Tom Petri topics and responses

Stimulus Spending to Beat Great Recession

PRO:

• 03/22/2012: Expand lending caps for credit unions to small business
• 07/29/2009: Voted YES on $192B additional anti-recession stimulus spending

  CON:

• 09/26/2008: Voted NO on $60B stimulus package for jobs, infrastructure, & energy
• 05/09/2013: Voted YES on prioritizing spending in case debt limit is reached

Acknowledging and Addressing Climate Change

PRO:

• 02/10/2005: Establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances
• 09/09/1998: Supports immediate reductions in greenhouse gases

  CON:

• 06/26/2000: Voted NO on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol
• 04/07/2011: Voted YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases
• 06/26/2009: Voted NO on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution

Getting Money Out of Politics

PRO:

• 09/14/1999: Voted YES on banning soft money and issue ads
• 01/06/2009: Repeal automatic Congressional pay raises
• 02/14/2002: Voted YES on campaign finance reform banning soft-money contributions
• 05/24/2007: Voted YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations

  CON:

• 04/05/2006: Voted YES on restricting independent grassroots political committees
• 07/12/2001: Voted NO on banning soft money donations to national political parties

Saving Elephants, Whales, Dolphins and Lions

PRO:

• 01/04/2007: Strengthen prohibitions against animal fighting

  CON:

• 09/29/2005: Voted YES on deauthorizing "critical habitat" for endangered species
• 07/17/2009: Voted NO on protecting free-roaming horses and burros

Renewable Energy

PRO:

• 08/04/2007: Voted YES on investing in homegrown biofuel
• 06/29/2006: Voted YES on keeping moratorium on drilling for oil offshore
• 01/18/2007: Voted YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies
• 09/26/2008: Voted YES on tax credits for renewable electricity, with PAYGO offsets

  CON:

• 08/01/2001: Voted NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels
• 12/31/2006: Ranked by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence
• 05/21/2008: Voted NO on tax incentives for energy production and conservation
• 02/12/2008: Voted NO on tax incentives for renewable energy
• 06/07/2006: Voted YES on scheduling permitting for new oil refinieries

Making it Harder to Get a Gun

CON:

• 06/18/1999: Voted YES on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1
• 03/27/2007: Ban gun registration & trigger lock law in Washington DC
• 09/17/2003: No United Nations taxation on firearms
• 10/20/2005: Voted YES on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers
• 04/09/2003: Voted YES on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse
• 12/31/2003: Ranked by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun rights voting record

Cutting the US Military Budget

PRO:

• 09/09/1998: Reduce federal government size & scope, including military
• 03/15/2007: Voted YES on restricting no-bid defense contracts

  CON:

• 09/27/1994: No US troops under UN command; more defense spending
• 07/22/1999: Voted YES on $266 billion Defense Appropriations bill
• 02/02/2005: Voted YES on continuing military recruitment on college campuses
• 01/30/2002: Supports $48 billion in new spending for anti-terrorism
• 04/03/2003: Voted YES on emergency $78B for war in Iraq & Afghanistan
• 03/18/1999: Voted YES on deploying SDI

Legalizing Marijuana and Industrial Hemp

PRO:

• 09/16/1998: Voted NO on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests
• 09/25/2001: Voted NO on military border patrols to battle drugs & terrorism
• 06/10/2008: Voted NO on more funding for Mexico to fight drugs

  CON:

• 12/31/2006: Ranked by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance
• 01/01/2014: Ranked by NORML, indicating an anti-legalization stance
• 10/14/1999: Voted YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC

Abortion Rights

CON:

• 01/04/2013: No family planning assistance that includes abortion
• 12/31/2003: Ranked by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record
• 12/31/2006: Ranked by the NRLC, indicating a pro-life stance
• 01/11/2007: Voted NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines
• 09/25/2002: Voted YES on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info
• 02/04/2009: Declare preborn as persons under 14th amendment
• 02/26/2004: Voted YES on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime
• 10/02/2003: Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother`s life
• 05/05/2011: Prohibit federal funding for abortion
• 06/30/1999: Voted YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion
• 05/24/2005: Voted NO on allowing human embryonic stem cell research
• 04/27/2005: Voted YES on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions
• 05/16/2001: Voted YES on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad
• 04/05/2000: Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortions

Gay Rights and Gay Marriage

CON:

• 12/31/2006: Ranked by the HRC, indicating an anti-gay-rights stance
• 04/02/2009: Voted NO on enforcing against anti-gay hate crimes
• 09/30/2004: Voted YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage
• 07/29/1999: Voted YES on banning gay adoptions in DC
• 11/13/2007: Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation
• 07/18/2006: Voted YES on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman

Repealing ObamaCare

PRO:

• 04/13/2011: Voted YES on repealing the "Prevention and Public Health" slush fund
• 04/15/2011: Voted YES on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts
• 06/28/2000: Voted YES on subsidizing private insurance for Medicare Rx drug coverage
• 10/06/1999: Voted YES on establishing tax-exempt Medical Savings Accounts
• 12/31/2003: Ranked by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record
• 02/01/2006: Voted YES on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay
• 03/05/2008: Voted NO on giving mental health full equity with physical health
• 04/02/2009: Voted NO on regulating tobacco as a drug
• 03/13/2003: Voted YES on capping damages & setting time limits in medical lawsuits
• 11/22/2003: Voted YES on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients

  CON:

• 04/11/2013: Sponsored merging Alzheimers diagnosis and care benefit
• 05/24/2002: Tax credits for those without employee health insurance
• 01/12/2007: Voted YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D
• 10/25/2007: Voted YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility
• 07/24/2003: Voted YES on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs
• 01/14/2009: Voted YES on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program
• 07/15/2008: Voted YES on overriding veto on expansion of Medicare
• 05/24/2002: $350 billion for prescriptions for poor seniors
• 01/23/2008: Voted YES on Veto override: Extend SCHIP to cover 6M more kids

Addressing and Fighting Income Inequality

PRO:

• 06/25/2008: Voted NO on extending AMT exemptions to avoid hitting middle-income
• 09/09/1998: Implement socially fair, broad-based tax cuts

  CON:

• 03/29/2001: Voted YES on reducing Marriage Tax by $399B over 10 years
• 08/12/2010: Taxpayer Protection Pledge: no new taxes
• 03/09/2000: Voted YES on $46 billion in tax cuts for small business
• 12/31/2006: Ranked by the CTJ, indicating opposition to progressive taxation
• 09/23/2004: Voted YES on providing tax relief and simplification
• 09/27/1994: Repeal marriage tax; cut middle class taxes
• 12/08/2005: Voted YES on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends
• 12/12/2007: Voted NO on paying for AMT relief by closing offshore business loopholes
• 01/01/2012: Supports the Taxpayer Protection Pledge
• 05/16/2001: Voted YES on Tax cut package of $958 B over 10 years
• 07/12/2000: Voted YES on eliminating the "marriage penalty"
• 04/04/2001: Voted YES on eliminating the Estate Tax ("death tax")
• 04/18/2002: Voted YES on making the Bush tax cuts permanent

Building the Keystone XL Pipeline

PRO:

• 10/07/2005: Voted YES on authorizing construction of new oil refineries
• 05/12/2011: Voted YES on opening Outer Continental Shelf to oil drilling

  CON:

• 08/01/2001: Voted YES on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR