Ben Nelson REPEATEDLY REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY
RESPONSES TO CITIZENS ON ISSUES THROUGH THE 2006
NATIONAL POLITICAL AWARENESS TEST WHEN ASKED TO DO SO BY
Key national leaders of both major parties including:
John McCain, Republican Senator
Geraldine Ferraro, Former Democratic Congresswoman
Michael Dukakis, Former Democratic Governor
Bill Frenzel, Former Republican Congressman
Richard Kimball, Project Vote Smart President
Over 100 news organizations throughout the nation also urged their candidates to supply their issue positions through the National Political Awareness Test.
Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.
a) Abortions should always be illegal. | |||
b) Abortions should be illegal when the fetus is viable, with or without life support. | |||
c) Abortions should always be legally available. | |||
d) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy. | |||
e) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape. | |||
f) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered. | |||
g) Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and notification requirements as decided by each state government. | |||
h) Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial birth" abortion. | |||
i) Prohibit public funding of abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions. | |||
j) Support "buffer-zones" by requiring demonstrators to stay at least five feet from abortion clinic doorways and driveways. | |||
k) Provide funding for family planning programs as a means to decrease the number of abortions. | |||
X | l) Other | ||
I am pro-life. I am opposed to abortion except to prevent death of the mother and support amending the Constitution to protect unborn children. |
Budgetary PrioritiesIndicate what levels of federal funding you support for the following general categories.
Slightly Increase Funding | a) Agricultural | ||
Maintain Funding Status | b) Arts | ||
Greatly Increase Funding | c) Defense | ||
Slightly Increase Funding | d) Education | ||
Maintain Funding Status | e) Environmental | ||
Maintain Funding Status | f) International aid | ||
Greatly Increase Funding | g) Law enforcement | ||
Slightly Increase Funding | h) Medical Research | ||
Maintain Funding Status | i) National Aeronautical Space Administration (NASA) | ||
Maintain Funding Status | j) National Parks | ||
Slightly Increase Funding | k) Scientific Research | ||
Slightly Increase Funding | l) Transportation and Highway Infrastructure | ||
Maintain Funding Status | m) Welfare | ||
No | 2) Would you support enforcing the spending limits agreed to in 1997 by the President and Congress to balance the budget? | ||
In general, I support the limits agreed to in the 1997 budget agreement. However, the agreement included some Medicare spending cuts that have adverse effects on rural hospitals and beneficiaries who depend on home health care. These problems must be addressed by spending cuts elsewhere. |
Defense SpendingIndicate what levels of federal funding you support for the following categories.
Greatly Increase Funding | a) Armed Forces personnel training | ||
Maintain Funding Status | b) Covert intelligence operations | ||
Maintain Funding Status | c) Defense plant conversion | ||
Slightly Increase Funding | d) Military hardware | ||
Maintain Funding Status | e) Military space shuttle missions | ||
Greatly Increase Funding | f) Pay for active duty personnel | ||
Slightly Increase Funding | g) National Missile Defense Program | ||
Greatly Increase Funding | h) Modernization of weaponry and equipment | ||
Greatly Increase Funding | i) Programs to improve military retention rates | ||
Slightly Increase Funding | j) Research and development of new weapons | ||
Slightly Increase Funding | k) Troop and equipment readiness | ||
l) Other |
Budget SurplusIndicate your priorities for spending any anticipated federal budget surplus.
High Priority | a) Defense | ||
High Priority | b) Education | ||
High Priority | c) Federal debt reduction | ||
Highest Priority | d) Medicare | ||
Highest Priority | e) Social Security | ||
Highest Priority | f) Tax cuts | ||
We must also resolve the current crisis in agriculture. |
TaxesIndicate what levels you support concerning taxes, deductions, and tax credits in the following categories.Income Taxes - Family IncomeIncome Taxes - Retiree IncomeOther TaxesDeductions/Credits
Greatly Decrease | a) Less than $25,000 | ||
Greatly Decrease | b) $25,000 - $75,000 | ||
Greatly Decrease | c) $75,000 - $150,000 | ||
Greatly Decrease | d) Over $150,000 | ||
e) Other | |||
Greatly Decrease | f) Over $40, 000 | ||
g) Other | |||
Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
Greatly Decrease | b) Capital gains taxes | ||
Maintain Status | c) Cigarette taxes | ||
Maintain Status | d) Corporate taxes | ||
Maintain Status | e) Gasoline taxes | ||
Eliminate | f) Inheritance taxes | ||
g) Other | |||
Maintain Status | a) Charitable deductions | ||
Slightly Increase | b) Medical expense deductions | ||
Maintain Status | c) Mortgage deductions | ||
Greatly Increase | d) Child tax credit | ||
Slightly Increase | e) Earned income tax credit | ||
Slightly Increase | f) Student loan tax credit | ||
g) Other |
Taxes
No | 2) Do you support replacing the current U.S. income tax structure with a flat income tax? | ||
Yes | 3) Should a married couple filing jointly pay the same taxes as if they were an unmarried couple filing separately? | ||
Yes | 4) Would you cut taxes if there were an operating surplus? | ||
No | 5) Would you cut taxes and use Social Security surpluses to supplement the difference? | ||
6) Other |
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance issues.
