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Anne Fischer'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.

Anne Fischer has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2016 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

What is the Political Courage Test?
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.

Congressional Election 2004 National Political Awareness Test

The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
X b) Abortions should always be legal.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial-birth" abortion.
g) Prohibit public funding of abortions and of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
X h) Other or expanded principles
b) within the framework of Roe v. Wade. Also, I do not support abortion for gender selection. I support fully the principles outlined in Roe v. Wade. States MAY regulate after 20 wks

Using the key, indicate what federal funding levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category.Budget Priorities

a) Agriculture
Maintain Status b) Arts
Greatly Decrease c) Defense
Greatly Increase d) Education
Greatly Increase e) Environment
Greatly Decrease f) Homeland security
Slightly Increase g) International aid
Slightly Increase h) Law enforcement
Slightly Increase i) Medical research
Slightly Increase j) National parks
Greatly Increase k) Public health services
Maintain Status l) Scientific research
Greatly Decrease m) Space exploration programs
Slightly Increase n) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Greatly Increase o) Welfare
Greatly Increase p) Other or expanded categories
a) too broad d) fund authorized progress g) & more for family planing j) restore funding o) not just TANF - but many other support programs g) international aid for family planning, humanitarian environmental & economic needs.

Defense Spending

Slightly Decrease a) Armed Forces personnel training
Slightly Decrease b) Intelligence operations
Greatly Decrease c) Military hardware
Greatly Decrease d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment
Greatly Decrease e) National missile defense
Greatly Increase f) Pay for active duty personnel
Slightly Increase g) Programs to improve troop retention rates
Eliminate h) Research and development of new weapons
Greatly Increase i) Troop and equipment readiness
justice & equal rts for all troops & adequate equipment, clothing! Defense gets anything it wants bec. is prays on pple's fears & isn't the answer. Intelligence, proper effective use is.

Using the key above, indicate what federal tax levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category.TaxesIncome Taxes:Family IncomeRetiree IncomeOther Taxes:Deductions/Credits:

Eliminate a) Less than $25,000
Slightly Decrease b) $25,000-$75,000
Maintain Status c) $75,000-$150,000
Slightly Increase d) Over $150,000
e) Other or expanded categories
Slightly Decrease f) Over $40,000
g) Other or expanded categories
Greatly Increase a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Capital gains taxes
Greatly Increase c) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Increase d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gasoline taxes
Maintain Status f) Inheritance taxes
g) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Charitable contributions
Greatly Increase b) Child tax credit
Slightly Increase c) Earned income tax credit
Slightly Increase d) Medical expense deduction
Maintain Status e) Mortgage deduction
Slightly Increase f) Student loan credit
g) Other or expanded categories
No 4) Do you support permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
Undecided 5) Do you support eliminating taxes on dividends paid to individual investors?
Yes 6) Should a married couple filing jointly pay the same taxes as if they were an unmarried couple filing separately?
7) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

X a) Support public taxpayer funding for federal candidates who comply with campaign spending limits.
b) Increase the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
c) Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
d) Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
e) Allow ads paid for by soft money that support or attack a candidate for federal office.
f) Allow issue advocacy commercials by corporations, labor unions, and non-profit groups which appear within 60 days of a general election and within 30 days of a primary election.
g) Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
Undecided h) Do you support instant run-off voting (IRV)?
No i) Should Election Day be a national holiday?
Yes j) Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?
k) Should marriage be restricted to a union only between a man and a woman?
Yes l) Other or expanded principles
Marriage is a sacred covenant & should not be subjected to law except parts where property & children are involved

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

a) Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
X b) Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
c) Impose "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve full sentences with no chance of parole.
X d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X e) Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
X f) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
g) Support additional criminal penalties if a fetus is killed in the commission of a federal crime against a pregnant woman.
X h) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
X i) Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
j) Impose stricter penalties for those convicted of white-collar crimes.
X k) Enforcement of civil rights should primarily be the responsibility of the federal government.
X l) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
m) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding drugs.

a) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
X b) Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
X c) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
X d) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
X e) Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
f) Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs."
X g) Other or expanded principles
Legal drugs - which are overused - shd be limited in advertising Drugs MASK symptoms - so pple don't deal w/ the real issues - & then -> addiction of "legal" drugs.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

a) Support national standards for and testing of public school students.
X b) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any public school.
c) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any private or religious school.
X d) Allow teachers and professionals to receive authorization and funding to establish charter schools.
e) Increase funding for block grants to states to aid in the hiring of additional teachers.
X f) Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
X g) Increase funding for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings, infrastructure, technology).
h) Support granting states limited control over Head Start programs.
i) Support changing the mission of Head Start to emphasize improving the math and reading skills of disadvantaged children.
j) Providing education is not a responsibility of the federal government.
X k) Support affirmative action in public college admissions.
X l) Increase funding of programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans to help students pay for college.
X m) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
X n) Other or expanded principles
Need emphasis of all levels in Relationship Ed. (4th R.) including negotiating skills, active listening, (as part of conflict resolution. A MUST (wh. is part of family & Consumer Science Curric.)

1) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.2) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action.

X a) Increase funding for national job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
b) Reduce government regulation of the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
X c) Provide tax credits or grants to businesses that offer child care services to employees.
X d) Encourage employers to offer flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
e) Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
X f) Increase the federal minimum wage.
X g) Support the right of workers to strike without fear of being permanently replaced.
X h) Allow workers to sell company stock and to diversify their company retirement funds into other investment options.
X i) Other or expanded principles
a) The federal government should consider race and gender in government contracting decisions.
b) The federal government should discontinue affirmative action programs.
X c) The federal government should continue affirmative action programs.
X d) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
X e) Other or expanded principles
h) just as long as they know what they are doing
Quality & competence must be the amending factor

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

X a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
X b) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
c) Require states to compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately-owned land.
d) Relax logging restrictions on federal lands.
e) Relax standards on federal lands to allow increased recreational usage.
f) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
X g) Strengthen emission controls and fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
h) Support opening a select portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration.
X i) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
X j) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
k) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits.
X l) Support the U.S. re-entering the Kyoto treaty process to limit global warming.
X m) Other or expanded principles
e) such as what?

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

X a) Renew the ban on the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
X b) Maintain and strengthen the current level of enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
c) Ease federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
d) Repeal federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
e) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
X f) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
X g) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
X h) Require a license for gun possession.
X i) Establish a national database of ballistic "fingerprints" to track guns used in criminal activities.
j) Support legislation that would protect manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and importers of firearms from civil lawsuits by crime victims.
X k) Other or expanded principles
I understand now that a major problems is ENFORCEMENT of current laws. One can go to a gun show & get ANYTHING they want - even assault weapons!

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health care.

a) Providing health care is not a responsibility of the federal government.
X b) Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income.
X c) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes appeal mechanisms when claims are denied.
d) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes the right to sue when claims are denied.
X e) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
f) Establish limits on the amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
g) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
h) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under private managed care plans.
X i) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
j) Support automatic enrollment of children in federal health care programs such as CHIP and Medicaid.
X k) Allow 55-65 year-olds to buy into Medicare.
X l) Support stem cell research on existing lines of stem cells.
X m) Allow laboratories to create new lines of stem cells for additional research.
X n) Other or expanded principles
j) regardless of eligibility factors?? n) The truth is - pple need help to get awareness of the emotional/mental components underlying most dis-ease & illness. We need more public/ to support CAM ( complementary & alternative medicine) practices so pple can get real help.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.

a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
b) Establish English as the official national language.
c) Increase the number of visas issued for agricultural workers.
X d) Relax restrictions barring legal immigrants from using social programs (e.g. public housing, food stamps).
e) Support amnesty for certain illegal immigrants who already reside in the United States.
f) Support the detention of asylum seekers from countries known to sponsor terrorism.
X g) Other or expanded principles
Need to enforce sanctions US employers for hiring illegals. need to strengthen border patrol. NEED to expand exponentially family planing

International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding United States economic assistance.

X a) Aid should be granted to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
b) Aid should be granted to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
c) Aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
d) Aid programs should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
X e) Other or expanded principles
I would like to see more to US AID - & esp for family planning. b) oil?? c) not humanitarian e) Any trade agreements must include guarantee for worker's rights/protection & sanctions for violations of human rights; Israel & Egypt are the highest ( 1 & 2 respectively of US Aid - yet in Egypt - I know 1st hand - you see nothing done for the pple - Its all military!

International Policy1) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the Middle East.2) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Central and East Asia.3) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the United Nations.

