James Harris' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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James Harris has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2016 Political Courage Test.
Georgia Congressional Election 2016 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Generally support pro-life legislation, however believe that the choice to end a pregnancy should be available when the pregnancy is the result of certain circumstances (i.e. rape/incest), when the health of the mother or fetus is at risk, or when there is medical evidence which would suggest that the health of the child after delivery would be such that the quality of its life would be significantly diminished. | |||
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| Income taxes, by their title, are just that. Taxes on income. It doesn't make sense that some of the people who earn the MOST pay less in taxes than those whose earn less, simply because they can afford to invest in tax loopholes. It's also not fair that families who make below a certain floor pay no tax at all, as they are, in some cases, the primary recipients of programs funded by our tax dollars. Whereas our tax money is used to pay for things that everyone in this country benefits from, I support everyone paying their appropriate share. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Unions, special interest groups, and corporations influence the course of our nations policies through their contributions to election candidates. It has been found that they can accomplish the same thing through contributions to foundations and/or non profits which are then directed toward a particular candidate's campaign. I therefore believe that indirect contributions to political campaigns should be regulated in the same manner as direct contributions and should be subject to the same requirements. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| Our prisons are already overcrowded with persons perpetrating crimes which are harmful to others. The cost of supporting an inmate is very high and further taxes our economy. Therefore I support programs whereby non-violent drug offenders receive mandatory counseling, substance abuse treatment where applicable, and repay their debt to society in the form of monetary consideration and community service. Probationary periods should also be established and closely monitored. However, I do believe it should be mandatory for repeat offenders to serve some form of sentence. | |||
| Yes | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| I support investing in our country's domestic (within the US) businesses. Tax incentives, if tied to employment, will allow our businesses to expand, thereby creating more jobs on our homefront. Higher employment will throw more funds into our economy thereby promoting much needed growth. | |||
| Yes | Do you generally support requiring states to adopt federal education standards? | ||
| Education is a crucial part of our success, as individuals and our country as a whole. We make choices in life based on what we know. It has been found that , in general, the more educated a person is the less likely he/she is to involve himself in activities that are detrimental to his health/happiness. Examples of this may be cigarette smoking, teenage pregnancies, or even substance abuse. We are also, as a nation, constantly competing against the technologies of other world countries. To be successful in today's markets we must be willing to set/maintain high standards of education. | |||
| Yes | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| In Colorado EPA reports show no threat to air quality near areas of oil/gas development. Continued monitoring has revealed NO increase or spikes in cancer rates in north Texas. The Colorado Dept of Public Health has debunked claims that shale development has impacted infant and prenatal health. Continued monitoring is essential, but current regulations are acceptable. | |||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Greenhouse gases directly affect our ozone layer. A diminishing ozone layer is detrimental to life as we know it. Global warming, and the melting of our polar ice caps have affected every one of us. Evidence suggests that devastating storms, rising temperatures, and higher incidences of cancer, among other global effects have all resulted from the depletion of our ozone layer. It is therefore very important for our future generations that we take up the initiative to do what is necessary to preserve what we can of our atmosphere by reducing our emissions of greenhouse gases. | |||
| Yes | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| This was difficult. I support legislation which allows for closer scrutiny of the people who purchase guns, and an expanded list of persons who are ineligible to own them, with periodic review of those who receive the permits. I also believe that no private individual should be allowed to own assault weaponry because of the risks posed to other people, as seen by the events over the last few years. I do still believe that each individual, not excluded via the list, should be entitled to purchase and own a firearm for the protection of himself and his family. | |||
| Yes | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| Whereas the concept of providing affordable healthcare to everyone in the United States is admirable, Obamacare hasn't really achieved what I would call success, in that health care as a whole has gone up. And in some cases, the quality of the care, itself, has gone down. Companies participating in the Exchanges are now pulling out because of financial losses suffered as a result of their participation. Premiums are rising on those who stay in the program. While the diehards still opt to pay the SRP when they file their taxes, amounting to a fraction of the actual costs. | |||
| Yes | Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| Citizenship is a privilege, and is not to be taken lightly. This nation is indeed a nation of immigrants, and I believe that we should welcome people from other countries to enjoy in the religious and personal freedoms we as citizens enjoy. However, sneaking into our great nation illegally is not acceptable. We take it upon ourselves to try and care for our own, and illegal immigration places undue stress on our welfare systems on one hand, and job markets on the other, in addition to homeland security issues. Registration and acceptance policies should be adhered to, allowing minimal exceptions. | |||
| No | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| Mine is a God-based campaign. Whereas I believe that each person is entitled to his own choice of sexual preference, I adhere to what the Bible says concerning a relationships being between men and women. Therefore I support the family in the Biblical sense of being a husband, a wife, and their children. This country was founded on religious freedom, yes... but it was still a nation formed "under God. Homosexuality is immoral according to what we believe is God's written word, so if we are a nation founded on God's principles we have to hold ourselves to higher standards. | |||
| No | Do you support increased American intervention in Iraq and Syria beyond air support? | ||
| No | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| Military force? No. But it is important that nuclear armaments only be in the hands of countries who have stable, less volatile governments. I would lean more towards trade and financial sanctions, with frequent UN inspections to insure that the playing field remains level. Nuclear capability is dangerous in the hands of any government, including our own. We pose a terrible threat to those countries who are not our equals in this arena, albeit to date we have demonstrated great restraint. With great power comes great responsibility because we understand the repercussions of deploying a nuclear device in today's world. | |||
| No | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| Social security was designed as a system by which we could fund the health and welfare of our retired and disabled citizenry. It's an obligation we have accepted to take care of our own. Many people, over the course of their lives, draw back, in the form of benefits, much more than they ever paid in while they were working. The taxes we as workers are currently paying is going to help fund that effort. If allowed to divert a portion of our taxes into PRA , the funds available to fund our national welfare will diminish. | |||
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.
| Maintain Status | a) Agriculture | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Arts | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Defense | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Maintain Status | g) International aid | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Medical Research | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Space exploration | ||
| Maintain Status | k) United Nations | ||
| Maintain Status | l) Welfare | ||
| m) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Slightly Increase | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Small business taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Slightly Increase | 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 | ||
| Maintain Status | k) Payroll taxes | ||
| l) Other or expanded categories | |||
| 1. Creating jobs, thereby reducing the number of people dependent on public support. 2. Establishing additional assistance that would reduce homelessness and provide sustenance for our country's veterans who are unable to provide for themselves and their families due to injuries/disabilities incurred while in service to our country. 3. Maintaining the safety and security of our citizens, from outside influences, and within. |
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