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Pete Ricketts
RNebraska Governor (2014 - Present)
Member, Nebraska State GOP Boosters (2005 - Present)
U.S. Senate (2023-Present)
To be claimed
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 of pregnancy.
- 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. Prohibit public funding of abortions and to organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- X
7. Other or expanded principles
- I am a pro-life Republican. I believe life begins at conception and ends at natural death. I oppose all abortions under the principle of double effect. I have been endorsed by Nebraska Right to Life and Nebraskans United for Life.
1. Agriculture
- Maintain Status
2. Arts
- Slightly Decrease
3. Defense
- Maintain Status
4. Education
- Maintain Status
5. Environment
- Slightly Decrease
6. Homeland security
- Maintain Status
7. International aid
- Slightly Decrease
8. Law enforcement
- Maintain Status
9. Medical research
- Maintain Status
10. National parks
- Maintain Status
11. Public health services
- Maintain Status
12. Scientific research
- Maintain Status
13. Space exploration programs
- Maintain Status
14. Transportation and highway infrastructure
- Maintain Status
15. Welfare
- Slightly Decrease
16. Emergency preparedness
- Maintain Status
17. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
1. Armed Forces personnel training
- Maintain Status
2. Intelligence operations
- Greatly Increase
3. Military hardware
- Maintain Status
4. Modernization of weaponry and equipment
- Maintain Status
5. National missile defense
- Maintain Status
6. Pay for active duty personnel
- Slightly Increase
7. Programs to improve troop retention rates
- Maintain Status
8. Research and development of new weapons
- Maintain Status
9. Troop and equipment readiness
- Maintain Status
10. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
1. Less than $25,000
- Slightly Decrease
2. $25,000-$75,000
- Slightly Decrease
3. $75,000-$150,000
- Slightly Decrease
4. Over $150,000
- Slightly Decrease
5. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
1. Over $40,000
- Slightly Decrease
2. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
1. Alcohol taxes
- Slightly Increase
2. Capital gains taxes
- Slightly Decrease
3. Cigarette taxes
- Slightly Increase
4. Corporate taxes
- Maintain Status
5. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status
6. Inheritance taxes
- Eliminate
7. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
1. Charitable contributions
- Maintain Status
2. Child tax credit
- Slightly Increase
3. Earned income tax credit
- Maintain Status
4. Medical expense deduction
- Maintain Status
5. Mortgage deduction
- Maintain Status
6. Student loan credit
- Maintain Status
7. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
1. Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
- Yes
2. Do you support making President Bush's tax cuts permanent?
- Yes
3. Discuss your proposals for balancing the federal budget. (75 words or less. Please use an attached page if the space below is not adequate.)
- I believe our spending system is broken and must be reformed. As a fiscal conservative, I will vote for meaningful cuts in spending and support bills that eliminate or limit the earmarking process. I will also support bills that limit the scope of legislation so that projects irrelevant to the bill's objective cannot be added. I support new legislation to end special interest spending, a renewed commitment to enforceable spending caps, and a line-item veto.
4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Support public taxpayer funding for federal candidates who comply with campaign spending limits.
- No Answer
2. Increase the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
- No Answer
3. Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
- No Answer
4. Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
- No Answer
5. Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
- No Answer
6. Require Section 527 organizations to register with the Federal Election Commission as Political Action Committees.
- X
7. Do you support instant run-off voting?
- No
8. Should Election Day be a national holiday?
- No
9. Do you support a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and woman?
- Yes
10. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
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 educational, vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- No Answer
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. Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
- No Answer
7. Impose stricter penalties for those convicted of corporate crimes.
- No Answer
8. Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
- No Answer
9. Other or expanded principles
- Faith-based or other non-profit programs to rehabilitate offenders with education, vocational and job related skills, and job placement assistance.
1. Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
- X
2. Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
- No Answer
3. Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
- No Answer
4. Allow doctors to recommend marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer
5. Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
- X
6. Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs."
- No Answer
7. Support a federal law to standardize testing and penalties for steroid use in professional sports.
- No Answer
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Support national standards for and testing of public school students.
