He's opposed to the Green New Deal, a broad progressive plan that includes drastically cutting emissions along
with other policies like universal health care and a federal jobs guarantee. "But it's not enough to say you don't like that and not have something you can be for," Kasich said.
Source: Axios.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Feb 26, 2019
On Energy & Oil:
Centrist climate policy: price for carbon dioxide emissions
Kasich calls on conservatives to address global warming: "This is like a call to arms. Let's have conservatives have a discussion instead of being in denial that this is a problem," Kasich said. "You can't just be a science denier." Kasich plans to
introduce proposals for a "centrist" climate policy.Kasich opposes the "Green New Deal," a climate change policy backed by progressives, but said that it's "not enough" to oppose it without introducing a counterproposal.
His proposals include subsidies for electric vehicles and other eco-friendly technologies and a price for carbon dioxide emissions.
Kasich said that his views on humans' impact on the environment have "evolved" since the
2016 campaign, when he said: "We don't want to destroy people's job, based on some theory that is not proven." Kasich now says, "As I see more and more evidence, especially from our government and scientists, you learn more. Let's step it up."
Source: The Hill coverage of 2020 presidential hopefuls
Feb 26, 2019
On Civil Rights:
Strongly opposed "bathroom bills" against transgender people
Kasich has railed against right-wing efforts to bar transgender people from using the public bathrooms of their choice--when
North Carolina enacted its '16 law, Kasich said, "What the hell are we doing in this country?"
Source: The Atlantic, "Place in GOP," on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Dec 3, 2018
On Foreign Policy:
America First should not be America Alone
Kasich criticized President Trump over his rebuke of "globalism" during remarks at the United Nations, while taking a cue from Trump's 2016 Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. Kasich warned Trump that his policy of "America First"
could result in "America Alone." He added that the U.S. and other nations are "Stronger Together," a nod to Clinton's campaign slogan.
Trump told members of the U.N. General Assembly that his administration "reject[s] the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism."
Source: John Bowden in The Hill: 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Sep 26, 2018
On Environment:
Properly balance environmental stewardship and job creation
Washington assumes authority that does not exist in pursuit of reckless regulations that will kill jobs.
John Kasich will bring common sense and science to energy regulation in order to properly balance environmental stewardship and job creation.
Source: 2020 Presidential Hopefuls campaign website JohnKasich.com
Sep 18, 2018
On Environment:
Eliminate NOAA; let DOI safeguard natural resources
Sometimes the best government is the government that doesn't exist. That is definitely true in the case of the Commerce Department. Its various pieces and parts do not belong together. Duplicative efforts must be eliminated or downsized.
Certain key missions including economic development, natural resources and trade enforcement would be markedly improved by better aligning the federal agencies performing these functions. Many other functions can be shrunk and sent back to the states.
Consolidate Stewardship of Natural Resources: Almost half of the Commerce Department's budget goes to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which includes the National Weather Service and its satellites, and the
National Hurricane Center. These and other efforts align closely with the work of the Department of Interior to preserve and safeguard America's natural resources and, after a review to eliminate duplication, would be moved there.
Source: 2020 presidential hopefuls: campaign website JohnKasich.com
Sep 18, 2018
On Gun Control:
Learn from mass shooting tragedies and take action
John Kasich supports the Second Amendment and has signed multiple bills to protect gun rights. As a pragmatic conservative Governor Kasich also recognizes the need for common-sense solutions to our nation's problems. In recent years, our country has
been devastated by a dramatic increase in school shootings and mass killings--many with the use of semi-automatic weapons. Governor Kasich believes that we should not be afraid to learn from these tragedies and take appropriate action.
John Kasich has spoken out on the need for reasonable reforms to prevent future massacres--including the potential of expanding background checks on gun sales and limiting the ability to sell weapons that have often been used in mass killings.
The 2nd Amendment is one of the most divisive issues in our country. Leadership requires the willingness to tackle these issues and to find solutions. Our country and our children deserve that leadership.
Source: 2020 presidential hopefuls: campaign website JohnKasich.com
Sep 18, 2018
On Tax Reform:
Reduce tax withholding by 3.1%
Kasich announced he was looking at a possibility of reducing the tax withholding tables that determine how much money is taken out of employee's paychecks to cover their tax burdens. Kasich wants to reduce the withholding table by 3.1% which would bring
it in line with the planned reduction of 6.3% from a few years ago that was not fully implemented by the state legislature.Ultimately, reducing the withholding table means that less of an employee's money is taken out of their paycheck and set aside
to cover their income tax liability. Technically that gives the employee more money to spend and increases their spending power, but is not likely to be a significant amount. The idea is to be even at the end of the year; not owe a bunch, not get a
bunch back.
So why bother? Because the State can. Several years ago, the state legislature chose to only reduce the table by half the planned amount out of concerns over the cost to do so. It would cost around $150 million to make this adjustment.
Source: NBC4 WCMH TV Columbus on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Aug 13, 2018
On Drugs:
Make low-level drug use a misdemeanor; treatment not prison
Gov. John Kasich said he is leaning toward supporting a ballot issue to prevent many low-level drug use and possession offenders from being sent to state prisons. Kasich signaled his potential support for Issue 1 on the Nov. 6 ballot, a constitutional
amendment that would convert low-level drug use and possession felonies to first-degree misdemeanors that would divert offenders out of prison to addiction treatment. It also could lead to the release of those now imprisoned in state facilities for
minor drug offenses."It's important for low-level offenders to not be in the prison system," the second-term Republican governor said, adding he wants to study the issue further. "We won the battle, but not the war. It's not going to be won for a
long time," Kasich said, referring to a 30-percent drop in prescribed doses of opioid painkillers--a "gateway" to heroin and fentanyl--and a six-year low in the number of deaths from prescribed drugs.
Source: The Columbus Dispatch on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Aug 1, 2018
On Environment:
Reduce Erie pollution with tougher fertilizer regulations
Farmers are firing back at Gov. John Kasich's executive order to implement tougher regulations on fertilizer and other farm runoff. The administration says these new requirements will help keep nutrients from polluting Lake Erie.Since 2011, Ohio has
spent more than $3 billion to keep Lake Erie clean. However, Gov. John Kasich says they're still not on target to greatly reduce the amount of phosphorus getting into Lake Erie.
Kasich ensures that this isn't meant to be over-regulation, but a way to
spell out what needs to be done to help Lake Erie. "This is just requiring farmers to figure out a way to manage their land in a more environmentally friendly way. I believe the farmers want to do that. Sometimes some of them don't know exactly what
that means so to put a plan in place where we can help fund them on whatever it takes to do that makes a lot of sense," Kasich says. But Ohio's agriculture industry opposes this move, seeing it as government overreach.
Source: Ohio Statehouse News on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Jul 18, 2018
On Environment:
Mandate best practices to reduce farm fertilizer runoff
[To keep Lake Erie clean from fertilizer runoff], Gov. Kasich has a plan he says can lead to mandating best practices for using nutrients. Kasich signed an executive order naming eight watersheds in distress. This designation triggers certain
regulations for farmers to follow.In the past five years, the General Assembly has passed several pieces of legislation that address the issue of farmland runoff. The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation says they supported those bills and were included
in the process. But for this executive order, the farm bureau says the Kasich administration didn't seek their input.
In May, Kasich threatened to take this kind of unilateral action on the issue, saying the western basin of the lake, where
toxic algae blooms have developed, is impaired. But Republicans in the legislature say they're opposed to the executive order because they feel this should be addressed by the House and Senate.
Source: Ohio Statehouse News on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Jul 18, 2018
On Foreign Policy:
Cooperation and engagement instead of "Fortress America"
Although American leaders should always put American interests first, that does not mean that we have to build walls, close off markets, or isolate the United States by acting in ways that alienate our allies. Continuing to do that will not insulate us
from external challenges; it will simply turn us into bystanders with less and less influence.I choose cooperation and engagement. Only those who have forgotten the lessons of history can credibly contend that peace and prosperity await us inside
"Fortress America." Yet the way forward is not to retreat but to renew our commitment to supporting those who share our values, to reboot our capacity to collaborate, and to forge a new consensus on how to adapt our policies and institutions to the
new era.
On challenge after challenge, we are better off working together than going it alone. To secure our economic future, we must prepare our workers for the future rather than retreat into protectionism.
Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs
Jun 6, 2018
On Foreign Policy:
China is converting economic power into regional influence
China wants to push the US out of the western Pacific, undermine our alliances in the region, and re-create a Sinocentric sphere of influence in Asia free from challenges to its authoritarian rule.Beijing is already seeking to convert its economic
power into regional influence through such projects as the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive infrastructure venture, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a rival to Western-led development banks.
