Jim Newberger in 2018 MN Senate race


On Abortion: De-fund Planned Parenthood

Healthcare: Allow Planned Parenthood to receive public funds for non-abortion health services?

Klobuchar: Yes. Signed letter to Senate leadership supporting continued funding. Voted against defunding.

Newberger: No. Supported 2016 Minnesota bill to defund Planned Parenthood.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Minnesota Senate race Nov 1, 2018

On Education: Supports 529-college savings plans

Student Debt: Lower student loan rates, by raising taxes on high earners (Elizabeth Warren proposal)? Raise financial aid?

Klobuchar: Yes. Supports Warren proposal. Cosponsored bill to extend subsidized federal student loan rates.

Newberger: Unknown about federal financial aid, but supported MN bill for tax credits for student loans & 529 college savings plans.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Minnesota Senate race Nov 1, 2018

On Government Reform: Opposes regulation of political contributions

Campaign Finance: Require political ads & PACs to disclose their largest funders? Oppose decisions like Citizens United, which allows unlimited political donations from corporations & unions?

Amy Klobuchar: Yes to both. Cosponsored DISCLOSE Act, requiring full disclosure of advocacy groups' campaign contributions. Cosponsored amendment to overturn democracy-threatening decision.

Jim Newberger: Unknown on ads. No to limiting political donations. Opposes regulation of political contributions.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Minnesota Senate race Nov 1, 2018

On Jobs: 2014: Voted against raising state minimum wage to $7.75

Minimum Wage: Raise the federal minimum wage from the current $7.25/hr?

Klobuchar: No current statement but voted in 2007 to increase to current $7.25 level.

Newberger: Voted against 2014 MN bill to raise state minimum wage to $7.75 over 3 years.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Minnesota Senate race Nov 1, 2018

On Energy & Oil: Does not believe climate change is man-made

It would be hard to find two candidates further apart on issues than state Rep. Jim Newberger and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who are fighting for the six year seat in the U.S. Senate. In a debate at the Minnesota State Fair, Republican Newberger called for a return to free-market health care, said he does not believe climate change is man-made and declared a wall is needed along the Mexican border.

Democrat Klobuchar, meanwhile, told the Minnesota Public Radio debate audience that federal laws such as allowing sick people to obtain insurance should be continued, said she agrees with a majority of scientists who think climate change is at least partly due to human activity and felt Mexican border security should be a combination of a wall, fence and personnel.

In a rare area of agreement, Klobuchar and Newberger said the federal government needs to find a way to keep prescription medicine costs down.

Source: Twin Cities Pioneer Press on 2018 Minnesota Senate debate Aug 24, 2018

On Health Care: Opening up Medicare for anyone would cost $32 trillion

On health care, Newberger said that his 30 years as a paramedic give him a firsthand understanding of the issue. He said President Barack Obama moved the country to a health care system too heavily dependent on government. "We need to go back to a free-market system."

Additionally, he said government programs like MinnesotaCare, a state-run insurance for the working poor, need to remain in place as a "safety net for our most vulnerable," but in general, government needs to step away from health care. Opening up Medicare for anyone who wants it would cost $32 trillion, Newberger suggested. That is a proposal many Democrats support.

Klobuchar, meanwhile, said the federal government must keep requiring insurers to provide policies to people with pre-existing conditions. Another important provision, she added, is the ability to allow parents to keep children on their insurance until they are 26.

Source: Twin Cities Pioneer Press on 2018 Minnesota Senate debate Aug 24, 2018

On Immigration: We must build the wall; we must secure our border

Immigration was one of several points of contention during the debate. Newberger, a three-term state legislator, said he would back Trump's border wall. "We must build the wall," he said. "We must secure our border. The simple analogy is this: If you don't believe in building the wall or securing the border, then leave your front door wide open all day long 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If that doesn't bother you, then leave it wide open, and let anyone who wants come into your house and do what they care to do."

The Republican candidate also brought up the recent killing of an Iowa college student and alluded to the immigration status of her alleged killer. "If we would have had comprehensive immigration reform where we knew who was coming across our border, would Mollie have been killed in Iowa?" Newberger asked.

Klobuchar answered, "the family has asked that people not politicize this tragic death."

Source: MPR News on 2018 Minnesota Senate debate Aug 22, 2018

On Abortion: Abortion is not an unrestricted right

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right"?

A: Oppose.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Budget & Economy: Market-led recovery better than stimulus

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Stimulus better than market-led recovery"?

A: Oppose

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Civil Rights: Opposes same-sex marriage

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Comfortable with same-sex marriage"?

A: Oppose.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Crime: Stricter punishment reduces crime

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Stricter punishment reduces crime"?

A: Support.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Drugs: Marijuana is a gateway drug

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Marijuana is a gateway drug"?

