Republican Candidates Take Issue And Here’s Where They Stand On Some Of Them

He was the first Republican candidate to call for flat income tax. Not Steve Forbes. But Pat Buchanan, who won more votes from flat-tax supporters in New Hampshire than Forbes or anyone else did.

Buchanan’s support of a flat tax is one of the not-so-dirty little secrets of the 1996 campaign.

Buried under the rubble of television attack ads is a pile of proposals from the candidates, proposals that radically would change the government. There’s everything from a flat tax to a new armed service for fighting illegal immigration and drugs to tax credits allowing the Salvation Army and other private charities to take over welfare.

The four major GOP candidates - Buchanan, Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas, former Gov. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Forbes - all agree on some issues, most notably the need to balance the federal budget and cut taxes.

But they differ widely on how they would balance the budget, how much they would cut taxes and on many other issues.

What they promise to do may get lost in the passion of the primary season, when campaigns turn on 60-second television commercials and personal attacks. But what they promise to do often is a guide to how they would govern if elected.

Here is a guide to what the major Republican presidential candidates want to do on several key issues:

Taxes

Alexander promises not to raise taxes and says any flat income tax still should allow people to deduct charitable contributions and mortgage interest.

Buchanan proposes a flat single-rate income tax on personal income. He would allow people to deduct contributions to charity and home mortgage interest and then would apply the tax to all income over $25,000 for a family of four. He would set the tax rate at an unspecified level high enough to ensure that it brings the federal government the same total revenue now collected. He also wants new tariffs on Chinese and Japanese imports to finance the repeal of income and inheritance taxes on small businesses, including family farms.

Dole endorses the $500-per-child tax credit and cut in capital gains taxes approved by the Congress this year but vetoed by President Clinton. He also wants a “flatter” income tax that would keep deductions for charities and mortgage interest, but refuses to be specific about rates or other details.

Forbes wants a flat tax rate of 17 percent on personal income over $26,000 for a couple, over $36,000 for a family of four. He would no longer allow people to deduct charitable contributions or mortgage interest from their income, and would not require people to pay income taxes on investment income.

Welfare

Buchanan wants to give federal welfare money to states and let them decide how to spend it, then end federal payments altogether after five years.

Alexander wants to give federal welfare money to states and to local charities like the Salvation Army to let them help poor people. He proposes a tax credit of up to $500 to spur people to contribute more to local charities. He opposes GOP proposals to have the federal government limit welfare and curb benefits to unwed mothers, saying states should decide.

Dole supports GOP congressional reforms that would require unwed teenaged mothers to live at home and stay in school and a fiveyear lifetime limit on benefits. He favors turning money and decisions over to states.

Forbes wants to require teenaged unwed mothers on welfare to live at home, would prohibit additional benefits to single women who have more children, and wants a two-year cap on benefits to able-bodied welfare recipients.

Cutting government

Alexander wants to close the federal Departments of Education and Energy. He also wants to cut pay for Congress and limit Congress to working in Washington for six months a year.

Buchanan wants to close the Departments of Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, and Education as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Bureau of Land Management and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Dole wants to close the Departments of Commerce, Education, Energy and Housing and Urban Development as well as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Forbes would eliminate four Cabinet-level departments. He wants to curb federal power over public housing, giving responsibility to tenants.

Education

Alexander wants to keep schools open longer and would end federal weapons laws for schools, saying parents and local officials should decide.

Buchanan wants to allow voluntary prayer in schools. He also wants vouchers to allow parents to send their children to any school, private or public.

Dole also wants vouchers and voluntary prayer.

Forbes wants vouchers.

Immigrants

Alexander wants a new branch of the armed services to fight illegal immigration as well as the import of illegal drugs. He wants to bar government benefits for illegal immigrants. He opposes making English the official language, saying it already is the de facto official language.

Buchanan wants to build a fence along 200 highly trafficked miles of the U.S.-Mexico border and double the size of the Border Patrol to stop illegal immigration. He would make English the official language. He proposes a five-year freeze on legal immigration, except for spouses and children of U.S. citizens.

Dole wants to stop government benefits for illegal immigrants and proposes slowing the rate of legal immigration. He pushes English as the official language.

Forbes does not talk about immigration.

Abortion

Alexander says states should have the right to restrict abortion and should use it, but he will not pursue the constitutional amendment that would give states the power.

Buchanan would aggressively push a constitutional amendment to ban abortion, would appoint anti-abortion judges, and would stop fetal tissue research.

Dole favors banning abortion except when mother’s life in danger or in cases of rape or incest.

Forbes would keep abortion legal for first six months and refuses to push for an amendment to ban abortions.

Medicare

Alexander would give states the power over Medicare.

Buchanan opposed GOP congressional efforts to curb growth in Medicare spending.

Dole supported congressional plan to curb Medicare growth, calling it necessary to save system from bankruptcy.

Forbes wants to allow senior citizens to set up medical savings accounts, which they could use to buy medical care from any doctor they choose. He says the plan would save money and preserve choice.