Don Eckhart'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.
Don Eckhart has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2018 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 2018.
- Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? "Pro-life" (votesmart.org)
- "I am pro-life, and I will protect religious freedom." (votesmart.org)
- "The consistent pro-life position is life until natural death; that is, no abortion, no capital punishment, natural life, natural death. " (votesmart.org)
- "The IRS could be eliminated if the U.S. abolished the income tax and replaced it with the fair tax, or a similar alternative." (votesmart.org)
- In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? "No" (votesmart.org)
- In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? "No" (votesmart.org)
- "Big money in politics is corrupting the nature of our government, and it discourages voters." (votesmart.org)
- Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
- Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? "No" (votesmart.org)
- "Under the right economic conditions, lower taxes can promote economic growth." (votesmart.org)
- Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? "No" (votesmart.org)
- Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? "No" (votesmart.org)
- "The United States must become independent of foreign oil, especially from the Middle East. Our dependence on Middle Eastern oil has limited our policy options, including military and economic. I believe that we need to take all necessary measures [â¦]" (votesmart.org)
- Do you support funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
- "When pollution causes a health hazard to people, it should be regulated. In economic terms, cost/benefit analyses determine whether the benefits are worth the costs." (votesmart.org)
- Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
- "I support the Second Amendment and the right to defend one's self and family. These issues have been made political unnecessarily by politicians and the news media." (votesmart.org)
- Do you generally support gun-control legislation? "No" (votesmart.org)
- "I do not support the Affordable Care Act because of its many problems, including requirements on businesses and medical providers. Many struggling workers have not fared well under Obamacare either. It is not effective for employees working fewer than 30 hours per week. This act should be repealed or revamped by the next President and Congress, working together." (votesmart.org)
- Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "Illegal immigrants must register, have a job and a work permit for at least one family member, and pay federal, state, and local taxes, including certain back taxes. If immigrants have met these conditions, requiring them to leave would be unnecessary." (votesmart.org)
- Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? "No" (votesmart.org)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "When a clear danger is present, the U.S. may use military and diplomatic measures to suppress the threat." (votesmart.org)
- Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? "Yes" (votesmart.org)
- "Congress should declare war on ISIS because it poses a real threat to our national security. By doing so, Congress (not the President) would establish the terms and limits to the conflict." (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-life | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| I am pro-life, and I will protect religious freedom. | |||
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| I am committed to balancing the budget and reducing the national debt. I worked a career in budget analysis, and I would examine federal agencies and programs. The Congressional Budget Office has suggested 79 options to reduce the deficit. As Senator, I will review these and other budget saving measures. On the revenue side, the income tax is burdened with numerous special provisions which make the tax unfair. Many of these special provisions have been included at the request of lobbyists and special interests, and they must be eliminated. Any new or expanded programs must have offsetting savings or revenues. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Big money in politics is corrupting the nature of our government, and it discourages voters. | |||
| No | Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | ||
| No | Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| The consistent pro-life position is life until natural death; that is, no abortion, no capital punishment, natural life, natural death. The worst offenders should be sentenced to life in prison with no possibility for parole. In fact, this is a tougher sentence than capital punishment. Even more important is that sometimes a person is wrongly convicted, and a premature death sentence would end an innocent life. Mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent offenders, such as drug users, can be counter-productive. If the minimum number of years is set too high, judges have no discretion, even for cases that involve special circumstances. | |||
| No | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| No | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| There should be no speculative federal spending, especially in light of continuing budget deficits. Political deals generally add to the national debt, not reduce it. The Congress needs more fiscal discipline, which I will bring to the Senate. Under the right economic conditions, lower taxes can promote economic growth. Providing tax incentives to businesses create "winners and losers." That is not the role of government. In addition, tax incentives can be related to lobbyist and special interest giving to politicians' campaigns. This practice of undue influence over elected officials is damaging to citizen confidence in government. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | ||
| Federal grants have been the "carrot" to bring many state and local programs under the purview of the federal government. This approach is inconsistent with the principle that government closest to the people is usually the best option. Even more, government is not needed at all in certain areas, and it should respect the rights of citizens and allow the free enterprise system to work. In addition, federal grants add to the national debt, which is increasing at an alarming rate. All federal programs which add to the national debt should be reviewed for whether they are essential. | |||
| Yes | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| Yes | Do you support funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| No | Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | ||
