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Amy Chai's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

On The Ballot: Running, Republican for U.S. House (CT) - District 1

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.
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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.

  • "That is such a straw man argument. Except for some hyper Catholic extremists, birth control advocacy is ignored. And most abortion is simply birth control. Actual birth control is FREE and easily accessed. I know this because I am a doctor." (twitter.com)
  • "THIRD PARTY ACTIVISTS! Let the Roe/Wade controversy be a point of unity for us. EXPOSE how the UNIPARTY manipulates us for donations and rage votes. Does anyone actually believe that abortion is an "ALL" versus "NONE" meme? Or is it nuanced? SAY NO TO EXTREMISTS #VoteThirdParty" (twitter.com)
  • "Um...you do realize that RvW has NOT been overturned, and that the 10th Amendment would remand abortion laws to the states, right? This is a political stunt by desperate Dems. #VoteThirdParty" (twitter.com)
  • "I have a plan to solve the issue in a way that 80% of people will accept. I intend to codify "therapeutic" (medically necessary abortion including rape) as a federal right. Then I will leave "elective" abortion (the use as a contraceptive method) for the states to determine. I am a physician and I understand this issue extremely well. It is not a yes/no question." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "We waste billions of dollars and we allow the destruction of hundreds of thousands of lives every year. We need to expand addiction treatment to the Medicare age group. We need to invest in dual diagnosis supportive communities." (docchai2022.com)
  • "There is plenty of money already in play. The problem is that this money is mis-spent. I will use evidence-based outcome measures and data to determine what works and what does not work. I will REMOVE administrative bloat and P4P from Medicare. I will REMOVE the PBMs. Then we will see the same money work like never before." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Help my candidacy (US House CT district 3) I am endorsed by both Libertarian/Independent and will be on Nov ballot v DeLauro. I support tax reform. I also support campaign finance reform, ranked choice, term limits. And END FICA rip off for self employed." (twitter.com)
  • "That is why I want to give Americans back their power and unity with the Enfranchise America Act. This act will maximize voter access and maximize election transparency first and foremost. But neither of those things will matter without good candidates worth voting for. That is why the EAA will include campaign finance reform and ranked choice voting." (docchai2022.com)
  • "I support ELIMINATION of campaign contributions from corporations and unions. I intend to completely reform campaign finance. I would like to see term limits so that "getting money" is not the main goal of candidates from day one." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I’m sure he supports ALL of the public sector unions. Not just the teachers. He is their b*tch all day long. He does not care what that means for impoverished kids in failing schools or victims of police violence. Just give him dolla bill" (twitter.com)
  • "Nobody is above the law. Misconduct needs to be addressed. And the liability belongs to the INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBLE not to the taxpayer. Why should the taxpayer fund a settlement against a department when the fault lies with the person who was in the wrong?" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I believe in a strong defense force, and would prefer not to deploy it. " (docchai2022.com)
  • "I support a very strong military with cutting edge weaponry. I do NOT support endless proxy wars, which is where most of our defense spending currently is spent. Take some of that and tend to our Vets. No to proxy wars. Yes to military might." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Some things are worth spending money on, such as prevention and innovation. Other things are a waste of money and promote corruption. We need representatives who can tell the difference." (docchai2022.com)
  • "The Green New Deal looks to the past for answers. It looks to big government spending and big government mandates. I believe that those are not ideal solutions for an increasingly complex future. I would like to provide infrastructure support to regions (such as New England) to create their own networks of innovation called, “Sustainability Zones.” (docchai2022.com)
  • "The RNC/DNC is not individual donors. 100 Million is a lot of coconuts. The dark money in the bill focuses on "foreign" people. It does not mention unlimited spending by US entities such as SEIU. Or "Sweetheart" deals as payback. So much corruption." (twitter.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Paying off federal loan debt is only going to encourage the universities to continue their inflated and predatory pricing. I suggest that if a student cannot pay his debt, that the UNIVERSITY SHOULD PICK UP THE TAB. Then we will see how quickly they provide a good education and an affordable price." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I run a methadone clinic. My patients are often homeless and shooting up straight fentanyl. THEY HAVE AN ID. Voter suppression does NOT come from IDs. Voter suppression comes from two parties that give us two horrible choices that nobody wants to vote for. This disenfranchises about half of US registered voters already. What is the point of a free and fair election when the candidates are simply mouthpieces for unelected party structures?" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "ONLY by ways that are proven and do not unjustly harm the poor or punish people for breathing. We have FREE and SIMPLE ways to decrease greenhouse gases, but the feds want to impose top down crony plans so they can trade in carbon credits while they fly their private jets to Davos. No. We need to plant trees, improve zoning, improve housing, make cities walkable, do composting, and many other things. Forcing people to buy a Tesla or eat bugs are "bad ideas." I prefer "good ideas." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Pretty soon people won’t be allowed to have opinions, either. Too dangerous! Much worse than guns. What ever happened to, “I disagree with you,” instead of “you are pathetic?”" (twitter.com)
  • "Top Three concerns of people at the Juneteenth fair today: 1-Lower property taxes in New Haven; 2-Improve schools/more black teachers; 3-End gun violence in the neighborhood. How to do it? It will be cross disciplinary. Send my your ideas at I listen." (docchai2022.com)
  • "I support 2A and will not take away guns. Even so, I will consider proven measures that will reduce harm. But it has to make sense. Things like making LCMs very hard to get. Making people get a "shooting license" similar to a driver license would make sense. I have seen research about the causes of gun violence and it is really important to address those. Also I care about the urban kids getting murdered and want to end the school to prison pipeline. Common sense, limited legislation is constitutional. Does this work for my "well regulated milita?" (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.
