Positions

2021

Abortion

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

Budget

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

2. Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
- Yes

Campaign Finance

1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

Defense

Do you support increasing defense spending?
- No

Economy

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

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Yes

Energy and Environment

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

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

Guns

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

Health Care

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

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No

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

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)?
- Unknown Position

2. Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
- Yes

Trade

Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
- Yes

Kentucky Congressional Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion

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

Budget

1. I believe efforts to have a more balanced budget must not come at the expense of seniors, the middle class, or our nation's most vulnerable. Instead of relying solely on indiscriminate cuts to investments critical to the American people - including Social Security and Medicare, education, infrastructure, veteran?s health care, and other key programs - we must take a more responsible approach that closes tax loopholes and asks the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share.
- In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? "Yes" https://votesmart.org/candidate/political-courage-test/58579/john-yarmuth/#.WotA7We3wfJ (votesmart.org) In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? "Yes" https://votesmart.org/candidate/political-courage-test/58579/john-yarmuth/#.WotA7We3wfJ (votesmart.org)

Campaign Finance

1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

Economy

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

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

Education

1. I support federal education standards that provide equal access to education for all students, which includes fully funding IDEA, providing Civil Rights protections, and advocating programs for low-income students. I believe we need to have a comprehensive system that evaluates the success of our children in many areas, while also providing teachers the resources and feedback to help students improve during the school year. There should be flexibility to allow a creative learning environment that truly provides students with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in life.
- "After visiting dozens of schools, talking with students, parents, and teachers, and holding town hall events, I believe our country must reform the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as soon as possible. We should replace the law's punitive structure with a positive system that provides the necessary resources and professional support to turn around struggling schools. We will not succeed if we continue to punish schools based on -- an often inaccurate -- one-time multiple choice test of a child's performance. Instead, we must develop a comprehensive system that evaluates the success of our children in many areas, while providing teachers with the resources and feedback to help students improve throughout the school year." https://votesmart.org/public-statement/570946/issue-position-education#.XbhcNkE3kfI (votesmart.org) "After visiting dozens of schools, talking with students, parents, and teachers, and holding town hall events, I believe our country must reform the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as soon as possible. We should replace the law's punitive structure with a positive system that provides the necessary resources and professional support to turn around struggling schools. We will not succeed if we continue to punish schools based on an often inaccurate one-time multiple choice test of a child's performance. Instead, we must develop a comprehensive system that evaluates the success of our children in many areas, while providing teachers with the resources and feedback to help students improve throughout the school year." http://yarmuth.house.gov/education/ (yarmuth.house.gov) Rated 100% by the National Education Association https://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/58579/john-yarmuth/27#.WgXQ8We3wfI (votesmart.org) "We must develop a comprehensive system that evaluates the success of our children in many areas, while providing teachers with the resources and feedback to help students improve throughout the school year." https://votesmart.org/public-statement/570946/issue-position-education#.WgXRYme3wfI (votesmart.org) "After visiting dozens of schools, talking with students, parents, and teachers, and holding town hall events, I believe our country must reform the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as soon as possible. We should replace the law's punitive structure with a positive system that provides the necessary resources and professional support to turn around struggling schools. We will not succeed if we continue to punish schools based on an often inaccurate one-time multiple choice test of a child's performance. Instead, we must develop a comprehensive system that evaluates the success of our children in many areas, while providing teachers with the resources and feedback to help students improve throughout the school year." http://yarmuth.house.gov/education/ (yarmuth.house.gov) Rated 100% by the National Education Association https://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/58579/john-yarmuth/27#.WgXQ8We3wfI (votesmart.org) "We must develop a comprehensive system that evaluates the success of our children in many areas, while providing teachers with the resources and feedback to help students improve throughout the school year." https://votesmart.org/public-statement/570946/issue-position-education#.WgXRYme3wfI (votesmart.org) Rated 100% by National Education Association. https://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/58579/john-yarmuth/27#.XbhccUE3kfI (votesmart.org)

Energy & Environment

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

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

Guns

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

Health Care

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

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No

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

Marijuana

I do not believe this should be a federal matter. If there were a referendum on it in Kentucky, I would vote for legalization.
- Rated 100% by Americans for Safe Access https://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/58579/john-yarmuth#.Wo3RRme3wfI (votesmart.org) Rated 100% by Americans for Safe Access https://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/58579/john-yarmuth#.Wo3RRme3wfI (votesmart.org) Signed a letter which says "The McClintock-Polis amendment prevents the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from prosecuting anyone for using, selling, or possessing marijuana in compliance with state laws - protecting the legal marijuana industry across the country from federal interference. The McClintock-Polis amendment has been offered three times." https://polis.house.gov/uploadedfiles/fy19_mcclintock-polis_final_copy.pdf (polis.house.gov)

National Security

1. Diplomacy should always be exhausted before military force is even considered. I would only support the use of force if the possession of a nuclear weapon posed an imminent threat to the U.S. or our allies. There are numerous ongoing and complicated conflicts in the Middle East. Each requires an approach that responds to the unique circumstances of the conflict. We should partner with our allies to ensure that every effort is made to use diplomacy to resolve these conflicts. Ultimately, if the Administration wants to use military force, it must seek Congressional approval as required by law.
- Endorsed by J Street PAC https://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/58579/john-yarmuth#.Wq_kW2e3wfI (votesmart.org) Endorsed by J Street PAC https://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/58579/john-yarmuth#.Wq_kW2e3wfI (votesmart.org) "No escalation of military activity in Syria or the region can proceed without explicit congressional approval." https://votesmart.org/public-statement/1170216/yarmuth-statement-on-us-airstrikes-in-syria/?search=syria#.Wq_lc2e3wfI (votesmart.org) Rated 0% by Center for Security Policy https://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/58579/john-yarmuth#.Wq_kW2e3wfI (votesmart.org) "No escalation of military activity in Syria or the region can proceed without explicit congressional approval." https://votesmart.org/public-statement/1170216/yarmuth-statement-on-us-airstrikes-in-syria/?search=syria#.Wq_lc2e3wfI (votesmart.org) Rated 0% by Center for Security Policy https://votesmart.org/candidate/evaluations/58579/john-yarmuth#.Wq_kW2e3wfI (votesmart.org)