form.
e) Lower Social Security's annual cost-of-living increases.
X f) Support a "lock box" measure, limiting Congress's ability to spend Social Security and Medicare surpluses on any other federal programs except Social Security and Medicare, until each program's long-term solvency is guaranteed.
X g) Other or expanded principles
Any changes to Social Security should not harm retirees or near-retirees.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding technology.

X a) Continue the moratorium on Internet sales taxes.
b) Implement regulation of Internet content by the federal government.
X c) Regulation of the Internet should not be controlled by the federal government.
d) Support government mandates to curtail violent and sexual content on television.
e) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding poverty and the welfare system.

a) Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
X b) Provide homeless families with apartment vouchers they can use to defray the cost of an apartment.
X c) Continue to give states and local governments responsibility for welfare programs through TANF block grants.
X d) Maintain current welfare-to-work requirements in order for states to qualify for block grants.
e) Restore food stamp programs to legal immigrants.
X f) Transfer homeless housing programs to states through block grants.
g) Provide continued Medicaid benefits for those welfare recipients who have moved from welfare to work.
h) Require states to return any unused welfare block grant funding to the federal government.
X i) Direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based, or other non-profit organizations.
j) Provide states with additional funding for Medicaid programs to alleviate increasing state budget deficits.
k) Other or expanded principles
My top three legislative priorities are education, transportation and national/homeland security. I voted for President Bush's plan that demands schools meet strict standards and gives local districts the tools and flexibility they need to attain those goals. Southern California needs better, safer roads and I will demand California gets its fair share of available federal transportation dollars. I support efforts to guard our borders, patrol our streets, and hunt down terrorists and countries harboring terrorists.

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

arrow_upward