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Brian Mast'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.

Brian Mast 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.

  • "The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will protect millions of innocent babies. Right now, I’m at the Supreme Court for this huge victory for the sanctity of life!" (x.com)
  • "That’s why during my time in Congress I have supported legislation to protect the unborn, prohibit taxpayer funding for abortion and increase protections for infants born alive after a failed abortion procedure. I will keep fighting to protect all lives!" (mastforcongress.com)
  • Rated 0% by the Planned Parenthood Action Fund (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by the National Right to Life Committee (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 25% by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSM) (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S 610 "Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I will always protect Social Security and Medicare, ensuring our government keeps the promises it has made to current retirees and those planning to retire. I absolutely do not support cutting benefits for current retirees or anybody nearing retirement. In order to accomplish difficult objectives in times of crisis, I know that we must work together. So, I will continue to be a leading voice for addressing the critical solvency issue of Social Security and Medicare in a bipartisan way that protects care for seniors. In order to accomplish these goals, I’ve helped pass legislation to strengthen Medicare and voted to protect social security beneficiaries." (mastforcongress.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Every dollar spent by the federal government belongs to the American people, and I will keep fighting to return these dollars to where they came from. That’s why I fought hard to successfully pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which included cutting taxes, increasing the standard deduction and doubling the child tax credit. I also helped eliminate Obamacare’s costly individual mandate tax. These tax cuts stimulated the economy and led to more investment. Now, we must continue working to close special interest loopholes and lobbyist-driven deductions while making the individual tax cuts permanent!" (mastforcongress.com)
  • "To that end, our current spending is unsustainable, which is why I’ve voted against irresponsible spending packages and why I believe we must pass a Balanced Budget Amendment." (mastforcongress.com)
  • "We must fight for working families by expanding opportunities and creating an economic environment that allows for job growth! First and foremost, that means cutting taxes so every American can keep more of the money they worked hard to earn. Far too often politicians in D.C. forget that the dollars they spend are not theirs. Every dollar spent by the federal government belongs to the American people, and I will keep fighting to return these dollars to where they came from. That’s why I fought hard to successfully pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which included cutting taxes, increasing the standard deduction and doubling the child tax credit. " (mastforcongress.com)
  • "Every dollar spent by the federal government belongs to the American people, and I will keep fighting to return these dollars to where they came from. That’s why I fought hard to successfully pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which included cutting taxes, increasing the standard deduction and doubling the child tax credit. I also helped eliminate Obamacare’s costly individual mandate tax. These tax cuts stimulated the economy and led to more investment. Now, we must continue working to close special interest loopholes and lobbyist-driven deductions while making the individual tax cuts permanent!" (mastforcongress.com)
  • Rated 90% by The Club for Growth (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "When a veteran in our community came to me after she was raped by her instructor in the military, I was honored to help advance her case to the Supreme Court where she finally received the justice she was owed!" (mastforcongress.com)
  • "I also believe, however, that America’s endless wars must be brought to an end. Congress has a responsibility to take back the Constitutional authority to declare war and define what our specific objectives are overseas. We should not be writing a blank check of American taxpayer dollars and sending it overseas. Our government’s foremost responsibility must always be to our own citizens." (mastforcongress.com)
  • "I remember them every day that I have the honor to serve in Congress, and it’s because of them and for them that I fight endlessly for America First policies" (mastforcongress.com)
  • Rated 9% by Peace Action (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 8774 "Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2025" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The U.S. just broke another record: the national debt is over $100,000 per citizen. That means my son’s share is more than $100,000. He hasn’t even started kindergarten yet. Washington has to get the spending under control." (x.com)
  • "The omnibus is 4,155 pages long. That’s like reading War & Peace 3 times. Those 4,155 pages spend $1.7 trillion of your tax dollars. But rather than allowing us to actually read the bill & debate it, it’s being rammed through at the 11th hour. This isn’t how Congress should work." (x.com)
  • "We cannot spend our way out of our debt crisis. Every dollar spent by Washington is a dollar that was earned by We The People. That’s why @HouseGOP is committed to passing individual spending bills that will rein in the out of control deficits." (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 3684 "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 7301 "Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 8294 "Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "If Democrats in Congress hadn’t pushed through a $1.9 trillion wishlist in 2021, inflation would not be at the levels it is now and our dollars would go further at the grocery store." (x.com)
  • "Spending trillions of dollars to ease inflation is like pulling a fire alarm in hopes it will open a door. Neither work. We must cut spending and hold accountable the politicians who put us in this financial mess." (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The Inflation "Reduction" Act will increase taxes on working Americans at every income level. Not only does it fail to reduce inflation, but it takes MORE money out of your wallet." (x.com)
  • "If only Joe Biden would put as much effort into securing our southern border as he does into trying to force taxpayers to pay off other people’s student loans…" (x.com)
  • "Joe Biden keeps trying to find new ways to use billions of YOUR tax dollars to bailout people with student loans. Why should an electrician who opted to pursue trade school be forced to foot the bill for the Yale gender-studies graduate making coffee at Starbucks?" (x.com)
  • Rated 0% by the National Education Association (NEA) (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 2547 "Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "ID to work but no ID to vote? The hypocrisy of the left continues." (x.com)
  • "It shouldn’t be easier to commit voter fraud than sneak into an R rated movie." (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 5746 "Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Offshore drilling is simply not worth the risks to our environment and tourist economy. Extending the moratorium on drilling off Florida’s coast is a victory worth celebrating!" (x.com)
