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Tim Murphy's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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.
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.

Tim Murphy has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2016 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

What is the Political Courage Test?

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 2016.

  • Cosponsored and Voted in favor of H.R.3134 “ Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015” (votesmart.org)
  • "The video released today is nothing short of repugnant as this Planned Parenthood official speaks so nonchalantly about the selling of baby parts over a glass of wine and salad. The organization continues to put profit ahead of human life by maximizing deceitful efforts, including methods of partial birth abortion, which poses serious risks to the health of a woman. It is clear from the footage that Planned Parenthood exhibits no empathy by sacrificing babies on an altar of profit and science. We must not allow this depravity to continue. I am committed to working with members of Congress to investigate this horrific discovery." (votesmart.org)
  • “The last thing America's economy needs are higher taxes that takes money out of the pockets of hard-working families and push more jobs out of the United States.” (votesmart.org)
  • “Under the guise of a tax cut for small businesses, the House Majority today passed H.R. 5486, the Small Business Jobs Tax Relief Act, legislation that will increase taxes by more than $7.146 billion. Congressman Tim Murphy (PA-18) voted against the tax increase that will ultimately be paid for by small businesses.” (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Now under the WIFIA program that Congressman Doyle and I advanced, both urban and rural areas will have to the financial tools necessary to build out water and sewer projects without burdening federal taxpayers with new risks." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted for H.R.22 “Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST Act)” (votesmart.org)
  • "Hardworking Americans pay more than their fair share of taxes to the federal government each year. To tax them again after death is an unfair burden to the families they leave behind.” (votesmart.org)
  • “On New Year's Day 2013, Americans woke up to a $4.4 trillion tax hike because the current tax code had expired. Not only did your income tax rates go up, but you were on track to be taxed more for being married, having children, saving in a retirement account, or owning a small business or farm. Congress passed with Rep. Murphy's support legislation overturning this tax increase for 99% of American taxpayers.” (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R.1105 “Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015” (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • “The bipartisan Keystone XL Pipeline Act passed on a bipartisan vote of 266-153 with Congressman Murphy's support.” (votesmart.org)
  • “To bring down the price of gas, we don't need higher taxes on oil companies or penalties on speculators. What we need to do is send signals to the world that the United States is serious about using North American energy. We can start with building the Keystone pipeline.” (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Cosponsored and voted in favor of H.R.3409 “Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012” (votesmart.org)
  • “The EPA is proposing to have ultimate authority over generation, supply, and consumption of electricity in each state and over every consumer, factory, and residence. This does not adhere to congressional intent and goes well beyond the statutory limits of the Clean Air Act.” (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.Amdt 1098 “Prohibits District of Columbia from Implementing Certain Firearm Laws” (votesmart.org)
  • “As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Murphy has taken the lead on ACA congressional oversight efforts, bringing many of ACA's flaws to light.“ (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R.3762 “Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015” (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • “Along with a majority of my constituents in Pennsylvania’s 18th congressional district, I believe in holy matrimony as a union between one man and one woman.” (murphy.house.gov)
  • Rated 0% by the Human Rights Campaign (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Rated 20% by Alliance of Retired Americans (votesmart.org)
  • “Since the first day I entered office representing the people of Southwestern Pennsylvania both in the State Senate and now in Congress, Rep. Murphy made it clear that one of his top priorities would be to protect and preserve both Medicare and Social Security.” (votesmart.org)
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.
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.
X d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Dilation and extraction or "partial-birth" abortion procedures should be legal.
X g) Medicare, Medicaid, and federal subsidies should be prohibited from being used on abortion procedures.
Further, I oppose legalization of partial birth abortion and late term abortion of viable infant

Indicate what federal funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.1) Budget Priorities2) Defense Spending3) 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.Family Income TaxesOther TaxesDeductions/Credits