Confounding our hopes and expectations,
China's regime has managed to deliver economic growth without being forced to democratize. But China is not 12 feet tall: its economy has serious structural flaws, including exceedingly high levels of debt, a cohort of retirees whose living expenses
will be difficult to fund, and wages that are increasingly uncompetitive with those paid by China's neighbors. Nor is China a monolith: like the U.S., the country is riven by rival factions, leading to infighting that diverts productive resources.
Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs
Jun 6, 2018
On Foreign Policy:
Opportunity to cooperate with China instead of containment
China does not need to be contained as the Soviet Union once did, since its provocative behavior is already driving some of its neighbors into our arms. Indeed, through its actions, Beijing can largely be counted on to contain itself.
Another difference between the rivalry with China today and that with the Soviet Union during the Cold War is that China and the United States are so economically intertwined. This means not only that the two countries will remain co-dependent for the
foreseeable future but also that relations between them need not be a zero-sum game. There are ample opportunities to pursue strategies with China that can adapt the world system to reflect Beijing's growing international role while benefiting both
sides. Those opportunities include reining in North Korea, addressing climate change, and promoting international investment and economic growth.
Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs
Jun 6, 2018
On Free Trade:
Review trade violations without heavy-handed tariffs
It is up to Americans to constantly innovate in order to remain competitive. Our international trading partners have to realize, however, that if they do not do more to eliminate government subsidies, dumping, and other anticompetitive behavior, support
for free and fair trade will collapse even further in the United States. The result will be that everyone will suffer. That said, we should not have to resort to heavy-handed tariffs and quotas in order to get our partners to start taking our concerns
seriously. To reduce jobs losses from trade, we need an expedited process, free of bureaucratic delays, to review trade violations and stop them when they occur. But we must also undertake new efforts that help people obtain the skills they need
for the jobs of the future. It was a mistake for the Trump administration to turn its back on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would have eliminated 18,000 foreign tariffs currently imposed on products that Americans make & seek to sell overseas.
Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs
Jun 6, 2018
On Free Trade:
Combat Chinese dumping and currency manipulation
There are limits to how much can be achieved through cooperation [with China]. We should acknowledge our rivalry with China more frankly and prepare our country to compete more vigorously. This does not necessarily mean embarking on a path of
outright confrontation. Rather, it means putting hopes of a peaceful political evolution in China on the back burner and incentivizing Beijing to play a constructive role in the international system. It also means being prepared to decisively counter
Chinese moves that threaten the United States and its allies.The State Department should better protect our economic interests by combating
Chinese dumping and currency manipulation, streamlining the World Trade Organization's dispute-resolution process, and insisting on full reciprocity in market access.
Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs
Jun 6, 2018
On Free Trade:
Trade was not responsible for job losses; technology was
In the US as a whole, one in five jobs--40 million of them--depend on trade, and these jobs tend to be higher paying. But there are also some people who have suffered as a result. Jobs have been lost.It is up to Americans to constantly innovate in
order to remain competitive. Our international trading partners have to realize, however, that if they do not do more to eliminate government subsidies, dumping, and other anticompetitive behavior, support for free and fair trade will collapse even
further in the US. The result will be that everyone will suffer. That said, we should not have to resort to heavy-handed tariffs and quotas in order to get our partners to start taking our concerns seriously.
But we must also undertake new efforts
that help people obtain the skills they need for the jobs of the future. Trade was not responsible for the majority of American job losses in the last generation; technology was. That trend will only accelerate.
Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs
Jun 6, 2018
On Free Trade:
Support TPP to eliminate 18,000 foreign tariffs on US goods
Without greater confidence about their future place in the global economy, Americans will have little reason to support international cooperation and engagement. If the US continues to go it alone, however, that will only open up further opportunities
for nations that do not have our best interests at heart, such as China and Russia, to shape our future for us. That's why it was such a mistake for the Trump administration to turn its back on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would have eliminated
18,000 foreign tariffs currently imposed on products that Americans make and seek to sell overseas. Those tariffs hold back job creation, and eliminating them could unleash new growth across the US. We shouldn't have threatened to jettison NAFTA either.
Instead, we should work with our neighbors and partners to modernize these agreements. On trade, as on many other issues, the goal should be to find win-win solutions, not to make threats and try to divide and conquer.
Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs
Jun 6, 2018
On Homeland Security:
Prioritize nuclear agreements like START and INF
As a child of the Cold War, I remember well the schoolroom "duck and cover" exercises, an ever-present reminder of the risk of nuclear war. No threat holds greater consequences for all of humanity than that of the accidental or deliberate use of
nuclear weapons. Containing that risk has to remain our top priority.U.S.-Russian agreements such as the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) were designed to achieve
greater stability and security when it comes to nuclear weapons, and that goal should not be abandoned lightly. With New START expiring in 2021 and the INF Treaty on the verge of being fatally undermined by Russia's noncompliance, we need to think long
and hard about walking away from them. Unless we are convinced that they are unsalvageable, agreements that by and large have worked for the two states holding more than 90% of the world's nuclear weapons should not be allowed to fall apart.
Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs
Jun 6, 2018
On Immigration:
Allies directly affected should repatriate Syrian refugees
President Trump deserves credit for improving on President Obama's strategy against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, in Syria and Iraq. Now that the terrorists' strongholds have been all but eliminated, the only remaining core U.S. interest at
stake is preventing ISIS from using those countries to mount future attacks against us. That mission does not require a major commitment of U.S. combat troops. With our help, allies whose interests are more directly affected than our own--such as
Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and European countries--should take the lead in mitigating the continuing but reduced threat from ISIS and in repatriating Syrian refugees. Going forward, we need to be much more careful and focused about how
we fight terrorism. We have to develop better criteria for when to intervene abroad. And when we do intervene, we need clearer guidelines about what kinds of resources to commit--for example, combat troops versus military trainers.
Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs
Jun 6, 2018
On War & Peace:
Keep up pressure on North Korea to give up nukes
North Korea's acquisition of nuclear weapons remains another major concern. Until we have a definitive, verifiable treaty that formally ends the Korean War and denuclearizes the Korean Peninsula, we will need to keep up the pressure on Pyongyang to
relinquish its nuclear weapons. Additional sanctions can and should be put in place. That includes sanctions on large Chinese companies that enable North Korea's nuclear weapons program. North Koreans who are working overseas to earn the regime the hard
currency that funds that program should be sent home on an expedited basis. The US & its allies should also put in place a much tighter counterproliferation regime on shipments going into or out of North Korea. Ultimately, however, it will take peaceful
regime change in Pyongyang to resolve the nuclear threat North Korea poses in Northeast Asia. The country best positioned to facilitate such a change is China, provided it can be sure that the US, South Korea, and Japan will not exploit the situation.
Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs
Jun 6, 2018
On War & Peace:
Balance cooperation and confrontation with China
To deal with the rise of China, we must strike the right balance between cooperation and confrontation. In other words, the world needs more American engagement, not less.Looking to fill the political void created by the current vacuum in US
international leadership, Chinese leaders are making ridiculous assertions that their country will define the meaning of freedom and liberty.
The principal strategic challenge for the US is to integrate China into the international system in a manner
that allows us to protect our interests in Asia and safeguard international institutions against China's assaults on democratic values. China's ultimate goal is to end what it considers to be American dominance and to replace it with a new order in
which Beijing gets an equal voice in setting the rules. It wants to push the US out of the western Pacific, undermine our alliances in the region, and re-create a Sinocentric sphere of influence in Asia free from challenges to its authoritarian rule.
Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs
Jun 6, 2018
On War & Peace:
Forward-deploy US forces in the Pacific to challenge China
China does not need to be contained as the Soviet Union once did during the Cold War [but] deterring China also has a military dimension. The U.S. military should forward-deploy greater numbers of forces in the western Pacific and continue to challenge
China's illegal attempts to expand its territorial control there. Washington should make it clear that there will be a significant price to pay for any attack on U.S. assets in space and expand our regional allies' missile and air defense capabilities.
In the long run, however, the best chance for peace lies in a China that itself chooses reform. To kick-start that process, we will have to support efforts to give mass audiences in
China better access to the unvarnished truth about what is going on in the world.
Source: 2020 presidential hopeful Kasich column in Foreign Affairs
Jun 6, 2018
On War & Peace:
War on terror should focus on threats to US homeland
After 17 years, the war on terrorism has become a series of open-ended commitments. In Afghanistan, Pres. Obama put in place a series of half measures, and Pres. Trump sent additional troops into a conflict that cannot be resolved militarily. Both
presidents' decisions were mistakes. We must now look instead to diplomacy to negotiate a sustainable US exit.Regarding ISIS, in Syria and Iraq, the terrorists' strongholds have been all but eliminated. The only remaining core US interest at stake is
preventing ISIS from using those countries to mount future attacks against us.
Going forward, we need to be much more careful and focused about how we fight terrorism. We have to develop better criteria for when to intervene abroad. In particular, we
should restrict our major counterterrorism efforts to instances in which our homeland is directly at risk. When it is not, we should avoid getting embroiled in civil wars and instead use diplomacy to rally international partners to assume the lead.
