Mitt Romney's Statements on
the Issues
Positions are
categorized as Pro, Con, Not Clearly Pro or Con, or None Found.
|
|
| Abortion: |
"Should abortion remain a legal option in
America?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "My
view is that the Supreme Court has made an error in saying at the
national level one size fits all for the whole nation. And
instead, I would let states make their choices... I'd let states
make their own decisions in this regard."
Face to Face with
Jon Ralston, KLAS 8 Las Vegas, Aug. 21, 2007
|
[Editor's Note: Prior to Mitt
Romney's Aug. 21, 2007 Not Clearly
Pro or Con position above, his position was Con "abortion should remain a legal
option," as indicated in his Aug. 6, 2007 statement below.]
|
Con: "We support a Human
Life Amendment to the Constitution and we endorse legislation to
make it clear that the 14th Amendment's protections apply to
unborn children."
Good Morning
America, Aug. 6, 2007
|
[Editor's Note: Prior to Mitt
Romney's Aug. 6, 2007 Con
position above, his position was Pro "abortion should remain a legal
option," as indicated in his July 26, 2005 statement
below.]
|
Pro: "I believe that
abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and
to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America
agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view.
But while the nation remains so divided over abortion, I believe
that the states, through the democratic process, should determine
their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial
mandate."
"Op-Ed," Boston
Globe, July 26, 2005
| Character: |
"Is competence more important than honesty in a President?" |
|
| |
None Found: No position found as of Jan. 29, 2008. ProCon.org also emailed the Romney campaign on Jan. 21, 2008 with this question. They did not respond to our email.
|
|
| China: |
"Is China a
threat to the U.S.?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "About one-third of our trade deficit is with
China alone; with one country. Now they artificially peg their
currency so that their products are at a discount coming here.
That's a problem. And they also don't protect our patents and our
designs. We sell a lot of products over there, but we could sell a
lot more... They don't protect our commercial property rights,
like they need to, but if they did, we'd have a much different
situation with our balance of payments with them."
"Ask Mitt Anything," Campaign stop in Tega
Cay, South Carolina, YouTube.com (accessed Jan. 8, 2008)
|
| China: |
"Should the U.S. impose economic sanctions on China as an incentive to improve its human rights policies?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "I believe in building bridges not walls. We specifically addressed the detention of a Massachusetts citizen, Yang Jianli, with Chinese officials and we asked for special attention and consideration for his early release. Working with China on our own security interests — including the isolation of North Korea — must not be at the expense of our commitment to freedom and basic human rights."
"A Primary Factor: Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in an Exclusive Pre-Christmas 2006 Interview," National Review Online, Dec. 14, 2006
|
| Cuba: |
"Should the U.S.
continue to support an embargo against Cuba?" |
|
| |
Pro: "Unilateral
concessions to a dictatorial regime are counterproductive, helping
to secure a succession of power and repression instead of a
transition to freedom. They will only embolden those who cling to
power at the expense of the Cuban people. We must not weaken our
policy on Cuba until the Castro regime is dismantled, all
political prisoners are freed and Cuba transitions to free and
fair elections."
"Press Release," Mitt Romney's official
campaign website, Aug. 21, 2007
|
| Darfur: |
"Should the U.S.
send any American forces, with or without the U.N., to the Darfur
region of Sudan to stop the genocide?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "I
will take a lead in our efforts to stop genocide in
Darfur."
"Ask Mitt Anything," Campaign event in
Manchester, New Hampshire, YouTube.com, Dec. 17, 2007
|
| Death Penalty: |
"Should the
death penalty remain a legal option in America?" |
|
| |
Pro: "Governor Romney has
been a consistent supporter and advocate of the death penalty for
convicted killers."
"In the News," Mitt Romney's official
campaign website (accessed Nov. 28, 2007)
|
| Economy: |
"Is outsourcing jobs to other countries good for America?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "We're seeing jobs leave our state [Massachusetts] and go to Asia. It's a wonderful thing in some respects, but a little frightening in others. We've had jobs go from our state in the past. Textile came here [South Carolina], and ultimately left here and went off to Asia. We've had low end jobs leave our country before... But now we are seeing some high end jobs also leave our country... This is great news that they [developing countries] are getting into the world economy... They'll be able to buy our products and services from this country. So it's good news, but it's also a challenge because we want to make sure that this country always remains the superpower economically and militarily of this planet."
