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Greg Merk's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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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.
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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.

  • "Life begins at conception and the lives of the unborn have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. SCOTUS got it very wrong in Roe v Wade. Abortion in America must be ended." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I support reducing taxes and regulations but those cuts must be met with spending cuts. We simply cannot continue to leverage America's future with massive borrowing, out of control deficits and reckless Federal Reserve policy." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Campaign finance and donation sourcing should be transparent. History proves that regulations generally lead to more soft and hidden money and increased efforts to find way to circumnavigate finance laws. The controlling effect money has on our elections can only be offset through term limits." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "I support appropriate defense spending. As a career military officer, I am intimately familiar with the needs of the Defense Department. I am also familiar with the significant waste that is prevalent in government contracting. I do believe that out of all federal tax dollars spent, each dollar spent in defense, overall, provides the greatest return on investment for America: national security, skills training, instilling a sense of duty, honor, country, et al, all of which benefit both the veteran and the nation after the member leaves the military." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. The free markets must decide. Tax cuts spawn economic growth. However, they must be met with spending cuts." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. The free markets must decide. Tax cuts spawn economic growth. However, they must be met with spending cuts." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Absolutely not! Education should be left to local and state governments. The system that provides parents with the greatest flexibility and choice is the best system." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Public schools are failing everywhere. We must get the Federal Government out of the teaching business and eliminate the Department of Education. Parents know best how to educate their children not Washington bureaucrats." (votemerk.com)
  • "Climate change is the biggest lie in 100 years. Government should absolutely not be in the business of funding these developments especially since they are incapable of identifying winners from losers. Let free markets develop them. Billions in tax dollars has been wasted on countless green initiatives that have failed and gone bankrupt. The climate change agenda is more about the fundamental transformation of the American economy and the erosion of free market capitalism and less about "saving the planet." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Climate change is the biggest lie in 100 years. Government should absolutely not be in the business of funding these developments especially since they are incapable of identifying winners from losers. Let free markets develop them. Billions in tax dollars has been wasted on countless green initiatives that have failed and gone bankrupt. The climate change agenda is more about the fundamental transformation of the American economy and the erosion of free market capitalism and less about "saving the planet." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Gun control legislation" is not about making America safer or at the very least never leads to a safer America. These radical initiatives are about the systematic dismantling of the 2nd Amendment with the ultimate goal of abolishing it altogether." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Obamacare is a disaster - another step toward the socialist transformation of America. Doctors and patients know best how to manage their health care. Rising costs can be met by eliminating barriers to competition across state lines and tort reform. Obamacare is creating to unsustainable cost overruns that will ultimately lead to a single payer system and rationed care." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • 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.
  • "These are illegitimate questions because it is not as simple as a yes no answer. As a veteran of OEF and OIF, I am intimately familiar with the complexities of Mid-East policy. Countries like Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Whether or not this would require force would be situationally dependent. Also, America's involvement in the Mid-East region must be predicated on preserving and protecting US national security interest." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "These are illegitimate questions because it is not as simple as a yes no answer. As a veteran of OEF and OIF, I am intimately familiar with the complexities of Mid-East policy. Countries like Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Whether or not this would require force would be situationally dependent. Also, America's involvement in the Mid-East region must be predicated on preserving and protecting US national security interest." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Trade must be fair between countries with the ultimate goal of free trade. At the same time intellectual property must be protected and doing so might require trade sanctions. However, much of the responsibility wrt intellectual property rests with companies themselves doing business in foreign countries. Congress can discourage business relocations and job exporting by reducing corporate taxes and supporting right to work initiatives." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
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-life Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
Life begins at conception and the lives of the unborn have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. SCOTUS got it very wrong in Roe v Wade. Abortion in America must be ended.
No In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
No Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
I support reducing taxes and regulations but those cuts must be met with spending cuts. We simply cannot continue to leverage America's future with massive borrowing, out of control deficits and reckless Federal Reserve policy.
No Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
Campaign finance and donation sourcing should be transparent. History proves that regulations generally lead to more soft and hidden money and increased efforts to find way to circumnavigate finance laws. The controlling effect money has on our elections can only be offset through term limits.
Yes Do you support increasing defense spending?
I support appropriate defense spending. As a career military officer, I am intimately familiar with the needs of the Defense Department. I am also familiar with the significant waste that is prevalent in government contracting. I do believe that out of all federal tax dollars spent, each dollar spent in defense, overall, provides the greatest return on investment for America: national security, skills training, instilling a sense of duty, honor, country, et al, all of which benefit both the veteran and the nation after the member leaves the military.
No Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
No Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
Government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. The free markets must decide. Tax cuts spawn economic growth. However, they must be met with spending cuts.
No Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
Absolutely not! Education should be left to local and state governments. The system that provides parents with the greatest flexibility and choice is the best system.
No Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
No Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
Climate change is the biggest lie in 100 years. Government should absolutely not be in the business of funding these developments especially since they are incapable of identifying winners from losers. Let free markets develop them. Billions in tax dollars has been wasted on countless green initiatives that have failed and gone bankrupt. The climate change agenda is more about the fundamental transformation of the American economy and the erosion of free market capitalism and less about "saving the planet."
No Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
"Gun control legislation" is not about making America safer or at the very least never leads to a safer America. These radical initiatives are about the systematic dismantling of the 2nd Amendment with the ultimate goal of abolishing it altogether.
Yes Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
No Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19?
Obamacare is a disaster - another step toward the socialist transformation of America. Doctors and patients know best how to manage their health care. Rising costs can be met by eliminating barriers to competition across state lines and tort reform. Obamacare is creating to unsustainable cost overruns that will ultimately lead to a single payer system and rationed care.
Yes Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
Yes Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
Qualifications for immigrants must be completely rewritten to include fluent English, verifiable amount of liquid cash, marketable or recruited skill and no access to government entitlements for non-citizens. We also need a national e-verify.
Yes Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)?
Yes Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
These are illegitimate questions because it is not as simple as a yes no answer. As a veteran of OEF and OIF, I am intimately familiar with the complexities of Mid-East policy. Countries like Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Whether or not this would require force would be situationally dependent. Also, America's involvement in the Mid-East region must be predicated on preserving and protecting US national security interests
Yes Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
Trade must be fair between countries with the ultimate goal of free trade. At the same time intellectual property must be protected and doing so might require trade sanctions. However, much of the responsibility wrt intellectual property rests with companies themselves doing business in foreign countries. Congress can discourage business relocations and job exporting by reducing corporate taxes and supporting right to work initiatives.
Tax, regulation and spending cuts. Repealing Obamacare. Protecting the 2nd Amendment.

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