  • "The House just passed two pieces of legislation to prevent drilling off our coastlines and protect our environment. Drilling off the coast of Florida puts our economy, environment and marine life at risk, and it won’t be tolerated!" (x.com)
  • Rated 3% by the League of Conservation Voters (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 823 "Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 17% by the NRA (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 1808 "Assault Weapons Ban of 2022" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "As your representative in Congress, I will continue to uphold the oath I took to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, and I will fight to protect our Second Amendment from all attempts to erode it." (mastforcongress.com)
  • "The right to defend ourselves is God-given. It is not a right provided to us by our federal government, but rather, the right to keep and bear arms is a right the federal government is sworn to protect. That’s why during my time in Congress I’ve helped pass legislation to protect the 2nd Amendment rights of concealed carry permit holders, and I have opposed efforts by Nancy Pelosi and her allies to erode the 2nd Amendment by giving unelected bureaucrats more control over firearm laws in the United States." (mastforcongress.com)
  • "Joe Biden won’t build a border wall to keep YOU and your family safe from cartels and human traffickers. But he’ll put up a fence in Washington, D.C. to protect European elites here for the #NATOSummit." (x.com)
  • "Six individuals with ties to ISIS were just arrested. All of them were originally apprehended at the southern border and then released into the U.S. Joe Biden’s open borders policy is a gift to ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and other terror groups wanting to infiltrate America." (x.com)
  • Rated 92% by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2 "Secure the Border Act of 2023" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Joe Biden’s new AMNESTY plan reportedly includes handing out green cards to ILLEGAL ALIENS that have overstayed in the U.S. by 10 YEARS if they know someone who will suffer because of their deportation. You can’t make this stuff up." (x.com)
  • Rated 83% by NumbersUSA (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2494 "POLICE Act of 2023" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "One week after issuing a BS executive order on the border, Biden is preparing a "parole in place" policy that allows millions of illegal aliens to get citizenship. Don’t be fooled; parole in place is just AMNESTY in disguise." (x.com)
  • "I’m introducing legislation to restore President Donald Trump’s sanctions on the International Criminal Court. Trump understood that no globalist organization can bully America or our allies. Joe Biden does not." (x.com)
  • "Recent attacks on Israel by Hamas prove once again why we must do more to combat radical Islamic terrorism. Those who support Hamas should be held accountable. That is why I sent a letter urging Speaker Pelosi to expedited consideration of my Hamas sanctions bill." (x.com)
  • "While Iran funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis every year, President Biden gave Tehran an access to over $16 BILLION by waiving sanctions. We need a commander-in-chief who would stop any dollar going to our adversaries." (x.com)
  • "HAPPENING NOW: The House is debating my bill to sanction any person, group, or government who backs Hamas and its despicable acts of terrorism. This should be a bipartisan, no-brainer "YES" vote." (x.com)
  • "After sending out $113 BILLION to Ukraine, Joe Biden STILL doesn’t have a strategic objective to help the country win its war against Russia. This spending spree must stop." (x.com)
  • "I was elected to represent Florida, not Ukraine. It’s simple: no plan, no funding. I will always vote for #AmericaFirst" (x.com)
  • "Why is Joe Biden pouring billions of dollars of your tax dollars into Ukraine when he has no plan to win?" (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 8035 "Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Moments ago, I introduced a bill to block the Chinese government officials from U.S. social media platforms as long as they continue to censor Americans in China. We can't let our social media platforms ban conservative voices while they let Chinese officials spew lies." (x.com)
  • "This is the type of anti-American, pro-communism bullcrap that CCP officials are allowed to spew on our social media while censoring any mention of the state-sponsored Uyghur genocide on their own platforms. This is why we need to pass my bill, the Social Media Reciprocity Act." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7520: "Protecting Americans' Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024" (votesmart.org)
  • 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.
Pro-life Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
I support exception for defense of a mothers life or the case or Rape or incest.
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?
There are many places defense budget resources could be allocated more wisely. Historically, tax cuts from presidents on both sides of the aisle have actually produced increases in revenue.
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
Yes Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
Yes Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
Yes Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders?
No Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation?
I have not been able to find one country throughout history who is been able to text more and spend more in order to reduce their debt and grow their economy.
No Do you generally support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
I believe education is one of those issues, above all, that could be made better by returning control to the local level. Federal education standards are also tied to federal dollars. To me it seems foolish and wasteful to send tax dollars from one person to the federal government only to have them return those dollars to The state.
Yes Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline?
No Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
Yes Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry?
Yes 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 generally support gun-control legislation?
I am not certain if this question is asking if I support current gun control legislation or increased gun control legislation. I do not support increased gun control legislation.
Yes Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
Yes Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
Yes Do you support same-sex marriage?
I believe article 1 section 8 of the Constitution specifically defined the roles of the federal government, and the 10th amendment tells us that everything else should belong to the states. Therefore as marriage is not covered in the Constitution this is an issue that I believe should be handled at the state level.
Yes Do you support increased American intervention in Iraq and Syria beyond air support?
Yes Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon?
Sometimes there are people in this world that are simply evil, ISIS is one example. Such people need to be erased and we should be at peace with that.
Yes Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts?
As a former federal employee, I believe diverging funds to plans similar to the thrift savings account is a great alternative to traditional Social Security contributions.