Speech in Lexington County, South Carolina, covered by C-SPAN, Feb. 23, 2006
|
| Economy: |
"Should the U.S.
include mandatory regulations for labor rights in free trade
agreements?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "The Doha Round and free trade agreements can
be huge opportunities for America if we ensure no unilateral
disarmament on agriculture and demand that they provide strong
benefits for U.S. farmers and goods and services producers...
We need bold ideas to address the new
global economy. Starting with a core of U.S. free trade agreement
partners, Governor Romney would seek to bring together nations
committed to open markets and playing by the rules in the largest
ever Free Trade Area, and go beyond traditional trade to promote
high standards in areas critical to U.S. competitiveness. The
Reagan Zone Of Economic Freedom would act as an alliance working
together internally, in the World Trade organization and elsewhere
to push reforms and work cooperatively in areas like labor and the
environment. Governor Romney would seek to expand these efforts to
include the European Union and other nations that agree to meet
these standards, while challenging China and others advancing
agreements that exclude America."
"Romney Agenda: A New Vision to Open Markets
and Help U.S. Workers to Succeed," Press Release, Mitt Romney's
official candidate website, Oct. 23, 2007
|
| Education: |
"Has the No Child Left Behind Act been effective at improving public education?" |
|
| |
Pro: "Governor Romney Will Improve Upon And Enhance No Child Left Behind (NCLB). He believes that No Child Left Behind has played an important role in stressing the role of accountability and high standards in improving our schools. Governor Romney will improve NCLB by giving states that meet or exceed testing requirements additional flexibility in measuring student performance. He will also improve the law by focusing more attention on individual student progress, rather than the overall progress of schools."
"Issues: Raising the Bar on Education," Mitt Romney's official campaign website (accessed Jan. 25, 2008)
|
| Education: |
"Is the
increasing cost of college and university tuition pricing America's
middle class out of higher education?" |
|
| |
None Found: No position found as of Nov. 28, 2007.
ProCon.org also emailed the Romney campaign on Nov. 9, 2007 with
this question. They did not respond to our email or follow up
call.
|
| Election Reform: |
"Should there be
restrictions on campaign contributions?" |
|
| |
Con: "I have not spent a
career in politics, but I know enough about the laws of this
country, and the way Washington works, to understand that the
McCain-Feingold law [S.25: Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 1997]
is riddled with shortcomings.
Let's start with something basic: the
American people should be free to advocate for their candidates
and their positions without burdensome limitations...
We step into dangerous territory when
politicians start eviscerating our fundamental freedoms in the
name of amorphous principles, like campaign finance reform. If I
am elected President, a top priority will be to push for the
repeal of this deeply-flawed measure, and restore the full freedom
of political participation and expression to the American
people."
"In Case You Missed It: 'The Fundamental
Flaws in the McCain-Feingold Law'," Press Release, Mitt Romney's
official candidate website, Apr. 25, 2007
|
[Editor's Note: Prior to Mitt
Romney's Apr. 25, 2007 Con
position above, his position was Pro campaign finance reform, as
indicated in his Oct. 11, 1994 statement below.]
|
Pro: "These kinds of
associations between money and politics in my view are wrong. And
for that reason, I would like to have campaign spending limits...
I also would abolish PACS [Political Action Committees]... I don't
like the influence of money, whether it's business, labor or any
other group, I do not like that kind of influence. Lobbyists I
want to register, I want to know who they are, I want to ensure
that gifts are limited... I think that contributions are fine, I
just don't want them to be larger and larger... The kinds of
demands that are being placed on the economics of running a
campaign suggest an increasing power on the part of money, and I
think it's wrong and we've got to change it."
Speech made during Massachusetts
Gubernatorial campaign in Burlington, Massachusetts, YouTube.com,
Oct. 11, 1994
|
| Election Reform: |
"Should voter
verified paper audit trails (VVPAT) be mandatory in
elections?" |
|
| |
None Found: No position found as of Nov. 28, 2007.
ProCon.org also emailed the Romney campaign on Nov. 9, 2007 with
this question. They did not respond to our email or follow up
call.
|
| Energy: |
"Should drilling
for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) be
allowed?" |
|
| |
Pro: "We must become
independent from foreign sources of oil. This will mean a
combination of efforts related to conservation and efficiency
measures, developing alternative sources of energy like biodiesel,
ethanol, nuclear, and coal gasification, and finding more domestic
sources of oil such as in ANWR or the Outer Continental Shelf
(OCS)."
"Issue Watch: Energy," Mitt Romney's official
campaign website (accessed Oct. 25, 2007)
|
| Environment: |
"Should the
federal government mandate an increase in fuel efficiency standards
for automobiles?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "Governor Romney Would Evaluate Reforms To
CAFE [Corporate Average Fuel Economy] Standards To Develop A
Better Way To Get Higher Fleet Mileage Without Market Distortions.
'What does this mean for Detroit? Well, it means that the
automotive fleet will have to become more fuel efficient. CAFE
improved mileage initially, but the consumer has gotten around it
over the last couple of decades. CAFE has some real problems. It
distorts the market. It penalizes the domestic automakers. It can
ignore technical realities. So before I would change the CAFE
standards, I want to sit down with every major knowledgeable party
and evaluate each of the alternatives. A good number have been
proposed; let's decide which is the best course by looking at the
data and analysis, rather than by playing to the TV cameras Let's
not forget that a far more fuel efficient fleet must be part of
our energy future. The issue is which is the least distorting way
to achieve it.'"
"Excerpts from Governor Mitt Romney's Remarks
at the Detroit Economic Club," Press Release, Mitt Romney's
official candidate website, Feb. 7, 2007
|
| Environment: |
"Should the U.S.
ratify an international environmental agreement (such as the Kyoto
Protocol) that mandates reductions in carbon
emissions?" |
|
| |
Con: "Unfortunately, some
in the Republican Party are embracing the radical environmental
ideas of the liberal left. As governor, I found that thoughtful
environmentalism need not be anti-growth and anti-jobs. But
Kyoto-style sweeping mandates, imposed unilaterally in the United
States, would kill jobs, depress growth and shift manufacturing to
the dirtiest developing nations.
Republicans should never abandon
pro-growth conservative principles in an effort to embrace the
ideas of Al Gore. Instead of sweeping mandates, we must use
America's power of innovation to develop alternative sources of
energy and new technologies that use energy more
efficiently."
"Governor Mitt Romney on the Current
Environmental Debate," Press Release, Mitt Romney's official
campaign website, Feb. 23, 2007
|
| Gun Control: |
"Are more
federal regulations on guns and ammunition needed?" |
|
| |
Con: "When it comes to
protecting the Second Amendment, I do not support any new gun laws
including any new ban on semi-automatic firearms. As President, I
will follow President Bush's precedent of opposing any laws that
go beyond the restrictions in place when I take office. The laws I
do and will support include decades-old restrictions on weapons of
unusual lethality like grenades, rocket launchers, fully automatic
firearms and what are legally known as destructive devices and
would include similar restrictions on new and exotic weapons of
similar or even greater lethality. I am proud of my record of
defending life and the Second Amendment."
"The Real Romney Record: Setting The Record
Straight About Governor Romney's Record," Press Release, Mitt
Romney's official campaign website, Dec. 30, 2007
|
| Health Care: |
"Should all
Americans have a right to government or employer subsidized basic
health care?" |
|
| |
Con: "First of all, I'm
not going to give the Democratic legislature credit for the plan
that I helped build. So, I want to let you know I'm very proud of
what we did in Massachusetts, and I think it's a model that other
states can adopt in some respects.
But let me tell you something about our
plan. It's different than Hillary Clinton's in a lot of important
ways. But one thing that I'm happy about is that Republicans are
talking about health care. This isn't a Democrat issue. It's a
Republican issue.
For Democrats, they want to have
government take it over. And I don't want to have the guys who did
the cleanup at Katrina taking responsibility for health care in
this country.
The right answer is to get people insured,
all of our citizens insured so they don't have to worry about
losing their insurance if they change jobs or have a preexisting
condition.
