Mike Smigiel, Sr.'s Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Mike Smigiel, Sr. has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2016 Political Courage Test.
Maryland Congressional Election 2016 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| I am pro-life. I submitted three bills in the Maryland legislature that led to the first regulations being placed upon Maryland abortion clinics. I would have never voted for the Cromnibus bill of 2014 which expanded federally funded abortions. This is a States' rights issue and should be left to the States. There is no authority for the federal government under Article 1 Section 8 to be involved in the abortion question. | |||
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| I support limiting defense spending to those items the military tells us are necessary to accomplish the mission of protecting the United States. I oppose defense projects which amount to political pork given as a payoff to an elected official as the product of some political bargain. I oppose any tax increases. | |||
| No | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Contributions are a form of political free speech and political free speech is the highest form of free speech, as such, it is protected from regulation by government. | |||
| Yes | Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | ||
| No | Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| I have serious concerns about the State having the power to take the life of any citizen, yet, there are instances where the threat alone, changes behavior of the criminal. Without a death penalty, a person in jail for life, without chance of parole, has no disincentive to kill a guard or fellow prisoner. A criminal holding hostages may let them live if there is a death penalty for killing them. When plea bargaining a murderer, if there is a death penalty, the bargain is for life without parole, if no death penalty, the bargain is for eventual release. | |||
| No | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Government, for the most part, does not create jobs. Government, for the most part, inhibits the creation of jobs. I am a Capitalist, I believe in fair free markets. Opportunity free from excessive taxation and regulation results in job creation. Government needs to allow American entrepreneurs to pursue success through Capitalism and our economic growth will make us, once again, the economic and technological envy of the World. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | ||
| The federal government has no Constitutional role in education. The Department of Education should be abolished and the responsibility and funding for education should be returned to the individual States. The federal government use of funding to force "Race to the Top" and "Common Core" upon the States amounts to legalized unconstitutional strong arm tactics that are actually counter productive and harmful to the education of our children. | |||
| Yes | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| No | Do you support funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| No | Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | ||
| Keystone can be built safely and would be an economic boast to the region and nation. As for renewable energy, I prefer offering tax incentives to private enterprise as the best method of encouraging investment in renewable energy technology. I believe that the current regulations are significant and sufficient to protect the public where hydraulic fracturing is currently allowed. Western Maryland is being denied billions of dollars of economic activity while the surrounding States are safely engaging in the practice of hydraulic fracturing. | |||
| No | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| No | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| I believe that human activity which contributes to climate change is de minimis on the macro level. The climate has been changing for millions of years, man has not been on earth long enough to even understand the natural, non man made, cycle of heating and cooling. | |||
| No | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| The right to self defense, our 2nd Amendment right, comes from god, government is formed to protect that and other god given rights. No judge, no executive, no legislature can pass any law that infringes upon that god given right. I have been the leading 2nd Amendment advocate in the Maryland legislature for over a decade. I will continue to be a zealous advocate for all our Constitutional rights when serving in Congress. | |||
| Yes | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| In addition to being unconstitutional, Obamacare, is a costly boondoggle that is bankrupting our nation, constraining growth of business and destroying the best health care system in the world. I offered a bill in Maryland to repeal the version of Obamacare adopted by Maryland. I will do everything within my power to repeal it and never under any circumstances would I have voted for the Cromnibus bill of 2014 which fully funded it. | |||
| Yes | Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| We are a country of laws. If the immigration system has a problem, fix it. We can not ignore our immigration laws because it is politically beneficial to pander to a minority voting block or because we want a source of cheap labor. Build the Wall and institute dissensntives to keep illegals from wanting to come here illegally. Every illegal convicted of a violent crime should be expelled and permanently banned from returning. Those here illegally should go back to their countries of origin and be required to enter the US legally. I would not have voted for Obama's amnesty. | |||
| No | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| This too is an issue for the States to decide, not for the federal government or the courts. In the State legislature my position was that all couples, heterosexual or homosexual, who want to form formal recognized partnerships, should go before the State to enter either a "civil union" or "domestic partnership". The term "marriage" should remain with the Church. If a Church decides to allow marriages between same sex couples, that is that Church's prerogative and would fall within their 1st Amendment right. I support the right of the States to choose how to deal with the question. | |||
| Yes | Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict? | ||
| Yes | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| I do not agree with the targeting of American citizens for assassination without trial. As for preventing governments from getting possession of nuclear weapons I believe we should use every means possible before using military force. We can not take the threat of military force off the table or we weaken our non military force negotiating position. In the end, Iran can not get the bomb, nor should any other terrorist supporting country. | |||
| Yes | 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.
| Maintain Status | a) Agriculture | ||
| Greatly Decrease | b) Arts | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Defense | ||
| Eliminate | d) Education | ||
| Eliminate | e) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) International aid | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Medical Research | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Greatly Increase | j) Space exploration | ||
| Eliminate | k) United Nations | ||
| Greatly Decrease | l) Welfare | ||
| Eliminate | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Small business taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | d) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Eliminate | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | j) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Eliminate | k) Payroll taxes | ||
| Eliminate all federal expenses that are not authorized under the Constitution and return certain functions such as education and environment to the States. Until I can understand the extent of funding as to Welfare, and International Aid, I would greatly decrease it, with the goal of eventual elimination of all expenses not Constitutionally allowed and necessary. I'd greatly increase the funding in the areas that are Constitutionally mandated for the federal government such as the military and Homeland Security but eliminate none essential or politically motivated expenditures. Limit Arts to patents and copyright as per Art 1 Sect. 8. | |||
| I believe either a flat tax or a consumption tax is more fair and will free up money for business to invest in expansion, creating jobs and purchasing new equipment. Most excise taxes are not really there to curtail behavior but to generate revenue. I would decrease the excise taxes with a mind to eventually eliminate them. Nor, is it the job of government to dictate what habits are healthy or preferable for citizens to indulge. These cuts have to be looked at in conjunction with my previous answer as to what government agencies can also be cut. | |||
| Return the federal government to operating within the confines of Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution. Reduce the National Debt and begin operating the government on a balanced budget & revoke the Iranian deal. Rebuild our Military, fix the Veterans' Administration, repeal Obamacare, and close our borders to illegal immigration. Institute a flat tax or consumption tax and reduce the unnecessary regulations prohibiting business expansion and impinging on the liberty of the American people. These acts do not require additional funding but will cut costs and create additional revenue. |
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