- No Answer
2. Allow parents to use vouchers, (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any public school.
- X
3. Allow parents to use vouchers, (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any private or religious school.
- X
4. Allow teachers and professionals to receive authorization and funding to establish charter schools.
- X
5. Reward teachers with merit pay for working in low-income schools.
- X
6. Increase funding for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings, infrastructure, technology).
- No Answer
7. Support affirmative action in public college admissions.
- No Answer
8. Increase funding of programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans to help students pay for college.
- No Answer
9. Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
- X
10. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Increase funding for national job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
- No Answer
2. Reduce government regulation of the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- X
3. Provide tax credits or grants to businesses that offer child care services to employees.
- X
4. Encourage employers to offer flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
- No Answer
5. Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
- No Answer
6. Increase the federal minimum wage.
- No Answer
7. Support the right of workers to strike without fear of being permanently replaced.
- No Answer
8. Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
- No Answer
9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. The federal government should consider race and gender in government contracting decisions.
- No Answer
2. The federal government should discontinue affirmative action programs.
- No Answer
3. The federal government should continue affirmative action programs.
- No Answer
4. Other or expanded principles
- Affirmative action has made us aware of the inequities in our society. We should review ways to modernize this policy.
1. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
- No Answer
2. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
- No Answer
3. Support Clear Skies Act to reduce power plant emissions by setting a national cap on pollutants.
- No Answer
4. Require states to compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately-owned land.
- X
5. Relax logging restrictions on federal lands.
- No Answer
6. Relax standards on federal lands to allow increased recreational usage.
- No Answer
7. Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
- X
8. Strengthen emission controls and fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
- No Answer
9. Support opening a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration.
- X
10. Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
- X
11. Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
- X
12. Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits.
- X
13. Support the Kyoto Protocol to limit global warming.
- No Answer
14. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Reauthorize the ban on the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
- No Answer
2. Maintain and strengthen the current level of enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer
3. Ease federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer
4. Repeal federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer
5. Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
- X
6. Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
- No Answer
7. Require a license for gun possession.
- No Answer
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Providing health care is not a responsibility of the federal government.
- No Answer
2. Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income.
- No Answer
3. Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
- No Answer
4. Establish limits on the amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- X
5. Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
- No Answer
6. Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
- X
7. Support automatic enrollment of children in federal health care programs such as CHIP and Medicaid.
- X
8. Support stem cell research on existing lines of stem cells.
- No Answer
9. Allow laboratories to create new lines of stem cells for additional research.
- No Answer
10. Other or expanded principles
- I support expanding health savings accounts. I am opposed to embryonic stem cell research and human cloning.
1. Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
- No Answer
2. Establish English as the official national language.
- X
3. Support a temporary worker program that would enable illegal immigrants to work in the United States legally.
- No Answer
4. Relax restrictions barring legal immigrants from using government funded social programs (e.g. public housing, food stamps).
- No Answer
5. Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.
- No Answer
6. Other or expanded principles
- Our first priority is to secure the border. We must leverage technology, enforce our laws, and give employers tools to know who is legal. I oppose amnesty, but would support a compromise solution that holds illegal immigrants accountable.
1. Aid should be granted to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
- X
2. Aid should be granted to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
- X
3. Aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
- No Answer
4. International Aid programs should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
- No Answer
5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
- Yes
2. Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
- Yes
3. Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
- No
4. Should the United States send more troops to Iraq?
- No
5. Discuss your proposals for an exit strategy in Iraq. (75 words or less. Please use an attached page if the space below is not adequate.)
- We are winning in Iraq. We should return home when our mission is complete and the Iraqis can defend themselves. The United States has an opportunity to encourage democracy and free-market economies in the Middle East. I support our men and women in uniform; and support withdrawing when we have accomplished our goals. We should exit when our commanders and troops on the ground believe that it is time to come home -- not before.
6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Should the United States use diplomatic and economic pressure to encourage North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program?
- Yes
2. Should the United States use military force to dismantle the North Korean nuclear weapons program?
- Undecided
3. Should the United States remove the North Korean government from power?
- Yes
4. Should the United States increase financial support to Afghanistan?
- No
5. Should the United States increase military support to Afghanistan?
- No
6. Other or expanded principles
- Foreign policy is more complicated than just a yes or no answer. U. S foreign policy should include the disarmament of North Korea and assisting the Afghans in their right to self determination.
