“Gov. Perry is proudly pro-life and successfully championed strong pro-life legislation in Texas including parental consent, this year’s sonogram bill and a budget that significantly defunds abortions in Texas”
July 29, 2011, Katherine Cesinger, Perry’s spokeswoman
Federal ban on abortions
Perry supports the 10th Amendment, and as such, believe that abortions should be under the control of individual states, and not the federal government.
“You either have to believe in the 10th Amendment or you don’t,” Perry told reporters after a bill signing in Houston. You can’t believe in the 10th Amendment for a few issues and then [for] something that doesn’t suit you say, 'We’d rather not have states decide that.”
July 27, 2011, ABC News
Adoption
Perry is a supporter of adoption as an alternative to abortion and threw his weight behind a proposed legislation to offer vehicle owners the option of a "choose life" license plate, to promote the cause. In addition, the $30 fees will be used towards funding the campaign.
“That is why I am wholeheartedly supporting proposed legislation authorizing a new license plate with a simple message: "choose life." … For those who are champions of choice, this is a wonderful approach. Here in Texas, vehicle owners can choose from roughly 150 different license plate designs and show their support for causes ranging from coastal conservation to the March of Dimes to my alma mater… No driver will ever be forced to purchase this plate. However, those who make that choice will not only have a visible sign of their values, but will also be contributing to programs that encourage and support adoption. Texans who believe in the sanctity of life will have another to way to tell the world in a subtle but meaningful way. I hope that our Legislature will unite to offer them that opportunity.”
December 18, 2008, Press Release from Office of The Governor
The Choose Life plate bill, HB 238, was passed in the Texas House of Representative in May 2011 and Rick Perry, as Governor, signed the legislation on May 17, 2011.
Roe v. Wade
Perry has on numerous occasions referred to the Roe v. Wade decision as a ‘tragedy’.
He was invited to be the keynote speaker in the Texas Rally For Life organized by the Texas Alliance For Life in Austin on Jan 22, 2010.
“Why do legislators hide behind Roe v. Wade claiming it somehow protects babies? We know it doesn’t… Let's let them know that Texas is here and Texas is Pro-Life… We need to strengthen our laws to better defend the defenseless, including a ban on using our tax dollars on abortion procedures in this state.”
Parental notification
Perry, as Lt. Governor, was a strong supporter of the Parental Notification Act of 1999 which was signed into law by former Texas Governor and United States President, George Bush in June 1999.
Parental Consent
Perry signed the Parental Consent Bill that would compel healthcare providers and minors to obtain parental consent before performing any abortion-related procedures
“Today we are laying down a significant marker in the effort to create a culture of life by protecting those who can’t protect themselves, by giving voice to the voiceless who yearn for life... It has been a tragedy of unspeakable consequences that, for decades, activist courts denied many Texas parents their right to be involved in one of the most important decision their young daughter could ever make: whether to end the life that was growing inside her... Because of it, an entire generation of unborn children have been forever lost to the tragedy of abortion... And certainly most of us can agree, when it is a child making such a weighty life and death decision, parents should be involved to provide proper guidance... For years we have not allowed a minor to get a tattoo or to receive an aspirin from a school nurse without parental permission. Should we not apply the same standard to such a life and death decision such as abortion?”
June 05, 2005, Press Release from Office of The Governor
Planned Parenthood
Rick Perry signed Senate Bill 7, which will defund Planned Parenthood of state funds valued at approximately $34 million and prevent state funding for elective abortions.
“Additionally, this bill helps protect those who need our protection the most, the unborn, underscoring our ongoing commitment that taxpayer money never be used to fund abortions.”
July 20, 2011
Embryonic stem cell research
While Perry is not against stem cell research involving adults, he is against embryonic stem cell research or using taxpayer funds for the same purpose.
“Every life is precious… the direction of stem cell research under the Obama administration was turning the remains of unborn children into nothing more than raw material... The Obama administration is ignoring the overriding responsibility of every government — that is to protect citizens at every stage of their lives, especially those who cannot protect themselves… Under Obama our federal tax dollars can now be used to fund abortion all over the world. With the stroke of a pen, abortion essentially became a U.S. foreign export,"
June 13, 2011, Rick Perry speaking at the ‘United For Life’ event at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles – via Associated Press
Perry continues to be unclear on the issue of Afghanistan. During the CNN/Tea Party debate in September 2011, Perry appears to endorse the Afghanistan pullout plan of former Utah Governor, John Huntsman.
