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Representative Bart T. Stupak (MI)
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Current Office: U.S. House
Current District: 1
First Elected: 11/03/1992
Last Elected: 11/04/2008
Next Election: 2010
Party: Democratic
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What is the Political Courage Test?
Michigan Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test
Please Note
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.
Project Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.
Abortion Issues
Budgetary, Spending, and Tax Issues
Campaign Finance and Government Reform Issues
Crime Issues
Education Issues
Employment Issues
Environment and Energy Issues
Gun Issues
Health Issues
Immigration Issues
International Aid, International Policy, and International Trade Issues
National Security Issues
Social Issues
Social Security Issues
Welfare and Poverty Issues
Legislative Priorities
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Abortion Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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. | | | d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape. | | X | 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. | | | g) Medicare, Medicaid, and federal subsidies should be prohibited from being used on abortion procedures. | | | h) Other or expanded principles. |
Budgetary, Spending, and Tax Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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 Priorities | | Maintain Status | a) Agriculture | | Slightly Increase | b) Arts | | Slightly Decrease | c) Defense | | Greatly Increase | d) Education | | Greatly Increase | e) Environment | | Maintain Status | f) FEMA | | Greatly Decrease | g) Homeland security | | Maintain Status | h) International aid | | Greatly Increase | i) Law enforcement (Federal) | | Slightly Increase | j) Law enforcement (State) | | Slightly Increase | k) Medical research | | Maintain Status | l) National parks | | Greatly Increase | m) Public health services | | Slightly Increase | n) Scientific research | | Maintain Status | o) Space exploration programs | | Greatly Increase | p) Transportation and highway infrastructure | | Maintain Status | q) United Nations | | Slightly Increase | r) Welfare | | | s) Other or expanded categories | Department of Homeland Security has its fingers in everything and should be reveiwed for effectiveness. I would move FEMA and the Coast Guard out of Homeland Security.
America must invest in our crumbling infrastructure and restore the 2/3 cut in the Federal Law Enforcement Bryne grants. | | 2) Defense Spending | | Slightly Increase | a) Armed forces personnel training | | Maintain Status | b) Intelligence operations | | Slightly Increase | c) Military hardware | | Maintain Status | d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment | | Greatly Decrease | e) National missile defense | | Greatly Increase | f) Pay for active duty personnel | | Maintain Status | g) Programs to improve troop retention rates | | Slightly Decrease | h) Research and development of new weapons | | Greatly Increase | i) Troop and equipment readiness | | | j) Other or expanded categories | Better accountability is needed in the Department of Defense as it has been reported that the military gives away "bricks of dollars" on the Baghdad streets; there is no accountability of reconstruction efforts in Iraq, and no more "no bid" contracts.
Intelligence operations and expeditures are always a "closed" section of the appropriation bills so members do not have a good idea on how much is being spent. Therefore, it is hard to say whether you should increase or decrease. | | 3) Taxes | | Indicate 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 Taxes | | Eliminate | a) Less than $12,000 | | Eliminate | 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 | | Greatly Increase | f) $350,001 and above | | | g) Other or expanded categories | | I believe Congress should simplify the tax code and use a tax percentage of income for the listed categories with only deductions for home mortgage, taxes, and charitable contributions. | | Other Taxes | | Slightly Decrease | a) Alcohol taxes | | Maintain Status | b) Capital gains taxes | | Greatly Increase | c) Cigarette taxes | | Maintain Status | d) Corporate taxes | | Maintain Status | e) Gasoline taxes | | Maintain Status | f) Inheritance taxes | | | g) Other or expanded categories | Beer and wine should be lowered to the previous tax rate as they were unfairly taxed!
With the deficit and massive federal debt, spending and tax decreases must be paid for in the current budget year. We must have fiscal responsibility and discipline in the federal government, beginning with pay-as-you-go! | | Deductions/Credits | | Maintain Status | a) Charitable contribution deduction | | Maintain Status | b) Child tax credit | | Slightly Increase | c) Earned income tax credit | | Greatly Increase | d) Medical expense deduction | | Maintain Status | e) Mortgage deduction | | Maintain Status | f) Student loan credit | | | g) Other or expanded categories | I wish to see comprehensive health insurance for all Americans and there will probably be tax consequences to any plan.
Student loan legislation has been submitted to the Senate for approval that would increase pell grant and assist with the cost of education. | | No | 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? | | | 6) Other or expanded principles | I would not repeal the federal income tax until a new tax structure is in place.
I support a balance budget with exceptions for war and disasters.