Yes a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
Yes b) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
Yes c) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
Undecided a) Should the United States use diplomatic and economic pressure to encourage North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program?
No b) Should the United States use military force to destroy the North Korean nuclear weapons program?
No c) Should the United States remove the North Korean government from power?
Undecided d) Should the United States increase financial support to Afghanistan?
Undecided e) Should the United States increase military support to Afghanistan?
Yes a) Should the United States maintain its financial support of the United Nations?
No b) Should the United States decrease its financial support of the United Nations?
Yes c) Should the United States commit troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions?
Yes d) Other or expanded principles
Yes 4) Should the United States lift the travel ban to Cuba?
Undecided 5) Should the United States increase its financial support to Colombia to combat "the war on drugs"?
Yes 6) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund distribution of contraceptives?
No 7) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention fund abstinence education?
Yes 8) Other or expanded principles
US AID can help; must provide training to leaders to develop democracy; we are responsible for the infrastructure we destroyed - & we must guantee safety of pple working there. But have tool ahead, documented waste; overcharging etc. Somebody is not doing their job w/ cost effectiveness, rebuilding process. The US government needs to work with non-profit refugee and other reconstruction groups such as OXFAM.
Somebody is not doing their job w/ cost effectiveness, rebuilding process.
a) not sure of what is already done. d) how specifically f) We must use tools of diplomacy , eco DEV , social needs support ag. dev. to help countries move first.
I believe the principle the UN attempts to carry out
5) how? 8) Abstinence ed is totally unrealistic , impractical & a waste of $!!! (by itself)- must have comprehensive sex ed . in this country too.

International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

No 1) Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
No 2) Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
Undecided 3) Do you support continued U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
Yes 4) Should a nation's human rights record affect its normal trade relations (most favored nation) status with the United States?
No 5) Do you support the trade embargo against Cuba?
Yes 6) Should trade agreements include provisions to address environmental concerns and to protect workers' rights?
5) & we DO send ag. products there.! See question at top of page

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.

Undecided a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
Yes b) Should the United States adopt stricter rules for student visa applications from nations known to sponsor terrorism?
No c) Should the United States grant law enforcement agencies greater discretion to read mail and email, tap phones, and conduct random searches to prevent future terrorist attacks?
Yes d) Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
Undecided e) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
No f) Do you support a policy of pre-emptive strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to national security?
Yes g) Other or expanded principles
We don't use the intelligence we have. we have ignored it ; we don't enforce the laws now on the books. I oppose further erosion of civil liberties & constitutional rights to protect search & seizure, due process, & 1st amend. rights. in the name of "homeland security"

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.

a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage themselves.
b) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts managed by private firms contracted by the government.
c) Invest a portion of Social Security assets collectively in stocks and bonds instead of United States Treasury securities.
d) Increase the payroll tax to better finance Social Security in its current form.
e) Lower the annual cost-of-living increases.
f) Raise the retirement age for when individuals are eligible to receive full Social Security benefits.
X g) Other of expanded principles
Also - must be certain S.S. $ is used ONLY for S.S benefits. g) Raise the ceiling on salaries at which FICA is collected Generally - I do not support automatic or mandatory private investing . If pple CHOOSE to do this & are willing to do the research & follow up - State responsibility for it, more power to them.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding technology and communication.

a) Collect taxes on commercial Internet transactions.
b) Continue the moratorium on Internet taxation.
c) Implement regulation of Internet content.
X d) Support government mandates to curtail violent and sexual content on television.
X e) Support strict penalties for Internet crimes (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
f) Support legislation to detail how personal information can be collected and used on the Internet.
g) Regulating the Internet is not a responsibility of the federal government.
h) Impose regulations on "spam" emails.
X i) Other or expanded principles
a & b) are you talking about sales taxes?? d) TV stations shd voluntarily restrict what is aired. f) we certainly need consumer ed - but I'm not sure about legislation. g) fed. gov't is intimately connected as I understand the domain names are kept track of by the national center & since it was initially established between gov't agencies , universities (gov't funded as well as private) the fed gov't. has been involved.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.

a) Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
X b) Increase funding for child care programs.
X c) Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
d) Direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based, or other non-profit organizations.
e) Abolish all federal welfare programs.
X f) Support housing assistance for low-income families.
X g) Other or expanded principles
a) not 40 _ depends on how many children involved. & if other soc services are required like parenting mental health. d) not religions where churches can discriminate . I am a strong supporter of separation of church & state.
I believe family planning is our number one priority and has long been my raison d'etre. We must end the odious Global Gag Rule which has been in effect virtually since 1984 as the Mexico City Policy except for a brief reprieve during the Clinton administration. Also the infamous Hyde Amendment must be repealed which prevents Medicaid from being used to help poor women obtain abortions except in states that have successfully challenged it. I want to ensure more than adequate support for UNFPA, USAID and Title X. Critical to improving education at all levels is to reduce class size. Furthermore, all students should have an Individualized Education Plan because one size does not fit all. Congress must provide full funding of the Individual Disabilities Education Act which originated in 1972 as PL94-142. Legislation authorized 40% federal funding. The most this program has received is 12-14%. We need a much better interface of educational law to better meet the needs of public school children. We need to implement higher fuel economy standards; develop and implement more production of alternative fuels and the vehicles that use them. As other countries develop their economies, the demand for more fuels will rise and we must truly reduce if not eliminate our dependence on foreign oil by developing alternative energy sources and practicing more conservation of natural resources.

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