Card image cap

Leonard Lance'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.

Leonard Lance has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2018 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 2018.

  • Rated 3% by Planned Parenthood Action Fund (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 1797 "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Leonard Lance record in Congress includes fighting for a strong national defense, a secure border, spending cuts and lower taxes" (www.lanceforcongress.com)
  • "Leonard Lance voted to lower taxes for 99 percent of New Jersey taxpayers, voted to cut business taxes by 20 percent and cosponsored legislation to repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)." (www.lanceforcongress.com)
  • "Leonard Lance record in Congress includes fighting for a strong national defense" (www.lanceforcongress.com)
  • "There is no greater constitutional duty than to provide for the common defense. President Obama's veto of the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act threatens our men and women in uniform at home and stationed around the globe, complicates the services and expectations of their families and it undermines our military strength and preparedness at a very dangerous time in the world." (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "A balanced budget amendment would be a major step in placing our Nation on a glide path toward fiscal restraint and bringing greater economic certainty to help create the jobs we so desperately need." (lance.house.gov)
  • "Every motorist and commuter in New Jersey knows the importance of a strong highway and mass transit system. The House took action today to move forward on projects that will get people to and from work quicker, goods efficiently shipped and lay the groundwork for the type of infrastructure that keeps our area running. This measure is fully-funded, provides long-term certainty vital to economic growth and will create new, good-paying jobs." (votesmart.org)
  • "Lance has a record of reducing spending on legislative operations in Washington -- voting to slash congressional office budgets by $782 million (a 14 percent reduction), ban earmarks and prevent pay increases for members of Congress." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R.22 "Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Leonard Lance has always fought against wasteful government spending, opposing the $1 trillion stimulus, the 9,000-earmark omnibus spending bill and President Obama's $3.6 trillion budget." (www.lanceforcongress.com)
  • Cosponsored and voted in favor of H.R.1105 "Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015" (votesmart.org)
  • "I want to work with the President to expand opportunity for all Americans, and that begins with more jobs, less taxation." (lance.house.gov)
  • "Action by the U.S. House coupled with Senate-passed legislation puts us one step closer to enacting important reforms that give states, local governments and parents greater powers to determine how best to improve our schools." (lance.house.gov)
  • "This responsible legislation supports innovation and excellence in the classroom by restoring local control, empowering parents, rewarding successful teachers and eliminating unnecessary red tape and duplicative federal programs because education decisions are best made by state and local governments, not Washington bureaucrats." (lance.house.gov)
  • "In Congress, Lance has stressed greater investment in life science research and development to foster innovation and growth, bring life-saving treatments to patients, promote cleaner manufacturing processes and energy and keeping America competitive." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S.J.Res.23 "A Joint Resolution Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of a Rule Submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency Relating to 'Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from New, Modified, and Reconstructed Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units' " (votesmart.org)
  • "Leonard Lance has long-opposed oil and gas drilling and exploration in the Mid-Atlantic region.  Lance has consistently been part of the New Jersey congressional delegation’s long-standing and bipartisan opposition to efforts by Republican and Democratic presidents to issue new drilling leases in these waters." (lance.house.gov)
  • "Leonard Lance voted against an amendment that would have cut the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) budget by approximately $1.9 billion." (lance.house.gov)
  • Rated 93% by the National Rifle Association (votesmart.org)
  • "Rest assured, as your Congressman I will continue to work to protect and preserve our constitutional right to keep and bear arms." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.Amdt.1098 "Prohibits District of Columbia from Implementing Certain Firearm Laws" (votesmart.org)
  • "Instead of making health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans, Obamacare is driving up costs and putting the government between patients and their doctors. Today the House has taken formal action to repeal the President's health care law [...] As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee I look forward to being on the front-lines of this effort." (lance.house.gov)
  • "Our current health care insurance system is badly broken, but the President's Affordable Care Act will only make it worse. It will lead to fewer jobs, more debt, higher taxes and reduced access to higher quality care." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R.3762 "Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015" (votesmart.org)
  • "To this end, I am proud to have voted for the new law providing $10.1 billion for Customs and Border Protection, including $800 million for Southwest border security fencing, infrastructure and technology" (lance.house.gov)
  • "I oppose granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants because it is unfair to those who have entered our country legally and an affront to the laws that we have established governing immigration and citizenship." (lance.house.gov)
  • Rated 100% by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R.5759 "Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014" (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Rated 20% by National Iranian American Council (votesmart.org)
  • "The United States stands with Israel and the Israeli people in strong support of their right to defend themselves from terrorism and the threat of a nuclear Iran." (votesmart.org)
  • "ISIS has committed heinous crimes against American citizens and our allies and will undoubtedly attempt more acts of war against the United States and our interests. I believe any authorization of military force must lay out a comprehensive military strategy to defeat this enemy." (votesmart.org)
  • "President Obama's remarks this evening did not change my position against authorizing military force in Syria." (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.
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) regarding abortion.