But Hillary says the federal government's
going to tell you what kind of insurance, and it's all government
insurance. And I say no, let the states create their own plans,
and instead of government insurance, private, market-based
insurance.
Hillary's plan costs an extra $110
billion. My plan doesn't cost any additional money. We use the
money we're already spending, we just use it a good deal more
wisely.
And the real question here is, are we
going to talk about health care and get everybody insured with
private insurance? Absolutely. Because the alternative is
unthinkable. As P.J. O'Rourke said, if you think health care's
expensive now, just wait until it's free. We're not going
Hillary's way."
Republican Presidential Debate, Orlando,
Florida, hosted by Fox News, Oct. 21, 2007
|
| Health Care: |
"Should
Americans be allowed to purchase their prescription drugs from other
countries?" |
|
| |
None Found: No position found as of Jan. 9, 2008.
ProCon.org also emailed the Romney campaign on Dec. 13, 2007 with
this question. They did not respond to our email.
|
| Immigration: |
"Are illegal immigrants a net gain to the U.S. economy?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "I believe it's important to end illegal immigration so we can maintain and encourage legal immigration. Immigration is good for this country; it's helped us over our history. We need immigration to provide some of the skills that we may miss, migrant workers, cultural advantages. It's a great source of vitality for America to have legal immigration, but illegal immigration – that we need to bring an end to."
Morning Show With Chris Stigall, KCMO 710 Talk Radio, FOXNews Radio, May 22, 2007
|
| Immigration: |
"Should illegal aliens receive any of the rights or benefits that lawful permanent residents enjoy?" |
|
| |
Pro: "[I]f you're here illegally, you should not be here.
We're not going to give you benefits, other than those required by the law, like health care and
education, and that's the course we're going to have to pursue...
Let me tell you what I did as governor. I said no to driver's licenses for illegals.
I said, number two, we're going to make sure that those that come here don't get a tuition break in
our schools, which I disagree with other folks on that one."
Republican Presidential Debate, St. Petersburg, Florida, hosted by CNN, YouTube.com, and the Republican Party of Florida, Nov. 28, 2007
|
| Immigration: |
"Should the U.S.
build a physical barrier, such as a fence, along the U.S.-Mexico
border?" |
|
| |
Pro: "Secure The Border. Follow through on
Congressional commitment to build a physical and technological
fence along the southern border, and secure other points of
entry."
"Issues: Ending Illegal Immigration," Mitt
Romney's official campaign website (accessed Jan. 22, 2008)
|
| Iran: |
"Should the U.S.
use military force against Iran if Iran does not dismantle its
nuclear program?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "First, we should continue to tighten the
economic sanctions... Second, we need to impose diplomatic
isolation of Iran's Government... Third, Arab states must join
this effort to prevent a nuclear Iran... Fourth, we have to make
it clear that while nuclearization may be a source of pride to the
Iranian people, it also should be considered as a source of peril.
The military option remains on the table. And further, any people
should know that if nuclear material their own nation develops
falls into the hands of terrorists and would be used that would
surely provoke a devastating response from the civilized world to
any who provided that fissile material... Fifth, our strategy
should be integrated into a broad approach to the broader Muslim
world."
"Governor Mitt Romney's Remarks at the
Seventh Annual Herzliya Conference," Mitt Romney's official
campaign website, Jan. 23, 2007
|
| Iraq: |
"Was it a mistake to attack Iraq in 2003?" |
|
| |
Con: "It was the right decision to go into Iraq. I supported it at the time; I support it now.
It was not well managed in the -- after the takedown of Saddam Hussein and his military. That was done brilliantly, an extraordinary success. But in the years that followed, it was not well -- we were undermanaged, underprepared, underplanned, understaffed, and then we come into the phase that we have now. The plan that President Bush and General Petraeus put together is working. It's changing lives there.
And perhaps most importantly, it's making sure that al Qaeda and no other group like them is becoming a superpower, if you will, in the communities, and having a safe haven from which they launch attacks against us."
Republican Presidential Debate, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, hosted by MSNBC, St. Petersburg Times, Jan. 24, 2008
|
| Iraq: |
"Has the war in
Iraq made America safer?" |
|
| |
None Found: No position found as of Nov. 28, 2007.