A: Agree

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Education: Vouchers for school choice are possible

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Vouchers for school choice"?

A: Possible

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Energy & Oil: Don't prioritize green energy

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Prioritize green energy"?

A: Oppose.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Environment: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Fight EPA regulatory over-reach"?

A: Support.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Foreign Policy: Support American Exceptionalism

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Support American Exceptionalism"?

A: Support.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Free Trade: Support & expand free trade

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Support & expand free trade"?

A: Support.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Government Reform: No need to make voter registration easier

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Make voter registration easier"?

A: Oppose.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Gun Control: Absolute right to gun ownership

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Absolute right to gun ownership"?

A: Support.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Health Care: Opposes ObamaCare

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Expand ObamaCare"?

A: Oppose.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Homeland Security: Expand the military

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Expand the military"?

A: Support.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Immigration: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens is possible

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens"?

A: Possible

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Jobs: Opposes affirmative action

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Legally require hiring more women/minorities"?

A: Oppose.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Principles & Values: Keep God in the public sphere

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Keep God in the public sphere"?

A: Support.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Social Security: Don't privatize Social Security

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Privatize Social Security"?

A: Oppose.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Tax Reform: Opposes higher taxes on the wealthy

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Higher taxes on the wealthy"?

A: Oppose.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On War & Peace: Avoid foreign entanglements

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Avoid foreign entanglements"?

A: Support.

Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Minnesota Senate candidate Mar 15, 2018

On Environment: Get government & extreme environmental Left off our backs

I support the folks on the Iron Range in Minnesota and have authored several pieces of legislation to turn things around for the Range. We must get the government and the extreme environmental Left off the backs of the folks on the Range and stop oppressive regulations. I support President Trump's plan to put America first and buy American steel products. I support expanding and rebuilding our pipelines. I support opening up the Iron Range to tap in to the vast mineral wealth that God has given us. I can see a day where the Iron Range will become one of the economic powerhouses of our great nation. Senator Klobuchar has enabled the extreme environmental left. These folks have kept the Northeastern sector of our state in a bureaucratic choke hold for too long.
Source: 2018 Minnesota Senate campaign website JimForUSSenate.com Feb 22, 2018

On Homeland Security: Part of what makes our nation great is our military

Part of what make our nation great is our military. My father served in World War Two and I will forever be proud of that fact. America can only be great if America is strong. I support our military and our veterans. Keeping our military fully funded is foundational to making America great again!
Source: 2018 Minnesota Senate campaign website JimForUSSenate.com Feb 22, 2018

On Social Security: Social Security must be protected

Social Security must be protected. We have all paid into this system and our government has promised that our funds will be there when we retire. As your next U.S. Senator, I will make protecting Social Security one of my highest priorities. Every working American deserves to have their futures protected. MAGA!
Source: 2018 Minnesota Senate campaign website JimForUSSenate.com Feb 22, 2018

On Tax Reform: Simplify our tax code; the IRS has become too powerful

The American tax system is a bloated bureaucratic mess. Today, there are 73,954 pages of tax code and growing. Americans are over-taxed on every level of life. I agree with President Trump. We must simplify our tax code so everyone can understand it. It should not take more than 20 minutes to do your taxes. Along with simplifying our tax code, we must reduce the crushing burden our tax system places on our citizens. The IRS has become too powerful. Those three letters strike fear into the hearts of all Americans. This shouldn't be so! The IRS, like all giant federal agencies needs to serve the people of the United States, instead of the people serving the IRS. As your next U.S. Senator, I will work to reduce our taxes, simplify the code and reign in the IRS. Thanks to Senator Klobuchar's help, government has grown by leaps-and-bounds under the Obama Administration. It's time to turn things around. MAGA!
Source: 2018 Minnesota Senate campaign website JimForUSSenate.com Feb 22, 2018

On Civil Rights: Rated 0% by Voices for Racial Justice

Voices for Racial Justice's 2015-2016 "Minnesota Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity" rates Jim Newberger at 0%.

Voices for Racial Justice self-description: "Since 1993, we have built a stronger movement for racial justice organizing in Minnesota and beyond. Our mission is to advance racial, cultural, social, and economic justice in Minnesota through organizer and leadership training, strategic convenings and campaigns, and research and policy tools. We took a visionary step many years ago, putting racial equity into the center of community organizing in Minnesota. As a result, we have seen the emergence of powerful racial equity organizing and leadership across the state. Today our work also produces and supports the many tools & resources necessary to achieve racial equity in our state. We work with communities to build racial equity into conversations about education, economic opportunity, affordable housing, public transportation, criminal justice, and more."

