Richard Lieberman's 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.
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Richard Lieberman has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2016 Political Courage Test.
Louisiana Congressional Election 2016 Political Courage Test
| No | 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? | ||
| Members of Congress constantly complain that the United States has the highest tax rate in the world. That's true, but which corporations actually pay a 35% rate? Very few! Taxes do not need to be raised. Corporations need to be forced to pay their pair share. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Share holders and employees of corporations should be able to know who the corporation is funding. The same goes for unions. | |||
| Yes | Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | ||
| Yes | Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| Yes | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Federal spending for infrastructure is an investment which can create jobs if done correctly. I would support lowering taxes to promote economic growth if loopholes eliminated. Tax incentives for job training and business expansion would be acceptable to me. | |||
| No | Do you generally support requiring states to adopt federal education standards? | ||
| State and local governments should decide education standards. | |||
| No | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| No | Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| No | Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | ||
| When liability for spills is required for the Canadian company, then I will be in favor. The government should not be in the business of funding business ventures. States and local governments should regulate fracking. | |||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| I live in an area of southeast Louisiana known as "cancer alley". Not only do the oil and chemical plants affect our environment quality of human life is altered. | |||
| No | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
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| The second amendment speaks for itself. U.S. citizens have the right to bear arms period. However, U.S. citizens do not have the right to abuse the 2nd amendment. Therefore, anyone who commits a crime with a firearm should be federally prosecuted with a mandatory minimum sentence. Any subsequent violations should require a doubling of the initial prison term. | |||
| No | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
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| "Obamacare" needs to be fixed. S Corporations and other "real" small businesses should be exempt from the employer mandate. Something needs to be done with respect to insurance companies which have narrowed their doctor pool to the point of patients loosing their doctors. There should be a public option and private option with real choices. | |||
| Yes | Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
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| An illegal cannot gain employment without the help of an illegal employer; that's the bottomline. | |||
| No | Do you support increased American intervention in Iraq and Syria beyond air support? | ||
| Yes | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| Since the Viet Nam Conflict the U.S. has been involved with unconventional advisories while carrying out conventional warfare tactics. | |||
| Yes | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| Only if investment institutions are held to a high liability standard. | |||
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.
| Slightly Increase | a) Agriculture | ||
| Eliminate | b) Arts | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Defense | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) International aid | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Medical Research | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Greatly Decrease | j) Space exploration | ||
| Eliminate | k) United Nations | ||
| Slightly Decrease | l) Welfare | ||
| m) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Maintain Status | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Small business taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Eliminate | k) Payroll taxes | ||
| Corporate taxes should be below 20% along with ending loopholes. Small business (pass through treatment) filers should have a lower rate than other individual or joint filers. Eliminate the employer side of payroll taxes. | |||
| Federal student loans interest should be lowered to 2.4%. Lower student loan interest will create instant disposable income which will spur our economy. Abolish the department of education. States and local district should design programs for their students with parental input. Flood insurance rates can become reasonable by: requiring all federal home loans to have flood insurance; lower insurance company commissions; Congress pay back money taken from NFIP. Lower corporate tax rates below 20% and end all loopholes. Territorial Tax for companies brining money back into U.S. earned overseas at 0%. |
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