Ryan Melton's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Ryan Melton is currently being tested through the 2024 Political Courage Test.
Iowa Congressional Election 2024 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| No | Do you support the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade? | ||
| If elected, I would prioritize codifying Roe to defend reproductive rights. | |||
| Yes | Do you support expanding federal funding to support social safety net programs such as Social Security and Medicare? | ||
| No | Do you support a decrease in income taxes in order to balance the budget? | ||
| Yes | Do you support a wealth tax in order to pay for public programs? | ||
| The wealthy need to pay their fair share. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations, unions, and individuals? | ||
| We need to overturn Citizens United and get to a public financing of elections model. | |||
| No | Do you support protecting government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct? | ||
| No one is above the law. | |||
| No | Do you support increasing defense spending? | ||
| The Department of Defense has not been able to pass an audit. That should priority number 1, so we can really know how much money is being spent. | |||
| Yes | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth (e.g. grants, tax incentives)? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal government increasing funding for affordable housing programs? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal government taking action, beyond those of the Federal Reserve, to alleviate inflation? | ||
| I'm a supporter of a corporate windfall tax during times of inflation to deter corporations from taking advantage of an inflationary baseline. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the forgiveness of federal student loan debt? | ||
| If PPP loans can be forgiven for the wealthiest Americans, why can't federal student loan debt be forgiven for those that are often struggling? In rural Iowa, student loan debt and the need to pay it off is a big obstacle to getting experts to come here, as we don't have the population base or household income to compensate them sufficiently. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring a government-issued identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| Yes | Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| No | Do you support the federal government allowing permits for drilling on public lands? | ||
| Yes | Do you generally support gun-control legislation (e.g. red flag laws, boyfriend loopholes)? | ||
| Yes | Do you support a government-run (e.g. single-payer) healthcare program, such as Medicare-for-All? | ||
| Yes | Do you support expanding paid family AND/OR medical leave benefits (e.g. maternity leave)? | ||
| Yes | Should the government be able to regulate the cost of prescription drugs? | ||
| Yes | Do you support increasing security along the southern US border? | ||
| No | Do you support requiring immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship, regardless of their immigration status? | ||
| Yes | Do you support economic intervention as a means of resolving international conflicts? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the US providing increased offensive military aid to Ukraine? | ||
| Yes | Do you generally support increased regulations on social media companies (e.g. Tik Tok, Facebook, etc.)? | ||
| First, most of the counties in my congressional district have seen consistent population decline for decades. This has been driven by a ramp up in industrial ag and the consolidation of power in ag, an attack on labor unions, an attack on reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ rights, and a lack of investment in these communities by our representatives. I would be in support of breaking up the ag monopolies to drive more price competition, incentivizing the introduction of first-time farmers in higher numbers via increasing the diversity of what we grow, creating markets to support that shift, and providing grants to obtain land and farm equipment. I would fund this in part with a wealth tax. I would also be a yes vote for the PRO Act to bring union power back, which would help minimize the wealth gap and grow opportunity for more Iowans. I would also vote for the Equality Act and would codify Roe. Second, we are dealing with a cancer crisis, being the 2nd highest cancer incidence rate state in the nation and the only state with an increasing cancer incidence rate. I would push for legislation to research the root of the problem, and would work to rid the EPA and USDA of regulatory capture so we can properly address the water pollution issues plaguing our state that in part are driving our cancer crisis. Third, a major issue in my congressional district is the battle over the use of eminent domain to lay carbon capture pipelines. These pipelines would require eminent domain abuse, would pose a major threat to our already depleted water supply, would threaten public health, and are a waste of money as this carbon sequestration tech has oft proven to not provide the carbon emission reductions that would justify the expenditure of tax payer money. Furthermore, the pipeline company execs are going to use the carbon product not to inject innocuously underground to minimize carbon emissions. Instead, they are going to use the product for Enhanced Oil Recovery, nullifying the benefit of carbon sequestration. |
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