Cameron Parsons' 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.
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Cameron Parsons did not provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2022 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.
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.
- "Abortions have a long documented and controversial history in this country. It has become one of the most divisive issues in the last 50 years. For too many women, it is the most difficult decision of their lives. Both parties have used the issue as a political football. Instead of continuing this fight in which no one wins, we could immediately take action to reduce the total number of abortions in a bipartisan manner. Congress has the power to encourage adoptions, provide aid to newborn children, and assist expectant mothers. The new Texas abortion vigilante law has made life harder for women, doctors, and care givers. In some cases, medical emergencies may result in the death of the mother and/or the child. Difficult medical decisions should not be forced on families due to the misguided principles of self-serving politicians. Life and health are too complex to be guided by blanket laws. We should do what we can do to help families overcome these challenges. A pilot program in Colorado that provided family planning and birth control to expectant mothers, cut abortion rates in half within 5 years of implementation. This should be the model for the rest of the country. This has the potential to be a turning point for the United States. Whether you are pro-choice, pro-life, or anything in between, we can all agree that fewer individuals seeking abortions is a good thing. We can overcome this useless partisan fighting, and eliminate the need for abortions all together." (www.tn1.us)
- "Medicare spending has exceeded $1.1 trillion per year and is on pace to go insolvent in about 5-10 years. Congress has many options to solve this problem. Cost sharing can be simplified, prescription drug coverages can be simplified, allowing competitive bidding, and non-essential payments can be modified. Any action would be preferable than allowing this program to fail." (www.tn1.us)
- "The Social Security Act of 1935 established the first major social insurance program in the United States. It is a needs based entitlement, which means that individuals pay into the program during their working years, and can withdraw the money during retirement or if they become disabled. It has been one of the most successful government programs ever created. Despite years of record profits and growth, the government has allowed Social Security funding to become another partisan issue. If no action is taken, the Social Security trust fund will be depleted in 2034. For years now, Republicans have threatened to cut or dismantle Social Security altogether. Millions of Americans depend on Social Security to survive. I will not allow the Republican party of anyone else to destroy this great program. I support the Democratic Social Security 2100 legislation that will ensure the program remains stable for the rest of the century. That legislation would lower benefits for public workers, pension holders, and other individuals that are independently wealthy. It would also force those high income earners that have avoided paying Social Security tax to begin funding the program. Another way we could help to save Social Security is to reduce the taxes on the actual Social Security benefits paid. We have a lot of options to make this work, and I will explore every one to make sure future generations enjoy the protections of the Social Security Administration." (www.tn1.us)
- "Although I support balancing budgets and stopping our current debt spending, I do believe in the power of good government programs. Our combined financial resources in the form of taxes are controlled by Congress. We have established great programs like Social Security, Medicare, the Postal Service, TVA, Amtrak, etc. Those all take in funds, but multiply them across the country to provide benefit beyond what any specific person or organization would ever be capable of doing. All government programs are capable of working efficiently and being economically beneficial." (www.tn1.us)
- "I support HR-1422, which is an attempt to solve some of the issues around campaign finance. Money should not be the barrier to citizens that have clear policy concerns from voicing their opinions. My campaign will be a shinning example of that. I hope to be open about where campaign money comes from, and where it eventually is spent. This is a simple step to eliminate a common source of corruption... Members of Congress should be banned from profiting on stocks, receiving bribes, or be able to sale our country out to the highest bidder! Profiteers have no place in our elected government, and they should all be removed from office. Both parties are part of the problem, but individuals like us will have to take a stand against this corrupting influence. I will fight against Nancy Pelosi, Diana Harshberger, or any other corrupt member of Congress continuing this practice. Finally, our Representatives in government must be held accountable for their actions. The list of crimes committed while in office is almost unbelievable. I will force Congress to be more transparent, more responsive to constituents, and to face consequences for illegal actions. Like our current Representative, they spend millions of dollars per year to hide their transgressions. We will block loopholes in campaign finance regulations, limit political donations, and guarantee free and fair elections. We will not have our government held hostage by crooks and criminals any longer." (www.tn1.us)