a) Support public taxpayer funding for Congressional 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) Provide free or low-cost television advertising to candidates who agree to voluntary campaign spending limits. | |||
X | e) Ban unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees. | ||
X | f) Prohibit non-U.S. citizens from making soft money contributions to national parties or party committees. | ||
X | g) Require full disclosure of funding sources of issue advocacy commercials which appear within 60 days of an election. | ||
h) Make campaign spending limits mandatory for all federal candidates. | |||
i) Remove all contribution limits on federal candidates and parties, but require complete and immediate disclosure via the Internet. | |||
j) Require Congressional candidates to raise over half of their campaign money from their home state. | |||
k) Other |
Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.
X | a) Broaden the use of the death penalty for federal crimes. | ||
X | b) Increase spending to build more federal prisons. | ||
X | c) Impose "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve full sentences with no chance of parole. | ||
X | d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released. | ||
X | e) Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment. | ||
X | f) Increase penalties for crimes committed on school grounds. | ||
X | g) Increase funding for community policing programs. | ||
X | h) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders. | ||
i) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability be prosecuted as federal hate crimes. | |||
X | j) Enforcement of civil rights should primarily be the responsibility of the federal government. | ||
X | k) Prosecute as adults, youths accused of a felony. | ||
X | l) Provide block grants to states for implementation of programs to combat juvenile crime. | ||
X | m) Impose harsher penalties for youths convicted of violent offenses. | ||
X | n) Support the use of "boot camps" as alternative sentencing for juvenile offenders. | ||
X | o) Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth. | ||
p) Other |
Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning illegal drugs.
X | a) Increase penalties for selling illegal drugs. | ||
X | b) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs. | ||
X | c) Support capital punishment for convicted international drug traffickers. | ||
X | d) Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs. | ||
e) Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. | |||
X | f) Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. | ||
g) Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs." | |||
h) Other |
Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning education (K-12).
a) Support national standards and testing of public school students. | |||
b) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any publicly-funded school. | |||
c) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any participating school: public, private or religious. | |||
d) Allow parents to use tax-free savings accounts to send their children to any publicly-funded school. | |||
e) Allow parents to use tax-free savings accounts to send their children to any participating school: public, private or religious. | |||
X | f) Support charter schools where teachers and professionals receive authorization and funding to establish new schools. | ||
g) Promote education flexibility by giving federal funds, in the form of block grants, to the states to spend it as they see fit. | |||
X | h) Increase funding for block grants to states to help them hire additional teachers. | ||
i) Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay. | |||
X | j) Increase funding for computers and computer training in public schools. | ||
X | k) Increase funding for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure). | ||
X | l) Eliminate restrictions on federal education funding, giving educators or local school districts more flexibility to design and implement their programs. | ||
m) Support affirmative action in public college admissions. | |||
n) Eliminate federal financial aid for individuals convicted of drug offenses. | |||
X | o) Increase funding of programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans to help students pay for college. | ||
X | p) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college. | ||
X | q) Other | ||
To improve our education system Congress must address the issues of teacher shortages and burgeoning class sizes. We must also make schools safe places to learn. Finally, we must make certain that children arrive at school ready to learn by fully funding Head Start and ensuring access to health insurance. |
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment and affirmative action.
