I signed an executive order to establish the Red Tape Relief Task Force. I have charged the task force to complete a comprehensive, top-to-bottom review of regulations in every single state agency. They are to leave no stone unturned as they identify excessive, outdated, and unnecessary regulations.
Steve Daines: Mostly no. Voted against dark-money disclosure. Supported Citizens United decision as free speech issue. Supported Senate candidates e-filing finance reports.
Steve Bullock: Yes. Cites "the corrupting influence of money in our politics." As governor, signed a bill to eliminate dark money. Challenged Supreme Court Citizens United decision.
Matt Rosendale (R): No. Voted against state bill requiring independent groups to reveal how money they contribute to election campaigns is being used & where it's coming from. Supports Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling as protecting freedom of speech.
Jon Tester (D): Yes. Introduced Spotlight Act, requiring political nonprofits to disclose donors. "Dark money is a threat to our democracy. I will do everything I can to defend Montanans from this shadowy behavior." Opposed Citizens United ruling.
Matt Rosendale (R): Yes. Voted to repeal same-day voter registration. Require government-issued photo identification to vote.
Jon Tester (D): Unclear on photo ID. Introduced bill to ensure Native American voting access.
Matt Rosendale (R): No. Voted against state bill requiring independent groups to reveal how money they contribute to election campaigns is being used & where it's coming from. Supports Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling as protecting freedom of speech.
Jon Tester (D): Yes. Introduced Spotlight Act, requiring political nonprofits to disclose donors. "Dark money is a threat to our democracy. I will do everything I can to defend Montanans from this shadowy behavior." Opposed Citizens United ruling.
Matt Rosendale (R): Yes. Voted to repeal same-day voter registration. Require government-issued photo identification to vote.
Jon Tester (D): Unclear on photo ID. Introduced bill to ensure Native American voting access.
A: Albert Olszewski's answer: Yes
A: Albert Olszewski's answer: Yes
Bill McChesney's entry into the race allows Bullock to spend $666,642 in campaign contributions he has in the bank earmarked for the primary. He has already spent nearly $136,000 in campaign funds meant for the primary election. State law requires candidates to return the money if they run unopposed.
"Steve welcomes others into the race and looks forward to earning the nomination and then a second term so he can continue to move Montana forward," Bullock's campaign manager said in a statement.
Bullock's campaign has been singularly focused on defeating Greg Gianforte, the Republican candidate and Bozeman tech entrepreneur, in November's general election. Gianforte does not have a primary opponent.
"We all need to remember that Washington, D.C., is full of folks that have done incredibly well for themselves and when you send folks to Washington, D.C., who have done incredibly well for themselves, they take votes that tilt the playing field to the wealthy and against us regular working folks," she said.
Currently 42% of Americans identify themselves as Independents and it shows there is a major out-migration from the major political parties. Voters want another choice other than choosing between two candidates who are both controlled by special interests, corporations, or wealthy individual donors. It's time for Independents to work together.
Edmunds: Strongly Disagree
We have seen the rise of so-called "dark money" groups that target candidates, yet refuse to tell the voting public who they really are and what they really represent. They hide behind made-up names and made-up newspapers. They operate out of PO Boxes or Washington, D.C., office buildings.
Help me reform our laws, so that any organization spending money during the course of an election reveals the amount it spends and the source of its money. Together, let's guarantee that our elections will never be auctions, controlled by anonymous bidders.
A: Yes.
Q: Political Action Committee?
A: Yes.
Q: Corporate?
A: Yes.
Q: Political Party?
A: Yes.
Q: Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
A: No.
A: No.
Q: Political Action Committee?
A: No.
Q: Corporate?
A: No.
Q: Political Party?
A: No.
Q: Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
A: No.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: No.
Q: Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
A: Yes.
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
A: Yes.
Q: Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: Yes.
A: Yes.
Rankin adds, "Excessive Campaign Money is our country's greatest problems presently."