“Well I agree with governor Huntsman when we talk about its time to bring our young men and women home as soon as possible and obviously safely as we can. But it’s also really important for us to continue to have a presence there, and I think the entire conversation about how do we deliver our aid to those, and is it best spent with 100,000 military who have the target on their back in Afghanistan? I don't think so at this particular point in time. I think the best way for us to be able to impact that country is to make a transition to where that country's military is going to be taking care of their people, bring our young men and women home, and continue to help them build the infrastructure that we need, whether it's schools for young women like yourself or otherwise."
September 12, 2011; Perry speaking at the CNN/Tea Party Republican Presidential Debate in Tampa, Florida
However, he backtracked from the comment two days later in a statement released by his aide to Foreign Policy magazine.
“In the dynamic of a debate when you follow someone, you kind of play off of them, and what Gov. Perry wanted to do was to express a similar sentiment to Gov. Huntsman that he very much wants to bring the troops home, we all do, but he wasn't saying ‘I want to bring the troops home now… If increasingly the Afghans can do this kind of work, then of course we want to bring our people home. It's good for us, it's good for them. But Gov. Perry is not confident in the Obama policy, which seems to be driven largely by politics, and he's not confident in the 100,000 troops number. He'd like to know if it's possible at 40,000… He would lean toward wanting to bring our troops home, but he understands that we have vital strategic interests in Afghanistan and that a precipitous withdrawal is not what he's recommending… What [Perry] doesn't have is confidence that [the Afghan campaign] is being done in a way that's focused on achieving the mission, which would be keeping Afghanistan free of terrorists and not destabilizing the region… He has a clear sense of the mission and wanting to win it, but not just by throwing the kitchen sink at it.”
September 15, 2011; Rick Perry clarifies: No speedy withdrawal from Afghanistan, Foreign Policy Magazine
Despite having visited the war-torn land thrice in the last five years (2006, Jan 2009 and July 2009), Perry has been surprisingly silent on the issue. Even more so, after an Afghani farming delegation arrived in Austin in May 2011 to meet him.
Perry supports and advocates capital punishment. In his eleven years as Governor of Texas, he has overseen 234 executions in the state.
During the Republican Presidential Debate in Simi Valley last September, moderator Brian Williams engaged Perry on the issue.
Williams: “Have you struggled to sleep at night with the idea that any one of those might have been innocent?”
Perry: “No, sir. I’ve never struggled with that at all. The state of Texas has a very thoughtful, a very clear process in place of which — when someone commits the most heinous of crimes against our citizens, they get a fair hearing, they go through an appellate process, they go up to the Supreme Court of the United States, if that’s required. But in the State of Texas, if you come in to our state, and you kill one of our children, you kill a police officer, you’re involved in another crime and you killed one of our citizens, you will face the ultimate justice in the state of Texas and that is you will be executed”
September 7, 2011, MSNBC/Politico Republican Presidential Debate, Ronald Reagan Presidential, Simi Valley
Economically speaking, Perry’s stock has never been higher. Texas is outperforming almost every other state in the country since the sub-prime mortgage-caused recession ended in June 2009, and he is largely credited for the impressive performance.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal last June, Richard Fisher, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, explained that the comprehensive and ongoing tort reforms in the state offer a huge incentive for out of state companies to invest there. The cap on consumer mortgage loans to 80% of real property value also cushioned the state from the worst of the housing crash of 2007/08. These factors saw Texas creating 265,300 jobs in the one-year period, or 37% out of the country’s total. Hiring growth in the professional and service sectors (22.9%) and health care (30.5%) contributed highly to the figures.
Critics, however, contend that the figures are misleading, as Texas recorded significant job losses in 2007 and 2008, leading to employment figures rising above 8% in the two preceding years. Furthermore, they argue that Texas has the highest percentage of minimum-wage workers in the country, which is reflected by its per-capita income, ranked only 24th out of the 50 states - bizarre in light of record oil prices. Repeated tax cuts over the past decade have also shrunk the state’s revenue, leading to a massive $27billion budget deficit, the fourth largest in the nation.
