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Tuesday, October 14, 2008
U.S. Senate: Where Tom Udall (D) & Steve Pearce (R) Stand on the Issues
Journal Staff Report
GUN RIGHTS
Udall voted three times to uphold a gun ban in Washington, D.C., but his campaign has said he also voted to prohibit the confiscation of firearms after a major disaster. The National Rifle Association gives Udall a "C-minus."
Pearce has an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association, meaning the group considers him a "solidly pro-gun candidate." The NRA is endorsing him in the U.S. Senate race.
IRAQ WAR
Udall voted against the 2002 congressional authorization for war in Iraq, saying it was too much of a "blank check" for President Bush. He supports a timeline for withdrawal.
Pearce voted for the 2002 Iraq war authorization and has been a backer of the Bush administration's war efforts. He has criticized efforts by Democrats to set a timeline for withdrawal.
ECONOMY
Udall voted against October's $700 billion economic bailout package. He voted for the economic stimulus package earlier this year that sent rebate checks to taxpayers. He voted in favor of a federal mortgage relief measure in May. In 2005, Udall voted against the elimination of federal estate taxes.
Pearce voted against October's economic bailout package. He voted in favor of the economic stimulus package earlier this year. He voted to eliminate federal estate taxes. He voted against the federal mortgage relief measure in May.
IMMIGRATION
Udall opposed 2006 legislation to build hundreds of miles of new fencing along the U.S. Mexico border. He supports the expansion of guest-worker programs and has said he backs a so-called path to citizenship for illegal immigrants that would include paying back taxes and fines.
Pearce in 2006 voted in favor of the legislation to build hundreds of miles of new fencing along the U.S./Mexico border. He supports expanding guest-worker programs but opposes allowing illegal workers to remain in the U.S. while awaiting citizenship.
ABORTION/STEM CELL RESEARCH
Udall in 2003 voted against a ban on partial-birth abortion. He has opposed efforts to make it a federal crime to take a minor across state lines for an abortion as a way to skirt parental consent laws. He voted to lift limits on embryonic stem cell research. He has been endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Pearce voted for a partial-birth abortion ban in 2003. He supported a measure to prohibit taking a minor across state lines for an abortion without parental notification. He voted against lifting limits on embryonic stem cell research. He has been endorsed by National Right to Life.
ENERGY
Udall has positioned himself as a protector of the environment but says he also supports oil drilling along some U.S. coastal areas. He opposes opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil companies. He has pushed to force utilities to use more clean energy sources, such as wind and solar, to generate power.
Pearce is an advocate of more domestic oil production. He supports opening U.S. coastal areas and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil companies. Pearce says he supports clean energy technologies but says they won't be a significant factor in U.S. energy supplies for at least 20 years.
HEALTH CARE
Udall supports universal health care. He voted for SCHIP legislation to expand eligibility for federal health benefits for uninsured children. He has proposed allowing every American over the age of 55 to buy into Medicare at a fixed cost. He supports allowing small businesses to buy into the same federal insurance plan that covers members of Congress.
Pearce opposes universal health-care coverage. He voted against a bill that would expand eligibility for SCHIP benefits for uninsured children, calling it an effort to "socialize" medicine. He favors tax deductions for people who purchase private insurance.
NEW MEXICO'S NATIONAL LABS
Udall voted for cuts in the Los Alamos National Laboratory budget in 2007, but this year voted in support of lab funding increases. Udall contends that the U.S. nuclear arsenal should be maintained, but that New Mexico's labs should diversify to include more nuclear nonproliferation and homeland security activities.
Pearce has typically voted in support of funding increases for the Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories in New Mexico, with the exception of his vote for a bill last year that would have reduced overall DOE spending by $1 billion. He is a consistent supporter of advancing U.S. nuclear weapons technology.
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