Tennessee Congressional Election 2016 Political Courage Test

Abortion

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- All women should be allowed to enjoy the power to choose as granted by Federal law.

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- No

2. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- No

3. Other or expanded principles
- Tax law should be revised in order for more entities/people to pay taxes. This, in effect, will reduce the heavy burden of the few entities/people who pay the most taxes.

Campaign Finance

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- Representation should be held accountable mostly to the citizens of the country, state, or district.

Crime

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- Yes

2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

3. Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

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

3. Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- This incentive should be extended to small business and entrepreneurs as well.

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- The State should have the ultimate say in education reform as that government knows its needs best. But, should meet a minimum Federal standard.

Energy

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

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

3. Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- Given current scientific and environmental studies, the hydraulic fracturing method should be monitored more closely and re-engineered for maximum efficiency and environmental safety.

Environment

1. Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change?
- Yes

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No

3. Other or expanded principles
- There are more appropriate means of achieving this goal.

Guns

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- The Second Amendment gives the citizens the right to bear arms, but the ability to obtain a much more powerful and deadly weapon should be more heavily scrutinized.

Health Care

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- Repeal of the Affordable Care Act is not the answer. Revision is the best path to protecting the health of our nation's citizens and lowering the cost for coverage while increasing the quality of that coverage.

Immigration

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- Most are in the United States by hard fought means equaling the equivalent of a one-way ticket. This requirement would hamper their dreams of becoming a United States Citizen. Our Federal system could provide a way for them to stay in this country while the naturalization process takes place.

Marriage

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- It is a Right granted and if the vote passes in a State, then all States should honor the legal union.

National Security

1. Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict?
- Yes

2. Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- No

3. Other or expanded principles
- Not without probable cause that a direct threat is imminent.

Social Security

1. Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Spending and Taxes

1. Agriculture
- Slightly Increase

2. Arts
- Greatly Increase

3. Defense
- Greatly Increase

4. Education
- Slightly Increase

5. Environment
- Slightly Decrease

6. Homeland Security
- Slightly Decrease

7. International aid
- Greatly Decrease

8. Medical Research
- Maintain Status

9. Scientific Research
- Slightly Decrease

10. Space exploration
- Greatly Decrease

11. United Nations
- Maintain Status

12. Welfare
- Slightly Increase

13. Other or expanded categories
- As tax receipts dip due to the current state of the financial economy, the Federal government has the burden to increase spending in certain area while decreasing spending in others that may not be viewed as most important at the given time.

1. Capital gains taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

3. Small business taxes
- Greatly Decrease

4. Excise taxes (alcohol)
- Slightly Increase

5. Excise taxes (cigarettes)
- Slightly Increase

6. Excise taxes (transportation fuel)
- Maintain Status

7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Maintain Status

8. Income taxes (middle-income families)
- Slightly Decrease

9. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Slightly Decrease

10. Inheritance taxes
- Eliminate

11. Payroll taxes
- Slightly Decrease

12. Other or expanded categories
- Heavy taxation at the family or business levels impedes overall spending that helps keep local and state economies moving forward.

Administrative Priorities

Please explain in a total of 100 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.
- Small business incentives may require limited additional funding and could be acquired by slightly raising the permit or certification fees. Regional needs for higher or technical school education should be studied and prioritized. No additional funding required. Infrastructural needs should become a priority and the funds already appropriated need to be better utilized to reduce financial waste.