BY DAVID A. FAHRENTHOLD AND MATT DELONG September 15, 2014
1Eliminate the current Medicare system, and replace with a system like the health insurance offered to federal employees. In the new system, seniors would be able to choose from a menu of private health plans, and the government would pay a portion of their premiums. When did he hold this position?
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2Eliminate all U.S. foreign aid, including aid to Israel. “I think they’re an important ally, but I also think that their per capita income is greater than probably three-fourths of the rest of the world. Should we be giving free money or welfare to a rich nation? I don’t think so." When did he hold this position?
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3 Social Security is a “Ponzi scheme,” and young people should be allowed to opt out of contributing to it. When did he hold this position?
In the late 1990s
2014
Both
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4Allow most of the roughly 12 million undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S. instead of being deported. Once Congress declares the border “secure,” allow those immigrants to obtain work visas, and apply for citizenship without returning to their native countries. When did he hold this position?
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5End “birthright citizenship,” the doctrine that says children born in the U.S. are automatically American citizens—no matter the nationality of their parents. When did he hold this position?
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6Don’t build an above-ground fence along the entire U.S. border—“It’s extraordinarily expensive, and it reminds me of the Berlin Wall.” Instead, put in an “underground electric fence,” which would alert nearby authorities with helicopters to respond when someone crosses. When did he hold this position?
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7Eliminate four Cabinet agencies: The Department of Education, the Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. When did he hold this position?
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8Require all U.S. regulations to “sunset” every two years—meaning they will disappear unless Congress specifically re-authorizes them. When did he hold this position?
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9Members of Congress should be required to read every word of any bill they plan to vote for, and sign an affidavit swearing they did. When did he hold this position?
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10On the prospect of bombing Islamic State (ISIS) fighters: “I have mixed feelings about it. I'm not saying I'm completely opposed to helping with arms or maybe even bombing, but I am concerned that ISIS is big and powerful because we protected them in Syria for a year. Do you know who also hates ISIS and who is bombing them? Assad, the Syrian government. So a year ago, the same people who want to bomb ISIS wanted to bomb Syria last year. Syria and ISIS are on opposite sides of the war. We're now bombing both sides of one war that has spread into another country.” When did he hold this position?
Early August 2014
Late August 2014
Both
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11Change federal law to grant “personhood” to human embryos, declaring that life begins at the fertilization of a human egg and outlawing all forms of abortion nationwide. When did he hold this position?
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12Privatize the Smithsonian Institution. When did he hold this position?
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13Privatize the Transportation Security Administration. When did he hold this position?
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14Eliminate the Consumer Product Safety Commission. When did he hold this position?