Tester, ever the opponent of Citizens United, acknowledged the problem in his closing statement. "We're back in 1912," he said, harkening back to the days of Montana's Copper Kings. "We've come back to a time when corporations can give unlimited amounts of money, secret money, and influence the political structure of this country. And that's scary for a democracy."
But Rehberg, who had no response when asked directly how much outside interests had spent in this race, doesn't seem to be too troubled by where that money is coming from.
Tester, ever the opponent of Citizens United, acknowledged the problem in his closing statement. "We're back in 1912," he said, harkening back to the days of Montana's Copper Kings. "We've come back to a time when corporations can give unlimited amounts of money, secret money, and influence the political structure of this country. And that's scary for a democracy."
But Rehberg, who had no response when asked directly how much outside interests had spent in this race, doesn't seem to be too troubled by where that money is coming from.
Rehberg appeared to speak favorably of Citizens United, saying political free speech is the most important, but he added that he supports 100 percent transparency with campaign donations.
The problem, Tester pointed out, is that Citizens United doesn't require transparency in reporting political contributions.
That served as an opportunity for Libertarian candidate Cox to jump in: "They're only talking about nibbling at the edges of some the proposed increases in federal spending," Cox said, adding that the country is likely to face $1.7 trillion in additional deficit spending next year. "We're talking about cutting PBS. Let's get real."
Rehberg appeared to speak favorably of Citizens United, saying political free speech is the most important, but he added that he supports 100 percent transparency with campaign donations.
The problem, Tester pointed out, is that Citizens United doesn't require transparency in reporting political contributions.
The decision has been derided by many Montana politicians. Montana, 21 other states and the District of Columbia have asked the high court to rule that Citizens United doesn't apply to Montana's or other state laws regulating corporate campaign spending.
Rehberg said he supported the 2010 ruling, although he added that there should be full transparency on where campaign money is coming from. "There should be nothing more free than political free speech," he said.
Tester responded that "corporations are not people. Because of Citizens United, corporations have more rights when it comes to donations than people do," he said.
The decision has been derided by many Montana politicians. Montana, 21 other states and the District of Columbia have asked the high court to rule that Citizens United doesn't apply to Montana's or other state laws regulating corporate campaign spending.
Rehberg said he supported the 2010 ruling, although he added that there should be full transparency on where campaign money is coming from. "There should be nothing more free than political free speech," he said.
Tester responded that "corporations are not people. Because of Citizens United, corporations have more rights when it comes to donations than people do," he said.
The decision has been derided by many Montana politicians. Montana, 21 other states and the District of Columbia have asked the high court t Citizens United doesn't apply to Montana's or other state laws regulating corporate campaign spending. Rehberg said he supported the 2010 ruling, although he added that there should be full transparency on where campaign money is coming from. "There should be nothing more free than political free speech," he said.
Tester responded that "corporations are not people. Because of Citizens United, corporations have more rights when it comes to donations than people do," he said.
A: Yes.
Q: Political Action Committee?
A: Yes.
Q: Corporate?
A: Yes.
Q: Political Party?
A: Yes.
Q: Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: Yes.
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support the current limit of terms for Montana state senators and representatives?
A: No.
Q: Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates? Individual?
A: Yes.
Q: PAC?
A: Yes.
Q: Corporate?
A: Yes.
Q: Political Parties?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support imposing spending limits on state-level political campaigns?
A: No.
Q: Should Montana participate in the federal REAL ID program?
A: I support the requirement for a valid Montana ID for all elections.
A: Yes, on individual, PAC, corporate, and political party contributions.
Q: Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying and ensuring accuracy of votes?
A: Yes
Q: Do you support prohibiting media exit polling of voters until all polling locations in Montana are closed?
A: Yes
TESTER: Earmarking in the middle of the night, without transparency, is wrong for representative democracy.
JONES: Incumbents always put something in the transportation bill so they can brag about all the money they brought to the state. None of the 34 are qualified.