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legal.
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.
f) Prohibit public funding of abortions and to organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
X g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
h) Other or expanded principles

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels (#1-6) you will support for the following general categories. Select one level per category.State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels (#1-6) you will support. Select one level per tax.

Slightly Increase a) Education (Higher)
Slightly Increase b) Education (K-12)
Slightly Increase c) Emergency preparedness
Slightly Increase d) Environment
Slightly Increase e) Health care
Slightly Increase f) Law enforcement
Slightly Increase g) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Greatly Decrease h) Welfare
i) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Greatly Decrease b) Capital gains taxes
Slightly Decrease c) Cigarette taxes
Greatly Decrease d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gasoline taxes
Maintain Status f) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Greatly Decrease g) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Greatly Decrease h) Property taxes
Slightly Decrease i) Sales taxes
Maintain Status j) Vehicle taxes
k) Other or expanded categories
No l) Should the state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
No m) Should accounts such as a "rainy day" fund be used to balance the state budget?
No n) Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?
No o) Do you support leasing the New Jersey Turnpike to a private company to help reduce the state's debt?
p) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.c) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

Yes a) Do you support the current limit of terms for New Jersey governors?
No b) Do you support limiting the number of terms for New Jersey state senators and representatives?
Yes 1) Individual
Yes 2) PAC
Yes 3) Corporate
Yes 4) Political Parties
Yes d) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
Yes e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
Yes f) Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying and ensuring accuracy of votes?
Yes g) Do you support prohibiting media exit polling of voters until all polling locations in New Jersey are closed?
Undecided h) Should New Jersey continue to recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
No i) Should New Jersey recognize marriages between same-sex couples?
Undecided j) Do you support a New Jersey constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman?
No k) Do you support the New Jersey state government using eminent domain to seize private property for the purpose of private development?
l) Other or expanded principles

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

X a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff.
X b) Support the death penalty in New Jersey.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X d) End parole for repeat violent offenders.
e) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
f) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
X g) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
X h) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
X i) Require that crimes based on race, ethnic background, religious belief, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation be prosecuted as hate crimes.
X j) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
X k) Strengthen sex-offender laws.
X l) Support the restriction of the sale of products used to make methamphetamine (e.g. tablets containing pseudophedrine, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine).
m) Other or expanded principles

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

X a) Support national standards and testing of public school students.
b) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any public school.
c) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
X d) Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
X e) Increase funds for hiring additional teachers.
X f) Support teacher testing and reward with merit pay.
g) Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools.
X h) Support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams.
X i) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
X j) Increase funding for Head Start programs.
X k) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
l) Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
m) Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
I favor a voucher pilot program in an urban setting for any private or religious school; I favor permitting a minute of silence. The type of sexual education programs should be determined by local school boards.

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.Affirmative Action: Should race, ethnicity or gender be taken into account in state agencies' decisions on:

X a) Increase funding for state job-training programs that retrain displaced workers and teach skills needed in today's job market.
X b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
X c) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
X d) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families.
e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
X f) Support the inclusion of sexual orientation in New Jersey's anti-discrimination laws.
X g) Increase the state minimum wage.
No a) Public employment
No b) State college and university admissions
No c) State contracting
d) Other or expanded principles
The minimum wage increase should include a training wage, which would be lower, for teenagers.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

X a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
b) Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and oil).
X c) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
X d) Increase funding for improvements to New Jersey's power generating and transmission facilities.
X e) Support funding for open space preservation.
X f) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
g) Other or expanded principles

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

X a) Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
b) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
c) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
d) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
e) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
X f) Require a license for gun possession.
g) Other or expanded principles

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

X a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
b) Transfer current Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
c) Limit the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
d) Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
e) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
f) Legalize physician assisted suicide in New Jersey.
g) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
h) Other or expanded principles

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

X a) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
X b) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
c) Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
X d) Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
X e) Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to extend health and child care subsidies to the working poor.
f) Support marriage promotion programs for welfare recipients.
g) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
h) Other or expanded principles
Please explain in a total of 75 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.

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

arrow_upward