X | a) Provide tax credits for companies that move job-creating industries into areas with high unemployment. | ||
X | b) Increase funding for national job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market. | ||
X | c) Reduce government regulation of the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion. | ||
X | d) Establish empowerment zones in areas with large numbers of unemployed people. | ||
e) Eliminate any federal programs designed to reduce unemployment. | |||
X | f) Increase the federal minimum wage. | ||
X | g) Encourage employers to offer flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies. | ||
X | h) Provide tax credits for businesses that offer on-site child care. | ||
i) The federal government should consider race and sex in making government contracting decisions. | |||
X | j) The federal government should continue affirmative action programs. | ||
k) The federal government should discontinue affirmative action programs. | |||
X | l) The federal government should utilize merit and qualifications in making government contracting decisions. | ||
m) Other |
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding America's environment and natural resources.
a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act. | |||
b) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act. | |||
c) Waive environmental review requirements for grazing permits. | |||
d) Revise the 1872 mining law to increase the fees charged to mining companies using federal lands. | |||
e) Require states to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately owned land. | |||
X | f) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution. | ||
g) Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline or diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles. | |||
X | h) Promote the selling of pollution credits between nations to encourage industries to decrease pollution levels. | ||
i) Strengthen logging restrictions on federal lands. | |||
j) Reduce current federal regulations on the environment. | |||
X | k) Give states added flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environment regulations. | ||
X | l) Other | ||
I support giving states joint authority with the federal government on the endangered species act and other restrictive legislation and rules. |
Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.
a) Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting. | |||
X | b) Maintain and strengthen the 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. | |||
X | e) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns. | ||
X | f) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns. | ||
X | g) Increase penalties for the possession of any illegal guns. | ||
h) Hold gun owners responsible for crimes committed with their guns by children age 16 and under. | |||
i) Raise the minimum age for ownership of handguns from 18 to 21. | |||
X | j) Require background checks of gun buyers at gun shows. | ||
k) Require a license for gun possession. | |||
X | l) Other | ||
I support allowing law abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons provided they pass a thorough background check and complete a stringent firearms safety program. |
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health issues.
X | 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) Support health care strategies focused on prevention, including health education, and natural medicines and remedies. | ||
X | d) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights to define and enforce the rights of insured patients, including greater access to specialists and emergency rooms, wider choice of health care providers, and appeal mechanisms when claims are denied. | ||
X | e) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes the right to sue when claims are denied. | ||
X | f) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes the right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied. | ||
X | g) Provide tax incentives to small businesses that provide health care to their employees. | ||
X | h) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts, which would be taxed if used for purposes other than medical costs. | ||
i) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits. | |||
j) Allow states and local communities to use federal funds for needle-exchange programs to combat the spread of HIV. | |||
X | k) Provide citizens age 55-65 the option of purchasing Medicare health coverage. | ||
X | l) Support legislation to provide prescription drug coverage under Medicare. | ||
X | m) Increase funding for AIDS programs. | ||
n) Other |
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.
a) Decrease the number of immigrants allowed into the country. | |||
b) Increase the eligibility of legal immigrants for certain social programs (e.g. public housing, food stamps). | |||
c) Require the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to reduce the time between applying for citizenship and taking the oath of allegiance to six months. | |||
d) Provide extra federal aid to states with higher numbers of immigrants for necessary medical and social services. | |||
e) Prohibit states from passing laws that deny human services (medical care, education) to illegal immigrants or their children. | |||
f) Grant U.S. citizenship to children born in the US only if their parents immigrated legally. | |||
X | g) Increase the immigration quota for computer scientists and other information technology workers. | ||
h) Establish English as the official national language. | |||
i) Support the separation of the INS into two bureaus: one administering naturalization and one administering border patrol. | |||
j) Increase state autonomy in handling immigration issues. | |||
k) Reimburse states for providing services to illegal aliens. | |||
l) Other |
International AidIndicate which principles (if any) you support regarding U.S. International Aid.