I also support a line item veto for the President. |
Campaign Finance and Government Reform Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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. | | X | h) Support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations. | | X | i) Support limiting the President's use of signing statements in order to prevent an alternative interpretation of the bill. | | X | j) Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege. | | | k) Other or expanded principles |
Crime Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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. | | X | e) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes. | | | f) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs. | | X | g) Support strict penalties for internet crime (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses). | | X | h) Require that crimes based on sexual orientation be prosecuted as federal hate crimes. | | | i) Other or expanded principles | | Only allow death penalties in the most heinous crimes such as torture, terrorism, and unconscionable acts! |
Education Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education. | | X | a) Support the federal government funding universal pre-K programs. | | | b) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school. | | | 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). | | X | k) Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind). | | | l) Other or expanded principles |
Employment Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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 todays job market. | | | 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. | | X | g) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws. | | X | h) Include gender identity in federal anti-discrimination laws. | | | i) Other or expanded principles |
Environment and Energy Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy. | | X | a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act. | | X | 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). | | | d) Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles. | | | e) Strengthen fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles. | | | 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. | | | k) Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming. | | X | l) Support international voluntary emission targets to limit global warming. | | | m) Other or expanded principles | There are approximately 93 acres available in Alaska and outer continental shelf for oil and gas exploration that the oil companies are NOT drilling in now! These 93 million acres have been leased and permits approved! Congress should require these oil companies to drill or give up their leases so those companies who wish to drill for new sources can do so.
Congress must get the speculators out of the oil futures contract market. Removing the oil speculators, could lower the cost of a barrel of oil by 30 to 50 percent. |
Gun Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns. | | X | a) Allow individuals to carry concealed guns. | | | b) Ban the sale, ownership or possession of handguns except by law enforcement and other government officials. | | On (c) and (d), indicate what levels (#1-6) you support for the following categories. | | Maintain Status | c) Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | | Maintain Status | d) Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | | | e) Other or expanded principles | | Congress should strike at the root of crime by investing in social, educational, and economic conditions and NOT just pass more gun laws |
Health Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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. | | X | c) Allow the importation of prescription drugs into the United States. | | X | d) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare. | | X | e) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage. | | X | f) Support expanding child healthcare programs. | | | g) Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government. | | | h) Other or expanded principles | | Congress can provide health care by simply allowing all Americans access to voluntarily "buy in' to the Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Initiative and Federal Employees Health Benefit Package. |
Immigration Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration. | | | a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country. | | | b) Establish English as the official national language. | | | c) Support a temporary worker program. | | | d) Support harsher financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants. | | | e) Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States. | | | 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. | | | i) Other or expanded principles |
International Aid, International Policy, and International Trade Issues
(Back to top)
| International Aid | | Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international aid. | | 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. | | X | 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. | | | e) Other or expanded principles | | International Policy | | Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international policy. | | Yes | a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process? | | Yes | 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? | | Yes | d) Should the United States support the Lebanese government against insurgent forces? | | No | e) Should the United States maintain its troop levels in Iraq? | | Yes | f) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq? | | g) Discuss your proposals for Iraq. | | I did not vote for the Iraq war. I beklieve it is time for the Iraqis to stand up for their country. Bring our troops home now! I will not engage in military operatiion in Lebanon. | | 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? | | Yes | k) Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes? | | No | l) Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan? | | Undecided | 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? | | Yes | q) Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses? | | Yes | r) Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo? | | | s) Other or expanded principles | I voted for the war in Afghanistan and we must win the war!
We cannot be the world's policeman and should have greater use of diplomatic and economic sanctions by the United States and our allies! The Congo, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Kosovo and Pakistan, the US should not be using military force to bring about change and there has not been enough sanctions against these countries. | | International Trade | | Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade. | | Yes | a) Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China? | | Undecided | b) Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela? | | No | c) Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements? | | No | d) Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade? | | | e) Other or expanded principles | | We must enforce our trades laws! China is currently dumping coat paper in our country and the ITC ruled it did not cause enough of an economic disruption in the paper industry. Dumping is illegal and must not be allowed. Approximately 550 American unionized workers lost their good paying jobs with benefits because of China illegal dumping of coated paper and the US did nothing! |
National Security Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security. | | Yes | a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical? | | No | b) Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications, to prevent future terrorist attacks? | | Undecided | c) Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country? | | No | d) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security? | | Undecided | e) Do you support pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to United States national security? | | No | f) Do you support the creation of a federal identification card system? | | No | g) Do you support long-term use of National Guard troops to supplement the armed forces in assignments overseas? | | No | h) Should the United States expand its missile defense shield? | | | i) Other or expanded principles | Pre-emtive strikes is only for immediate danger to the US, not because we don't like the ruler!
I would not go after a country that maybe the site of terrorist activity unless that country encouraged and promoted terrorism. |
Social Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues. | | No | a) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry? | | Undecided | 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? | | Undecided | e) Should the federal government consider race and gender in government contracting decisions? | | Yes | f) Should the federal government continue affirmative action programs? | | Yes | g) Should the federal government regulate internet gambling? | | | h) Other or expanded principles | Science has developed a new method that does not destroy the "human life" of the embryo.
I would support federal funding as along the the embryo is not destroyed. |
Social Security Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| 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. | | | f) Other or expanded principles | | To solve the insolvency problem, most income should be subject to social security tax. Currently, to receive full benefits, it depends on the year you were born. For me I cannot receive full social security until I am 66. |
Welfare and Poverty Issues
(Back to top) Related: Key Votes Ratings
| Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty. | | | 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. | | X | c) Support housing assistance for welfare recipients. | | | d) Abolish all federal welfare programs. | | | e) Other or expanded principles |
Legislative Priorities
(Back to top)
| 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. | End the "Enron loophole" that allow speculators to control the oil futures contract market in order to lower the cost of a barrel of oil by 30-50%.
Provide voluntary "buy in" access to health care for all Americans and end the war in Iraq now! |
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