Richard Shawver'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.
Richard Shawver has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2016 Political Courage Test.
Maryland Congressional Election 2016 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| I believe in Pro-life, but everyone has their own opinion. I do not believe I have the right to tell a woman what to do with her body. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Our defense spending has been but by Mr. Obama that we no longer have the great military we once had. Our next president will have the problem to rebuild our military to make it number one again. The only way to balance a budget is simply do not spend what you do not have. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Why would corporations and unions support campaigns, unless they wanted something? | |||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| I support capital punishment and should be expanded on other offenders for crimes that take citizens. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| I will support the economy by not spending money we do not have. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | ||
| I support education by letting the state's having full control of school. | |||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
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| I believe over-population is contributing to climate change,? energy needs economy needs and all needs? | |||
| No | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| Guns are a Constitutional Right. Amendment II (1791) shall not be infringed, the president, the senate and the congress guarantee us that right. Thier take a oath to the constitution? | |||
| Yes | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| I do support repealing Affordable Care Act. It's not affordable, and it's unconstitutional plain and simple? | |||
| Yes | Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| I do support illegal immigrant, illegal is illegal? | |||
| No | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| I believe in the old term of marriage, man and woman, there no reason why there can not be a union between, same sex couple's | |||
| Yes | Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict? | ||
| Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? | |||
| No | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
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.
| Greatly Decrease | a) Agriculture | ||
| Greatly Decrease | b) Arts | ||
| Greatly Increase | c) Defense | ||
| Eliminate | d) Education | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) Environment | ||
| f) Homeland Security | |||
| Greatly Decrease | g) International aid | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Medical Research | ||
| Slightly Decrease | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Greatly Decrease | j) Space exploration | ||
| Greatly Decrease | k) United Nations | ||
| Greatly Decrease | l) Welfare | ||
| m) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Greatly Decrease | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Small business taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | d) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | j) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Eliminate | k) Payroll taxes | ||
| l) Other or expanded categories | |||
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