1. Should the United States maintain its financial support of the United Nations?
- No
2. Should the United States decrease its financial support of the United Nations?
- Yes
3. Should the United States commit troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions?
- Yes
4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
5. Should the United States lift the travel ban to Cuba?
- Yes
6. Should the United States increase its financial support to Colombia to combat "the war on drugs?"
- Undecided
7. Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund distribution of contraceptives?
- No
8. Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund abstinence education?
- Yes
9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
- Yes
2. Do you support the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)?
- Yes
3. Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
- Yes
4. Do you support continued U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
- Yes
5. Should a nation's human rights record affect its normal trade relations (most favored nation) status with the United States?
- No
6. Do you support the trade embargo against Cuba?
- No
7. Should trade agreements include provisions to address environmental concerns and to protect workers' rights?
- Yes
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
- Yes
2. Should the United States grant law enforcement agencies greater discretion to read mail and email, tap phones, and conduct random searches to prevent future terrorist attacks?
- Yes
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 the prohibition of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment of prisoners in U.S. custody?
- Yes
6. Do you support a policy of pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to U.S. national security?
- Yes
7. Other or expanded principles
- Our military option should be our last option.
1. Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage themselves.
- X
2. Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts managed by private firms contracted by the government.
- X
3. Invest a portion of Social Security assets collectively in stocks and bonds instead of United States Treasury securities.
- X
4. Increase the payroll tax to better finance Social Security in its current form.
- No Answer
5. Lower the annual cost-of-living increases.
- No Answer
6. Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits.
- X
7. Other of expanded principles
- Private accounts are part of the solution; any change should not affect people 45 and older.
1. Collect taxes on commercial Internet transactions.
- No Answer
2. Continue the moratorium on Internet taxation.
- X
3. Implement government regulation of Internet content.
- No Answer
4. Support government mandates to curtail violent and sexual content on television.
- No Answer
5. Support strict penalties for Internet crimes (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
- X
6. Support legislation to detail how personal information can be collected and used on the Internet.
- X
7. Regulating the Internet is not a responsibility of the federal government.
- No Answer
8. Other or expanded principles
- The Federal government should be able to prevent the internet from being used to commit crimes, but we should avoid over regulation
1. Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
- No Answer
2. Increase funding for child care programs.
- No Answer
3. Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
- X
4. Direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based, or other non-profit organizations.
- X
5. Abolish all federal welfare programs.
- No Answer
6. Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
- No Answer
7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
On an attached page, disk, or via email, please explain in a total of 75 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- Federal spending and agriculture will be top priorities for me if elected United States Senator. I support new legislation to end special interest spending, a renewed commitment to enforceable spending caps, and a line-item veto. Agriculture is vital to Nebraska and the nation. I hope to serve on the Agriculture Committee and would support the expansion of ethanol production and other bio-fuels. We must also work for a common sense safety net for producers.
Main article: U.S. governors and their responses to Syrian refugees After the attacks in Paris, France, on November 13, 2015, many U.S. governors declared their support or opposition to Syrian refugee resettlement in their states. Ricketts expressed conditional opposition to the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the state of Nebraska. He said: “ Nebraska is a welcoming place for families seeking a home to live, work, and raise a family. While I understand the danger and persecution many are facing in the Middle East, it is important that our state and our nation consider the safety and security of Nebraskans and Americans first in any refugee resettlement efforts. The terrorist attacks that occurred over the weekend in Paris are a solemn reminder of the reach and strength of ISIS and their agents. ” —Gov. Pete Ricketts
On February 1, 2021, Ricketts announced that he would self-quarantine after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 . Coronavirus pandemic Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryDaily updatesElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsSubmit COVID-19, also known as coronavirus disease 2019.
Sat 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CDT
Nebraska State Capitol Lincoln, NE
Fri 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CST
Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Visitor Center Nebraska City, NE
Fri 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM CST
Spencer Fire Department, 11 W. Main Street, Spencer, NE