However, the clamor for Perry to enter the nomination race has not been dented by these criticisms. In fact, many among the party are convinced that Perry is the man who possesses the ability to heal the nation’s economy.
Budget
Perry considers the current economic crisis as a very manageable problem, espousing the habit of savings to weather any storm, while presenting an analogy between the current government and ancient Egyptian Pharaohs. He believes that a return to Biblical principles will foster the return of our economic fortune.
"I think we're in a time of great revival in this world, and I know there's a lot of concern, there's, there's... you know we've got this economic recession that's going on. You got all of these... the Middle East in in turmoil, I mean, you turn TV on and you really get concerned with what you're seeing… I happen to think that our greatest days are ahead of us… I think in America from time to time we have to go through some difficult times — and I think we’re going through those difficult economic times for a purpose, to bring us back to those Biblical principles of you know, you don’t spend all the money. You work hard for those six years and you put up that seventh year in the warehouse to take you through the hard times. And not spending all of our money. Not asking for Pharaoh to give everything to everybody and to take care of folks because at the end of the day, it’s slavery."
May 5, 2011, Perry appearing on James Robison's "Life Today"
Debts & Deficit
Despite his celebrated reputation as a fiscal conservative, Perry has been facing increasing public criticisms on his spending records, which became an issue following revelations that the Texas budget is facing a $27billion deficit, over a quarter of the state’s GDP. So much so that, certain factions within the Tea Party itself are reportedly participating, and even, leading these attacks.
Perry’s supporters are highlighting the fact that he is not taking the easy way out by implementing a unilateral across the board tax increase, and has yet to touch the state’s $9 billion Rainy Day Fund. Instead, like a true fiscal conservative, Perry has marshaled the legislators to formulate spending cuts.
The proposed cuts, however, have drawn the ire of many in the state, most notably within the education and health services sector. Nevertheless, Talmadge Heflin, from the Center for Fiscal Policy at the Texas Public Policy argues that, “while the budget contains significant cuts, it is manageable. Schools, for instance, have largely been spared in the past, and they can look to cut personnel outside of the classroom. And colleges have other sources of revenue, such as tuition and fees. Texas families have had to set priorities and make difficult decisions in order to live within their means. The introduced budget is a positive sign that the Texas Legislature is committed to doing likewise.”
The statement was echoed by Will Newton, the Executive Director of the National Federation of Independent Business. “Gov. Perry kept his promise to the small-business community when he vowed to extend the million-dollar exemption while passing a budget that did not raise taxes on job creators. Extending the exemption not only helps small businesses struggling to stay afloat; it encourages new entrepreneurs to get their businesses off the ground. We applaud the Governor and the Legislature for sparing 28,000 businesses from a new tax and continuing to make Texas a business-friendly state.”
Policy
Perry is a firm believer in the power of the free market, and is convinced that excessive regulatory control stifles the ability of the private sector to grow. He cited the economic success of Texas in the last decade as validation of his convictions.
"I think in the decade of the 2000s, 2.2 million jobs were lost and at the same time Texas created 730,000... The last two years we've created nearly half the jobs created in America and listen, it wasn't by accident... That is the simple, yet profound way for America to get back to being the powerful economic engine that it could be... I don't make any bones about it. I mean, this isn't rocket science. You need to free the private sector from all of these regulations, all of this litigation, all of this taxation... If America sees that and they hear that, our best days are in front of us… Wouldn't America be stronger economically if we removed all those strings that have been attached to everything - seems like, whether it's our EPA regulations or whether it's the way we deliver health care or what the heck business is it of the federal government to tell us how to educate our kids? Remove all those strings and let these states go out there and be laboratories of innovation”
August 4, 2011, interview with CBN News
Economic Plan
Rick Perry announced his economic plan, Cut, Balance and Grow, on October 25, 2011, at a plastic factory outside Greenville, South Carolina. The six-point plan aims to achieve a balanced budget by 2020 through the introduction of a flat tax rate and reduced spending, and in the process, spur economic growth and job-creation numbers. Observers opine that the plan will be well received by Perry’s primary support base of fiscal conservatives. Responding to a question on the projected shortfall in federal revenue in his plan, Perry explains that,
“Look, I'm looking long term. I'm looking to get this country back on track. If you're looking for somebody that's going to nibble around the edges, if you're looking for somebody that's going to say listen, we're not going to make it hard on you, it's all going to work out, I'm not your guy. I know how to get this country back on track. It's going to require hard decisions. It's going to have to have someone who understands that you have to give incentives to those job creators so that they have the confidence that they can risk the capital and have a return on investment. My plan does that.”
