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Gary Palmer's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Republican for U.S. House (AL) - District 6

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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 believe Roe was wrongly decided and agree with the draft opinion of the court to overturn Roe v. Wade. In order to avoid chaos and further division about the law, the Court should immediately release the final decision." (x.com)
  • "One year ago, the Supreme Court overturned the poorly decided Roe v. Wade ruling that haunted our country for nearly 5 decades. However, there is still work to be done to protect the lives of the unborn." (x.com)
  • "Today is the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. I join with the Americans who challenge this decision by standing for unborn children. Life is the most basic right which makes all other rights possible. I will always be proud to be a voice for the unborn. #ProLife #StandForLife" (x.com)
  • Rated 100% by National Right to Life Committee (None)
  • "President Trump has taken executive action to sever the link between Medicare and Social Security. My bill, the Retirement Freedom Act, would give seniors the freedom to opt out of Medicare Part A without losing their Social Security benefits." (x.com)
  • Rated 0% by National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (None)
  • Rated 7% by Alliance for Retired Americans (None)
  • Voted against S 610 "Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "Proud to stand with my @HouseGOP colleagues to oppose the Democrats’ reckless tax & spending plan. It would rack up the national debt, grant amnesty to illegal immigrants, expand the IRS, and much more that should concern everyone. We’re doing all we can to stop this bill." (x.com)
  • "The #TaxCutAndJobsAct will provide a much needed tax break for hardworking Americans for the first time in 31 years. Our tax plan not only puts more money in the pockets of the American people, but will also launch economic growth." (x.com)
  • Rated 95% by National Tax Limitation Committee (None)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 1 "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "President Biden's budget is disastrous for our economy. It authorizes $58 trillion in taxes over the next 10 years, with half coming from inflation. This would be the highest sustained tax burden in all of US history." (x.com)
  • "The #TaxCutAndJobsAct will provide a much needed tax break for hardworking Americans for the first time in 31 years. Our tax plan not only puts more money in the pockets of the American people, but will also launch economic growth." (x.com)
  • Rated 95% by National Tax Limitation Committee (None)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 1 "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "House Democrats are trying to pass #HR1, a bill which amounts to a federal takeover of our elections. No one who truly values our American republic and fair, honest elections will vote for this bill." (x.com)
  • Rated 6% by Common Core (None)
  • Voted against HR 1 "For the People Act of 2021." (votesmart.org)
  • "Democrats said they wanted to work with Republicans on police reform, but today they passed a bill that was introduced with no Republican input. It would also make police departments ineffective at best & outright abolish them at worst." (palmer.house.gov)
  • "I opposed this bill because it would result in more crime and fewer people willing to serve in law enforcement.," Palmer said. "The Democrat bill lowers the standard for mens rea and virtually eliminates qualified immunity for officers, meaning that an officer could potentially go to prison for breaking the law unintentionally. Few people want to serve in a job in which they are attacked, underpaid, and overworked, and even fewer want to serve in one in which they could be charged as a criminal besides. At the end of the day, more crime and fewer law enforcement officers to ensure our safety would be the results of this bill." (None)
  • "Late last night, Democrats voted to defund our police forces and saddle police departments with crippling new costs and regulations. Our first responders deserve better. #BackTheBlue" (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021." (votesmart.org)
  • "It is critical that we continue to fund and strengthen our military, especially at this crucial time when China in particular is an ever-growing threat," Palmer said. "This legislation is substantially different from the bill that passed in the House earlier this year. It will aid instead of bring harm to our troops, and it provides needed stability for our military. There is obviously still room for some reforms, such as maintaining instead of eliminating the Chief Management Officer position and evading budget caps through OCO, but these aspects are insufficient to warrant opposition." (None)
  • "The House passed the #NDAA today on a bipartisan vote. After necessary changes to the legislation, I think it will provide needed resources for our military. A strong military is vital to our national security and that of our allies." (x.com)
  • "Tonight I voted to fund the government and fully fund our military. It’s now up to the Senate to pass this important legislation for our country." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 4365 "Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024" (votesmart.org)
  • "I spoke on the House floor last night to warn of the consequences that will come of continuing to raise the debt ceiling to pass recklessly expensive spending bills. Mounting debt will cripple our economy and make it harder to address income inequality and infrastructure." (x.com)
  • "Inflation is already causing skyrocketing energy prices. Americans are bracing for higher heating bills this winter. But Democrats have proposed another tax on energy as part of their tax-and-spending spree that would make it even more expensive to cool and heat your home." (x.com)
  • "Instead of increasing spending, I have offered my colleagues real solutions to reduce spending. As part of the most recent budget process, I pointed out to my colleagues that 22 government agencies made close to $125 billion in improper payments in 2014 and the IRS failed to collect at least $380 billion that same year. There is no reason to increase spending." (palmerforalabama.com)
  • "Our national debt now exceeds $20 trillion. Increasing spending, while the Congressional Budget Office projects a shortfall in revenues, is not a path to fiscal responsibility. It is irresponsible to continue spending more than you earn." (palmerforalabama.com)
