Joe McDermott's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Office:
- Council Member (King County, WA) - District 8
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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Joe McDermott has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2016 Political Courage Test.
Washington Congressional Election 2016 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| I am strongly Pro-Choice, having earned a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice Washington over my legislative career to-date, and have a track record of protecting and expanding women's health services. | |||
| Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| I believe the wealthiest Americans can and should contribute more to support our country and economy that has made it possible for their financial success and stability. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| I am the only candidate in this race making campaign finance reform one of my top legislative priorities, and the only to have actually passed statewide reform while serving in the state legislature. My first legislation in Congress will be a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, and I've called on my fellow candidates to sign the People's Pledge denouncing unaccountable outside spending in the race to send a message that overturning Citizens United and campaign finance reform must be a top priority for the next Congress. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| I support tax incentives for businesses that include accountability measures to ensure that businesses deliver the public benefit promised in exchange for receiving that preferential treatment. Lowering taxes on working and low-income families can spur economic growth and stability, but that must be coupled with enacting policies that truly help these families like raising the minimum wage, enacting paid family leave and sick days, and paid family leave. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | ||
| The Federal Government should be a financial partner to states and school districts, not dictate policy. Formula grants like IDEA and Title 1 have proven themselves to be incredibly effective mechanisms to support schools in the most need. We must ensure that after decades of under-funding, these programs meet and grow their initial financial promise to our country's schools. | |||
| No | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| Yes | Do you support funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| Yes | Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | ||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| I have sponsored and passed state legislation to adopt cleaner vehicle emissions standards and set carbon emissions standards. We must make our nation a leader in addressing climate change as I have led on the state and local level. | |||
| Yes | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| I am the only candidate in this race to make enacting common sense gun safety laws a key platform of this campaign. We must declare gun violence a public health crisis and pass legislation expanding background checks, banning assault weapons from our streets and holding gun manufacturers liable for their products so they have incentive to innovate and make safer products. I've led on this issue here by having King County declare gun violence a public health crisis and developing a program to buy gun locks and cases to keep children in our community safe. | |||
| No | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| We must work to improve and expand the Affordable Care Act, including by adding a Public Option, while working together towards a Single-Payer health care system so we can ensure universal healthcare coverage in the United States. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| We must pass comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for the millions of immigrants in the United States who are currently forced to live in the shadows. This is a moral and economic imperative for our country. | |||
| Yes | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| I was the first openly gay member elected to the King County Council, was one of just two out-members of the state legislature when I first arrived, and have been a leader in gay and transgender rights long before either of my opponents were even in office. Ten years ago, I authored new protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and sponsored our state's domestic partnership law that led to marriage equality in Washington. | |||
| No | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| We must preserve, protect and expand Social Security - not subject it to the whims of the stock market. | |||
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.
| Eliminate | a) Agriculture | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Arts | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Defense | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Greatly Increase | e) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) International aid | ||
| Greatly Increase | h) Medical Research | ||
| Greatly Increase | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Slightly Increase | j) Space exploration | ||
| Maintain Status | k) United Nations | ||
| Greatly Increase | l) Welfare | ||
| m) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Slightly Increase | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Small business taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | j) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | k) Payroll taxes | ||
| We must scrap the cap on income levels subject to Social Security and Medicare | |||
| Today now more than ever, we need to elect a leader with a track record of achieving proven progressive results. That's what I've been doing for the last 15 years - 10 in the Legislature and over 5 years now on the King County Council. My highest priorities include: -Overturning Citizens United and returning our political process to average Americans, -Addressing gun violence by holding gun manufacturers criminally and financially liable for their weapons in our streets so that they have an incentive to make their products safer, and -Make four year public colleges tuition-free, staring with community colleges now. |
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