David Vitter in 2015 LA Governor's race
On Abortion:
I'm endorsed by pro-life groups; my rivals not 100% pro-life
Vitter repeatedly references endorsements from several anti-abortion groups while campaigning. Though each major candidate for governor opposes abortion, the issue still raises disputes in the race. Vitter criticized both Dardenne and Edwards in a
recent debate, saying Edwards' votes for President Barack Obama undercut his claim of being anti-abortion and saying Dardenne has voted `six times for abortion and against life.` Vitter's campaign has hit Dardenne on the subject several times.
In response, Dardenne said he didn't vote to support abortion rights, but was scored poorly by Louisiana Right to Life because of votes as a state senator on several bills involving cloning and stem cell research. He said concerns were
raised that the bills, which sought to ban human cloning, were too sweeping and could harm medical research. `I think it's a little misleading, not on the part of the scorers, but on Vitter's part, to not characterize me as pro-life,` Dardenne said.
Source: Okla. News on 2015 Louisiana Gubernatorial debate
Oct 8, 2015
On Abortion:
No exceptions for rape or incest victims
The four major candidates all oppose abortion, but they do differ on the exceptions they're willing to consider in their opposition to the procedure. All four men say they don't object to an abortion when a mother's life is in jeopardy. Angelle and
Vitter don't support exceptions for rape or incest victims; Dardenne does. Edwards said he'd consider such exceptions if they were the `legislative will.`Another difference of opinion involves term-limited
Gov. Bobby Jindal's decision to block Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, which doesn't provide abortions in Louisiana. All three Republicans say they support Jindal's decision. Edwards said there should be more investigation of claims that the
organization was illegally profiting from fetal tissue sales, which Planned Parenthood denies. He also said Louisiana must make sure other health care locations are available to provide services before blocking Planned Parenthood from Medicaid.
Source: Okla. News on 2015 Louisiana Gubernatorial debate
Oct 8, 2015
On Abortion:
Supported by anti-abortion group Louisiana Right to Life
Vitter highlighted his support from the pro-gun National Rifle Association and the anti-abortion group Louisiana Right to Life and his opposition to the Common Core education standards, which, Angelle pointed out, Vitter previously supported.
Several times, Vitter held up a campaign booklet and told viewers they could get more details by going to his campaign website. "I listen, I've stood up and I've fought for conservative Louisiana values," Vitter said. "I've produced results."
Source: Baton Rouge Advocate on 2015 Louisiana Gubernatorial debate
Oct 1, 2015
On Environment:
Coastal restoration with private funding
The four candidates discussed what they would do as governor to repair Louisiana's eroding coast. About 1,900 square miles of coast have eroded into the Gulf of Mexico since the 1930s. Each one backed a $50 billion, 50-year master plan--opposed by many
fishermen--devised by Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration to slow land loss by diverting the Mississippi River's mud and water into injured estuaries.Vitter said diversions are "going to be the most difficult, the most controversial" aspects of the
restoration plan. He added: "The possible negative impacts are very real." He added that "you have to measure and tweak projects as you go along."
The candidates predicted the eventual cost of coastal restoration would reach $100 billion. Vitter said
he would seek to engage private companies, such as oil and gas companies, in spending more on the coast. Edwards and Dardenne offered similar ideas. Vitter also said he would work with other Gulf states to expand offshore drilling to bring in more funds.
Source: Associated Press on 2015 Louisiana gubernatorial debate
Aug 19, 2015
On Abortion:
Promote a positive culture of life
David is proudly pro-life and has a 100% voting record with Louisiana Right to Life and National Right to Life.
He'll promote and lead a positive culture of life in Louisiana.
Source: 2015 Louisiana Governor campaign website, DavidVitter.com
Aug 11, 2015
On Crime:
More community crime tips; more DNA testing; more options
As our governor, David will:- Explore all short-term options to arrest the crime wave in New Orleans which threatens statewide tourism and job growth.
- Develop effective crime-fighting strategies like greatly increasing rewards for tips from the
community.
- Implement best practices from other states to expand GED and skills training opportunities in prison, and cost-effective work release and monitoring programs.
- Require inmates to craft post-release plans that outline potential employment
along with help from family, churches, and others that they will pursue immediately upon release, and tie any paroles to strict adherence to these plans.
- Focus and target resources on mental health evaluation and treatment so that we get effective
help to persons with these disorders, reduce recidivism, and prevent them from clogging the criminal justice system.
- Prioritize testing all DNA evidence at Louisiana crime labs to ensure rapists and other violent criminals are caught immediately
Source: 2015 Louisiana Governor campaign website, DavidVitter.com
Aug 11, 2015
On Drugs:
Strengthen penalties against meth and heroin dealers
As the parents of four, David and Wendy Vitter's number one priority is protecting their family. That's why keeping our streets safe and our communities drug-free isn't a cheap sound byte; its David's solid commitment. That means reforming criminal
justice so we don't warehouse young, non-violent offenders with hardened criminals so that the only skills they learn are those they'll use against us.- As our governor, David will target the continuing threats of methamphetamine labs,
OxyContin abuse, and other prescription drug abuse in our rural communities.
- David authored legislation to increase the minimum jail sentence for drug dealers who target our children, because we can't be too tough on
dangerous criminals who target our single most precious resource.
- David passed a budget amendment greatly strengthening penalties against meth and heroin dealers, particularly if the sale results in overdose or death.
Source: 2015 Louisiana Governor campaign website, DavidVitter.com
Aug 11, 2015
On Education:
Get Louisiana out of Common Core
David believes that dramatically improving K-12 education is our single biggest challenge long-term. He'll get Louisiana out of Common Core and instead establish Louisiana standards, testing, and accountability that are as or more rigorous.
And he'll work to boost reading skills in the early grades, empower parents and school-based leaders, and emphasize skills training opportunities in high school.
Source: 2015 Louisiana Governor campaign website, DavidVitter.com
Aug 11, 2015
On Government Reform:
Led and won the fight for state term limits
As a state legislator, David led the fight for term limits against great odds--and won.
He filed ethics complaints against illegal good ole boy deals--and won. And he cut wasteful spending and kept violent criminals in jail longer.
Source: 2015 Louisiana Governor campaign website, DavidVitter.com
Aug 11, 2015
On Health Care:
Fight to repeal the fatally flawed ObamaCare
David has led the fight against ObamaCare. He'll continue that fight to repeal the fatally flawed program and replace it with common sense solutions that allow
Louisianians to keep the insurance they like, promote preventative and primary care, lower costs, and expand access.
David will work hard to ensure that our new public-private hospital partnerships really work for all Louisianians. He'll fight to reform the broken Medicaid program and promote preventative and primary care, which produce better outcomes and save
taxpayer dollars.
In the U.S. Senate, David has strongly opposed ObamaCare, Obama's unconstitutional executive orders, and wasteful deficit spending. And he's refused Congress' lucrative ObamaCare subsidy and retirement benefits.
Source: 2015 Louisiana Governor campaign website, DavidVitter.com
Aug 11, 2015
On Immigration:
Led Senate's Border Security and Enforcement First caucus
David has led the Border Security and Enforcement First Caucus in the U.S. Senate.
He'll continue to fight for strong immigration enforcement and against the Obama Administration dumping the growing problem on Louisiana and other states.
Source: 2015 Louisiana Governor campaign website, DavidVitter.com
Aug 11, 2015
On Immigration:
Block federal funds going to sanctuary cities
As our governor, David will demand that all Louisiana law enforcement officials follow federal law and fully cooperate with immigration enforcement to identify and arrest dangerous illegal aliens.David authored legislation to block federal funds from
going to "sanctuary cities" like San Francisco that ignore federal law and refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement in identifying dangerous illegal aliens.
Source: 2015 Louisiana Governor campaign website, DavidVitter.com
Aug 11, 2015
On Local Issues:
Create and fund coastal restoration master plan
Louisiana's coastline is our crucial first line of defense against hurricanes, and it's an enormously productive part of our economy and culture. David will support a sound coastal restoration master plan.
And he'll effectively execute that plan using the federal revenue-sharing and Restore Act funds he helped secure, as well as BP settlement and other resources.
David helped lead the hurricane recovery effort at the federal level and helped pass the recent flood insurance fix. He's been our point man in both battling against and working with the Corps of Engineers.
He'll continue that work as governor, building critical hurricane and flood protection and always improving storm readiness and response.
Source: 2015 Louisiana Governor campaign website, DavidVitter.com
Aug 11, 2015
On Crime:
Keep state police presence in New Orleans' French Quarter
Three gubernatorial candidates said the extra Louisiana State Police presence in the French Quarter should probably not remain in New Orleans "indefinitely"--and will eventually have to be withdrawn. Vitter broke with the rest of the pack, saying the
Louisiana State Police should have a permanent detail in the French Quarter. He doesn't have confidence that Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the New Orleans Police Department would be able keep a lid on crime without the extra help."Violent crime is out of
control in the city of New Orleans and the top reason is lack of leadership in the city of New Orleans," he said. Vitter went on to say New Orleans police had deteriorated and been mismanaged under Landrieu. Unless there was a leadership change in the
city, the state would have to step up with extra resources. "I think his lack of leadership has let NOPD get to this point," said Vitter. "We are going to have to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, that's not going to turn a corner immediately."
Source: Times-Picayune on 2015 Louisiana gubernatorial debate
Aug 8, 2015
On Education:
No federal incentives to get states to adopt Common Core
Vitter won congressional budget passage of measures to bar the federal government from coercing or incentivizing states to adopt
Common Core, or provide subsidies for House and Senate members' health insurance, though the budget's provisions don't have the effect of law.