October 25, 2011; Rick Perry speaking to CNBC’s John Harwood
The Cut, Balance and Grow Plan
I. Fix The Tax Code
• Flat Income Tax Rate of 20% for individual and corporations (structured).
• Eliminating Tax on Social Security Benefits, Dividends, Capital Gains and Death Tax
• No Federal or Value Added Tax
• Offer a one-time reduced tax rate of 5.25% for all overseas capital returned to the country
II. Fix the Federal Regulatory System
• Perry advocates a series of changes that includes a searchable public database of federal regulations
III. Fix Social Security
IV. Fix Medicare and Medicaid
V. Balance The Budget
• Capping federal spending to 18% of GDP
• Balancing the budget by 2020
• Advocates a balance budget amendment with no tax increase
• Freeze hiring and salary growth for federal employees
• No more bailouts
VI. Repeal Job Killing Federal Laws
• ObamaCare, Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank
Perry is a strong advocate for keeping GITMO open.
“And I might add that he (Obama) kept Gitmo open against the will of his base, and I'm glad he did that. America's safer for it.”
Sep 7, 2011; MSNBC Republican Presidential Debate, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, California
“President Obama naively campaigned as if terrorism should be handled as a law enforcement matter, and in November 2009 Attorney General Holder held a major press conference to announce that Guantanamo Bay would be shuttered and that 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed would face a civilian trial in Manhattan. Both plans have crumbled in the face of public and congressional opposition, and to this day the administration refuses to decide what to do. Washington's paralysis on the seminal issue of our time--dealing with terrorists whose mission is to kill as many American as possible--signals weakness to our enemies.”
Excerpts from Perry’s 2010 book, Fed Up!: Our Fight to Save America from Washington, Page 133
The Second Amendment: Individual or Collective Right?
Perry is an advocate of an individual’s right to bear arms.
“… proud to welcome all the men and women who have led the fight to protect the Second Amendment for every American… As a gun owner and avid hunter, I appreciate the work the NRA does day in and day out to protect our right to bear arms… Today as we celebrate the victories of the past 25 years, I can’t help but note how the public dialogue has changed when it comes to gun control. You don’t hear as many politicians making ridiculous claims about guns causing crimes these days and the reason for that is simple. Responsible gun owners like those in this room are not a threat to society, but a deterrent to crime. You have invested a vast amount of time and energy into educating the American people and the American people in turn have sent a loud and clear message to their elected leaders: the Second Amendment is not a loophole, so stop trying to close it!
April 12, 2005, Perry speaking at the National Rifle Association’s Annual Meeting, Houston
Legislation
Perry is against any form of gun control, and believes the emphasis should instead be placed on education of the public on the reality of gun use and legislations.
… That’s why as governor, I have been proud to sign many pieces of legislation supported by the state affiliate of the NRA. We have protected Texas shooting ranges from junk lawsuits that tried to shut them down for making too much noise. We passed a law that allowed Texans to possess a handgun in a recreational vehicle. And because the NRA has done such a tremendous job promoting safety with the Eddie Eagle Gun Safe program, I signed a law that requires visiting resource officers in public elementary schools to offer to teach the program at least once a year. We have also worked hard to strengthen our right to carry law because it is a good law that has made our people safer… In Texas, we believe that people should have the right to protect themselves whether they have called Texas home for years or are just visiting for a few days. In the past year alone, Texas has more than doubled the number of reciprocity agreements with other states that allow citizens from other states to legally carry a concealed weapon here in Texas as well as allowing Texans to carry away from home. I’m committed to ensuring we have as many concealed handgun reciprocity agreements as possible with other states. So far we have 18…”
April 12, 2005, Perry speaking at the National Rifle Association’s Annual Meeting, Houston
Pundits are almost in complete agreement that immigration will be one of the main issues that could potentially harm Rick Perry’s presidential run. Perry’s stance on immigration, in terms of voting, policies and public speeches, mirrors closely to that of the Democrats. The state’s dependency on about $3.8 million migrant workforce (out of which, 1.6 million are estimated to be illegal immigrants, or 10% of the national total), is well documented.
