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John Rutherford's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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John Rutherford did not provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2022 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

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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 2022.

  • "Let's be clear, abortion is murder, not healthcare." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by National Right to Life Committee. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "SCOTUS has corrected an erroneous ruling from the 1970s that created a Constitutional right to kill innocent life in the womb. Today, SCOTUS correctly affirmed that it's a state's right to restrict or ban the killing of innocent life in the womb." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 36 "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act." (votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Administrator Verma: "Medicare Advantage offers affordable, high-quality care coordination, disease management programs, out-of-pocket spending limits, access to community-based programs, additional supplemental benefits such as vision and dental coverage, and often prescription drug coverage for no additional premium. The program also serves vulnerable and underserved populations that have special needs and chronic conditions and provides supports for seniors at critical times of their life. Moreover, as a result of greater flexibility in plan benefit offerings, next year nearly 14 million enrollees will have access to additional telehealth benefits, and an estimated 2.6 million beneficiaries will have access to more supplemental benefits, including adult day care services and in-home support services to help them manage their health. In addition, up to 1.2 million enrollees will have access to new benefits that address social barriers to accessing care such as food assistance, transportation, and home modifications." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 14% by Alliance for Retired Americans. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S 610 "Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "This bill should be a balefire, a warning to America that there are those across the aisle who wish to attempt to federalize State and local law enforcement. I would like to focus specifically, though, on this move to eliminate qualified immunity. This is a betrayal of law enforcement. This alone is enough reason to vote against this bill." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021." (votesmart.org)
  • "I am very pleased that the House passed the FY 2019 Defense Appropriations bill," said Rutherford. "This critical legislation builds on the progress we made in Fiscal Year 2018 by restoring our military's readiness, supporting our men and women in uniform with the largest pay increase in nine years, and furthering Congress's commitment to making America stronger and safer. As we continue to see global threats on the rise and our peer adversaries invest more and more in their own capabilities, I believe Congress has the responsibility to give our brave men and women in uniform the tools they need to protect our great nation and defend us and our allies around the world." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "This bill demonstrates our ongoing commitment to rebuilding our military and supporting our brave men and women in uniform," said Rutherford. "The funding in this bill addresses many of our readiness challenges, gives our troops the largest pay increase in nine years, and combats rising global threats. Completing this defense appropriations legislation before the new fiscal year begins - something Congress has not accomplished in ten years - also gives our military the certainty it needs to stay focused on its missions." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S 1605 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022." (votesmart.org)
  • "Investing in American families is key to continuing the economic growth we’ve experienced under @realDonaldTrump. I’m proud to work with the president on advocating for #SchoolChoice, child tax credits, and expanding workforce development. #SOTU2020" (twitter.com)
  • "Today the House passed legislation to support our veterans and invest in our infrastructure. The package contained $111M for two much-needed facilities for the training and support of LCS crews at Naval Station Mayport." (twitter.com)
  • Voted against HR 3684 "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "As the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread across our country, Congress knew we would need to put aside partisan politics and come together to deliver prompt relief for the American people," said Rep. Rutherford. "While the bipartisan legislation we passed today is not the bill I would have written, it is the best that could be negotiated. It will deliver immediate, critical assistance to health care heroes on the front lines and support individual workers and small businesses negatively impacted by the coronavirus. America is resilient in times of crisis -- today's challenges are no exception. Thank you to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for getting this done." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 266 "Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "We cannot force workers to choose between paying their bills and following proper CDC public health protocols," said Rep. Rutherford. "It is critical to prioritize the safety and well-being of our communities with proactive, preventative measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. With today's legislation, folks in Northeast Florida and throughout the country would have peace of mind knowing a financial safety net exists if they miss work due to quarantine or other coronavirus-related precautions." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "As a result of Democrats' reckless, trillion-dollar inflationary spending, hardworking Americans are taking a pay cut, and failed relief plans have caused unprecedented financial challenges to the U.S. economy, hitting the American taxpayers the hardest." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this reckless spending bill, which, contrary to its name, will do absolutely nothing to address inflation. In fact, the bill before us today will further threaten the prosperity of hardworking, middle-class taxpayers. The same leaders who drove this economy into a recession are back. But this time, it is another failed plan to raise taxes, build more bureaucracy, and create a government slush fund with taxpayer dollars." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "On the heels of spending $52 billion in federal funds to subsidize U.S. corporations that manufacture semiconductors, Democrat leaders in Congress are now pushing a bill, wrongly titled the 'Inflation Reduction Plan,' which would raise taxes on American businesses to provide $60 billion for new environmental justice funding and $80 billion in increased IRS funding, among other things. This expansion in federal spending fails to include meaningful reform to correct a broken system." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "@POTUS's student loan forgiveness plan undermines the effectiveness of offering an education benefit as a recruiting tool for our military at a time when recruitment levels are already dangerously low. I have joined my colleagues in addressing the harm these handouts will cause." (twitter.com)
  • Signed Letter to Speaker Pelosi: "We write to you concerned with the massive executive overreach by President Joseph R. Biden to illegally cancel federal student loan debt. On Wednesday, August 24, President Biden announced that he would cancel $10,000 in federal student debt for individual Americans earning $125,000 or less per year or married couples making less than $250,000 a year. In addition, those who receive federal Pell Grants and make less than $125,000 a year would be eligible for total forgiveness of $20,000. Unfortunately, this policy will cost us over $300 billion and establishes a terrible precedent that will drive up the cost of higher education, exacerbating the very problem President Biden pretends to address." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 2547 "Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "While Americans battle a recession created by this Administration, @POTUS is considering a student loan bailout. This proposal would fuel inflation and force hardworking American taxpayers to pick up the tab." (twitter.com)
  • Voted against HR 4 "John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021" (votesmart.org)
  • "Great talking with Dr. @toddsack about building resiliency in our communities. Every day, Northeast Florida faces rising sea levels & a changing climate. I'm proud to support investments in green infrastructure & renewable energy sources like solar to keep costs & emissions down." (twitter.com)
  • "I am very concerned by today's announcement from Department of Interior Secretary Zinke that Florida waters would be considered for offshore drilling and exploration under the new 2019-2024 five-year drilling plan. Countless business owners and residents along the First Coast have shared with me their concerns about offshore drilling and exploration. Seismic testing and drilling put our recovering fisheries, our coastal communities, and our tourism-based economy at undue risk at a time when booming oil and gas production is more than enough to meet our current energy needs. I will continue working with Governor Scott and my colleagues in the Florida delegation to urge the Trump Administration to abandon this plan." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by American Energy Alliance. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 82% by Independent Petroleum Association of America. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Chair Neumayr: "We write in support of the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) efforts to modernize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This rulemaking represents the first comprehensive overhaul since the NEPA regulations were originally promulgated more than 40 years ago. These critical reforms will bring needed clarity to our nation's environmental laws, preserve the competitive edge that powers our economy, and foster continued stewardship of our environment and natural resources. Congress wrote NEPA with the straightforward, significant goal of establishing a review framework "under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans." However, over the years, through misguided regulation, and presidential directive, the NEPA process has strayed from these objectives. Now, unending litigation and mountains of paperwork define a permitting process that stretches along an indefinite timeline." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The Prohibition on Imports of Russian Oil Act bans imports of Russian oil & petroleum products. The American Energy Independence from Russia Act approves the Keystone XL pipeline, increases U.S. LNG exports, & prevents needless regulation on domestic oil & gas production." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1119 "SENSE Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "Following the horrific acts of violence in Sutherland Springs and Las Vegas, we must do all we can to prevent these tragedies from happening again. Had our existing background check laws been enforced, the tragedy in Sutherland Springs could have been avoided all together. Thankfully, a brave, law-abiding citizen assisted in disrupting the attack and saved many lives. We need Congress to pass the Fix NICS Act to strengthen criminal history reporting into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to keep guns out of the hands of bad people, and we need Congress to pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act to ensure that good, law-abiding citizens can retain their constitutional right to bear arms and legally conceal carry across state lines." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 7910 because this bill does nothing to stop human violence, which is the real problem at hand here. Straw purchases are already illegal. You can't buy a gun for someone else to get around the background check. Bump stocks are already regulated like automatic weapons, thanks to the Trump administration. Infringing on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans is not the answer. In fact, the bill before us will even make criminals out of legal gun owners." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 92% by National Rifle Association (NRA). (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 38 "Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017." (votesmart.org)