Source: Kasich column in Foreign Affairs: 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Jun 6, 2018
On Principles & Values:
Two-party system no longer appeals to majority of voters
Gov. John Kasich told ABC News that he thinks America's two-party system will end because the Democrats and Republicans are not appealing to the majority of voters: "We may be beginning to see the end of the two-party system. I'm starting to really
wonder if we're going to see a multi-party system at some point in the future in this country. Because I don't think either party is answering people's deepest concerns and needs."Kasich appeared with Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), which only
sparked speculation that they may try to form a third party ticket to challenge President Trump in 2020. While this idea appeals to some--particularly Republicans who feel their party has morphed into something they no longer recognize--history
suggests it faces steep odds.
The Electoral College makes a viable third party nearly impossible. Multiple parties just don't work under our system. It's more likely that one of the existing parties will fade away and a new party will replace it.
Source: T.Goddard in PoliticalWire.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Feb 25, 2018
On Gun Control:
We need bipartisan gun reform to deal with mass shootings
Kasich's own public stances on guns have varied throughout his political career. Kasich supported the assault weapons ban in the 1990s and earned the ire of the National Rifle Association. As governor years later, he signed legislation supported
by gun rights advocates and touted his improved position with the NRA. Last year, legislation Kasich signed went into effect that expanded where people can carry concealed handguns to include willing colleges and day-care facilities.
But last November in an op-ed, Kasich called for a bipartisan approach to implement some kind of gun reform.
This week, he said Congress' history of inaction on the issue and the likelihood it will not address it in the wake of the recent high profile
mass shooting was just one sign of broad dysfunction, citing the immigration debate as another example. "Think about how bad it is in Congress," Kasich said. "They can't decide anything. They can't agree to anything down there."
Source: Eli Watkins on CNN on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Feb 18, 2018
On Gun Control:
Background checks and increased attention to mental illness
[In the wake of deadly school shooting this week], Kasich said he thought it was possible to push for some measures at the state and local level, like background checks and increased attention to mental illness, while Washington would not move
from the status quo."I'm not calling for some outright ban," Kasich said. "I'm talking about small steps that can be taken that can be effective, and the Congress ought to do it. I just don't have any confidence in them.
I don't think most Americans do.
Kasich said there were honest disagreements on the issue from people who "feel strongly" and stressed he supports the Second Amendment. Still, he tried to make the case that even ardent supporters of the Second
Amendment should be open to some kind of change in policy. "If you're a strong Second Amendment person, you need to slow down and take a look at reasonable things that can be done to answer these young people," Kasich said.
Source: Eli Watkins on CNN on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Feb 18, 2018
On War & Peace:
Eradicate leadership of North Korea but no military strike
Kasich says he knows how to tackle the issue of North Korea: take out leader Kim Jong Un and his allies. "I believe the best way to solve this problem is to eradicate the leadership," Kasich said. "There are ways in which that can be achieved."
Kasich said that other options that the Trump team seems to be pursuing, including a military strike against the nation, would result in a major loss of lives. "Moving big warships in and having a war, I don't think that's going to work," he said. "Too
much loss of life. We are getting very serious that they cannot have an ICBM," Kasich said.
In order to avoid the devastating loss, he said the US could "remove a number of the top people and have a more benign leadership there that understands what's
at risk."
When asked if the US should do this militarily, Kasich responded, "You have to have very good intelligence. I don't want to say any more than that, but that's what I believe we need to do, as opposed to a full military strike."
Source: CNN's Caroline Kenny on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Apr 28, 2017
On Energy & Oil:
Opposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste facility
Bill S 1287: Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act:- Sets forth a milestone schedule by which final decisions regarding development of the Yucca Mountain site as a nuclear waste repository shall be made by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC).
- Prescribes implementation guidelines.
- Cites circumstances for transport & storage of spent nuclear fuel amounts that the NRC determines cannot be stored onsite.
- Sets a deadline of June 1, 2001 for all environmental protection
reports.
Legislative outcome: Passed House 253-167 (Democrats: 53-149; Republicans: 199-18); Rep. Kasich voted NAY; Veto Override Failed in Senate, May 2, 2000.
OnTheIssues explanation:Yucca Mountain is the country's
only long-term nuclear waste facility. A similar bill did pass in 2002, but was overturned under Obama in 2009, over radiation safety concerns for storage as well as transport. Currently, all nuclear waste is stored on-site at each facility.
Source: Voting history of 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 22, 2000
Page last updated: Nov 01, 2021