•Immigration: Yea or Nae
Yea.
Look, it’s (illegal immigration) is a huge problem, I would suggest on all the states along the border with Mexico, but, here’s the bigger issue for me, Greta. It’s one that we try to really focus on and try to get the people all across the country to look at. We can have these discussions and debates about immigration reforms but nothing matters, those things really don’t matter until you secure the border. That’s what I’ve been trying to get the Federal Government to focus on for the last four, five years.
July 28, 2010, Perry in an interview with Greta Van Susteran on Fox News
•On Legislation
“As I have said repeatedly, you can’t have homeland security without border security, and there is no sense in reforming immigration laws if we cannot enforce them. And I have said equally as often that immigration reform without border security is meaningless. Divisive language on the subject of border security and immigration reform is simply not constructive or useful in solving the problem. We cannot be a nation that is anti-immigrant because we are in fact a nation of immigrants… We just finished an election where the Washington politicians gave us a lot of rhetoric on immigration reform, but no real solutions. We need Washington to be a part of the solution. For us it is not just a subject of intense debate, it directly impacts how we live.”
December 14, 2006, From the Office of the Governor Rick Perry
You cannot have a discussion about immigration reform if you don't secure the border. So I mean, we certainly support Arizona's sovereign right to pass the laws. As a matter of fact, we're one of eight states that has filed an amicus brief to support Arizona in that effort. But it's all for naught if we do not do what the federal government is supposed to be doing, which is securing our border. I always believe you extend the military, you secure our border and you deliver our mail, preferably on Saturday and on time. And the federal government is a failure at two of those three.
July 28, 2010, Perry in an interview with Greta Van Susteran on Fox News
•On Public Amenities & Infrastructure (Healthcare, Education, Shelter, etc)
"As a compassionate state, we know that for our children to succeed, they must not only be healthy, but educated. The future leaders of our two nations are learning their fractions and their ABC's in classrooms all along this border. Immigrants from around the world are being taught in Texas classrooms, and our history is rich with examples of new citizens who have made great contributions. We must say to every Texas child learning in a Texas classroom, "we don't care where you come from, but where you are going, and we are going to do everything we can to help you get there." And that vision must include the children of undocumented workers. That's why Texas took the national lead in allowing such deserving young minds to attend a Texas college at a resident rate. Those young minds are a part of a new generation of leaders, the doors of higher education must be open to them. The message is simple: educacion es el futuro, y si se puede."
August 22, 2001, Perry’s speech at the Border Summit 2001
•U.S. Mexico Border Fence
“You got strategic fencing in some of the metropolitan areas – it’s very helpful. But the idea that you’re going to build a wall from Brownsville to El Paso is just -- it’s ridiculous on its face.”
August 17, 2011, Perry speaking to supporters on a campaign stop in New Hampshire
“Strategic fencing in certain urban areas to direct the flow of traffic does make sense, but building a wall on the entire border is a preposterous idea… The only thing a wall would possibly accomplish is to help the ladder business.”
December 6, 2006, Perry speaking to the Texas Border Coalition
Perry has yet to speak publicly on North Korea. However, he did make a passing reference of the country in his book, Fed Up: Our Fight To Save America From Washington, which was co-written with none other than fellow contender, Newt Gingrich. Not much to go on here, but it does confirm that Perry views North Korea as a threat.
“We are now confronted with the rise of new economic and military powerhouses in China and India, as well as a Russia that is increasingly aggressive and troublesome to its neighbors and former satellite nations that are struggling to maintain their relatively newfound independence. There is no reason to believe that armed conflict with any major power is imminent, but the world is rapidly changing, and the United States must be prepared for the ramifications of shifting balances of power… North Korea and Iran, in contrast, are utterly unpredictable an do present an imminent threat with their nuclear ambitions...