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.

Maintain Status a) Agriculture
Maintain Status b) Arts
Slightly Increase c) Defense
Maintain Status d) Education
Maintain Status e) Environment
Slightly Increase f) Homeland Security
Maintain Status g) International aid
Maintain Status h) Medical Research
Maintain Status i) Scientific Research
Slightly Increase j) Space exploration
Greatly Decrease k) United Nations
Slightly Decrease l) Welfare
Eliminate a) Capital gains taxes
Greatly Decrease b) Corporate taxes
Greatly Decrease c) Small business taxes
Maintain Status d) Excise taxes (alcohol)
Maintain Status e) Excise taxes (cigarettes)
Maintain Status f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel)
Maintain Status g) Income taxes (low-income families)
Slightly Decrease h) Income taxes (middle-income families)
Slightly Decrease i) Income taxes (high-income families)
Eliminate j) Inheritance taxes
Maintain Status k) Payroll taxes
l) Other or expanded categories
These answers are given with the caveat that if we had more funds or a surplus of our budget these are places where I would like to see more dollars spent.
1. Be placed on the committee of transportation and infrastructure where I can work toward having the US Army Corps of Engineers, the EPA, and FEMA fund the completion of needed repairs to infrastructure surrounding Lake Okeechobee, and establish a route for Lake Okeechobee discharges to be sent toward the river of grass. 2. Establish a system where the VA must compete to provide care to veterans. Provide anytime anywhere care to our veterans.

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