Maintain Status a) Agriculture
Maintain Status b) Arts
Maintain Status c) Defense
Slightly Increase d) Education
Maintain Status e) Environment
Slightly Increase f) FEMA
Maintain Status g) Homeland security
Slightly Decrease h) International aid
Maintain Status i) Law enforcement (Federal)
Slightly Increase j) Law enforcement (State)
Slightly Increase k) Medical research
Maintain Status l) National parks
Slightly Increase m) Public health services
Slightly Increase n) Scientific research
Maintain Status o) Space exploration programs
Slightly Increase p) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Greatly Decrease q) United Nations
Maintain Status r) Welfare
s) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Armed forces personnel training
Maintain Status 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
Maintain Status g) Programs to improve troop retention rates
Maintain Status h) Research and development of new weapons
Maintain Status i) Troop and equipment readiness
Maintain Status a) Less than $12,000
Maintain Status b) $12,001-$40,000
Maintain Status c) $40,001-$100,000
Maintain Status d) $100,001-$180,000
Maintain Status e) $180,001-$350,000
Maintain Status f) $350,001 and above
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Capital gains taxes
Maintain Status c) Cigarette taxes
Maintain Status d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gasoline taxes
Maintain Status f) Inheritance taxes
Maintain Status a) Charitable contribution deduction
Maintain Status b) Child tax credit
Maintain Status c) Earned income tax credit
Slightly Increase d) Medical expense deduction
Maintain Status e) Mortgage deduction
Maintain Status f) Student loan credit
Yes 4) Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
Yes 5) Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?
Defense spending should be based on a careful analysis of current and future defense and security needs, not for political reasons.
I oppose raising taxes.
I oppose tax increases.
I oppose tax increases and support extending current tax credits (ie: child tax credit).
Earmark spending should be clearly disclosed and based on a defined local need for funding that cannot be met at the municipal level without a federal match, such as public works projects and infrastructure upgrades. Additionally, the death tax impacts the ability of small businesses to invest in jobs because they must purchase large amounts of life insurance to protect against the inheritance tax burden.

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

a) Support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
b) Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
c) Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
d) Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
e) Support prohibiting ads containing candidates' name that are paid for by third parties from airing 60 days before a primary and 30 days before a general federal election.
f) Support instant run-off voting (IRV).
g) Support designating Election Day as a national holiday.
h) Support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations.
i) Support limiting the President's use of signing statements in order to prevent an alternative interpretation of the bill.
j) Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege.
Any and all contributions to candidates (or contributions in direct support of their campaigns) by outside groups should be clearly disclosed, even when that support does not directly go to support the candidates (such as the case with 527 political organizations).

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 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.
e) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
X f) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
X g) Support strict penalties for internet crime (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
h) Require that crimes based on sexual orientation be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
I support increasing penalties for crimes against children and all forms of child abuse.

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

X a) Support the federal government funding universal pre-K programs.
X b) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
X c) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
d) Allow teachers and professionals to receive federal funding to establish charter or magnet schools.
X e) Increase funding for the Pell Grant program.
X f) Decrease interest rates of Stafford Loans.
X g) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
X h) Ban university financial aid officers from owning stock in or accepting gifts from student loan lenders.
X i) Require universities to disclose financial relationships with lenders.
j) Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
k) Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
l) Other or expanded principles

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

X a) Increase funding for national job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today’s job market.
X b) Reduce government regulation of the private sector.
X c) Encourage employers to offer child care services, flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
X d) Increase the federal minimum wage.
X e) Support the right of workers to unionize.
f) Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
g) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
h) Include gender identity in federal anti-discrimination laws.
i) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
b) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
X c) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
X d) Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
X e) Strengthen fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
X f) Support domestic oil exploration in areas that are currently restricted.
X g) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels.
X h) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
X i) Support research and development of nuclear reactors as an alternative energy source.
j) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits under "cap and trade" laws.
X k) Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming.
l) Support international voluntary emission targets to limit global warming.
We must invest in clean coal technology; efficient highway/road systems; efficient public transit. We must also lift the US self-imposed imbargo of our own energy resources.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.On (c) and (d), indicate what levels (#1-6) you support for the following categories.

a) Allow individuals to carry concealed guns.
b) Ban the sale, ownership or possession of handguns except by law enforcement and other government officials.
Maintain Status c) Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
d) Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
I support improvement of national instant background checks

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

a) Implement a universal healthcare program to guarantee coverage to all Americans, regardless of income.
b) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
c) Allow the importation of prescription drugs into the United States.
d) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
e) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
f) Support expanding child healthcare programs.
g) Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government.
I have dedicated my public service career to ensuring every American has affordable, accessible, patient-centered healthcare. The above questions don't address the crisis in our healthcare system: Over $400 billion dollars is wasted each year from inefficiency and errors, leading to safety and quality concerns. I seek solutions that solve the problem of waste in the system and improving patient safety. The debate on healthcare cannot just be over who pays for healthcare but how we fix it. A broken system is not fixed by shifting payment to families, employers or taxpayers but with fundamental reforms to quality and accessibility.

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.
c) Support a temporary worker program.
X d) Support harsher financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
e) Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.
X f) Illegal immigrants should have to return to their countries of origin before being considered for citizenship.
g) Illegal immigrants should be given a pathway to citizenship.
h) Support merit-based visas over family-based visas.
First we must secure the borders, enforce the current immigration laws on the books and hold employers who knowingly hire illegals to be held accountable. I oppose automatic amnesty for those who entered this country illegally. I support programs that assist legal documented aliens/residents become naturalized citizens. Those who have not followed the rules of immigration should not be rewarded at the expense of those who did follow our nation?s immigration laws.

International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international aid.International PolicyIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international policy.International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

X a) Support the United States granting aid to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
X b) Support the United States granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
c) Eliminate United States aid for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
d) Aid granted by the United States should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
Yes a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
b) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
Yes c) Should the United States impose greater international sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates?
d) Should the United States support the Lebanese government against insurgent forces?
e) Should the United States maintain its troop levels in Iraq?
f) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
Yes h) Should the United States apply greater economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea if it fails to abide by its agreement to suspend its nuclear program?
Yes i) Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan?
Yes j) Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan?
k) Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes?
l) Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan?
m) Should the United States decrease military support for Pakistan?
Yes n) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan?
Undecided o) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
Undecided p) Should the United States provide economic and military support to the Transitional Government of Somalia?
q) Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses?
r) Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo?
Yes a) Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China?
Yes b) Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela?
c) Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements?
d) Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade?
Aid should not be provided to countries that actively support terrorists, undermine the economic security or national security of the United States
Congress approved military action in Iraq before I began serving as Congressman. I am unhappy with certain decisions made leading up to the war and those made since it began; both politically and strategically. Policy errors followed which negatively impacted our military strategies and communications not only in Iraq but back here at home. I support a full transition of control over to the Iraqi military, coupled with a measured redeployment of our troops out of Iraq. A redeployment and draw down of American troops must occur under circumstances maintaining safety and not require more troops to return to Iraq.
The primary interest of the United States should be to take care of our own citizens first on economic, educational and healthcare needs. Following that, the role the United States plays in other countries must be determine on the best interest and impact international action would have on the welfare of American citizens first.
Trade agreements must only be entered into under conditions that do not harm the US economy or US workers. Further, the countries we enter into trade agreements with must follow the same envorinmental regulations, work place standards and worker rights that companies located in the United States must follow. Without a level playing field, the United States can't fairly compete with goods produced in foreign nations that have no minimum standards in place.

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

a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
Yes b) Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications, 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?
e) Do you support pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to United States national security?
f) Do you support the creation of a federal identification card system?
g) Do you support long-term use of National Guard troops to supplement the armed forces in assignments overseas?
h) Should the United States expand its missile defense shield?
Issues related to national security and the defense of our nation are are extremely complex; no blanket "yes" or "no" answer can suffice. The circumstances under which the United States exerts military power in other nations must be decided upon individually with all conditions reviewed thoroughly.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

No a) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
Yes b) Do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman?
Yes c) Do you support federal funding for research on existing embryonic stem cell lines?
No d) Do you support federal funding to create lines of stem cells from new embryos?
No e) Should the federal government consider race and gender in government contracting decisions?
f) Should the federal government continue affirmative action programs?
g) Should the federal government regulate internet gambling?
h) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts that they manage themselves.
b) Ensure the viability of Social Security by increasing the payroll tax.
c) Decrease benefits paid to retirees.
X d) Support proportional increases of Social Security benefits based on the cost of living index.
e) Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits.
The US Government must stop using social security trust fund to pay for other government programs. The money in the trust fund should only be used towards social security benefits.

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) Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
c) Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
d) Abolish all federal welfare programs.
e) Other or expanded principles
Our health care system is broken. Simply funding a broken system will not solve the problems that result in rising costs and lives lost. With more than $400 Billion in waste, redundancy, and errors, our health care system must be fixed as well as financed. Government must be a force for change, including improving patient safety, eliminating infections, implementing disease management, electronic prescription and records technology, and integrated care. Additionally, the US must lift the self-imposed emabargo on its own natural resources. Our nation is losing its competitive edge because we are dependent on foreign sources of expensive energy.

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