ProCon.org also emailed the Romney campaign on Nov. 9, 2007 with
this question. They did not respond to our email or follow up
call.
|
| Iraq: |
"Should the U.S.
set a timetable for troop withdrawal in Iraq?" |
|
Con: "Today, the Democrats
in the Senate have joined House Democrats in sending to the
President a bill setting a date for surrender. In their attempt to
micromanage the men and women in our military from Washington,
Democrats in Congress have settled on a policy that demoralizes
our troops, emboldens our enemies and jeopardizes the prospects
for success in Iraq."
"Statement On Today's Iraq Vote In The U.S.
Senate," Press Release, Mitt Romney's official campaign website,
Apr. 26, 2007
|
[Editor's Note: Prior to Mitt
Romney's Apr. 26, 2007 Con
position above, his position was Pro timetable for U.S. troop
withdrawal, as indicated in his Apr. 3, 2007 statement
below.] |
|
Pro: "There's no question
that the president and Prime Minister al-Maliki [of Iraq] have to
have a series of timetables and milestones that they speak about,
but those shouldn't be for public pronouncement. You don't want
the enemy to understand how long they have to wait in the weeds
until you're going to be gone."
Good Morning
America, ABC News, Apr. 3, 2007
|
| Israel: |
"Should Israel continue to receive the current level of military and economic aid from the U.S.?" |
|
| |
None Found: No position found as of Jan. 29, 2008. ProCon.org also emailed the Romney campaign on Jan. 21, 2008 with this question. They did not respond to our email.
|
| Israel-Palestinian
Conflict: |
"Should the U.S.
allow Hamas to join future Israeli-Palestinian
negotiations?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "She [Hillary Clinton] argued that our
strategy of engagement with the Soviet Union during the Cold War
was a model for how we could deal with Iran. I believe this
strategy to be a mistake, and yesterday, to a group of fellow
conservatives, I said as much. Advocating engagement displays a
troubling timidity toward a terrible threat. The right strategy is
not engagement, but economic and diplomatic isolation. Instead of
responding to my policy criticisms, Senator Clinton has chosen to
attack me personally. Let's take a step back and consider the
broader and more pressing issue at hand - Iran, Syria, Hizbullah,
and Hamas and the threat they pose to us, Israel, and the
civilized world. Ten days ago, I was in Israel and heard firsthand
from those who have been on the front lines of the war against the
Jihadist radicals... Rather than attacking me, why doesn't she
join me in calling for a policy that puts even more pressure - not
less - against these adversaries?"
"Governor Mitt Romney on Senator Hillary
Clinton and Iran," Press Release, Mitt Romney's official candidate
website, Feb. 3, 2007
|
| Marriage: |
"Should an
affair outside of marriage disqualify a candidate for public
office?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "[Katie] Couric: Well, what do you think of
people who base their judgment at least partially on a candidate's
ability to remain faithful to his or her spouse?
[Mitt] Romney: You know, I let people look
at me any way they want to. I'm not gonna give advice to the
American people in which aspects of a person's life they look at.
After all, the president of the United States is gonna be under a
microscope. He will be. The first lady will be. The whole family
will be. Every mistake will be open to the world. In some
respects, you respect the nation.
In some respects you represent an example
to the children of America. So we're gonna get looked at in all
sorts of ways. And I'm not gonna try and counsel the American
people as to what to look at. I know they look at my faith, for
instance. And I'm happy to have them do so. Some are critical.
Some are positive. It's just part of the package. And take me as
... the whole character that I am.
Couric: Do you think that people shouldn't
vote for candidates if they are -- commit adultery, for example?
Romney: I think people should be able to
do what they want to do. And express their own views when they get
into the ... voting booth. I'm not gonna tell them how to ... do
that. And I know that people will, again, take their own
counsel."
"Candidates Offer Views on Infidelity," CBS Evening News with Katie Couric,
CBSNews.com, Dec. 19, 2007
|
| Marriage: |
"Should there be
a Constitutional amendment or federal law defining marriage as only
between a man and a woman?" |
|
| |
Pro: "I support an
amendment to our constitution which defines marriage as a
relationship between a man and a woman... I supported a
constitutional amendment at the federal constitution level to say
a marriage is between a man and a woman... I'm not in favor of
civil unions or same sex marriage."