BURNS: I’m proud about what I brought back to Montana. Most of it is for infrastructure [in that bill]. That money’s going to be spent somewhere in America, and I want Montana to get her share. If you leave it up to a faceless un-elected bureaucrat, with only 900,000 people, tell me how much we’re gonna get? Earmarks have to withstand the scrutiny of the subcommittee hearing, the full Committee hearing, & the full Senate. I have to go out & defend them, and it’s pretty hard sometimes. We defend them, our name is on them, and that’s the way the process works. If they can’t stand the scrutiny, they will not make it.
TESTER: The current process of earmarking in the middle of the night, without transparency, is the wrong way for representative democracy to be working. Good projects, like this land-grant university, can stand up to the scrutiny of the light of day. Quite frankly, I don’t support earmarks, period.
If a project’s a good project, which includes probably most if not all of those 34 earmarks, they could withstand scrutiny in front of the entire Congress. I’m not for earmarks because they don’t pass public scrutiny with the transparency that our government and our forefathers set up.
JONES: Incumbents always put something in the transportation bill so they can brag about all the money they brought to the state. None of the 34 are qualified.
BURNS: I’m proud about what I brought back to Montana. That money’s going to be spent somewhere in America, and I want Montana to get her share.
A: I’d start with no-bid contracts in Iraq. That’s kind of wild. Then negotiations for Medicare Part D prescription drugs--I negotiate when I go to buy a pickup truck, so we ought to be negotiating-- but that’s what happens when you have big pharmaceutical companies writing legislation. It’s time that we spend the money wiser, that we prioritize better, and start looking out for middle class folks. But that’s not the people who have control- the cronies on K-Street that buy votes have more control than the folks that elect us. You need to have people back there in Washington who have experience balancing a checkbook and setting priorities. I have balanced a checkbook in the private sector and in the public sector. My opponent has not been able to do that.
TESTER: The current process of earmarking in the middle of the night, without transparency, is the wrong way for representative democracy to be working.
JONES: Which qualify as unjustified pork? ALL of them. The federal transportation bill has become the true pork-barrel bill that Congress uses to enhance the ability of incumbents to get re-elected. They always put something in this bill so they can brag about all the money they brought to the state, all of which most likely is unconstitutional. Transportation bills should be for transportation. And very little federal money should be spent on transportation. Transportation is a state issue and should be funded by state funds. All 34 earmarks are unconstitutional and should be eliminated.
BURNS: I’m proud about what I brought back to Montana. That money’s going to be spent somewhere in America, and I want Montana to get her share.
A: Yes.
Q: PAC?
A: Yes.
Q: Corporate?
A: Yes.
Q: Political Parties?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information??
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
A: Yes.
Q:
A: Yes.
Q: PAC?
A: Yes.
Q: Corporate?
A: Yes.
Q: Political Parties?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
A: No.
Q: Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
A: No.
Q: Do you support voting on-line?
A: No.
Q: Do you support on-line voter registration?
A: No.
Q: Do you support increasing the number of signatures required to place an initiative on the ballot?
A: Yes.
A: Yes.
Q: Governor?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates: Individual?
A: Yes.
Q: PAC?
A: Yes.
Q: Corporate?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
A: No.
Q: Would you vote to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring an annual balanced federal budget?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you support the current Montana law that prohibits corporate expenditures on ballot-measure campaigns?
A: Yes.
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| 2020 Presidential contenders on Government Reform: | |||
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Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO) V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE) Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC) Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT) Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN) Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ) Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX) Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI) Rep.John Delaney (D-MD) Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA) Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT) CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA) Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Marianne Williamson (D-CA) CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY) 2020 Third Party Candidates: Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI) CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV) Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI) Howie Hawkins (G-NY) Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) |
Republicans running for President:
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN) Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY) Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL) Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY) 2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates: Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA) Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC) Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK) Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA) Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO) Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA) Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL) Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA) Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX) Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA) Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA) Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA) | ||
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