  • "I would end Pharmacy Benefit Managers. This is why costs are so high and why mom n pop pharmacies are dying out. I would also end lobbying by corporations, so this problem will get much better much more quickly. I do not like the government to regulate the market. There are many other steps to take. I would also mandate that critical drugs are manufactured in the USA. Summary-insurance company PBMs are the cause of the problem. Clean house." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "I support immigration reform. This is much more than a yes/no question. I support penalizing companies that hire unlawfully under the table and I would reduce the incentives for unlawful entry, then I would secure the border and go to work evaluating cases as they come. Criminals are gone and will not return." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "This is merely a way to give China improved hegemony in Asia. We are fighting a proxy war with Russia on the backs of Ukrainian men who are forced to fight. This helps China, and it also helps the global financial system. I support humanitarian aid. We spent more in the first 6 months of Ukraine war than we did in the first 5 years of our Afghanistan war, and we actually had boots on the ground at that time. Xi is pleased by a chastened Russia and open access to central Asia courtesy of US dollars." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Economic growth is not really promoted by increased taxation. Of that much I am sure. But I would SHIFT the tax burden from "earned income" (people's daily labor) to "skimmed income" (financial products and trades). We tax work too much. Everyone knows that whatever you will tax, you will get LESS of. That plays out in work just like any other product." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "We need to implement a tax per trade. People who play the market like a casino are adding nothing to the economy and are simply scraping the cream from the top. Massive trades based on black box algorithms should be discouraged. A tax per trade would not be a burden to typical investors, but would decrease the impact of trades designed to take unfair advantage of brief fluctuations in the market." (docchai2022.com)
  • "Again this depends on the circumstance. Sometimes we have an uneven playing field. I support a strong AMERICAN economy and sometimes that will involve some regulation. Too much "trade" right now is in currency baskets and other financial products, and this is shifting the economic power in the world. I reserve the right to defend America financially." (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-choice Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
I have a plan to solve the issue in a way that 80% of people will accept. I intend to codify "therapeutic" (medically necessary abortion including rape) as a federal right. Then I will leave "elective" abortion (the use as a contraceptive method) for the states to determine. I am a physician and I understand this issue extremely well. It is not a yes/no question.
No Do you support expanding federal funding to support social safety net programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
There is plenty of money already in play. The problem is that this money is mis-spent. I will use evidence-based outcome measures and data to determine what works and what does not work. I will REMOVE administrative bloat and P4P from Medicare. I will REMOVE the PBMs. Then we will see the same money work like never before.
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations,unions, and individuals?
I support ELIMINATION of campaign contributions from corporations and unions. I intend to completely reform campaign finance. I would like to see term limits so that "getting money" is not the main goal of candidates from day one.
No Do you support the protection of government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct?
Nobody is above the law. Misconduct needs to be addressed. And the liability belongs to the INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBLE not to the taxpayer. Why should the taxpayer fund a settlement against a department when the fault lies with the person who was in the wrong?
No Do you support increasing defense spending?
I support a very strong military with cutting edge weaponry. I do NOT support endless proxy wars, which is where most of our defense spending currently is spent. Take some of that and tend to our Vets. No to proxy wars. Yes to military might.
No Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
No Do you support the federal government taking action, beyond those of the Federal Reserve, to alleviate inflation?
Spending money never did alleviate inflation. Quite the opposite, in fact.
No Do you support the forgiveness of federal student loan debt?
Paying off federal loan debt is only going to encourage the universities to continue their inflated and predatory pricing. I suggest that if a student cannot pay his debt, that the UNIVERSITY SHOULD PICK UP THE TAB. Then we will see how quickly they provide a good education and an affordable price.
Yes Do you support requiring a government-issued identification in order to vote at the polls?
I run a methadone clinic. My patients are often homeless and shooting up straight fentanyl. THEY HAVE AN ID. Voter suppression does NOT come from IDs. Voter suppression comes from two parties that give us two horrible choices that nobody wants to vote for. This disenfranchises about half of US registered voters already. What is the point of a free and fair election when the candidates are simply mouthpieces for unelected party structures?
Yes Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
Yes Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
ONLY by ways that are proven and do not unjustly harm the poor or punish people for breathing. We have FREE and SIMPLE ways to decrease greenhouse gases, but the feds want to impose top down crony plans so they can trade in carbon credits while they fly their private jets to Davos. No. We need to plant trees, improve zoning, improve housing, make cities walkable, do composting, and many other things. Forcing people to buy a Tesla or eat bugs are "bad ideas." I prefer "good ideas."
Unknown Position Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
I support 2A and will not take away guns. Even so, I will consider proven measures that will reduce harm. But it has to make sense. Things like making LCMs very hard to get. Making people get a "shooting license" similar to a driver license would make sense. I have seen research about the causes of gun violence and it is really important to address those. Also I care about the urban kids getting murdered and want to end the school to prison pipeline. Common sense, limited legislation is constitutional. Does this work for my "well regulated milita?"
No Do you support a government-run (single-payer) healthcare program, such as Medicare-for-All?
Yes Do you support expanding paid family AND/OR medical leave opportunities?
No Do you support lowering the cost of prescription drugs?
I would end Pharmacy Benefit Managers. This is why costs are so high and why mom n pop pharmacies are dying out. I would also end lobbying by corporations, so this problem will get much better much more quickly. I do not like the government to regulate the market. There are many other steps to take. I would also mandate that critical drugs are manufactured in the USA. Summary-insurance company PBMs are the cause of the problem. Clean house.
Yes Do you support increasing security along the southern US border?
Unknown Position Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
I support immigration reform. This is much more than a yes/no question. I support penalizing companies that hire unlawfully under the table and I would reduce the incentives for unlawful entry, then I would secure the border and go to work evaluating cases as they come. Criminals are gone and will not return.
Yes Do you support economic intervention as a means of resolving international conflicts?
No Do you support the U.S. providing increased offensive military aid to Ukraine?
This is merely a way to give China improved hegemony in Asia. We are fighting a proxy war with Russia on the backs of Ukrainian men who are forced to fight. This helps China, and it also helps the global financial system. I support humanitarian aid. We spent more in the first 6 months of Ukraine war than we did in the first 5 years of our Afghanistan war, and we actually had boots on the ground at that time. Xi is pleased by a chastened Russia and open access to central Asia courtesy of US dollars.
No Do you support raising taxes, on any income or on any entity, to promote economic growth?
Economic growth is not really promoted by increased taxation. Of that much I am sure. But I would SHIFT the tax burden from "earned income" (people's daily labor) to "skimmed income" (financial products and trades). We tax work too much. Everyone knows that whatever you will tax, you will get LESS of. That plays out in work just like any other product.
No Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
Again this depends on the circumstance. Sometimes we have an uneven playing field. I support a strong AMERICAN economy and sometimes that will involve some regulation. Too much "trade" right now is in currency baskets and other financial products, and this is shifting the economic power in the world. I reserve the right to defend America financially.
1-Viewpoint Discrimination Act (free)-Add the word "viewpoint" to CRA to make your viewpoint a Civil Right. 2-Election Reform (free)-The Enfranchise America Act would COMBINE access, transparency, and election reforms such as RCV and campaign finance reform and term limits into one PRO-Democracy bill. 3-Mental Health and Addiction (funded with savings from prisons, law enforcement, social services, medical)-mandate treatment in exchange for supportive housing communities that work. Also PREVENTING it through closing the achievement gap in under-resourced areas.

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