Governor Mitt Romney's Address to the Family
Research Council's Values Voter Summit, Mitt Romney's official
campaign website, Oct. 19, 2007
|
[Editor's Note: Prior to Mitt
Romney's Oct. 19, 2007 Pro
position above, his position was Con for a Constitutional amendment
or federal law defining marriage as only between a man and a
woman, as indicated in his Aug. 1994 statement below.]
|
Con: "[I]t's a state issue
as you know - the authorization of marriage on a same-sex basis
falls under state jurisdiction."
Interview with Bay
Windows newspaper, Aug. 1994
|
| Medical Marijuana: |
"Should
marijuana be a medical option?" |
|
| |
Con: "I believe marijuana
should be illegal in our country. It is the pathway to drug usage
by our society, which is a great scourge -- which is one of the
great causes of crime in our cities. And I believe that we are at
a state where, of course, we are very concerned about people who
are suffering pain, and there are various means of providing pain
management. And those that have had loved ones that have gone
through an end of life with cancer know the nature of real pain. I
watched my wife's mom and dad, both in our home, both going
through cancer treatment, suffering a great deal of pain. But they
didn't have marijuana, and they didn't need marijuana because
there were other sources of pain management that worked entirely
effectively. I'm told there is even a synthetic marijuana as well
that is available. But having legalized marijuana, in my view, is
an effort by a very committed few to try and get marijuana out
into the public and ultimately legalize marijuana. It's a long way
to go. We need less drugs in this society, not more drugs, and I
would oppose the legalization of marijuana in the country or
legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes because pain
management is available from other sources."
Town Hall Event in Manchester, New Hampshire,
Oct. 4, 2007
|
| Medical Marijuana: |
"Should the federal government stop raids against people for using medical marijuana in states where medical marijuana use is legal?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "I don't do any arresting. In my view, marijuana should not be made legal either for medicinal purposes or recreational purposes. It's the opening way to drug use for many, many people in our country and I'm opposed to medical marijuana."
Speech at a town hall event, Exeter, New Hampshire, YouTube.com, Oct. 25, 2007
|
| National Service: |
"Should the U.S.
institute a military draft?" |
|
| |
Con: "I do not believe in
the draft. That's totally unnecessary."
"Homeland Security: Status of Federal, State
and Local Efforts," Speech at the Heritage Foundation, Sep. 14,
2005
|
| National Service: |
"Should openly gay people be allowed to serve in the U.S. military?" |
|
| |
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "[Anderson] Cooper: Governor Romney, you said in 1994 that you looked forward to the day when gays and lesbians could serve, and I quote, 'openly and honestly in our nation's military.' Do you stand by that?
[Mitt] Romney: This isn't that time. This is not that time. We're in the middle of a war. The people who
have...
Cooper: Do you look forward to that time, though, one day?
Romney: I'm going to listen to the people who run the military to see what the circumstances are
like. And my view is that, at this stage, this is not the time for us to make that kind of...
Cooper: Is that a change in your position...
Romney: Yes, I didn't think it would work. I didn't think 'don't ask/don't tell' would work. That was
my -- I didn't think that would work. I thought that was a policy, when I heard about it, I laughed. I
said that doesn't make any sense to me.
And you know what? It's been there now for, what, 15 years? It seems to have worked.
Cooper: So, just so I'm clear, at this point, do you still look forward to a day when gays can serve
openly in the military or no longer?
Romney: I look forward to hearing from the military exactly what they believe is the right way to
have the right kind of cohesion and support in our troops and I listen to what they have to say."
Republican Presidential Debate, St. Petersburg, Florida, hosted by CNN, YouTube.com, and the Republican Party of Florida, Nov. 28, 2007
|
| Religion: |
"Should federal
funds be given to faith-based (religious) organizations and
initiatives?" |
|
| |
Pro: "Well, we don't fund
faith-based institutions, other than when they're performing a
non-faith role.