Source: Times-Picayune coverage of 2015 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
May 29, 2015
On Environment:
Drafted hurricane protection & flood control bill
Vitter's spokesman points to Vitter's work with Democrats & fellow Republicans to move legislation important to the nation and the state of Louisiana. He points to the Water Resources and Development Act (WRRDA) that he and liberal Sen. Barbara Boxer
(D-CA) drafted and passed with key hurricane protection, flood control and navigation provisions for Louisiana. Another example, he said, is the chemical safety bill he drafted with Democratic Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico, which recently cleared the
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. He also helped draft and win Senate passage, again with Boxer, of a long-term highway funding bill."David Vitter has always fought for Louisiana values and gotten things done," his spokesman
said. "Passing major bipartisan bills like WRRDA, the flood insurance fix, and the Steve Gleason Act; holding agencies like the Corps and FEMA accountable--that's the Vitter record, and nobody can match it."
Source: Times-Picayune coverage of 2015 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
May 29, 2015
On Government Reform:
Term limits instead of automatic pay raises for Congress
Vitter's well-publicized efforts to pass bills to block automatic cost of living congressional pay increases, while never adopted, may have contributed to Congressional votes over each of the last six years to forego the pay hikes.
His persistent bills to set term limits for members of Congress never went anywhere, unlike when he won a term limit constitutional amendment, but angered some colleagues, just as they did in the Louisiana Legislature.
Source: Times-Picayune coverage of 2015 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
May 29, 2015
On Homeland Security:
Help defense budget, but follow the sequester
The House and Senate are expected to vote on their budget resolutions by the end of month, which will reportedly leave sequestration caps in place. Those spending limits have been sharply criticized by defense hawks such as Sen. John McCain (R-AZ),
who says that the nearly $1 trillion in planned cuts to the Pentagon's budget over the next decade would hollow out the nation's military.
Vitter said he does not quite align with McCain's view and is concerned about making the U.S. deficit larger in order to boost defense. Republicans are currently discussing other mechanisms they could insert into the budget to alleviate the defense
cuts, Vitter said. "The budget should reflect the sequester," he said. "I also support changes to help defense." Budget experts note that entitlement programs, rather than the military, will be the primary driver of deficits in the next decade.
Source: Free Beacon coverage of 2015 Louisiana gubernatorial race
Mar 12, 2015
On War & Peace:
Iran advances their nuclear program while playing the US
Vitter said that while he believes the Obama administration could be preparing to sign a dangerous nuclear deal with Iran, a legislative proposal that would demand congressional oversight of that agreement is misguided. Vitter said that Iran has
been "playing us out and advancing their nuclear program in the meantime" during the recent negotiations. He noted that Iran has secured billions in sanctions relief throughout the duration of the talks.Some lawmakers are pushing for
Congress to hold a vote on any final nuclear deal reached with Iran despite the administration's assiduous efforts to leave Capitol Hill out of the process. However, the Senate would need 67 votes to overcome a likely presidential veto and bar
Obama from ordering more congressional sanctions relief for Iran. That high threshold concerns Vitter. "Clearly the administration could benefit from something that puts the burden on us," he said.
Source: Free Beacon coverage of 2015 Louisiana gubernatorial race
Mar 12, 2015
On War & Peace:
Iran nuclear deal is non-binding and can be revoked
Vitter was one of the signatories to an open letter sent by 47 Republican senators to Iran's leaders. The missive suggested that a future president or Congress could revoke a nuclear deal and elicited sharp criticism from the administration and
proponents of an agreement. Secretary of State John Kerry asserted in congressional testimony that a deal would not be "a legally binding plan," but insisted that such an agreement would not be subject to congressional review.
Yet legal experts noted that due to the nonbinding and executive nature of a potential deal, a future administration could easily repeal it."The letter is completely fair and accurate in educating the Iranian leaders
who presumably don't know the nuances of representative democracy," Vitter said. "They certainly don't act like they do," he added with a laugh.
Source: Free Beacon coverage of 2015 Louisiana gubernatorial race
Mar 12, 2015
On War & Peace:
Military force against ISIS if Arab ground troops involved
Secretary of State John Kerry testified to Congress about the administration's proposed Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) to combat the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, along with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense
Secretary Ashton Carter. The plan has no geographic limitations on where U.S. forces could battle IS, but it does contain a three-year sunset clause and a proscription of "enduring offensive ground operations."
Vitter said that he would support a new AUMF "if we get it right." While Vitter did not specifically address the administration's proposal, he said that any authorization should involve ground troops--primarily from regional Arab countries with
U.S. training. "No one wants American boots on the ground to have to lead the way," he said. "But I think we need to recognize this is a serious war, and airstrikes alone aren't going to do it."
Source: Free Beacon coverage of 2015 Louisiana gubernatorial race
Mar 12, 2015
Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018