- "Recently, basic principles of law and order have been under attack. Strong rhetoric about defunding police has done nothing to make people in this country safer. Token statements of support for the police have proven to be equally lacking in action. Neither side seems willing to drop the grandstanding and actually take action to help. We must stop politicizing and help. Congress can provide support with training, equipment, and other support. Our police and first responders are entrusted with our lives on a daily basis, and they should be supported as much as possible. Too often hidden behind these arguments around law enforcement is the lack of readily available mental healthcare. Most perpetrators of violent crimes have some underlying mental health issue. This is not a problem that having more police, more prisons, or more punishments is going to solve. Congress must take measures to help treat this unchecked mental illness problem before it destroys our society. We have a strong base of support for law enforcement from both Republicans and Democrats, but the major disagreements come from purely political positions. The federal government can play a supporting role by establishing national standards for training, providing support to officers, and establishing a positive culture for policing." (www.tn1.us)
- "In addition to the irreplaceable loss of life, vultures have taken advantage of our predicament to lie, cheat, and steal fortunes from the government. The Pentagon has received over $14 trillion since 9/11. We have spent more than $3 trillion on counter terrorism. We have spent another $2 trillion in the Afghanistan War, with as much as half of that total going to defense contractors. An alarming percentage of this money has disappeared without trace into the pockets of political donors. That is money fighting terrorism, and doesn't show the staggering lack of support that our veterans desperately needed... Perhaps the most important job that Congress has is the security of the country by maintaining a strong military presence. The United States has had the strongest military in the world since the early 1940s. That is something the world hadn't seen since the United Kingdom ruled the seas from the defeat of Napoleon to the start of WW1. This is an expensive task, and must be handled in a precise and efficient manner. I can safely say that Congress has failed to do that, and is something that I would dedicate myself to fixing." (www.tn1.us)
- "It seems that Republicans and Democrats have both ignored the problems associated with spending beyond our means. I support measures to stop the deficit spending that continues to pile up debt. Future budgets should be limited to our ability to pay. Looking back, both parties have severely damaged our economic certainty. The only way for us to dig out of this mess is to return to responsible governance. I want to see Democrats return to the party of balanced budgets, and I will lead that effort if no one else steps forward...Although I support balancing budgets and stopping our current debt spending, I do believe in the power of good government programs. Our combined financial resources in the form of taxes are controlled by Congress." (www.tn1.us)
- "Another portion of that is wasteful government spending. The true key to successful government spending in this country is to make it specifically targeted, efficiently managed, and supportive of broad economic growth. For far too long, we have suffered from terrible mismanagement, reckless spending controls, and inexcusable waste. I will continue to identify these issues and provide concrete solutions to remedy the problems." (www.tn1.us)
- "In 2016, Donald Trump's main bipartisan initiatives was infrastructure plan. Both parties are aware of the benefit that having a modern infrastructure system can have on an economy. However, misplaced priorities left that deal dead. I support the new bipartisan deal to fix our aging transportation systems. I strongly support the initiative to expand public rail transport to the Tri-Cities. We are very close to finally restoring passenger service to Bristol, and I also believe that we should also expand that to Knoxville. Having all of East Tennessee connected to the East Coast will open up our area to countless new opportunities to local businesses." (www.tn1.us)
- "The Build Back Better Act that is waiting on a vote in the Senate is a massive $1.75 trillion bill that would reduce taxes on small business, provide universal preschool, stabilize rising prescription drug prices, provide paid family leave, provide low income housing, expand elderly and disabled care, expand apprenticeships across the country, and give tax credits for green energy purchase. Congratulations if you made it to the end of that list, because that isnt all, but I just couldnt write anymore. All of the spending will be offset by increased enforcement existing tax laws, a 15% tax on corporate foreign profits, closing loopholes on wealthy tax brackets, reforming prescription drug rules, 1% tax on corporate stock buybacks, and targeted tax on corporations making more than $1 billion for 3 consecutive years...As a fiscally conservative person, it gave me hope to see a large bill like the Build Back Better Act projected to be spending neutral....This government owes the people that elected them to positions of power, to wield it appropriately. While Build Back Better does do some great things, it could be better." (www.tn1.us)