| The United States must become independent of foreign oil, especially from the Middle East. Our dependence on Middle Eastern oil has limited our policy options, including military and economic. I believe that we need to take all necessary measures, on the supply side and the demand side, to achieve this important national goal. We must free our country from reliance on Middle Eastern oil so that we can make sensible, lasting decisions which affect the U.S. and our allies, such as Israel. | |||
| No | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| I believe that human activity has contributed to pollution, which can be detrimental to health. These matters require in-depth analysis. When pollution causes a health hazard to people, it should be regulated. In economic terms, cost/benefit analyses determine whether the benefits are worth the costs. However, costs and benefits are difficult or impossible to assess when there is no direct cause-and-effect relationship. This is the case with climate change. When the government spends money for no proven outcome, it can be a fruitless expenditure and can add to our mounting national debt. I am very cautious about adding costly programs. | |||
| No | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| I support the Second Amendment and the right to defend one's self and family. These issues have been made political unnecessarily by politicians and the news media. | |||
| Yes | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| I do not support the Affordable Care Act because of its many problems, including requirements on businesses and medical providers. Many struggling workers have not fared well under Obamacare either. It is not effective for employees working fewer than 30 hours per week. This act should be repealed or revamped by the next President and Congress, working together. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| This question skips an important step. Illegal immigrants must become legal. Citizenship may be a further step for some people. I believe that the answer to the illegal immigrant situation is based on existing laws, which must be enforced. Illegal immigrants must register, have a job and a work permit for at least one family member, and pay federal, state, and local taxes, including certain back taxes. If immigrants have met these conditions, requiring them to leave would be unnecessary. They could stay as long as they have a valid work permit and do not engage in criminal behavior. | |||
| No | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| I believe that God's design for marriage is one man and one woman. In accordance with the First Amendment, I believe that pastors, priests, and other clergy should be able to preach and teach religious values without interference from the government. The right of churches to conduct marriages according to religious beliefs must be secure. With my legislative and seminary background, I can initiate legislation in the U.S. Senate to protect religious freedom. I believe it would be unlikely for Senator Rob Portman to initiate religious freedom legislation, since he supports same-sex marriage. | |||
| Yes | Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict? | ||
| Yes | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| For both of these questions, evidence must clearly point to the intentions of an adversary to engage in activities harmful to the United States, its citizens, or its allies. In other words. the United States should not engage in violent attacks when there is no clear reason to do so. When a clear danger is present, the U.S. may use military and diplomatic measures to suppress the threat. Congress should declare war on ISIS because it poses a real threat to our national security. By doing so, Congress (not the President) would establish the terms and limits to the conflict. | |||
| Yes | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| To keep Social Security financially sound, the Social Security and Medicare Board of Trustees must monitor the effects of these personal actions. Allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts allows more freedom in planning for the future. A phase-in period may be necessary in order to keep Social Security a reliable source of retirement income for those counting on it. To keep Social Security solvent, its Chief Actuary analyses various proposals. The Board of Trustees should make recommendations to the Congress, and the Congress should act swiftly to guarantee financial stability. | |||
SpendingIndicate what federal spending levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.TaxesIndicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.
| Maintain Status | a) Agriculture | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Arts | ||
| Greatly Increase | c) Defense | ||
| Eliminate | d) Education | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) International aid | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Medical Research | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Greatly Decrease | j) Space exploration | ||
| Slightly Decrease | k) United Nations | ||
| Slightly Decrease | l) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Small business taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | j) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | k) Payroll taxes | ||
| The President and the Congress have lost the will to balance the budget. Deficits continue year after year. Therefore, programs should be reduced or eliminated wherever possible. The IRS could be eliminated if the U.S. abolished the income tax and replaced it with the fair tax, or a similar alternative. The responsibility for education can be returned to the states and school boards. With our sizable national debt, the U.S. must scrutinize and grant international aid only for humanitarian needs. Welfare fraud must be investigated and resulting savings can reduce welfare spending without harming legitimate welfare recipients. | |||
| Balancing the federal budget should be done mostly on the spending side. However, some revenue sources could be increased to help balance the budget. | |||
| I am pro-life, and I will protect religious freedom. I believe that big money in politics is corrupting our government. I am taking no lobbyist money, so I can be free of obligations to special interests. I want to protect and expand the middle class, with lower income people moving into the middle class. A strong middle class is vital to America. To demonstrate my commitment, I will donate, if elected, $125,000 of my Senate salary each year for the 6-year term to scholarships for Ohio residents attending technical and trade schools, as well as 2-year and 4-year colleges. |
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