  • Voted against HR 7301 "Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 8294: "Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related agencies Appropriations Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "And it's obvious why she doesn't want to talk about them. Inflation is already crippling American families and small businesses, and the Democrats' spending bill and tax increase would only worsen the economic crisis." (x.com)
  • "Inflation is already causing skyrocketing energy prices. Americans are bracing for higher heating bills this winter. But Democrats have proposed another tax on energy as part of their tax-and-spending spree that would make it even more expensive to cool and heat your home." (x.com)
  • "Our national debt now exceeds $20 trillion. Increasing spending, while the Congressional Budget Office projects a shortfall in revenues, is not a path to fiscal responsibility. It is irresponsible to continue spending more than you earn." (palmerforalabama.com)
  • "Today the @HouseCommerce Committee is considering Speaker Pelosi's disastrous $3.5 trillion spending spree. It will drive more inflation and hurt our economy." (x.com)
  • "In addition to further increasing the financial burden on American families, this is nothing more than a raw abuse of power by the Biden Administration. Read my full statement regarding Biden's Student Loan Bailout Plan" (x.com)
  • Rated 0% by National Education Association (None)
  • Voted against H.R. 4 "Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against H.R. 4 "John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021" (votesmart.org)
  • "Millions of mail-in ballots will be used this year and it's vital that we maintain the integrity of the election. There should be a legible postmark on every single ballot." (x.com)
  • Rated 6% by Common Cause (None)
  • "America has a vast amount of energy resources, but instead of having the opportunity to harvest the energy, companies are faced with economy stifling environmental regulations. I have focused on reigning in the EPA. I introduced HR 3880, The Stopping EPA Overreach Act, which would prohibit the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases, an authority Congress never intended for the EPA to have. A coalition of organizations have written favor of the legislation." (palmerforalabama.com)
  • "Free markets work if we allow them to work. Our energy sector alone could create tens of thousands of new jobs overnight if government would lift unnecessary burdens on developers. We have enormous energy resources with trillions of barrels of oil, trillions of cubic feet of natural gas, and enough coal to last for more than 400 years. These are resources that could drive economic growth for the next decade, which government has refused to use in the past. According to the Bureau of Land Management, the United States literally has more oil available than the entire world has used in the last 100 years." (palmerforalabama.com)
  • "Our current climate change policies are forcing Americans to choose between feeding their families or heating their homes. We must unleash American energy to make home energy costs more affordable." (x.com)
  • "Proud to cosponsor this bill that would reopen the Keystone Pipeline, allow oil & gas production on federal land, & take many more needed measures to free energy production HERE in America. Reliance on Russian energy lines Putin's coffers, allowing him to fund his war on Ukraine." (x.com)
  • "Free markets work if we allow them to work. Our energy sector alone could create tens of thousands of new jobs overnight if government would lift unnecessary burdens on developers. We have enormous energy resources with trillions of barrels of oil, trillions of cubic feet of natural gas, and enough coal to last for more than 400 years. These are resources that could drive economic growth for the next decade, which government has refused to use in the past. According to the Bureau of Land Management, the United States literally has more oil available than the entire world has used in the last 100 years." (palmerforalabama.com)
  • "Proud to cosponsor this bill that would reopen the Keystone Pipeline, allow oil & gas production on federal land, & take many more needed measures to free energy production HERE in America. Reliance on Russian energy lines Putin's coffers, allowing him to fund his war on Ukraine." (x.com)
  • "The Biden Administration finally admits that cancelling the Keystone XL Pipeline was a terrible idea. But what are they going to do about it? My @HouseGOP colleagues have a plan to unleash American energy and fix the mess Democrats created." (x.com)
  • "With the stroke of his pen, President Biden didn't just cancel the Keystone Pipeline, but also canceled the jobs of over 1,000 men and women. These workers deserve better." (x.com)
  • "President Biden's latest executive orders regarding guns will not solve crime and are a direct assault on the #2A rights of law-abiding Americans." (x.com)
  • "The right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right that must be protected from executive overreach and from those who would impose limits on the types of arms law abiding citizens are allowed to possess. It is unreasonable to think that eliminating the rights of law abiding citizens will do anything stop gun violence. The Gun Owners of America and the NRA have given me their highest ratings defending the Second Amendment." (palmerforalabama.com)
  • "This decision is nothing more than an attempt to infringe upon the right law abiding citizens in the United States have to purchase guns. It is a back door attempt to create a gun registry. #2A" (x.com)
  • Rated 92% by National Rifle Association (None)
  • "And if that weren't enough, the top-down control that Medicare For All seeks to enact would lead to longer wait times for lower quality care. This plan is not healthcare." (www.facebook.com)
  • "As the Democrats hold their first hearing on Medicare For All today, let's remember what this bill would really do. It's a government takeover of healthcare that would strip millions of their private insurance, cause our national debt to skyrocket, & limit access to quality care." (x.com)
  • "Democrats are embracing socialist policies that would undo progress made for American families in the last three years. Socialism promises "free" healthcare or a "guaranteed" income, but in reality, it takes away freedom and choice from citizens and gives government undue power." (x.com)
