Roger Roots' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.
Issue Positions
For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2022.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "No one should pay taxes" (twitter.com)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "The Trump corporate tax cuts brought in significantly more revenue as corporations thrived and returned to American soil. (It looks like it will be brief, as Congress is poised to reverse course and drive corporations back overseas.)" (twitter.com)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
| Pro-choice | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| I believe Roe v. Wade was properly decided under libertarian and originalist principles. There is a broad constitutional right to privacy regarding family matters and domestic relationships. | |||
| Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| I would always vote to decrease current tax rates in all categories. | |||
| No | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| All such regulation abridges freedom of speech and press and gives government too much power over politics. The First Amendment means what it says: "Congress shall make no law . . ." | |||
| No | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support lowering taxes as a way of promoting growth in the economy? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| By "tax incentives" I include LOWER or no taxes for businesses. This will inevitably mean more jobs and higher incomes for Americans. The U.S. currently has the world's highest corporate tax rates. This is driving businesses overseas and costing Americans greatly. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | ||
| Education is up to local parents--not the federal government. | |||
| Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | |||
| No | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Human activity may indeed be contributing to a very small amount of climate change. But this contribution may be almost minuscule. The science is not settled. In any case there is nothing I could do as a U.S. Senator that could take over or control global temperatures, and I will do nothing in the Senate to attempt to create some sort of bureaucratic thermostat for the world. (Such a bureaucracy would ENSURE that the "problem" would never be fixed.) | |||
| No | Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| No except for guns purchased by and for the government. I will work to demilitarize federal agencies operating within the country. | |||
| Yes | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | ||
| And Medicare and Medicaid as well. All of these programs increase demand without increasing supply causing prices to rise. These programs trap poor people out of health care and lead to a less healthy society. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| Yes | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| Marriage should not be political. It is not subject to a vote in the U.S. Senate. It should be an entirely private matter between private entities. | |||
| No | Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict? | ||
| No | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| Yes | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| I will work in every way possible to convert Social Security into a more private, free-market-oriented set of institutions, accounts or situations. Social Security in its present form impoverishes Americans by promoting less saving and investment. We are all poorer because of Social Security in its current form. | |||
SpendingIndicate what federal spending levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.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.
| Eliminate | a) Agriculture | ||
| Eliminate | b) Arts | ||
| Eliminate | c) Defense | ||
| Eliminate | d) Education | ||
| Eliminate | e) Environment | ||
| Eliminate | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Eliminate | g) International aid | ||
| Eliminate | h) Medical Research | ||
| Eliminate | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Eliminate | j) Space exploration | ||
| Eliminate | k) United Nations | ||
| Eliminate | l) Welfare | ||
| Eliminate | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Eliminate | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Eliminate | c) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Eliminate | d) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Eliminate | e) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Eliminate | f) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | g) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | h) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | i) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Eliminate | j) Payroll taxes | ||
| k) Other or expanded categories | |||
| The role of the federal government should be reduced as quickly as possible to its allegedly necessary foundations. A fair justice system to resolve legal disputes between states, etc. (At least until private institutions for dispute resolution are developed.) | |||
| I will vote in one direction only--in favor of individual liberty (and, consequently, against government). I am willing to compromise with those who love, trust, or adore expansive intrusive government: Such Americans should be free to to "opt in" to such programs so long as Americans who detest or distrust government may "opt out." This means that Americans who opt out will not be burdened with paying for such programs--and will have no right to ever demand any "benefits" from the government agencies administering such programs. |
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