- 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.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "The most expensive and controversial component of the current bill is the clean energy component. While critics will cry about the Green New Deal, the component is not that. It does fund modernized rail service, public transport, power grid infrastructure, electric car charging stations, new carbon capture technology, and renewable energy generation. Most of the spending is targeted to keep us slightly ahead of China and ensure that our infrastructure is able to support an increasingly technology driven future. This spending would provide support to everyday Americans and practically every business in the country." (www.tn1.us)
- "When I think about conservation, I think about how lucky we are to live in this country. We have some of the best land, water, and air in the world. Plentiful game, fertile land, and endless opportunities for exploration. However, if current projections hold, the United States will be the last nation on Earth to have a supply of clean drinking water. Everyday, news stories show disastrous air quality, famine, and great environmental disasters. We must use common sense to keep our country pristine for future generations. Hunters, hikers, and farmers can all achieve the same goals. Conservation is the natural area for conservatives and liberals to unite in this country. We are traditionally divided between urban liberals and rural conservatives. However, both sides have come to recognize that we only have one chance to keep our pristine natural environment. Compare this to the unbridled expansion in China that has destroyed vast swaths of the environment, generated unbreathable air, and undrinkable water. What kind of future will be left for the next generations if hunters have nothing to hunt, if fishers have no fish to catch, if hikers have no trails to take, if photographers have no natural wonders to capture? We have some basic issues that need ironing out, and we need strong leaders to do just that." (www.tn1.us)
- "When I think about conservation, I think about how lucky we are to live in this country. We have some of the best land, water, and air in the world. Plentiful game, fertile land, and endless opportunities for exploration. However, if current projections hold, the United States will be the last nation on Earth to have a supply of clean drinking water. Everyday, news stories show disastrous air quality, famine, and great environmental disasters. We must use common sense to keep our country pristine for future generations. Hunters, hikers, and farmers can all achieve the same goals. Conservation is the natural area for conservatives and liberals to unite in this country. We are traditionally divided between urban liberals and rural conservatives. However, both sides have come to recognize that we only have one chance to keep our pristine natural environment. Compare this to the unbridled expansion in China that has destroyed vast swaths of the environment, generated unbreathable air, and undrinkable water. What kind of future will be left for the next generations if hunters have nothing to hunt, if fishers have no fish to catch, if hikers have no trails to take, if photographers have no natural wonders to capture? We have some basic issues that need ironing out, and we need strong leaders to do just that." (www.tn1.us)
- "Like abortion, guns have become one of the most divisive issues in American politics. Personally, I build guns, suppressors, and reload my own ammunition. I was raised to be a respectful and responsible gun owner, and I always will be. It is part of being a good American, and I am teaching my children those same values. I support HR-38 and HR-95 to protect gun rights, and I will always support the 2nd Amendment. I do not support the Democrat's assault weapon ban, or the outlawing of certain components by Republicans. Those laws do nothing to prevent crime. Most of the disagreements on guns come from those that have no knowledge of the safe practices of firearms ownership. I will help fight this ignorance and be a voice of reason. A prime example of government overreach is the ongoing management of the ATF. As a policing force, the ATF should not be allowed to change laws or how to enforce them based on who is in charge. I would support rolling part of the ATF into the DEA to assist with protecting consumers. Any firearm issues can be handled by the FBI." (www.tn1.us)
- 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.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "Immigrates typically cross our borders looking for good paying work. However, it is illegal for employers to hire these immigrants. To stop them from coming, you must start there. We have been arguing to solve this symptom, when we need to solve the cause of the problem. If we have a true worker shortage that requires immigrates, then issue permits for them to work here and go back. Or, if they have shown themselves to be capable of being good citizens, all them to become citizens. Stop allowing politicians to feed this false narrative around immigration." (www.tn1.us)
- 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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