  • "Obamacare has not improved access to healthcare or lowered the cost of healthcare services. Instead, it has forced individuals to purchase policies they don’t want, at higher premiums. Last year, major insurance companies have announced that they will no longer provide policies through the Obamacare exchange because they are unsustainable. Many companies not leaving the exchange have requested premium increases in excess of 30%. The misnamed Affordable Care Act must be repealed and replaced with common sense free market solutions, putting individuals back in control of their selections." (palmerforalabama.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 6201 "Families First Coronavirus Response Act" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against H.R. 3 "Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against H.R. 6833 "The Affordable Insulin Now Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Our border is in shambles, and the brave Border Patrol agents are overwhelmed. I’m calling on the Biden Administration to do its job and protect our nation." (x.com)
  • "Our nation is in crisis. Immediate action must be taken to secure our southern border." (x.com)
  • "SCOTUS made the right decisions by extending Title 42. The Biden Administration has no plan to stop the unfolding crisis at the southern border and is putting Americans at risk with their decision making." (x.com)
  • Rated 90% by NumbersUSA (None)
  • "President Biden's rhetoric has incentivized a surge of illegal crossings at our southern border. It is dangerous both for U.S. citizens and for migrants vulnerable to abuse and trafficking. Law and order must be restored. Lawlessness at the border helps no one." (x.com)
  • "Proud to stand with my @HouseGOP colleagues to oppose the Democrats’ reckless tax & spending plan. It would rack up the national debt, grant amnesty to illegal immigrants, expand the IRS, and much more that should concern everyone. We’re doing all we can to stop this bill." (x.com)
  • Rated 90% by NumbersUSA (None)
  • "I am opposed to amnesty for illegal immigrants. I signed the FAIR Congressional Task Force’s No-Amnesty pledge to "oppose legislation that would grant any form of work authorization to illegal aliens." The first steps to any reform of America’s immigration system will have to be securing our borders and enforcing current immigration law." (palmerforalabama.com)
  • "President Biden has made it easier for Iran to build its nuclear weapon potential by not imposing sanctions and bending over backwards to bring back the disastrous nuclear deal. He keeps showing weakness on the world stage and our enemies are watching." (x.com)
  • "Putin has long harbored resentment over the breakup of the Soviet Union and has long aspired to restore it by subjugating former Soviet bloc nations. The US must start by imposing severe sanctions." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 6126 "Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 7691 "Making emergency supplemental appropriations for assistance for the situation in Ukraine for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted against H.R. 5692 "Ukraine Security Assistance and Oversight Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 7691 "Making emergency supplemental appropriations for assistance for the situation in Ukraine for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes." (None)
  • Voted in favor of S. 3522 "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
  • "TikTok’s CEO and their American chief lobbyist have no interest in condemning the Uyghur genocide. They are more afraid of China’s reaction if they admitted the truth. TikTok is clearly serving the interests of the Chinese Communist Party." (x.com)
  • "Today, @GOPoversight is shedding light on Twitter censoring free speech to promote a liberal agenda. True oversight is here." (x.com)
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.
Pro-life Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
No In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
No In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
Given that individual contributions must be disclosed, I support full disclosure of the source of contributions.
Yes Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
No Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support lowering taxes as a way of promoting growth in the economy?
Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation?
Not at the federal level, states can make their own decisions. At the federal level, I support cutting the corporate income tax rate, allowing businesses to expense capital purchases in the year they are made, cutting individual rates, cutting the capital gains tax, eliminating the double taxation of dividends, repealing the Death Tax and eventually adopting a Fair Tax.
No Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants?
Yes Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline?
Yes Do you support reducing restrictions on offshore energy production?
No Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change?
No Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
No Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
I do not support any additional federal restrictions, and I support the repeal of unconstitutional restrictions imposed by some states and municipalities.
Yes Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act?
Yes Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
No Do you support same-sex marriage?
Yes Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict?
Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon?
Yes Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts?

SpendingIndicate what federal spending levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.TaxesIndicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.

a) Agriculture
b) Arts
c) Defense
d) Education
e) Environment
f) Homeland Security
g) International aid
h) Medical Research
i) Scientific Research
j) Space exploration
k) United Nations
l) Welfare
Greatly Decrease a) Capital gains taxes
Greatly Decrease b) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status c) Excise taxes (alcohol)
Maintain Status d) Excise taxes (cigarettes)
Maintain Status e) Excise taxes (transportation fuel)
Greatly Decrease f) Income taxes (low-income families)
Greatly Decrease g) Income taxes (middle-income families)
Greatly Decrease h) Income taxes (high-income families)
Eliminate i) Inheritance taxes
Maintain Status j) Payroll taxes
k) Other or expanded categories
In view of the chaotic situation in the Middle East and elsewhere, I believe we need to make sure Defense is adequately funded. In regard to the other categories, I am evaluating all spending and basing it on priorities which will lead to spending cuts across the board.
1) Economic Growth: open up federal lands to access our vast energy resources. 2) Repeal and Replace the Affordable Care Act 3) Rein in the EPA and initiate broad regulatory reform

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