Positions

2021

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

Budget

In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes

Crime

1. Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders?
- Unknown Position

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

Education

1. Do you generally support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- No

Energy

1. Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline?
- Yes

2. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

Environment

Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

Guns

Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No

Health Care

Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No

Immigration

1. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No

Marriage

Do you support same-sex marriage?
- Yes

National Security

1. Do you support increased American intervention in Iraq and Syria beyond air support?
- No

Social Security

1. Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts?
- No

Texas Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test

Abortion

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

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should always be legal.
- No Answer

3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- No Answer

5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer

6. Dilation and extraction or "partial-birth" abortion procedures should be legal.
- No Answer

7. Medicare, Medicaid, and federal subsidies should be prohibited from being used on abortion procedures.
- No Answer

Budgetary, Spending, and Tax

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

1. Agriculture
- Slightly Decrease

2. Arts
- Maintain Status

3. Defense
- Maintain Status

4. Education
- Slightly Increase

5. Environment
- Slightly Increase

6. FEMA
- Slightly Increase

7. Homeland security
- Maintain Status

8. International aid
- Maintain Status

9. Law enforcement (Federal)
- Slightly Increase

10. Law enforcement (State)
- Slightly Increase

11. Medical research
- Greatly Increase

12. National parks
- Slightly Increase

13. Public health services
- Greatly Increase

14. Scientific research
- Slightly Increase

15. Space exploration programs
- Maintain Status

16. Transportation and highway infrastructure
- Slightly Increase

17. United Nations
- Slightly Decrease

18. Welfare
- Maintain Status

19. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

20. Armed forces personnel training
- Slightly Increase

21. Intelligence operations
- Maintain Status

22. Military hardware
- Maintain Status

23. Modernization of weaponry and equipment
- Maintain Status

24. National missile defense
- Slightly Decrease

25. Pay for active duty personnel
- Greatly Increase

26. Programs to improve troop retention rates
- Greatly Increase

27. Research and development of new weapons
- Maintain Status

28. Troop and equipment readiness
- Greatly Increase

29. Less than $12,000
- Maintain Status

30. $12,001-$40,000
- Slightly Decrease

31. $40,001-$100,000
- Slightly Decrease

32. $100,001-$180,000
- Slightly Increase

33. $180,001-$350,000
- Greatly Increase

34. $350,001 and above
- No Answer

35. Alcohol taxes
- Slightly Increase

36. Capital gains taxes
- Slightly Increase

37. Cigarette taxes
- Greatly Increase

38. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Increase

39. Gasoline taxes
- Slightly Increase

40. Inheritance taxes
- Slightly Increase

41. Charitable contribution deduction
- Maintain Status

42. Child tax credit
- Maintain Status

43. Earned income tax credit
- Maintain Status

44. Medical expense deduction
- Maintain Status

45. Mortgage deduction
- Maintain Status

46. Student loan credit
- Maintain Status

47. Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
- No

48. Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?
- Yes

49. I did not support President Bush's tax cuts
- e) For Trans

Campaign Finance and Government Reform

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

1. Support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
- X

2. Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
- No Answer

3. Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
- No Answer

4. Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
- No Answer

5. 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.
- X

6. Support instant run-off voting (IRV).
- No Answer

7. Support designating Election Day as a national holiday.
- X

8. Support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations.
- No Answer

9. Support limiting the President's use of signing statements in order to prevent an alternative interpretation of the bill.
- No Answer

10. Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege.
- X

11. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime

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

1. Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- X

2. Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- No Answer

3. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- X

4. Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
- X

5. Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
- No Answer

6. Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
- X

7. Support strict penalties for internet crime (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
- X

8. Require that crimes based on sexual orientation be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

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

1. Support the federal government funding universal pre-K programs.
- X

2. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- No Answer

3. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
- No Answer

4. Allow teachers and professionals to receive federal funding to establish charter or magnet schools.
- No Answer

5. Increase funding for the Pell Grant program.
- X

6. Decrease interest rates of Stafford Loans.
- X

7. Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
- X

8. Ban university financial aid officers from owning stock in or accepting gifts from student loan lenders.
- X

9. Require universities to disclose financial relationships with lenders.
- X

10. Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
- No Answer

11. Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
- No Answer

12. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Employment

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

1. Increase funding for national job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today?s job market.
- X

2. Reduce government regulation of the private sector.
- No Answer

3. Encourage employers to offer child care services, flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
- X

4. Increase the federal minimum wage.
- X

5. Support the right of workers to unionize.
- X

6. Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
- No Answer

7. Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
- X

8. Include gender identity in federal anti-discrimination laws.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment and Energy

