Deborah Ross in State of North Carolina secondary Archives

On Abortion: Allow ObamaCare state exchanges to provide abortion services

Highlights:
• Prohibits "qualified" health plans offered through the State Health Insurance Exchange from providing coverage for abortions except under certain circumstances including the following circumstances:
• When the life of the mother is endangered arising from the pregnancy;
• When the pregnancy is the result of rape; and
• When the pregnancy is the result of incest.
• Specifies that health care providers are not required to perform or participate in abortion services on the basis of a moral, ethical, or religious objection.
• Prohibits counties and cities from providing abortion coverage greater than that provided by the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees to county officers and employees.

On Abortion: All employers should cover contraceptives (no RFRA)

Burr: Yes

Ross: No

Q: On Contraception: Should employers be able to withhold contraceptive coverage from employees if they disagree with it morally?

Burr: Yes

Ross: No

Q: On Healthcare: Should Planned Parenthood be eligible to receive public funds for non-abortion health services?

Burr: No

Ross: Yes

On Civil Rights: Voted NO on a constitutional amendment to define marriage

Synopsis:
• Vote to pass a constitutional amendment establishing marriage between a man and a woman is the only domestic legal union that North Carolina will recognize.
• Specifies that North Carolina voters will vote on this amendment during a statewide election held on the date of the first primary in 2012 with a simple majority needed to pass the amendment.

On Civil Rights: Introduced gender pay equity bill in state legislature

On Civil Rights: Transgender individuals use public bathrooms of their choice

Burr: No. Personal belief that marriage is between a man and a woman. Legislatively, voted several times through 2010 to ban same-sex marriage. In anticipation of Supreme Court ruling, took the position that it should be decided by the states.

Ross: Yes

Q: On Gay Rights: Should transgender individuals have the right to use public bathrooms of their choice?

Burr: No. Opposed Obama's Executive Order, stating decision should be made by states, parents, and communities. Later, in response to backlash against NC anti-LGBT legislation, said state had gone too far and should "rein it in before a judge does it for them."

Ross: Yes

On Corporations: Corporations and wealthiest should pay their fair share

Burr: Yes

Ross: No

Q: On Taxes: Increase taxes on corporations and/or high-income individuals to pay for public services?

Burr: No

Ross: Yes. Wants "corporations and the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share."

On Crime: Allow statistical race evidence in death penalty cases

Highlights:
• Specifies that the use of statistical evidence alone is insufficient to establish that race was a significant factor in seeking or imposing the death penalty
• Limits statistical evidence to statistics derived from the county or prosecutorial district where the defendant was sentenced, whereas existing law authorizes the use of statistical evidence from the judicial division and the state in addition to the county and prosecutorial district
• Limits the time from which evidence may be used to find that race was a significant factor in seeking or imposing the death penalty to 10 years before the offense was committed and 2 years after a sentence is imposed, whereas existing law does not provide a time limit

On Crime: No incarceration for nonviolent misdemeanors

Burr: Unknown. Did vote for easing mandatory minimum sentencing.

Ross: Increase community policing & no incarceration for nonviolent misdemeanors.

On Drugs: Supports medical marijuana

Ross: Supports medical marijuana

Burr: No. Opposes medical and recreational. Recent public statements focus on enforcing federal law regarding marijuana. Opposes medical as well as recreational use, stating in 2010 that "I'm on the record for believing that medical marijuana has no real intrinsic values that you can't get through other things."

On Education: Make first two years of community college free

Burr: No. Supported bills to simplify repayment, but opposed expanding subsidies to support refinancing.

Ross: Yes. Supports refinancing student loan debt, reining in private for-profit colleges, & making first two years of community college free.

Q: On Student Financial Aid: Should federal student financial aid, like Pell Grants, be increased?

Burr: No

Ross: Yes

On Energy & Oil: Voted NO on horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracking

Highlights:
• Authorizes horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing
• Defines "hydraulic fracturing treatment" as any stage of the treatment of a well by the application of hydraulic fracturing fluid under pressure that is expressly designed to initiate or propagate fractures in a target geological formation to enhance production of oil and gas
• Requires a permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources prior to using hydraulic fracturing
• Establishes a maximum fine of $25,000 per day for every day an individual continues to knowingly violate the provisions of this bill, including the use of hydraulic fracturing without a permit
• Establishes the North Carolina Mining and Energy Commission to establish rules and regulation for the development of oil, gas, and mining resources, including regulating the process of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.

