Read about the 2012 presidential campaign issues to learn about Ron Paul's stance on immigration, healthcare, foreign policy, and other issues.
Where he stands
Healthcare
- Paul opposes Obama's health care reform and wants to overturn it, calling it an unconstitutional mandate that all Americans have health insurance.
- Favors allowing individuals to buy health insurance across state lines.
- Proposes that citizens receive tax credits and deductions for all medical expenses.
- Offer exemptions from payroll taxes to those suffering with terminal illnesses while they are in treatment.
- Voted no on Paul Ryan's proposed budget resolution, which includes cuts to Medicare Advantage plans.
- Has spoken in favor of allowing people to opt out of the Medicare system.
Budget/Deficit/Taxes
- Would veto any unbalanced budget passed by Congress.
- Voted against raising the debt ceiling in August 2011.
- Paul says he will reduce the price of gas by allowing offshore drilling, eliminating the gas tax, increasing mileage reimbursement rates, and give tax credits to businesses and individuals who use natural gas vehicles.
- Says he will eliminate income, capital gains, and estate taxes. He believes high taxes "stifle innovation, prevent saving, destroy production, crush the middle class and the poor, and discourage investment."
- Paul has championed abolishing the Federal Reserve, saying it creates money "out of thin air."
Immigration
- Paul believes the U.S. must focus on securing its own borders rather than getting involved in international issues.
- He opposes giving amnesty to illegal immigrants.
- Paul is against birthright citizenship—granting citizenship status to the children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants.
- He voted yes on a measure to build a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Energy/Environment
- Paul believes in exploring untapped domestic oil resources and loosening restrictions on domestic drilling.
- He said he would push to repeal the federal gas tax to reduce prices.
- Paul has said global warming is "the greatest hoax I think that has been around for many, many years."
- He voted in favor of banning the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases.
- He would offer tax credits to those who buy or produce alternative fuel technologies.
- He's in favor of expanding the use of coal and nuclear power.
Foreign Policy
- Paul advocates a non-interventionist strategy and would cut off all foreign aid.
- He would avoid ground wars on foreign soil and instead focus on capturing or killing terrorist leaders who threaten the U.S.
- Cease from participating in nation-building exercises.
- Would take a neutral stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and would stop providing aid to both countries.
Same-sex marriage
- Paul supports same-sex marriage and civil unions.
- He believes that states, not the federal government, should have the right to legalize gay marriage, as well as other laws pertaining to civil liberties.
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