Mitt Romney: 2012 Campaign Issues

Where he stands

Healthcare

• Supports the goals of the House Republican budget plan that seeks to reduce spending by cutting Medicare and other federal programs, but would not say if he would sign the plan as president.
• Suggests gaining control over entitlement spending on Social Security and Medicare once the economy is revived.
• Has stated that he will repeal President Obama's health care law if elected.

Budget/Deficit/Taxes

• Criticizes the Obama spending bill, saying it will only stimulate the government, not the economy.
• Believes a well-crafted stimulus plan is needed to put people back to work and that permanent tax cuts should be at the center of the stimulus plan.
• Believes in the principle behind Reaganomics: cutting taxes brings economic growth.
• Supports a budget that cuts payroll taxes for people aged sixty-five and older as well as cutting taxes on people earning less than $200,000 a year, including reducing taxes on savings and investment.
• Supports a national catastrophic fund to cover home owners insurance in the event of natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes.
• Opposes the estate tax.
• Believes only private sector entrepreneurs will create the millions of jobs that the U.S. needs.
• Endorses eliminating the minimum wage.
• For placing sanctions on China.
• Wants to cut the corporate tax rate.

Immigration

• Opposes allowing illegal immigrants to have driver's licenses.
• Opposes amnesty or permanent legalization for illegal aliens.
• Opposes temporary legalization for illegal aliens as guest workers.
• Believes illegal immigrants should go home and sign up for permanent citizenship within a set time frame.
• Believes employers who are employing illegal immigrants should be subject to sanctions, but not face imprisonment.
• Supports scholarships and tuitions for illegal immigrants, including scholarships funded by taxpayers.
• Opposes the Z visa that allows illegal immigrants to continue living in the U.S. for 13 years before they are able to become citizens. He believes that this is unfair to applicants waiting to enter the country through the proper procedure.

Energy/Environment

• Does not believe in establishing mandates, but believes the United States should use innovation to further develop alternative energy sources such as nuclear energy, biodiesel, and ethanol to help use energy more efficiently.
• Believes in exploring domestic resources for oil such as Outer Continental Shelf and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to decrease our dependence on oil rich countries.
• Vows, if elected, to make it easier for American companies to drill for oil in the United States.
• Against the Kyoto Protocol, believing that the U.S. will lose jobs because of it.

Foreign Policy

• Romney's foreign policy has two main issues: competing with Asia economically and defeating the Jihadists.
• To compete with Asia, Romney wants the U.S. to open up its market even further by reducing the tariffs, decreasing corporate taxes, and easing up on immigration laws to take advantage of highly skilled workers.
• To defeat Jihadists, Romney wants to use military options and work with local populations in nations where terrorists are living. He also wants to use diplomacy and involve regional and international players in the fight against terrorists.
• Accused President Obama of throwing "Israel under the bus" after Obama called for a two-state solution that should start with Israel's 1967 borders as a guide to the formation of a Palestinian state.
• Requested that Arab states stop providing financial support and weapons to Hamas and Hezbollah.
• Wants Arab states to put pressure on the Palestinians to stop terrorism and recognize Israel's right to exist.
• Often cites former President Jimmy Carter's view in regard to bringing peace to the Israel/Palestine conflict and believes the opposite. For Romney, the wall, checkpoints, and other security measures are helping to prevent violence and bloodshed.
• Believes that Iran is a serious threat to the U.S. and wants to use economic sanctions and other measures to assure that Iran does not develop a nuclear arsenal. Has said a military strike against Iran is an option if it pursues a nuclear weapon, but prefers to exercise other options, such as tough sanctions, first.

Same-sex marriage

• Strongly feels same-sex marriage would destroy the culture of America, as well as damage children and the education system.
• Personally believes that Americans should be respectful of all people and their sexual orientation, but that the institution of marriage should be upheld.
• Supports neither same-sex marriage nor civil unions.
• Supported the Federal Marriage Amendment which would have modified the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting same-sex marriage.

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