So right now we have faith-based
initiatives in our state. Ann [Romney, wife] happens to lead that
effort. And some of the faith-based institutions, particularly in
the inner city, are doing a lot better job helping the poor,
helping kids, helping families get on their feet than some
government social service agencies.
So helping them in their secular role is,
of course, fine.
Helping them in a religious role... that
would be unacceptable."
This Week With George
Stephanopoulos ABC News, Feb. 18, 2007
|
| Religion: |
"Should a
candidate's religion matter to voters?" |
|
| |
Con: "A person should not
be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because
of his faith.
Let me assure you that no authorities of
my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert
influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs,
within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the
affairs of the nation begin."
"Romney's 'Faith in America' Address," Speech
at the George Bush Presidential Library, Dec. 6, 2007
|
| Social Security: |
"Should Social
Security be privatized?" |
|
| |
Pro: "Currently, we're
taking more money into Social Security that we actually send out.
So our current seniors, their benefits are not going to change.
For people 20 and 30 and 40 years old, we have four major options,
for instance, for Social Security. One is the one Democrats want:
raise taxes. It's the wrong way to go.
Number two, the president said let's have
private accounts and take that surplus money that's being gathered
now in Social Security and put that into private accounts. That
works."
Republican Presidential Debate, Orlando,
Florida, hosted by Fox News and the Republican Party of Florida,
Oct. 21, 2007
|
| Stem Cells: |
"Should the
federal government fund embryonic stem cell research?" |
|
| |
Con: "I don't believe that
somatic cell nuclear transfer or cloning and embryo farming are
appropriate and would not pursue federal funding of those forms of
stem cell research."
"Romney Wraps Self in Reagan Lingo,"
Associated Press, Feb. 11, 2007
|
| Taxes: |
"Should the Bush
tax cuts be made permanent?" |
|
| |
Pro: "Governor Romney Will
Make The Bush Tax Cuts Permanent. Governor Romney believes making
the Bush Tax Cuts permanent is the first step to ensuring that
Americans are able to keep more of their hard-earned
money."
"Policy Briefing: A Conservative Blueprint to
Lower Taxes," Press Release, Mitt Romney's official candidate
website, Oct. 4, 2007
|
| U.S. Constitution: |
"Should the U.S.
Constitution and Bill of Rights be altered or updated in any
way?" |
|
| |
Pro: "I support an
amendment to our constitution which defines marriage as a
relationship between a man and a woman... I supported a
constitutional amendment at the federal constitution level to say
a marriage is between a man and a woman... I'm not in favor of
civil unions or same sex marriage."
"Ask Mitt Anything: Traditional Marriage
(Mitt TV)," Mitt Romney's official campaign website (accessed Oct.
25, 2007)
|
| War on Terror: |
"Should the
military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba be
closed?" |
|
| |
Con: "I'm glad they're at
Guantanamo. I don't want them on our soil. I want them on
Guantanamo, where they don't get the access to lawyers they get
when they're on our soil. I don't want them in our prisons. I want
them there. Some people have said, we ought to close Guantanamo.
My view is, we ought to double Guantanamo."
Republican Presidential Debate, Columbia,
South Carolina, hosted by FOX News, May 15, 2007
|
| War on Terror: |
"Should
interrogation techniques that some consider torture, such as
waterboarding, be a legal option?" |
|
| |
Pro: "MR. [Brit] HUME:
...[T]he former director of Central Intelligence, George Tenet,
the current head of the CIA have both said that the most valuable
intelligence tool they have had has been the information gained
from what are called enhanced interrogation techniques to include,
presumably, water-boarding.
What is your view whether such techniques
should be applied in a scenario like the one I described?...
MR. ROMNEY: ...Some people have said, we
ought to close Guantanamo. My view is, we ought to double
Guantanamo. We ought to make sure that the terrorists --
(applause) -- and there's no question but that in a setting like
that where you have a ticking bomb that the president of the
United States -- not the CIA interrogator, the president of the
United States -- has to make the call. And enhanced interrogation
techniques have to be used -- not torture but enhanced
interrogation techniques, yes."
Republican Presidential Debate, Columbia,
South Carolina, hosted by FOX News, May 15, 2007
|
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