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

1. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
- X

2. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
- X

3. Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
- X

4. Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
- X

5. Strengthen fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
- X

6. Support domestic oil exploration in areas that are currently restricted.
- X

7. Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels.
- No Answer

8. Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
- No Answer

9. Support research and development of nuclear reactors as an alternative energy source.
- X

10. Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits under "cap and trade" laws.
- No Answer

11. Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming.
- X

12. Support international voluntary emission targets to limit global warming.
- No Answer

13. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

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

1. Allow individuals to carry concealed guns.
- X

2. Ban the sale, ownership or possession of handguns except by law enforcement and other government officials.
- No Answer

3. Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- Maintain Status

4. Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- Slightly Decrease

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

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

1. Implement a universal healthcare program to guarantee coverage to all Americans, regardless of income.
- X

2. Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
- No Answer

3. Allow the importation of prescription drugs into the United States.
- X

4. Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
- X

5. Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
- No Answer

6. Support expanding child healthcare programs.
- X

7. Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government.
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Immigration

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

1. Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
- X

2. Establish English as the official national language.
- No Answer

3. Support a temporary worker program.
- No Answer

4. Support harsher financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
- X

5. Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.
- No Answer

6. Illegal immigrants should have to return to their countries of origin before being considered for citizenship.
- No Answer

7. Illegal immigrants should be given a pathway to citizenship.
- X

8. Support merit-based visas over family-based visas.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

International Aid, International Policy, and International Trade

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.

1. Support the United States granting aid to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
- No Answer

2. Support the United States granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
- X

3. Eliminate United States aid for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
- X

4. Aid granted by the United States should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

6. Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
- Yes

7. Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
- Yes

8. Should the United States impose greater international sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates?
- Yes

9. Should the United States support the Lebanese government against insurgent forces?
- Yes

10. Should the United States maintain its troop levels in Iraq?
- No

11. Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
- Yes

12. Discuss your proposals for Iraq.
- No Answer

13. 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

14. Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan?
- Yes

15. Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan?
- Yes

16. Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes?
- Undecided

17. Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan?
- Undecided

18. Should the United States decrease military support for Pakistan?
- Undecided

19. Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan?
- Yes

20. Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Yes

21. Should the United States provide economic and military support to the Transitional Government of Somalia?
- Yes

22. Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses?
- Yes

23. Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo?
- Yes

24. Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China?
- Undecided

25. Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela?
- Undecided

26. Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements?
- No

27. Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade?
- Yes

National Security

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

1. Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
- Yes

2. Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications, to prevent future terrorist attacks?
- No

3. Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
- Yes

4. Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
- Yes

5. Do you support pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to United States national security?
- Yes

6. Do you support the creation of a federal identification card system?
- No

7. Do you support long-term use of National Guard troops to supplement the armed forces in assignments overseas?
- No

8. Should the United States expand its missile defense shield?
- Undecided

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

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

1. Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
- No Answer

2. Do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman?
- No

3. Do you support federal funding for research on existing embryonic stem cell lines?
- Yes

4. Do you support federal funding to create lines of stem cells from new embryos?
- Yes

5. Should the federal government consider race and gender in government contracting decisions?
- Yes

6. Should the federal government continue affirmative action programs?
- Yes

7. Should the federal government regulate internet gambling?
- Yes

Social Security

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

1. Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts that they manage themselves.
- No Answer

2. Ensure the viability of Social Security by increasing the payroll tax.
- X

3. Decrease benefits paid to retirees.
- No Answer

4. Support proportional increases of Social Security benefits based on the cost of living index.
- No Answer

5. Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits.
- X

Welfare and Poverty

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

1. Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
- No Answer

2. Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
- X

3. Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
- X

4. Abolish all federal welfare programs.
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer