Jack Kemp’s Views

Here are positions that Jack Kemp has taken on some major issues:

ABORTION. Strongly opposes abortion, except to save the mother’s life. Against federal funding of abortion and has expressed support for a constitutional amendment banning most abortions.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. Supports affirmative action.

CRIME. Favors capital punishment; believes in the death penalty for terrorists, presidential assassins and premeditated murder. Says, however, that inner-city revitalization is as important as building more prisons.

EDUCATION. Favors school vouchers to allow parents to send children to public or private school of their choice with taxpayer help. Also supports voluntary school prayer through a moment of silence.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS. Strong backer of Israel and aid for Russia. Also a consistent supporter of defense spending.

BIG GOVERNMENT. Favors scaling back federal departments and agencies, and handing certain functions back to state and local governments.

FLAT TAX. Strongly favors replacing the current income tax system with a flat tax.

GAYS, LESBIANS. Has said that local school boards should have right to keep homosexual teachers out of the classroom.

GOLD STANDARD. Favors returning to the pre-1971 system of backing the dollar with gold.

GUN CONTROL. Firmly supports the right to bear arms and gun ownership, but also favors ban on assault weapons.

HEALTH CARE. Has opposed requiring employers to pay for their workers’ health insurance. Supports allowing workers to take their health insurance from one job to another. Favors medical savings accounts.

IMMIGRATION. Has been critical of efforts to curb immigration by eliminating benefits for legal immigrants.

SOCIAL SECURITY/MEDICARE. Favors allowing a deduction for Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes.