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Steve Kagen'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.

Steve Kagen refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2010 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.

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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 2010.

  • Steven Kagen. H Amdt 509 to HR 3962. 111th Congress. An amendment printed in Part C of House Report 111-330 to codify the Hyde Amendment in H.R. 3962. The amendment prohibits federal funds for abortion services in the public option. It also prohibits individuals who receive affordability credits from purchasing a plan that provides elective abortions. However, it allows individuals, both who receive affordability credits and who do not, to separately purchase with their own funds plans that cover elective abortions. It also clarifies that private plans may still offer elective abortions. Project Vote Smart Summary: Steven Kagen voted NO on 7 November 2009. (votesmart.org)
  • NARAL Pro-Choice America. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Steven Kagen supported the interests of NARAL Pro-Choice America 100 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
  • National Right to Life Committee. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Steven Kagen supported the interests of the National Right to Life Committee 0 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
  • Planned Parenthood. 2008. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Steven Kagen supported the interests of Planned Parenthood 100 percent in 2008. (votesmart.org)
  • National Taxpayers Union. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Steven Kagen supported the interests of the National Taxpayers Union 7 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. HR 1424. 111th Congress. To provide authority for the Federal Government to purchase and insure certain types of troubled assets for the purposes of providing stability to and preventing disruption in the economy and financial system and protecting taxpayers, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual income tax relief, and for other purposes. Project Vote Smart Summary: Steven Kagen voted NO on 10 March 2008. (votesmart.org)
  • Club for Growth. 2008. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Steven Kagen supported the interests of the Club for Growth 16 percent in 2008. (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. HR 1. 111th Congress. Making supplemental appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local fiscal stabilization, for fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. Project Vote Smart Summary: Steven Kagen voted YES on 13 February 2009. (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. Kagen: Recovery Act Will Generate Jobs Across Wisconsin. 13 February 2009. "Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. voted for the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) saying it will begin to revive the health of our economy. The legislation will generate 70,000 jobs across Wisconsin, including 8,000 jobs in the 8th Congressional District according to estimates by White House economic analysts. 'We must act today to begin to rebuild our economy, restore confidence, and secure our way of life. This bill enables privately owned small business owners to grow our economy and expand the middle class,' said Kagen. 'It allows us to transform our economy, generating millions of new jobs in the process and invests our hard-earned tax dollars right here at home. Education, health care and small business provisions that I fought hard for are included in this critical bill, and I am confident it will begin to put us on a path towards economic recovery.' The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act invests in our future by funding education, preventing teacher layoffs and other cutbacks in education. It establishes a State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, including a key investment in local school districts using existing funding formulas, which can be used to prevent cutbacks and layoffs, for school modernization, or other purposes. It will increase the higher education tax credit to a maximum of $2,500, and make it available to nearly four million low-income students who previously had no access to the higher education tax credit in the past, by making it partially refundable." (votesmart.org)
  • Steven L. Kagen. Congressman Kagen Votes Against Another Wall Street Bailout. 3 October 2008. "Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. again said no to free handouts. Kagen voted against a bill to print $850 billion to bailout financial institutions crumbling under their weight of mismanagement. 'I am on the side of Wisconsin families who work hard, play by the rules and save their money so they can build a better future for themselves and their children,' said Kagen. 'I understand that something must be done to revive our economy, but borrowing billions and billons in additional debt is not the answer. I was elected to represent the best interests of families in Northeast Wisconsin - not Wall Street - and this bill does not help them.' The new bailout legislation added another $150 billion onto the $700 billion requested earlier this week increasing the debt burden. Kagen also voted against the previous version of this legislation. 'There are three things missing from this bill: A reward for people who diligently save their money; tight and effective regulation of speculators to prevent this from happening again; and transparence and accountability. Our goal must be to re-instill trust and credibility in our free market system by rewarding savings and punish those who take excessive risk. This "new" bill does not regulate speculative trading, nor guarantee transparency in world markets. In Northeast Wisconsin we live within our means. That should be the standard for our financial markets as well,' Kagen said." (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagan. Issue Position: Creating Jobs. "Privately owned businesses are the best creators of new higher-wage jobs. I strongly believe in free enterprise where people are rewarded for working hard, playing by the rules, and living within their means - like we do here in Northeast Wisconsin. I have continually supported legislation that gives incentives to small businesses so they can hire more workers. For example, I co-cosponsored the HIRING Act, which would provide temporary tax credits for businesses who expand their payrolls in the next two years. Small businesses employ over 95% of workers in Wisconsin, and we need to constantly seek ways to help them put us back to work." (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. Public Security. 10 July 2006. "Secure our Retirement and Pensions by heading off schemes designed to make both Wall Street and Big Insurance richer by privatizing Social Security and Medicare. Social Security is our sacred contract between generations of Americans, and we must never, ever abandon our seniors." (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagan. Issue Position: Protecting Social Security. "For 75 years, Social Security has been the most successful social program in human history, and it is still a sacred trust between one generation and the next - after all, if you put your money in, you must be able to get your money out. I will never vote to privatize, personalize or "phase out" Social Security. Social Security should be protected for our seniors and future generations, and I will never vote to use Social Security funds to reduce the deficit." (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Steven Kagan. Issue Position: Public Education. "If we get public education right, everything else will follow. If we get it wrong, nothing else will matter. Let's move up -- not down. A great public education made the difference in my life, and one of my top priorities is to improve our public schools, universities, and technical colleges so they will make a lasting difference in all our lives. I firmly believe that great public schools are the best tool to guarantee good health, economic development, and equal opportunity. We need to establish higher standards, measurable outcomes and affordable tuition for all our children. That means continuous improvement and higher expectations. It also means heading off schemes to take our hard-earned tax dollars out of public schools and into voucher plans for private schools. We need to invest in public education to solve the many challenges we face. When we make a commitment for the long haul, we will re-energize our public schools. History has confirmed that every economy to ever have been successful invested heavily in education - after all, your education really never ends." (votesmart.org)