Source: Voices for Racial Justice on 2018 Minnesota Senate race Dec 20, 2017

On Abortion: 100% pro-life

I will be the voice that speaks out for the unborn. Has a proven record of being 100% prolife.
Source: 2018 Minnesota Senatorial website JimForUSSenate.com Oct 1, 2017

On Gun Control: Supports 2nd Amendment rights

Jim has a proven record of supporting our Second Amendment Rights.
Source: 2018 Minnesota Senatorial website JimForUSSenate.com Oct 1, 2017

On Immigration: Immigrants must accept American law

We need to reach out and help refugees. I support this. However, we are also seeing groups of refugees and immigrants coming to our nation who are establishing their own communities and have attempted to establish a different form of law, different from our current system of American Law. America is the great melting pot. We should welcome those who come here, who desire to live as Americans - under American Law.
Source: 2018 Minnesota Senatorial website JimForUSSenate.com Oct 1, 2017

On Abortion: Require that doctor be in room when taking RU-486

[Newberger introduced a bill] during the right-to-life crowd's brief craze over RU-486, which they (and no one else) called the "abortion pill." Newberger wanted to mandate that women could only take the pill while "in the same room" as the doctor who prescribed it. Any doctor who let a woman leave the room to take the pill would face criminal penalties and/or be sued by the woman's husband or parents. The bill was backed by the creeps-into-watching-women-eat lobby, and no one else.
Source: City Pages on 2018 Minnesota Senate race Aug 16, 2017

On Energy & Oil: Defended coal-burning Xcel plant in Becker

The biggest handout to a fossil fuel-loving monopoly in Minnesota history is also the biggest accomplishment of Jim Newberger's young career.

Newberger fiercely defended the coal-burning Xcel plant in Becker; he loved every ounce of its 20 million tons of annual carbon emissions. When those were set to go offline, Newberger begged for a replacement natural gas plant to be built in Becker. He succeeded. So did Xcel.

Newberger's bill lets Xcel build that plant "at its sole discretion," meaning it could proceed without government oversight. The monopoly's $1 billion plant project will be paid for by its one-plus million ratepayers. Expect Xcel to thank Newberger by funding his campaign.

Source: City Pages on 2018 Minnesota Senate race Aug 16, 2017

On Foreign Policy: Prevent MN from implementing policies set by UN Agenda 21

As a legislator, Newberger has dug a graveyard-full of verbal gaffes. Newberg's written record is even more embarrassing. Behold one of the dumbest, weirdest bills Newberger has introduced during four years in the Minnesota House:

A bill [in the Minnesota legislature] was meant to prevent Minnesota from "implementing policies set by United Nations Agenda 21." What's Agenda 21? Ask your easily frightened uncle.

This non-binding resolution calls on countries to take steps toward alleviating poverty and asks them to protect important stuff, like oceans. Or, as radio host Alex Jones explained it, it's a "eugenics death cult" that will "take over the world." The 25-minute jag Jones needs to connect the scattered, invisible-to-the-sheeple's-eye dots is torturous, and seems to have hypnotized poor Jim Newberger.

Source: City Pages on 2018 Minnesota Senate race Aug 16, 2017

On Health Care: Repeal ObamaCare, by any method

If Newberger already served in the U.S. Senate he said he would have voted to repeal ObamaCare, an effort that fell short of a few votes on multiple occasions this year. Any repeal, Newberger said, "is a good step in the right direction."
Source: The St. Cloud Times on 2018 Minnesota Senate race Aug 7, 2017

On Crime: Let's connect a new prison by rail to North Minneapolis

During last night's marathon debate over the state transportation bill, Democrats tried to fund a study looking at extending the North Star Commuter rail line to St. Cloud, like it was originally intended. Rep. Jim Newberger is not a fan of the rail line, so he grabbed the mic to rain truth bombs all over the Democrat's proposal to connect two major cities via mass transit: "If you're going to connect a large metro area to a prison there are going to be some concerns, and I would be lying if I said there wasn't."

What exactly, would those concerns be? How would that be any different than building a prison near a highway? It was Newberger's racist Freudian slip that took his logical fallacy up a notch: "Boy, wouldn't that be convenient, to have that rail line going from the prison to North Minneapolis."

If you watch closely, you can pinpoint the exact moment when he realizes he shouldn't have said that. "Or uhhh, to any other section of our state," he says, followed by a smattering of boos.

Source: City Pages on 2018 Minnesota Senate race Apr 22, 2015

The above quotations are from 2018 Minnesota Senate race: debates and news coverage.
Click here for other excerpts from 2018 Minnesota Senate race: debates and news coverage.
Click here for other excerpts by Jim Newberger.
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Jim Newberger on other issues:
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Jobs
Principles
Social Security
Tax Reform
Technology
War/Peace
Welfare
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Page last updated: Dec 01, 2021