2014 Iowa Senate Debates


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OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Joni Ernst: Human life begins at conception.     Joni Ernst: Affordable access to contraception.     Joni Ernst: Personhood amendment is a statement of pro-life principle.     Doug Butzier: Leave abortion decisions to the states.     Sam Clovis: Human life begins at conception.

Budget & Economy     Doug Butzier: Market-led recovery better than federal stimulus.     Sam Clovis: BBA to stop saddling generations to come.     Matthew Whitaker: Top priority: Grow the economy.     Sam Clovis: Top priority: Balancing the budget.     Joni Ernst: I've castrated hogs so I know how to cut pork.

Civil Rights     Joni Ernst: Government shouldn't redefine marriage.     Doug Butzier: Affirmative action is government interference in marketplace.     Doug Butzier: Declaration's "All men are created equal" applies to gays.     Sam Clovis: Government shouldn't redefine marriage.     Joni Ernst: Federal ban ok, but leave same-sex marriage to states.     Joni Ernst: Endorsed by RightNOW Women PAC to escape "war on women".     Matthew Whitaker: My faith requires me to support traditional marriage.

Corporations     Joni Ernst: Eliminate rules which inhibit strong free-market economy.

Crime     Doug Butzier: Stricter punishment doesn't reduce crime.     Joni Ernst: Independently investigate sexual crime in military.

Drugs     Doug Butzier: Legalize marijuana & all drugs; $80B wasted on War on Drugs.     Joni Ernst: Voted to legalize medical cannabis oil.

Education     Joni Ernst: Eliminate Department of Education but keep Pell Grants.     Doug Butzier: Vouchers for school choice are a good start.     Matthew Whitaker: Common Core is one-size-fits-all, top-down solution.     Sam Clovis: FactCheck: Common Core originated with governors, not feds.     Sam Clovis: Common Core is federal overreach in spending and control.     Joni Ernst: No federal involvement in Common Core standards.     Matthew Whitaker: Common Core is cram-it-down-your-throat reform.

Energy & Oil     Bruce Braley: Supported Keystone Pipeline initially, then rejected it.     Joni Ernst: Drives hybrid car, but doubts climate change is man-made.     Doug Butzier: Prioritizing green energy is just tax favors.     Joni Ernst: Meeting with Big Oil doesn't make me feel uncomfortable.     Sam Clovis: No subsidies for wind and solar.     Sam Clovis: Obama's "Climate Resilience Fund" just redistributes wealth.     Matthew Whitaker: Cap-and-trade proposal stifles the American dream.

Environment     Doug Butzier: Clean air and water are in the public domain.     Joni Ernst: No more Agenda 21: no United Nations eminent domain.

Foreign Policy     Doug Butzier: Dialogue via UN ok, but no US troops under UN control.     Matthew Whitaker: No foreign aid to countries that don't like us.

Free Trade     Doug Butzier: Free trade is the very foundation of prosperity.

Government Reform     Joni Ernst: Photo ID for voting.     Doug Butzier: Make sure that votes are legal, & that people vote only once.     Sam Clovis: Photo ID for voting.     Bruce Braley: AdWatch: Opponent never made a peep about wasteful spending.     Joni Ernst: AdWatch: I grew up castrating hogs; I know how to cut pork.

Gun Control     Joni Ernst: Opposes more gun restrictions.     Doug Butzier: Absolute right to gun ownership.     Sam Clovis: Opposes more gun restrictions.     Bruce Braley: Allow lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence.     Bruce Braley: Ban sale of high-capacity magazines & recall existing ones.     Sam Clovis: Reduce gun violence but not by punishing gun manufacturers.

Health Care     Bruce Braley: Repealing ObamaCare would deprive millions of insurance.     Joni Ernst: ObamaCare is egregious overreach of federal government.     Joni Ernst: FactCheck: False claim that ObamaCare cut Medicare benefits.     Bruce Braley: Vehemently opposes tort reform: don't take away right to sue.     Bruce Braley: ObamaCare should be fixed and improved, not repealed.     Doug Butzier: Opposes ObamaCare.     Sam Clovis: Repeal ObamaCare; it's not a government responsibility.     Bruce Braley: AdWatch: Targeted by RNC robocalls for support of ObamaCare.     Joni Ernst: Voted against Medicaid expansion in Iowa.     Sam Clovis: Keep ObamaCare rule: kids can stay on parent's plan until 26.

Homeland Security     Joni Ernst: I understand the importance a strong national defense.     Bruce Braley: Yes, missed 75% of Veterans' hearings; but made 97% of votes.     Doug Butzier: Stop expanding the military.     Sam Clovis: Maintain a superior nuclear arsenal.     Joni Ernst: Military experience always plays role in decision-making.     Joni Ernst: Keep veterans in forefront of all foreign policy decisions.

Immigration     Joni Ernst: Protect the borders; prevent illegal entry.     Bruce Braley: Supports comprehensive reform but not amnesty.     Doug Butzier: Turn illegal aliens into taxpayers by legalizing them.     Sam Clovis: Protect the borders; prevent illegal entry.

Jobs     Joni Ernst: Raising the minimum wage would not improve the economy.     Joni Ernst: Top priority: Jobs and economy.

Principles & Values     Joni Ernst: Judeo-Christian values established our government framework.     Doug Butzier: Oppose limits on prayer in public places.     Sam Clovis: Judeo-Christian values established our government framework.     Joni Ernst: FactCheck: Missed half of state Senate votes for campaigning.     Bruce Braley: Apologizes for denigrating Senator as farmer & not lawyer.     Joni Ernst: AdWatch: "Let's make 'em squeal" in Washington.     Matthew Whitaker: OpEd: disagrees with entire liberal laundry list.     Joni Ernst: Values we grew up with are being threatened now.

Social Security     Joni Ernst: Something like personal savings accounts for younger workers.     Bruce Braley: Privatizing Social Security turns it over to Wall Street.     Joni Ernst: Open to privatizing Social Security, but honor promises.     Doug Butzier: Privatize the Ponzi scheme in gradual and voluntary manner.     Matthew Whitaker: No hope that Social Security will be there for future.

Tax Reform     Joni Ernst: Make tax code fairer, flatter and simpler: but not FairTax.     Doug Butzier: Higher taxes on the wealthy are counterproductive to economy.     Joni Ernst: Signed Grover Norquist tax pledge: never raise taxes.     Joni Ernst: Passed the largest tax cut in Iowa history.

War & Peace     Doug Butzier: Stay out of Iran & stay out of everywhere.

Welfare & Poverty     Sam Clovis: Don't trading spending cuts for entitlement reform.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Bruce Braley Democratic Challenger Iowa Doug Butzier Libertarian Senate challenger Iowa Joni Ernst Republican Challenger Iowa Matthew Whitaker Republican Senate Challenger Iowa Sam Clovis Republican Senate Challenger Iowa