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Ryan Zinke's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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Key

Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Ryan Zinke did not provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2024 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2024.

  • "I applaud the courage of the Supreme Court in its decision that there is no constitutional right to abortion. The ruling is a victory for life, the integrity of the Constitution, and our American values." (x.com)
  • Rated 100% by National Right to Life Committee (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 26: "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Republicans are working to keep Social Security and Medicare alive through Limit, Save, Grow – any narrative insinuating otherwise is a lie. Democrats won’t even come to the negotiation table." (x.com)
  • "Social Security and Medicare are integral parts of society – to keep them alive, we need able-bodied adults without dependents off gov handouts & back in the workforce contributing to those programs. Independence comes with employment." (x.com)
  • "The Limit, Save, Grow Act protects programs like Social Security and Medicare by ensuring those who are capable of working are in the workforce and not depending on welfare." (x.com)
  • Rated 3% by Alliance for Retired Americans (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "When police are handcuffed, criminals aren’t" (x.com)
  • "The nationwide spike in crime due to "let it burn" type policies embolden criminals, handcuffing police on the job & making cities dangerous for everyone." (x.com)
  • "This NDAA is a letdown & doesn’t do enough for our troops or national security. Unfortunately it's the only option we have. Voting no & letting the bill expire denies troops a raise to counter Bidenflation & prevents the military from restocking munitions drawn down by Ukraine." (x.com)
  • "Troops don’t fight for the red or blue team, they are red, white and blue. It’s time Congress does the same. Our military is the finest fighting force in the world & every step should prioritize 1 goal: to fight and win. Looking forward to bringing the annual NDAA to the floor." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2670: "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 4365: "Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024" (votesmart.org)
  • "Honor our veterans. Secure our borders. Defend our country. All while curving spending and defunding the woke. These appropriations bills are as conservative as it gets and need to get on the floor and to the Senate without obstruction." (x.com)
  • "I came here to curve the spending & defund the woke" (x.com)
  • "Rein in the out-of-control government spending" (www.ryanzinke.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2811: "Limit, Save, Grow Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Affordable housing does not mean government housing!" (x.com)
  • "I came here to curve the spending & defund the woke" (x.com)
  • "Instead of peddling lies, the President should address his reckless spending that's contributed to our growing debt and inflation." (x.com)
  • "We need structural change in how government operates to get back to that fundamental Constitutional power. I will use my position on the Appropriations Committee to reduce spending and pull back government over-regulation that is driving inflation and debt." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2811: "Limit, Save, Grow Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "87% of Americans without Student loans shouldn’t have to pay for the 13% who do. The Supreme Court was right to make the Constitutional decision & strike down Biden’s student loan scam. Montanans who played by the rules shouldn’t be forced to pay the bills of people who didn’t." (x.com)
  • Rated 0% by National Education Association (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 6% by Common Cause (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "BREAKING: The Montana Supreme Court has restored Montana’s voter ID law and ended Election Day registration. WIN for election integrity" (x.com)
  • "We need a national voter ID law. Value integrity and demand accountability." (x.com)
  • "As a former Secretary of the Interior & lifelong Montanan, I know this bill allows the DOI to do the job they are supposed to do, but it doesn't allow Biden to peddle his green agenda with taxpayer dollars meant for responsible, logical conservation & energy development." (x.com)
  • "It’s bad enough that the Biden-Pelosi Administration has already cost Montana jobs and much needed revenue through the shortsighted cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline and the ill-fated moratorium on energy development on federal lands. Now, the Democrats have selected a nominee in Monica Tranel who is hellbent on destroying the oil and gas industry and will be nothing more than a rubber stamp on this disastrous agenda." (www.ryanzinke.com)
  • Rated 100% by American Energy Alliance (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 6% by League of Conservation Voters (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "It’s bad enough that the Biden-Pelosi Administration has already cost Montana jobs and much needed revenue through the shortsighted cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline and the ill-fated moratorium on energy development on federal lands. Now, the Democrats have selected a nominee in Monica Tranel who is hellbent on destroying the oil and gas industry and will be nothing more than a rubber stamp on this disastrous agenda." (www.ryanzinke.com)
  • Rated 100% by American Energy Alliance (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1: "Lower Energy Costs Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 21: "Strategic Production Response Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Biden and radical dems in the House are taking every action possible to turn law-abiding MT gun owners into felons – and I won’t stand for it. I proudly co-sponsored the legislation to overturn Biden's pistol brace ban and I hope my colleagues in the Senate side with Montana." (x.com)
  • "If you didn’t watch the SOTU you didn’t miss much, but I’ll sum it up. Biden refuses to close our border but wants to protect Ukraine’s and Hamas’, he’s raising your taxes and taking away your guns." (x.com)
  • Rated 100% by Gun Owners of America (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by National Rifle Association (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Voted in favor of HR 5378: "Lower Costs, More Transparency Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "It’s the basic Constitutional Duty of the federal government to secure the border. Currently, there is no southwest border, it’s completely open. Under the Biden-Pelosi Administration, more than two million illegal aliens have been apprehended at the southern border and migrant border arrests have surged to the highest level in 21 years. This stresses local communities, strains resources and tax dollars, and creates a massive security threat." (www.ryanzinke.com)
  • Rated 79% by NumbersUSA (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2: "Secure the Border Act of 2023" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5525: "Continuing Appropriations and Border Security Enhancement Act, 2024" (votesmart.org)
  • "Fine/defund sanctuary cities" (www.ryanzinke.com)
  • "It’s the basic Constitutional Duty of the federal government to secure the border. Currently, there is no southwest border, it’s completely open. Under the Biden-Pelosi Administration, more than two million illegal aliens have been apprehended at the southern border and migrant border arrests have surged to the highest level in 21 years. This stresses local communities, strains resources and tax dollars, and creates a massive security threat." (www.ryanzinke.com)
  • "Seek and deport those who miss hearing dates or are convicted of crime" (www.ryanzinke.com)
  • Rated 79% by NumbersUSA (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I stand with Israel. You don’t have a ceasefire with a terrorist regime. You destroy them. This news comes at no surprise since we’ve seen the denial of clean cut evidence that Iran has been the root cause driving conflict. President Biden has freed up billions for Iran to fund terror like this attack and October 7. This is what adversaries do when America has weak leadership at the helm. I urge President Biden to ignore his Iran sympathizing advisors and stand by our ally in her time of need." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 340: "Hamas International Financing Prevention Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6126: "Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" (votesmart.org)
  • "If you didn’t watch the SOTU you didn’t miss much, but I’ll sum it up. Biden refuses to close our border but wants to protect Ukraine’s and Hamas’, he’s raising your taxes and taking away your guns." (x.com)
  • "Just sat down at what seems to be a speech from the President of the United States about the state of Ukraine." (x.com)
  • "Tonight I proudly voted for the Defense Appropriations bill to fund American Troops not Ukraine’s. There isn’t a single American or NATO leader who has been able to tell me our objective or lay out a plan. I detest Putin but I’m not willing to bankrupt our country aimlessly." (x.com)
  • "Ban Chinese Communist Tik Tok!" (x.com)
  • "The Chinese Communist Party is showing exactly how much influence they have over American teenagers with their Tik Tok lobbying scheme. Thousands of American teens calling Congress after being compelled to do so by Tik Tok. After being targeted by Tik Tok and giving their information to Tik Tok. But yeah, a totally normal and benign company..." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7521: "Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act" (votesmart.org)
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legal.
X c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
X d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
X e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Abortions should be subject to a mandatory waiting period.
g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
I am pro-life, but blieve that the difficult decision to Abort a child is the providence of God and family, not government. I support streamlining the adoption process to healthy and qualified homes. I further support parential notification.

State Budget: Indicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category, you can use a number more than once.State Taxes: Indicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category, you can use a number more than once.

Maintain Status a) Education (Higher)
Maintain Status b) Education (K-12)
Maintain Status c) Emergency preparedness
Maintain Status d) Environment
Maintain Status e) Health care
Maintain Status f) Law enforcement
Slightly Increase g) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Slightly Decrease h) Welfare
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Cigarette taxes
Maintain Status c) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status d) Gasoline taxes
Maintain Status e) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Maintain Status f) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Greatly Decrease g) Property taxes
Maintain Status h) Vehicle taxes
No 1) Should accounts such as a "rainy day" fund be used to balance the state budget?
No 2) Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?
Promote recruitment and maintaining quality classroom teachers Provide incentives to keep Montana kids in state post graduation from college or vocational school. Consolidate schools purchasing and administration departments where appropriate and feasible.
Our government should spend within its means. Montana should always be vigilant to exam ways to increase government efficiency and reduce waste. Providing incentives for clean, small business opportunities promotes a needed long term revenue stream. I believe in a fair and progressive tax system that does not penalize incentive and innovation.
I strongly support meaningful property tax reform to ensure that Montanans do not get taxed out of their homes and/or farms.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.c) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

Yes a) Do you support the current limit of terms for Montana governors?
No b) Do you support the current limit of terms for Montana state senators and representatives?
Yes 1) Individual
Yes 2) PAC
Yes 3) Corporate
Yes 4) Political Parties
Yes d) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
No e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state-level political campaigns?
Undecided f) Should Montana participate in the federal REAL ID program?
I support the requirement for a valid Montana ID for all elections.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff.
X b) Support the death penalty in Montana.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X d) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
e) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
f) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
X g) Support state and local law enforcement officials enforcing federal immigration laws.
X h) Support hate crime legislation.
I support work programs for minor offenses and streamlining our judicial system.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

a) Support state funding of universal pre-K programs.
b) Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
X c) Support state education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students.
X d) Support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams.
X e) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
f) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
X g) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
X h) Support using a merit pay system for teachers.
X i) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
j) Support allowing illegal immigrant high school graduates of Montana to pay in-state tuition at public universities.
I strongly support recruiting and maintaining quality classroom teachers. I strongly support providing incentives for Montana kids to stay in Montana after graduation. I strongly support vocation schools that provide needed skills in the Montana marketplace.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.

X a) Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers and teach skills needed in today’s job market.
X b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
X c) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
X d) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families.
X e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
f) Include gender identity in Montana's anti-discrimination laws.
g) Increase the state minimum wage.
h) Support laws that prevent employers from dismissing employees at will.
X i) Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
X j) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
X k) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
I strongly support reforming workers compensation and unemployment insurance. I strongly believe in creating the opportunity for good paying jobs, but disagree in providing long term entitlement programs. I support aggressive job training and skill enhancement programs in the industrial trades to maintain market competitiveness.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

X a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
X b) Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil, etc).
c) Support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops.
X d) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
X e) Support funding for improvements to Montana's power generating and transmission facilities.
X f) Support funding for open space preservation.
g) Limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases linked to global warming.
h) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
I support a sustainable yield policy in the harvest of forest products and strongly support timber harvest in areas that require thinning for fire prevention. I support increased coal production for electrical generation and believe it can and should be done with adequate environmental safeguards. I believe the use of alternate energy sources and clean coal is preferred over petroleum based fuels. In some cases, Federal law falls short, in other cases Federal law is too stringent.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

Undecided a) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
Yes b) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
No c) Should a license be required for gun possession?
Undecided d) Do you support current levels of enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
Undecided e) Do you support current state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
I strongly support the right to bear arms for hunting and personal protection. I believe that background checks are prudent and necessary. I also believe that the sale of heavy weapons and specialized military weapon systems should be banned for public use. In most cases, I believe that in areas of high security, such as courtrooms, airports, and military bases, that concealed weapons should not be allowed.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

X a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
b) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
X c) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X d) Allow patients to sue their HMOs.
X e) Require hospitals and labs to release reports on infections that are a risk to public health, while not compromising patient confidentiality.
X f) Legalize physician assisted suicide in Montana.
g) Support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
I support providing financial incentives to maintain affordable private health insurance through caps on medical malpractice and through group rates. I do not believe the government can provide health insurance better than the market.

['Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.', 'Legislative Priorities']

Undecided a) Should Montana recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
No b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
No c) Should Montana provide state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples?
Yes d) Do you support a moment of silence in public schools?
Yes e) Do you support voluntary prayer in public schools?
Yes f) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods?
No g) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs?
No h) Should the state government consider race and gender in state government contracting and hiring decisions?
No i) Do you support affirmative action in public college admissions?
No j) Should Montana continue affirmative action programs?
Yes k) Do you support state funding of stem cell research?
No l) Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research?
No m) Do you support allowing pharmacists who conscientiously object to emergency contraception to refuse to dispense it?
I do not support same sex marriages or the adoption of children by same-sex couples. I am undecided on the issue of same-sex civil union. I support allowing voluntary prayer on public property provided there is no undue influence to do so.
Meaningful Property Tax Reform Reform Workers Compensation and Unemployment Insurance Provide incentives for small business opportunities Provide incentives for Montana kids to stay in Montana post college or vocational education Ensure reasonable public assess to public lands, rivers, and lakes Expediate clean coal production and electrical generation capacity

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