Card image cap

Philip Avillo, Jr.'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.
What is the Political Courage Test?

Pennsylvania Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage 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.
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) Dilation and extraction or "partial-birth" abortion procedures should be legal.
g) Medicare, Medicaid, and federal subsidies should be prohibited from being used on abortion procedures.
My goal is to reduce the number of abortions through comprehensive family health programs such as those offered by Planned Parenthood. Abortions should remain safe, legal, and rare, consistent with the provisions of Roe v. Wade.

Indicate what federal funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.1) Budget Priorities2) Defense Spending3) 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.Family Income TaxesOther TaxesDeductions/Credits

Maintain Status a) Agriculture
Maintain Status b) Arts
Maintain Status c) Defense
Maintain Status d) Education
Maintain Status e) Environment
Maintain Status f) FEMA
Maintain Status g) Homeland security
Maintain Status h) International aid
Maintain Status i) Law enforcement (Federal)
Maintain Status j) Law enforcement (State)
Maintain Status k) Medical research
Maintain Status l) National parks
Maintain Status m) Public health services
Maintain Status n) Scientific research
Maintain Status o) Space exploration programs
Maintain Status p) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Maintain Status q) United Nations
Maintain Status r) Welfare
Maintain Status a) Armed forces personnel training
Maintain Status b) Intelligence operations
Maintain Status c) Military hardware
Maintain Status d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment
Maintain Status e) National missile defense
Maintain Status f) Pay for active duty personnel
Maintain Status g) Programs to improve troop retention rates
Maintain Status h) Research and development of new weapons
Maintain Status i) Troop and equipment readiness
Maintain Status a) Less than $12,000
Maintain Status b) $12,001-$40,000
Maintain Status c) $40,001-$100,000
Maintain Status d) $100,001-$180,000
Maintain Status e) $180,001-$350,000
Maintain Status f) $350,001 and above
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Capital gains taxes
Maintain Status c) Cigarette taxes
Maintain Status d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gasoline taxes
Maintain Status f) Inheritance taxes
Slightly Increase a) Charitable contribution deduction
Maintain Status b) Child tax credit
Maintain Status c) Earned income tax credit
Maintain Status d) Medical expense deduction
Maintain Status e) Mortgage deduction
Maintain Status f) Student loan credit
Yes 4) Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
Yes 5) Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?
See # 6 below.
See #6 below.
The U.S. needs a taxation system that is fair, just, & equitable. Most Americans today distrust or have little confidence that the current system is any of these. I propose that the budgetary process be opened completely, that every line be put on the table, that the Congress then decide what it is that we need and want, & most importantly, how we will fund these expenses while simultaneously balancing the budget. Until that is done, all of these questions above are meaningless and must be put on hold. Fiscal responsibility, not the huge deficits created since 2001, is imperative.

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

a) Support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
X b) Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
c) Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
d) Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
e) Support prohibiting ads containing candidates' name that are paid for by third parties from airing 60 days before a primary and 30 days before a general federal election.
f) Support instant run-off voting (IRV).
X g) Support designating Election Day as a national holiday.
h) Support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations.
X i) Support limiting the President's use of signing statements in order to prevent an alternative interpretation of the bill.
X j) Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege.
k) Other or expanded principles

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.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
e) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
f) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
X g) Support strict penalties for internet crime (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
X h) Require that crimes based on sexual orientation be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
i) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Support the federal government funding universal pre-K programs.
b) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
c) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
d) Allow teachers and professionals to receive federal funding to establish charter or magnet schools.
X e) Increase funding for the Pell Grant program.
X f) Decrease interest rates of Stafford Loans.
g) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
X h) Ban university financial aid officers from owning stock in or accepting gifts from student loan lenders.
X i) Require universities to disclose financial relationships with lenders.
j) Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
k) Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
The U.S. needs national standards, but these standards must be measured more effectively than through testing programs that limit and narrow opportunities for creative teaching and the development of student curiosity. Public education in the U.S. has been a powerful force for creating the broad middle class that forms the backbone of this country. Our priority should be to improve and strenghten that system. Ultimately, of course, quality education begins in the home and parents themselves must create within their own homes an environment that contributes to educational success.

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

X a) Increase funding for national job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today’s job market.
b) Reduce government regulation of the private sector.
X c) Encourage employers to offer child care services, flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
d) Increase the federal minimum wage.
X e) Support the right of workers to unionize.
f) Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
X g) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
X h) Include gender identity in federal anti-discrimination laws.
i) Other or expanded principles

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) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
X d) Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
X e) Strengthen fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
f) Support domestic oil exploration in areas that are currently restricted.
X g) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels.
h) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
i) Support research and development of nuclear reactors as an alternative energy source.
j) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits under "cap and trade" laws.
X k) Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming.
l) Support international voluntary emission targets to limit global warming.
The environment and energy are national security issues. The U.S. needs a comprehensive national effort to strengthen environmental regulations and to initiate nation-wide programs to develop alternative, RENEWABLE sources of energy.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.On (c) and (d), indicate what levels (#1-6) you support for the following categories.

X a) Allow individuals to carry concealed guns.
b) Ban the sale, ownership or possession of handguns except by law enforcement and other government officials.
Greatly Increase c) Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
d) Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
Current laws regarding the possession of firearms are sufficient. The U.S. needs to enforce more effectively those that already exist. As a 17-year old, I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and took an oath to the defend the Constitution of the United States, and that oath included the entire Consitution and all of its amendments. Wounded in combat, I bled, indeed, I nearly bled to death, in defense of the Constitution. For me, that oath remains sacred.

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

X a) Implement a universal healthcare program to guarantee coverage to all Americans, regardless of income.
b) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
c) Allow the importation of prescription drugs into the United States.
d) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
e) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
f) Support expanding child healthcare programs.
g) Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government.
The U.S. needs a national health care policy that contains and lowers cost while at the same time expands accessibility. Such a plan that creates a national risk pool will achieve that result. A health-care program similar to the one all members of Congress currently enjoy is a good place to begin developing such a plan. Such a plan would have the benefit of relieving as well the relentless economic burden employer-based health care plans imposes on American companies, large and small, and enable American business an opportunity to compete more effectively in the global marketplace.

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.
X c) Support a temporary worker program.
d) Support harsher financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
e) Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.
f) Illegal immigrants should have to return to their countries of origin before being considered for citizenship.
X g) Illegal immigrants should be given a pathway to citizenship.
h) Support merit-based visas over family-based visas.
American farmers throughout the U.S. need laborers to plant, till, and harvest crops. Current immigration law punishes them by denying them an adequate supply of labor while at the same time imposes oppressive administrative requirements on them in the hiring of immigrant workers. Clearly, we need to protect our borders. At the same time we must create policies that provide for responsible legal immigration, that offers a humane method to deal with the 12-14 million illegal, but hard-working and otherwise law-abiding, immigrants already in this country.

International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international aid.International PolicyIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international policy.International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

X a) Support the United States granting aid to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
X b) Support the United States granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
c) Eliminate United States aid for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
d) Aid granted by the United States should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
e) Other or expanded principles
Yes a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
b) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
No c) Should the United States impose greater international sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates?
Yes d) Should the United States support the Lebanese government against insurgent forces?
No e) Should the United States maintain its troop levels in Iraq?
f) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
No h) Should the United States apply greater economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea if it fails to abide by its agreement to suspend its nuclear program?
Yes i) Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan?
Yes j) Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan?
No k) Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes?
No l) Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan?
No m) Should the United States decrease military support for Pakistan?
Yes n) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan?
Yes o) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
Undecided p) Should the United States provide economic and military support to the Transitional Government of Somalia?
No q) Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses?
Undecided r) Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo?
s) Other or expanded principles
No a) Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China?
No b) Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela?
c) Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements?
Yes d) Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade?
A new strategy for Iraq is necessary, one that requires a large-scale diplomatic initiative, military redeployment, and a commitment on the part of the American people to assume the responsibility for ending the war in Iraq. Begin by initiating a full-fledged diplomatic effort, both in the mid-East and the rest of the world. Equally important, we must ask our traditional allies for assistance. Concurrently, we must establish our credibility with this international community and initiate immediately a well-planned draw-down of American military forces in Iraq. The Iraqis themselves need to take responsibility for bringing stability to Iraq.
So-called free trade agreements need to provide a level playing field for American workers and businesses in which to compete. The U.S. should not enter any free trade agreements that allow other nations among other things to abuse their workers and to degrade the environment.

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

No a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
No b) Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications, to prevent future terrorist attacks?
Yes c) Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
Yes d) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
No e) Do you support pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to United States national security?
No f) Do you support the creation of a federal identification card system?
No g) Do you support long-term use of National Guard troops to supplement the armed forces in assignments overseas?
No h) Should the United States expand its missile defense shield?
At risk here is nothing less than the Constitution itself and the rightful power of the Congress and the Courts. This is especially true for questions "a" and "e" which leave unanswered the question, "Who will do the deeming?" Virtually every military expert concludes that our military, including the National Guard, is stretched beyond its limits. Before deploying troops because some unknown person "deems" their deployment necessary, the Congress should embrace the Constitution, stand tall, and if it believes such a commitment is important, fulfill its constitutional duty and declare war. No more open-ended resolutions.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

Yes a) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
No b) Do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman?
Yes c) Do you support federal funding for research on existing embryonic stem cell lines?
Yes d) Do you support federal funding to create lines of stem cells from new embryos?
Yes e) Should the federal government consider race and gender in government contracting decisions?
Yes f) Should the federal government continue affirmative action programs?
Yes g) Should the federal government regulate internet gambling?
Internet gambling should be regulated consistent with current Federal law regarding gambling. If the unique circumstances associated with internet gambling require modification of existing law, Congress should act.

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

a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts that they manage themselves.
b) Ensure the viability of Social Security by increasing the payroll tax.
c) Decrease benefits paid to retirees.
X d) Support proportional increases of Social Security benefits based on the cost of living index.
e) Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits.
Raise income ceiling on payroll taxes. Simultaneously, follow my proposals regarding fiscal responsibility to reduce deficit spending and to implement a fair, just, and equitable federal taxation system.

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) Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
X c) Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
d) Abolish all federal welfare programs.
e) Other or expanded principles
My efforts in the Congress will be to initiate, support, and pass through the Congress policies that strengthen America, collectively and individually by ensuring:1. economic security primarily through fiscally responsible government and tax code restructuring, 2.health-care security though a national system that reduces costs and provides greater accessibility,3. national security that initiates an intensive diplomatic effort world-wide to create a true coalition of nations around the world that is willing and eager to assist us in crushing terrorism and establishing real global security. This policy will also integrate all of the American people into this effort, not just the military.

Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.

arrow_upward