On Foreign Policy: Approach threats in multilateral way, like Iran nuclear deal

She has endorsed the Kissinger-Shultz-Nunn-Perry vision of moving responsibly toward a world free of nuclear weapons and further negotiations with Russia to reduce nuclear weapons.

In the 2013-4 Congress, Burr scored a 13% on the Council for a Livable World voting scorecard. He voted to increase funding for an East Coast missile defense site. Last year, he also voted to torpedo the Iran nuclear deal and signed what was widely seen as an inappropriate letter circulated by Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton and sent from Republican U.S. senators to the Iranian Ayatollah Khamenei that was intended to derail the on-going negotiations.

On Foreign Policy: Work with Iran on nukes; work with allies on ISIS

Burr: No

Ross: Yes

Q: On Iraq: How should the US combat ISIS?

Burr: Eliminate Isis rather than contain it, specific plans unclear.

Ross: "Take them out, cut off supplies, work with allies."

On Free Trade: Always against the TPP; we need to stop trade agreements

On Government Reform: Voted NO on shortening early voting period

Highlights:
• Requires the early voting period to begin the second Thursday before the election, whereas existing law requires the early voting period to begin the third Thursday before the election.
• Requires county boards of elections to accept early voting on the last 2 Saturdays before the election, whereas existing law requires early voting only on one Saturday.

On Government Reform: Establish one-stop registration and voting sites

• Requires individuals to show proof of residence and to complete a registration form
• Allows voters to immediately vote after registering at one-stop sites
• Allows individuals who are already registered to update their information at these one-stop sites
• Gives the State Board of Elections the power to enforce and determine the time frame for extending "same-day registration and voting" to all voting booths

On Gun Control: Voted NO on concealed carry in restaurants and state parks

Highlights:
• Authorizes a person with a concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun in a restaurant, unless the person in control of the restaurant has posted a notice prohibiting the carrying of a concealed handgun on the premises.
• Authorizes a person with a concealed handgun permit to carry a concealed handgun on the grounds or waters of any state park.

On Gun Control: Tried to block legislation that would allow concealed carry

On Gun Control: Supports commonsense gun safety and background checks

On Health Care: Expand state Medicaid under ObamaCare

Highlights:
• Prohibits any state department, agency, or institution from expanding the state's Medicaid program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
• Prohibits any state department, agency, or institution from forming a state-run Health Benefit Exchange, or providing resources for any services related to the federally facilitated Health Benefit Exchange
• Prohibits the Department of Insurance and the Department of Health and Human Services from using funds provided by federal grants provided for the pursuit of a Health Benefit Exchange
• Requires up to $11 million of the federal funds provided for the pursuit of a state Health Benefit Exchange, appropriated prior to the effective date of this bill, to be reviewed for reimbursement to the state for technology and personnel expenses.

On Homeland Security: Maintain a strong military & care for veterans

Deborah will work to keep America's families safe from threats at home and abroad by maintaining a strong military, and by caring for our servicemembers, and their families. Deborah knows that we have a responsibility to make sure our veterans receive the care and benefits they have earned. As a state legislator, she fought for veterans and their families by cracking down on payday lending schemes targeting servicemembers. She also sponsored a uniform child custody law for military families. In the U.S. Senate, she will work to improve our VA system. She will not tolerate a VA that doesn't live up to the high standard of care that our nation's veterans deserve. [Source: www.deborahross.com/issues ]

On Immigration: Support giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship

On Immigration: Support the DREAM Act

Burr: No

Ross: Yes

Q: On Immigration: Support the DREAM Act, which would allow children brought into the country illegally to achieve legal status if they meet certain conditions? (Need to have graduated from high school, have a clean legal record, and attend college or serve in the military.)

Burr: No. Considers Obama's Executive Order to be overreach.

Ross: Yes

On Social Security: Government shouldn't cut nor privatize Social Security

On Tax Reforms: Against raising taxes on the middle-class & working families

On War & Peace: Committed to defeating ISIS, with our international partners

She believes that we must act together with our allies in the global community, balance Americans' right to privacy with our national security needs, and show strength and compassion to displaced families whose lives have been torn apart by brutal regimes and the horrors of war. We can protect Americans from global threats while upholding the values our country was built on.

In the U.S. Senate, Deborah will work to keep America's families safe from threats at home and abroad by working with our international partners to address national security threats. [Source: www.deborahross.com/issues ]