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 U. S. | ||
X | c) Aid should be granted to countries that are close allies of the U. S. and in need of financial/military assistance. | ||
d) Aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses. | |||
e) Aid programs should be scaled back and eventually eliminated except for extraordinary circumstances. | |||
f) Other |
International PolicyIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the Middle East.Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the United States-United Nations relationship.
a) The U.S. should resolve future disputes with Iraq only through diplomatic means. | |||
b) The U.S. should take unilateral military action if Iraq does not comply with all accepted United Nations resolutions. | |||
X | c) The U.S. should take military action against Iraq only as part of an international effort. | ||
d) The U.S. should end the economic embargo against Iraq. | |||
e) The U.S. should not continue to play a prominent leadership role in the peace process between Israel and the Palestine Authority. | |||
X | f) The U.S. should continue to play a prominent leadership role in the peace process between Israel and the Palestine Authority. | ||
g) Other | |||
X | a) The U.S. should participate in United Nations peacekeeping missions only when vital U.S. interests are involved. | ||
b) The U.S. should not commit military troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions. | |||
c) The U.S. should withdraw completely from the United Nations. | |||
X | d) The U.S. should pay its debt to the United Nations. | ||
e) Other | |||
Undecided | 3) Should the U.S. have full diplomatic relations with Cuba? | ||
Yes | 4) Should the U.S. have full diplomatic relations with China? | ||
Yes | 5) Should the U.S. recognize and extend full diplomatic relations to Taiwan? | ||
Yes | 6) Should the US maintain ground troops in Kosovo? | ||
Undecided | 7) Do you support the cooperative threat reduction programs with Russia to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to unfriendly nations? | ||
Undecided | 8) Do you support modifying the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in order to deploy the National Missile Defense System? | ||
Other |
International Trade
Yes | 1) Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)? | ||
Yes | 2) Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)? | ||
Yes | 3) Do you support continued U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)? | ||
Yes | 4) Do you support China becoming a member of the World Trade Organization? | ||
Yes | 5) Do you support imposing tariffs on products imported from nations that maintain restrictive trade barriers on American products? | ||
No | 6) Should a nation's human rights record affect its normal trade relations (most favored nation status) with the United States? | ||
Yes | 7) Do you support normal trade relations (most favored nation status) with Vietnam? | ||
Yes | 8) Do you support granting the President "fast-track" authority in trade negotiations? | ||
9) Do you support the trade embargo against Cuba? |
Yes | Do you believe there has been a decline in moral and ethical standards in America over the last four decades? | ||
Personally, I must conduct my life in a way that reflects well on our State. To address the problem of moral decline, we must reduce taxes on families so that they have more time and money to spend together. We should also teach our children values at home and school. |
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's assets collectively in stocks and bonds instead of U.S. Treasury securities. | |||
d) Increase the payroll tax to better finance Social Security in its current form. | |||
e) Lower Social Security's annual cost-of-living increases. | |||
f) Limit Social Security benefits based on recipients' other income and assets. | |||
g) Require individuals to pay the Social Security tax on incomes above $68,400 (which is currently exempt). | |||
X | h) Support a lock box measure, limiting Congress's ability to spend Social Security and Medicare surpluses on any other federal programs except Social Security and Medicare, until each program's long-term solvency is guaranteed. | ||
i) Other |
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding technology.
a) Continuing the moratorium on Internet sales taxes. | |||
b) Implement regulation of Internet content by the federal government. | |||
X | c) Support on-line voter registration. | ||
X | d) Support voting on-line. | ||
e) Support government mandates to curtail violent and sexual content on television. | |||
X | f) Support strict penalties for Internet crimes such as hacking and Internet violence. | ||
X | g) Support strong Internet privacy laws. | ||
h) Regulating the Internet should not in any way be controlled by the federal government. | |||
i) Other |
Yes | Do you support amending the Constitution to limit the number of terms which members of Congress can serve? |
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding poverty and the welfare system.
a) Support housing assistance for welfare recipients. | |||
b) Provide homeless families with apartment vouchers they can use to supplement the cost of an apartment. | |||
X | c) Continue to give states and local governments responsibility for welfare programs through TANF block grants. | ||
X | d) Maintain current welfare-to-work requirements in order for states to qualify for block grants. | ||
e) Restore food stamp programs to legal immigrants. | |||
f) Transfer homeless housing programs to states through block grants. | |||
X | g) Provide continued Medicaid benefits for those welfare recipients who have moved from welfare to work. | ||
h) Require states to return any unused welfare block grant funding to the federal government. | |||
i) Direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based or other non-profit organizations. | |||
j) Other |
If elected, my priorities will include: * Protecting Social Security and Medicare and adding an affordable prescription drug benefit for Medicare; * Reforming Freedom to Farm and passing the Farm Income Protection Act; * Enacting a real Patient's Bill of Rights; * Improving education; * Keeping spending under control while reducing taxes on working families, cutting taxes for college and technical training, and eliminating the marriage penalty and the estate tax. |
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