  • Environment America. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Steven Kagen supported the interests of Environment America 100 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. HR 2454. 111th Congress. To create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming pollution and transition to a clean energy economy. Project Vote Smart Summary: Steven Kagen voted YES on 26 June 2009. (votesmart.org)
  • Gun Owners of America. 2010. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. In 2010 Gun Owners of America gave Steven Kagen a grade of D. (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. HR 6842. 111th Congress. To restore Second Amendment rights in the District of Columbia. Project Vote Smart Summary: Steven Kagen voted YES on 17 September 2008. (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. Kagen Statement on Supreme Court Decision in Support of the 2nd Amendment. 28 June 2010. "The Supreme Court's decision today to reverse Chicago's handgun law confirms our constitutional right to bear arms. I am certain that we can continue to protect our rights and public safety within the parameters established and upheld by our Constitution." Dr. Kagen was one of a bipartisan group of 251 Members of Congress and 58 Senators supporting the Second Amendment who joined a congressional amicus brief sent to the Supreme Court in this case." (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. Kagen Applauds Supreme Court Decision on DC Gun Ban. 26 June 2008. "Congressman Steve Kagen, M.D. expressed his support for today's U.S. Supreme Court ruling to strike down the District of Columbia's ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. 'Today, the Supreme Court upheld Americans' Second Amendment rights and I applaud the court's decision. I strongly support every citizen's right to keep and bear arms,' said Kagen. Kagen signed the amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court in support of the lower Court decision to overturn the DC gun ban, and is a cosponsor of the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act (H.R. 1399), which would restore Second Amendment Rights to the residents of Washington, D.C." (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. Op-Ed: Enjoy The Family Tradition And The Bounty Of The Season. 24 November 2009. "Here in Wisconsin we have a rich heritage of hunting, fishing and many other family-oriented outdoor traditions. During this year's hunting season, our families and friends will come together to share yet another successful and safe experience in our bountiful woods, fields and streams. All of us remain committed to protecting our natural resources so we may enjoy these traditions for generations to come. Likewise, we are also committed to protecting our Second Amendment rights. Our freedom to hunt carries with it the responsibility of being safe. [...] Here in Wisconsin, we take pride in being great stewards of our environment. In this spirit, we hope you will continue to enjoy our state's natural beauty. As always, we will keep you apprised of both your rights and responsibilities and will continue to protect our freedoms under the Second Amendment." (votesmart.org)
  • American Public Health Association. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Steven Kagen supported the interests of the American Public Health Association 100 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. HR 3962. 111th Congress. To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes. Project Vote Smart Summary: Steven Kagen voted YES on 7 November 2009. (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. Issue Position: Public Health. "Plainly put, if it's in your body, it's covered. And if you're a citizen, you're in." (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. Issue Position: Fixing Our Broken Health Care System. "With our new health security law families may now have peace of mind. No longer will a family go broke or lose their home, just because a loved one has an accident or gets sick. Our nation's new health care law puts patients first, not health insurance and drug companies, finally guarantees affordable access to care for all of us and strengthens Medicare. No longer will insurance corporations be allowed to discriminate against small business owners by charging them higher premiums than big corporations, or drop you if you become ill. We are beginning to rebuild America and level the playing field for all of us. And, finally, our hard-won civil rights, which protect all citizens against discrimination, apply to our health care system." (votesmart.org)
  • Federation for American Immigration Reform. 2007-2008. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Steven Kagen supported the interests of the Federation for American Immigration Reform 31 percent in 2007-2008. (votesmart.org)
  • National Latino Congreso. 2007-2010. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Steven Kagen supported the interests of the National Latino Congreso 43 percent in 2007-2010. (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. Issue Position: Immigration. "There are three things we can do immediately to address this challenging and complicated problem: (1) secure our borders; (2) obey and enforce our laws; and (3) allow no amnesty and no cutting in line for those who violate the law." (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. HR 4899. 111th Congress. Supplemental Appropriations Act. Project Vote Smart Summary: Steven Kagen voted YES on Requiring Timetable for Withdrawal from Afghanistan on 1 July 2010. (votesmart.org)
  • Peace Action West. 2009. Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings. Steven Kagen supported the interests of Peace Action West 64 percent in 2009. (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. HR 4899. 111th Congress. Supplemental Appropriations Act. Project Vote Smart Summary: Steven Kagen voted YES on Limiting Afghanistan Military Funding to Withdrawal and Other Specified Purposes on 1 July 2010. (votesmart.org)
  • Steven Kagen. Letter to Hon. BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States. 25 September 2009. "A February 2009 ABC/BBC/ARD poll found that only 18 percent of Afghans support increasing the number of U.S. troops in their country. This should come as no surprise. Historically, Afghans have always forcefully resisted the presence of foreign military forces, be they British, Soviet or American. The presence of our forces strengthens the hand of Taliban recruiters. Indeed, an independent analysis early this year by the Carnegie Institute concluded that the presence of foreign troops is probably the single most important factor in the resurgence of the Taliban. We support your administration's declared goals of defeating Al Qaeda and reducing the global terrorist threat. But, we believe that adding even more U.S. troops to the military escalation that your administration ordered in March would be counterproductive. We urge you to consider and pursue the full range of alternative options including applying the lessons of the Cold War where we isolate and contain those who pose a threat to our national security." (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.

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