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Stephen Varela'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.
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.

Stephen Varela has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2024 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

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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 2024.

  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "I support a Balanced Budget Amendment to end the unconscionable deficits and debt we are imposing on future generations, making the Trump tax cuts permanent, opposing tax hikes (I took Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge) and ending punitive regulations on employers and jobs producers. We must end the Biden Administration’s anti-energy policies." (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.com)
  • "I support a Balanced Budget Amendment to end the unconscionable deficits and debt we are imposing on future generations, making the Trump tax cuts permanent, opposing tax hikes (I took Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge) and ending punitive regulations on employers and jobs producers. We must end the Biden Administration’s anti-energy policies." (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "The woke agenda is corrupting our culture: transitioning kids, critical race theory, judging the value of people based on their skin color or what they look like, treating criminals like victims and cops as oppressors, censoring dissenting thought, a war on traditional religion. The list grows by the day. Anti-Americanism is at the core of the woke agenda. And, let’s face it, the woke culture has had success. As a veteran who fought for our freedoms overseas, it kills me when I see polls showing that so many young people no longer say they are proud to call themselves Americans. I will work to stop the woke agenda, whenever it is appropriate for the federal government to be involved. Let’s ban transitioning our kids, stop funding institutions of higher education or giving preferential regulatory treatment to technology companies that do not embrace free speech and thought, stop the war on religion, defend our law enforcement, and put dangerous criminals behind bars." (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Federal debt now exceeds $34.25 trillion. That’s more than $103,000 for every man, woman, and child in America! Make no mistake: there will be a day of reckoning for this moral atrocity. Fiscal freedom and responsibility are important. Our debt and deficits are the greatest threats to America’s long-term prosperity. Both parties are guilty of reckless spending and irresponsible budgeting, and I’m willing to challenge the leadership of my own party, when necessary, to reduce the size, scope, and cost of government. I support a Balanced Budget Amendment to reduce and eventually eliminate the deficits and debt. Let’s reform entitlements to put them on a fiscally sound and responsible course. And we must end the corrupting influence of earmarks, in which members of Congress trade pet projects in order to pass massive spending bills." (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.com)
  • "I support a Balanced Budget Amendment to end the unconscionable deficits and debt we are imposing on future generations, making the Trump tax cuts permanent, opposing tax hikes (I took Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge) and ending punitive regulations on employers and jobs producers. We must end the Biden Administration’s anti-energy policies." (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.com)
  • "Inflation results from too much money chasing too few goods and services. Couple the Biden Administration’s reckless spending with punitive regulations on jobs producers (particularly energy jobs) that squeeze supplies and the result is predictable: inflation at levels our nation has not witnessed in decades, jeopardizing Americans’ economic freedom and independence." (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Inflation results from too much money chasing too few goods and services. Couple the Biden Administration’s reckless spending with punitive regulations on jobs producers (particularly energy jobs) that squeeze supplies and the result is predictable: inflation at levels our nation has not witnessed in decades, jeopardizing Americans’ economic freedom and independence." (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.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.
  • "The Biden Administration recently announced a ban on new liquified natural gas exports from America. It’s mind-boggling. America has the ability to export cheap, clean energy to her allies. Now, the rest of the world will turn to Russia, Iran and other overseas sources for their energy. Biden is effectively subsidizing Iran’s proxy war on Israel and Russia’s war against Ukraine! This of course is just the latest example of Biden’s anti-American jobs agenda. Drilling bans, anti-agriculture policies, and punitive regulations on small businesses are hurting western and southern Colorado. In Congress, I will be a hero for our small businesses and energy and agriculture producers. I’ll work to restart the Keystone Pipeline, end drilling bans, defend farmers’ property rights, and end punitive "Green New Deal" policies. I’ll also work to stop corporate welfare. The government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers in the marketplace. Let the market decide. Instead of a top-down economy dictated by Washington, D.C., let the economy grow from the bottom-up." (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.com)
  • "The Biden Administration recently announced a ban on new liquified natural gas exports from America. It’s mind-boggling. America has the ability to export cheap, clean energy to her allies. Now, the rest of the world will turn to Russia, Iran and other overseas sources for their energy. Biden is effectively subsidizing Iran’s proxy war on Israel and Russia’s war against Ukraine! This of course is just the latest example of Biden’s anti-American jobs agenda. Drilling bans, anti-agriculture policies, and punitive regulations on small businesses are hurting western and southern Colorado. In Congress, I will be a hero for our small businesses and energy and agriculture producers. I’ll work to restart the Keystone Pipeline, end drilling bans, defend farmers’ property rights, and end punitive "Green New Deal" policies. I’ll also work to stop corporate welfare. The government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers in the marketplace. Let the market decide. Instead of a top-down economy dictated by Washington, D.C., let the economy grow from the bottom-up." (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.com)
  • "The Second Amendment recognizes a fundamental right of Americans to defend themselves. I fully embrace the Second Amendment and will defend it against Democrat attempts to limit it – for example, the so-called "assault weapons ban", ammunition limits, and so-called "red flag" laws that seek to take away citizens’ gun rights without due process. I also support Constitutional Carry legislation to facilitate reciprocity for carrying concealed weapons." (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.com)
  • "Americans are struggling under the cost of soaring health care and insurance costs. It’s time to rethink our health care system. Let’s get government and insurers out of the middle of the doctor-patient relationship and put patients and consumers in charge of their health care decision-making through more price transparency. Let people take their health care plan from one job to the next and let employers and government support flow directly to the consumer." (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.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.
  • "We need to close the southern border and cut funding to cities that adopt sanctuary status." (x.com)
  • "Joe Biden has forfeited control of the southern border to the cartels and human drug traffickers. The result? Unprecedented levels of illegal immigrants and poisonous fentanyl flowing into America. In December alone, border encounters exceeded 300,000, a record. Tens of thousands of Americans are dying from fentanyl overdoses, many of whom – kids included -- ingested the poison unknowingly. Meanwhile, sanctuary cities like Denver are making massive cuts to city services in order to pay for the self-induced migrant crisis. We must restore order at the border and protect America’s sovereignty. I support building more wall, reforming asylum laws to make it clear who does and does not qualify, reinstating Trump’s successful "remain in Mexico" policy, requiring employers to verify legal status before hiring employees (e-verify), punishing so-called "sanctuary" cities and states with funding cuts, and hiring more immigration judges and border agents. We must change the rules of engagement at the southern border!" (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.com)
  • "We need to close the southern border and cut funding to cities that adopt sanctuary status." (x.com)
  • "Joe Biden has forfeited control of the southern border to the cartels and human drug traffickers. The result? Unprecedented levels of illegal immigrants and poisonous fentanyl flowing into America. In December alone, border encounters exceeded 300,000, a record. Tens of thousands of Americans are dying from fentanyl overdoses, many of whom – kids included -- ingested the poison unknowingly. Meanwhile, sanctuary cities like Denver are making massive cuts to city services in order to pay for the self-induced migrant crisis. We must restore order at the border and protect America’s sovereignty. I support building more wall, reforming asylum laws to make it clear who does and does not qualify, reinstating Trump’s successful "remain in Mexico" policy, requiring employers to verify legal status before hiring employees (e-verify), punishing so-called "sanctuary" cities and states with funding cuts, and hiring more immigration judges and border agents. We must change the rules of engagement at the southern border!" (www.stephenvarelaforcolorado.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.

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