  • "This week House Democrats will hold a vote on #HR1, a 500 page boondoggle to extend their radical government takeover from the #GreenNewDeal and #MedicareForAll to our federal election system. In short, HR 1 is NOT #ForThePeople but for the politicians." (twitter.com)
  • Voted against HR 1425 "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6201 "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "For the sake of public health, rule of law, and the security of this nation, we urge you to keep Title 42 in place. We also request an in-person Member-level briefing with senior Administration officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DHS on your Administration's rationale for ending Title 42 and actions it intends to take to improve border security and deter illegal immigration at our southern border." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The House Appropriations Committee has worked hard to include a number of national priorities in this compromise funding bill to maintain government operations," said Congressman Rutherford. "While it is far from perfect, it bolsters our border security by adding money for new barriers, more border agents, and increases to 58,000 the number of beds available to detain those entering the country illegally." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Voted to fund building President Trump’s border wall, secure our borders and enforce our immigration laws" (johnrutherfordforcongress.com)
  • "First and foremost, John believes the wall along our southern border must be strengthened. America is a nation of laws, and our laws must be enforced. Fighting illegal immigration is not just a law enforcement issue, it's an economic issue. As a law-and-order Republican, John opposes illegal immigration and executive amnesty." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to President Biden: "Under the previous administration, Title 42 combined with a litany of other deterrence policies helped in drastically reducing illegal immigration at our southern border, keeping our Border Patrol agents, local communities, and migrants safe. Unfortunately, your Administration has not used the tools available to it to deter illegal immigration, including by reducing interior immigration enforcement, dismantling the Migrant Protections Protocols (MPP), and releasing hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants into the interior of the United States. As a result, Title 42 is the only means left to deter illegal immigration and keep our communities healthy and safe." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3003 "No Sanctuary for Criminals Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "America purchases around 700,000 barrels of Russian oil a day. This must stop. That is why I am supporting legislation to place heavy sanctions on the Russian energy sector and increase U.S. energy production." (twitter.com)
  • "The United States will not tolerate aggression from hostile nations that seek to inflict harm on America and her allies. From North Korea's nuclear ambitions, to Russia's illegal activities in Ukraine and attempts to interfere in our and other democratic elections, to Iran's sponsorship of terrorism, we must use every tool at our disposal to hold these regimes accountable for their actions. I am proud to join my colleagues in protecting our citizens and standing up against nations who seek to threaten global safety and stability. We will remain vigilant in our efforts to deter aggression and promote peace." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6968 "Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "What we’re seeing in Ukraine is the tragic consequence of an evil & aggressive dictatorship. Putin invaded a sovereign nation for no legitimate reason, & he must be held accountable. The U.S. and our allies must impose the maximum possible sanctions & leave nothing off the table." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of S 3522 "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "Hard-working Floridians should keep their hard-earned money. John will keep the government off our backs, out of our wallets, and out of our way. After all, we can spend our own money better than the government can." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is working for small businesses. According to the National Federation of Independent Business, small businesses are the most optimistic that they have been in nearly three decades. This is no surprise. The reforms in this bill have dramatically improved the way that small businesses are treated under the Tax Code, unleashing hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "This is a historic day for Northeast Florida families and small businesses who are ready for a simplified tax code that puts more money back in their pockets. Over 30 years have passed since the last overhaul of our nation's tax system. This legislation cuts taxes for middle-income families, empowers American businesses to create more jobs and increase wages, and propels our economy forward. It doubles the standard deduction to protect hardworking families' paychecks, it doubles the Child Tax Credit to help families with the cost of raising children, and it preserves important benefits to help families afford a home, save for retirement, or put their children through college. The typical family of four making $73,000 per year will see a $2,059 tax cut -- that is truly meaningful relief that can help middle class families get ahead. This bill is also pro-business - it reduces the tax burden on small business owners so they can grow and hire more employees, and our tax plan will bring more, better-paying jobs back to our shores." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Ambassador Lighthizer: “Taiwan has already expressed strong interest in negotiating a fair, reciprocal, and high-standard bilateral trade agreement with the United States….As the trade and investment relationship with Taiwan already supports an estimated 373,000 U.S. jobs, working toward the negotiation of a high-standard and comprehensive U.S.-Taiwan bilateral trade agreement would further enhance our shared goal of enhancing the global competitiveness of U.S. industries while spurring American job creation.” (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5430 "United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act." (votesmart.org)

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