2016 Louisiana Senate race: debates and news coverage


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

Abortion     Thomas Clements: Supreme Court has ruled on abortion.

Budget & Economy     John Neely Kennedy: Balanced budget amendment to restore fiscal responsibility.

Civil Rights     Foster Campbell: Oppose same-sex marriage, but respect Supreme Court ruling.     Thomas Clements: Support Equal Rights Amendment.     Thomas Clements: Get government out of marriage business.

Corporations     Thomas Clements: Eliminate corporate tax to create jobs & avoid more debt.

Crime     Foster Campbell: Death penalty yes; alternatives yes; mandatory minimums no.     Thomas Clements: Unconstitutionally strict punishment isÿa problem.

Drugs     Thomas Clements: Marijuana is a benefit to people's health.     Charles Boustany: Consistently votes against marijuana reform.     John Fleming: OpEd: One of few remaining "reefer madness" legislators.

Education     Foster Campbell: Fight for public schools with $1 billion Excellence Fund.     Thomas Clements: Supports homeschooling and vouchers.

Energy & Oil     Foster Campbell: Build Keystone pipeline; no farcking regulation for now.     Foster Campbell: Regulate greenhouse gases; incentivize reducing emissions.     Thomas Clements: No cap and trade; no taxing carbon emissions.     Foster Campbell: Charge 6.25% oil refining tax and wipe out income tax.

Environment     Thomas Clements: States should deal with water quality not federal EPA.

Foreign Policy     Foster Campbell: Keep allies involved, but heed advice of military experts.     Foster Campbell: U.S. should remain in the United Nations.     John Neely Kennedy: Radical Islamic fundamentalists despise our core values.     Thomas Clements: Foreign aid spending only to protect US interests.     John Fleming: Defund the Syrian refugee influx.

Free Trade     Charles Boustany: 2013: Supported TPP; 2016: too many concessions.     Foster Campbell: TPP is skewed to the advantage of big business.     John Fleming: TPP means open season on American jobs.     John Neely Kennedy: TPP lacks safeguards against currency manipulation.     Joseph Cao: No trade deal with Vietnam due to human rights abuses.     Rob Maness: Criticized TPP for its closed-door negotiations.     Thomas Clements: No restrictions on trade, but no corporatism.     Charles Boustany: Yes to Ex-im bank; Yes to fast-track.     John Fleming: No to Ex-im bank; No to fast-track.

Government Reform     Foster Campbell: 10 year ban on lobbying for ex-members of congress.     Thomas Clements: Term limits for Congress; but voter ID too.

Gun Control     Foster Campbell: Enforce the gun laws we already have on the books.     Foster Campbell: Generally opposes additional gun control measures.     Thomas Clements: Second Amendment is the law of the land.     John Fleming: Perennial A rating from the NRA.

Health Care     Thomas Clements: Cost is the only thing that has expanded under ObamaCare.     John Fleming: If Supreme Court bans ObamaCare subsidies, let them die.

Homeland Security     John Neely Kennedy: Increase size of the military; increase spending for defense.     Thomas Clements: Why do we need military bases in the Phillipines?

Immigration     Foster Campbell: No pathway to citizenship without exiting US first.     Foster Campbell: Grant citizenship to children of illegal immigrants.     Thomas Clements: Annex Mexico economically to avoid immigration issues.

Jobs     Foster Campbell: Raise the federal minimum wage.

Principles & Values     John Neely Kennedy: Belief in Jesus informs every decision I make.     Thomas Clements: Why not keep God in the public sphere?     Joseph Cao: First Vietnamese-American to serve in Congress.     Rob Maness: Call out those who don't have interests of US & her citizens.     John Neely Kennedy: I speak my mind, & some politicians call me a troublemaker.     John Fleming: Passionate conservative: Obama doesn't share our values.

Social Security     Foster Campbell: I do not support privatization of Social Security.     Thomas Clements: Privatize Social Security at birth for newborns today.

Tax Reform     Foster Campbell: Make sure the super-rich pay their fair share.     Thomas Clements: Flat rate tax with across-the-board reduction.

War & Peace     Foster Campbell: No American intervention in Iraq & Syria beyond air support.     Thomas Clements: Help prevent genocide abroad, but not with U.S. lives.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Charles Boustany Louisiana U.S. Trade Representative Foster Campbell Democratic candidate for Senate Louisiana John Fleming Republican Senate candidate Louisiana John Neely Kennedy Louisiana Republican candidate for governor Joseph Cao Republican Senate challenger Louisiana Rob Maness Republican Challenger Louisiana Thomas Clements Libertarian candidate for Senate Louisiana