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Dick Lugar'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.
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.

Dick Lugar 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.

What is the Political Courage Test?
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.

Congressional Election 2006 National Political Awareness Test

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.
X f) Prohibit public funding of abortions and to organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
I support additional measures to encourage adoption

Using the key, indicate what federal funding levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.Budget Priorities

Slightly Decrease a) Agriculture
Maintain Status b) Arts
Slightly Increase c) Defense
Greatly Increase d) Education
Slightly Increase e) Environment
Slightly Increase f) Homeland security
Slightly Increase g) International aid
Maintain Status h) Law enforcement
Slightly Increase i) Medical research
Maintain Status j) National parks
Slightly Increase k) Public health services
Slightly Increase l) Scientific research
Maintain Status m) Space exploration programs
Maintain Status n) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Maintain Status o) Welfare
Slightly Increase p) Emergency preparedness
Eliminate sugar program, Increased funding for alternative fuels and energy

Defense Spending

Maintain Status a) Armed forces personnel training
Slightly Increase b) Intelligence operations
Maintain Status c) Military hardware
Maintain Status d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment
Maintain Status e) National missile defense
Slightly Increase f) Pay for active duty personnel
Slightly Increase g) Programs to improve troop retention rates
Maintain Status h) Research and development of new weapons
Slightly Increase i) Troop and equipment readiness
Greatly Increase j) Other or expanded categories
1 Nunn Lugar Program

Using the key above, indicate what federal tax levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category.TaxesIncome Taxes:Family IncomeRetiree IncomeOther Taxes:Deductions/Credits:

Maintain Status a) Less than $25,000
Maintain Status b) $25,000-$75,000
Maintain Status c) $75,000-$150,000
Maintain Status d) Over $150,000
e) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status f) Over $40,000
g) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Capital gains taxes
Greatly Increase c) Cigarette taxes
Maintain Status d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gasoline taxes
Eliminate f) Inheritance taxes
g) Other or expanded categories
Slightly Increase a) Charitable contributions
Maintain Status b) Child tax credit
Maintain Status c) Earned income tax credit
Maintain Status d) Medical expense deduction
Maintain Status e) Mortgage deduction
Maintain Status f) Student loan credit
Greatly Increase g) Other or expanded categories
Food Donation
Yes 4) Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
Yes 5) Do you support making President Bush's tax cuts permanent?
7) Other or expanded principles
I support public policies that encourage entrepreneurship, education, innovation, energy security and opportunity for all individuals. I believe the best way to reduce deficits and return to balanced budgets is through policies that promote economic growth and restraint in government spending. We can save taxpayer money by modifying and streamlining specific government programs to provide efficient and effective service. I also support the line-item veto and a two-year budget process to reduce wasteful spending.

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

a) Support public taxpayer funding for federal 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) Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
e) Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
f) Require Section 527 organizations to register with the Federal Election Commission as Political Action Committees.
Undecided g) Do you support instant run-off voting?
Undecided h) Should Election Day be a national holiday?
i) Do you support a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and woman?
I oppose the use of "soft money" but I support raising "hard money" limits. I support increased disclosure and transparency in the campaign process. My support for an amendment to the Constitution on marriage would be dependent upon the actions of the courts and a thorough review of the amendment's legal language and its potential ramifications.

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

X a) Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
b) Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with educational, vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
X e) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
X f) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
g) Impose stricter penalties for those convicted of corporate crimes.
h) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
Allow states to decide issues pertaining to sentencing, youth crime, incarceration, etc. when state laws are broken.

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

a) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
X b) Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
c) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
d) Allow doctors to recommend marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
X e) Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
f) Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs."
g) Support a federal law to standardize testing and penalties for steroid use in professional sports.
Increase funding for fighting methamphetamine proliferation to assist local law enforcement agencies.

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

X a) Support national standards for and testing of public school students.
X b) Allow parents to use vouchers, (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any public school.
X c) Allow parents to use vouchers, (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any private or religious school.
X d) Allow teachers and professionals to receive authorization and funding to establish charter schools.
X e) Reward teachers with merit pay for working in low-income schools.
f) Increase funding for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings, infrastructure, technology).
g) Support affirmative action in public college admissions.
X h) Increase funding of programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans to help students pay for college.
X i) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
I support increased funding for Title I, IDEA, Head Start, Trio programs and additional emphasis on reading, early learning, and drop out rates. While I do not favor a large-scale movement to vouchers, I am not opposed to voucher use in limited circumstances. I also believe that sound nutrition is a necessary condition for providing equal opportunities to our youth through education. I am a strong supporter of child nutrition programs.

1) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.2) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action.

X 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) Provide tax credits or grants to businesses that offer child care services to employees.
X d) Encourage employers to offer flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
e) Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
X f) Increase the federal minimum wage.
g) Support the right of workers to strike without fear of being permanently replaced.
h) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
i) Other or expanded principles
a) The federal government should consider race and gender in government contracting decisions.
b) The federal government should discontinue affirmative action programs.
c) The federal government should continue affirmative action programs.
The federal government should support outreach programs to increase minority contracting without quotas.

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

X a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
X b) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
c) Support Clear Skies Act to reduce power plant emissions by setting a national cap on pollutants.
d) Require states to compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately-owned land.
e) Relax logging restrictions on federal lands.
f) Relax standards on federal lands to allow increased recreational usage.
X g) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
X h) Strengthen emission controls and fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
X i) Support opening a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration.
X j) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
X k) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
X l) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits.
m) Support the Kyoto Protocol to limit global warming.
I support clean-coal technologies, increased research and deployment of biofuels, including biomass and other alternative energy initiatives. I support cap and trade programs and international outreach and cooperation to reduce emissions and pollution. I also support a variety of conservation programs

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

X a) Reauthorize the ban on the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
X b) Maintain and strengthen the current level of enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
c) Ease federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
d) Repeal federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
e) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
X f) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
g) Require a license for gun possession.
States should make policy regarding licencing, age requirements, and concealed-carry laws.

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

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) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
X d) Establish limits on the amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X e) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
X f) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
g) Support automatic enrollment of children in federal health care programs such as CHIP and Medicaid.
X h) Support stem cell research on existing lines of stem cells.
X i) Allow laboratories to create new lines of stem cells for additional research.
Increased funding for HIV/AIDS, Community Health Centers, health promotion, and increased streamlined enrollment of children in Medicaid and S-CHIP for those who appropriately qualify. I also support an increased focus on pandemic flu preparedness.

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

a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
X b) Establish English as the official national language.
X c) Support a temporary worker program that would enable illegal immigrants to work in the United States legally.
d) Relax restrictions barring legal immigrants from using government funded social programs (e.g. public housing, food stamps).
e) Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.
I support comprehensive immigration reform, including provisions for a guest worker program. I also support the DREAM Act and increased border security.

International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding United States 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 United States.
c) Aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
d) International Aid programs should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
Aid should be granted primarily according to U. S. security interests, but humanitarian and financial interests should also be considered

International Policy1) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the Middle East.2) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Central and East Asia.3) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the United Nations.

Yes a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
Yes b) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
No c) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
No d) Should the United States send more troops to Iraq?
Yes a) Should the United States use diplomatic and economic pressure to encourage North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program?
b) Should the United States use military force to dismantle the North Korean nuclear weapons program?
c) Should the United States remove the North Korean government from power?
d) Should the United States increase financial support to Afghanistan?
e) Should the United States increase military support to Afghanistan?
Yes a) Should the United States maintain its financial support of the United Nations?
No b) Should the United States decrease its financial support of the United Nations?
c) Should the United States commit troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions?
Yes 4) Should the United States lift the travel ban to Cuba?
5) Should the United States increase its financial support to Colombia to combat "the war on drugs?"
Yes 6) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund distribution of contraceptives?
Yes 7) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund abstinence education?
The U.S. must evaluate progress in Iraq continually so we can consider policy adjustments. The U.S. has focused on training Iraqi security forces and encouraging the formation of a unity government. Success in these areas could help stabilize the country. In the end, a stable Iraq will require Iraqis to identify less with their sectarian group and embrace the concept of an Iraqi state.
The United States must continue to insist that the new Palestinian government renounce terrorism and violence and recognize Israel's right to exist in peace.
The U. S. should support peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula and pursue all diplomatic means to achieve a nuclear-free North Korea. Afghanistan is a dynamic situation requiring month by month evaluations of our military and financial assistance programs, based on progress in the country and allied contributions.
The U.S. should participate in U.N. peacekeeping missions when it is in our vital interest to do so. The U.S. should continue to press the U.N. to adopt management and organizational reforms that would prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
Overall funding for Plan Columbia is satisfactory. But the distribution of funds within the Plan must be continually evaluated to account for changing circumstances. The Cuban travel embargo limits the United States' ability to promote respect for human rights and expose Cubans to democracy.

International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

Yes 1) Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
Yes 2) Do you support the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)?
Yes 3) Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
Yes 4) Do you support continued U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
Yes 5) Should a nation's human rights record affect its normal trade relations (most favored nation) status with the United States?
No 6) Do you support the trade embargo against Cuba?
Yes 7) Should trade agreements include provisions to address environmental concerns and to protect workers' rights?
I believe that we should lift current restrictions and red tape on the export of food and medicine to Cuba

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

Yes a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
No b) Should the United States grant law enforcement agencies greater discretion to read mail and email, tap phones, and conduct random searches to prevent future terrorist attacks?
Yes c) Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
Yes d) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
Yes e) Do you support the prohibition of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment of prisoners in U.S. custody?
f) Do you support a policy of pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to U.S. national security?
I believe that there should be appropriate review of the status of detainees, and I support the bipartisan compromise legislation to provide for an affirmative right of action. I support the bipartisan reauthorization of the Patriot Act which provides appropriate law enforcement tools while protecting civil liberties. The United States should use its military force when national security concerns deem it necessary.

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

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) Invest a portion of Social Security assets collectively in stocks and bonds instead of United States Treasury securities.
d) Increase the payroll tax to better finance Social Security in its current form.
e) Lower the annual cost-of-living increases.
f) Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits.
My priority is to ensure that the Trust fund remains solvent and that every beneficiary receives every dollar to which they are entitled. All options should be considered in a bipartisan, cooperative fashion.

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

a) Collect taxes on commercial Internet transactions.
b) Continue the moratorium on Internet taxation.
c) Implement government regulation of Internet content.
d) Support government mandates to curtail violent and sexual content on television.
X e) Support strict penalties for Internet crimes (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
X f) Support legislation to detail how personal information can be collected and used on the Internet.
g) Regulating the Internet is not a responsibility of the federal government.
I support providing tools to parents to appropriately filter programming for their children on the Internet and television.

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

X a) Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
X b) Increase funding for child care programs.
X c) Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
d) Direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based, or other non-profit organizations.
e) Abolish all federal welfare programs.
X f) Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
I support increased cooperation between government and non-profits in addressing poverty.
Energy security, weapons of mass destruction, and education are critical issues. Energy is the currency through which erergy-rich countries leverage their interests. We must make changes to our policies to ensure our future security. Nunn-Lugar is 60% through the job of securing and disposing nuclear material in Russia. We must continue these efforts and also destroy chemical and biological weapons. Education remains an area of critical focus as we prepare our children for the future.

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