Secretary of Homeland Defense; Former Republican Governor (PA):
Tom Ridge on
the Issues
Tom Ridge on
Abortion
- Pro-choice. (Jan 2000)
- Allow abortions, with limits; no partial-birth. (Jul 1998)
Tom Ridge on
Budget & Economy
- Bankruptcy reform: limit Chapter 7; protect states' role. (Feb 2001)
- Uphold commitments to states before other spending. (Sep 2001)
Tom Ridge on
Civil Rights
- Opposes Affirmative Action. (Jul 1998)
- No special gay laws; no gay marriage. (Jul 1998)
- Support principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment. (Feb 2001)
Tom Ridge on
Corporations
No stance on record.
Tom Ridge on
Crime
- Supports victim’s rights & death penalty. (Jan 2000)
- More prisons; more death penalty. (Jul 1998)
- Stricter penalties; less parole. (Jul 1998)
- Supports flexible federal block grants for crime programs. (Sep 2001)
Tom Ridge on
Drugs
- More federal funding for all aspects of Drug War. (Aug 2000)
Tom Ridge on
Education
- More standards, and make them clear. (Jan 2000)
- Teacher-led voluntary prayer is OK. (Jul 1998)
- State-wide student testing; teacher re-certification. (Jul 1998)
- More charters; push for school choice. (Jan 2000)
- Vouchers for private & religious schools. (Jul 1998)
Tom Ridge on
Energy & Oil
- Voluntary partnerships reduce greenhouse gases economically. (Aug 2000)
- Kyoto Treaty must include reductions by all countries. (Aug 2000)
Tom Ridge on
Environment
- Changed rules & got 350 polluted industrial sites cleaned up. (Jan 2000)
- Let industries audit themselves & then clean up. (Jul 1998)
- More flexibility in environmental regulation. (Jul 1998)
- More state autonomy on brownfields & Superfund cleanups. (Aug 2001)
- Support State Revolving Loan Fund for flexible Clean Water. (Aug 2001)
Tom Ridge on
Families & Children
- Encourage fathers' participation in child-raising. (Sep 2001)
- Federal funds & state involvement in fatherhood initiatives. (Aug 2001)
Tom Ridge on
Foreign Policy
No stance on record.
Tom Ridge on
Free Trade
No stance on record.
Tom Ridge on
Government Reform
- Reforms must respect state's rights to select electors. (Aug 2001)
Tom Ridge on
Gun Control
No stance on record.
Tom Ridge on
Health Care
- Guaranteed medical care is not a government responsibility. (Jul 1998)
- No federal pre-emption of employee health plan regulation. (Oct 2001)
- Protect state tobacco settlement funds from federal seizure. (Apr 1999)
Tom Ridge on
Homeland Security
No stance on record.
Tom Ridge on
Immigration
- Share costs of legal immigration between states & federal. (Feb 2001)
- Federal government should deal with criminal repatriation. (Feb 2001)
Tom Ridge on
Jobs
No stance on record.
Tom Ridge on
Local Issues
No stance on record.
Tom Ridge on
Principles & Values
- Religious affiliation: Catholic. (Nov 2000)
- Member, National Governors Association/Economic Development. (Jan 2001)
- Member of Republican Governors Association. (Aug 2001)
Tom Ridge on
Social Security
- Maintain long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare. (Aug 2001)
Tom Ridge on
Tax Reform
- Cut taxes as governor by $2.6B. (Jan 2000)
- 60% legislative supermajority for raising taxes. (Jan 2000)
- No national sales tax or VAT. (Feb 2000)
- Let states independently determine estate taxes. (May 2001)
Tom Ridge on
War & Peace
- Deal with terrorism as a joint federal-state responsibility. (Feb 2001)
- Include states in anti-terrorism planning. (Sep 2001)
Tom Ridge on
Welfare & Poverty
- Able-bodied welfare recipients must work 100 hours a month. (Jan 2000)
- Maintain federal Social Services Block Grant funding. (Sep 2001)
- Maintain flexibility & funding levels for TANF block grants. (Sep 2001)
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