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Was invading Iraq a mistake?
Paul says yes.
From Paul's website: "The war in Iraq was sold to us with false information. The area is more dangerous now than when we entered it. We destroyed a regime hated by our direct enemies, the jihadists, and created thousands of new recruits for them."
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How long should American troops be in Iraq?
Paul believes American troops should be withdrawn immediately.
From Paul's website: "[The] wait and see attitude in Washington, and the promised reassessment of events in Iraq later on, strongly motivates the insurgents to accelerate the killing of Americans in order to influence the decision coming in three months. In contrast, a clear decision to leave would prompt a wait and see attitude in Iraq, a de facto cease fire, in anticipation of our leaving, the perfect time for the Iraqi factions to hold their fire on each other and on our troops and just possibly begin talking with each other."
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How should the U.S. deal with the threat of a nuclear Iran?
Paul does not believe Iran is a threat and would take no action.
Remarks by Paul during a speech in the U.S. House of Representatives: "There is no evidence of a threat to us by Iran, and no reason to plan and initiate a confrontation with her. There are many reasons not to do so, however. Iran does not have a nuclear weapon and there’s no evidence that she is working on one--only conjecture. If Iran had a nuclear weapon, why would this be different from Pakistan, India, and North Korea having one? Why does Iran have less right to a defensive weapon than these other countries? If Iran had a nuclear weapon, the odds of her initiating an attack against anybody-- which would guarantee her own annihilation-- are zero. And the same goes for the possibility she would place weapons in the hands of a non-state terrorist group."
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Should the U.S. military be expanded or downsized?
Paul will downsize the military.
In his answers to the 1996 Political Courage Test administered by Project Vote Smart, Paul indicated that he would "greatly decrease" funding for military hardware and "greatly decrease" funding for development of new weapons.
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What is the best way to improve the American economy?
Paul will downsize government, cut taxes, and reduce regulation.
From Paul's weekly column: "Americans believe in hard work and self-sufficiency, not standing in line for government hand-outs. We are supposed to be living in a land of opportunity, but opportunities fade fast if more tax and spend policies are enacted. The more Congress meddles in the economy, the bigger the problems get."
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Who needs tax cuts most: lower, middle, or upper-class Americans?
Paul favors tax cuts for lower, middle, and upper-class Americans.
From Paul's website: "Capital gains taxes are terribly counterproductive, punishing those who save and invest. Payroll taxes impose a tremendous compliance burden on businesses, especially smaller entrepreneurs who cannot hire an accounting department... federal spending must be dramatically reduced so that all Americans can go back to working for themselves instead of working to pay their taxes."
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Should government spending increase or decrease?
Paul will decrease government spending.
From Paul's website: "When we cut the size of government, our taxes will fall. When we reduce the power of the federal bureaucracy, the cost of government will plummet. And when we firmly fix our eyes, undistracted, on the principles of liberty, Americans truly will be free."
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How should we deal with illegal immigrants currently living in America?
Paul believes illegal immigrants residing in the U.S. should be deported or held accountable to the law.
From Paul's website: "Illegal immigrants should never be eligible for public schooling, social security checks, welfare checks, free healthcare, food stamps, or any other form government assistance."
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Should we build a fence between the U.S. and Mexico?
Paul says yes.
Paul voted in favor of the Secure Fence Act of 2006 to build 700 miles of fence between the U.S. and Mexico.
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Should abortion be legal?
Paul believes Roe v. Wade should be overturned and the legality of abortion left to the decision of individual states.
From Paul's website: "The right of an innocent, unborn child to life is at the heart of the American ideals of liberty. My professional and legislative record demonstrates my strong commitment to this pro-life principle. I am also the prime sponsor of HR 300, which would negate the effect of Roe v Wade by removing the ability of federal courts to interfere with state legislation to protect life."
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Should gun ownership be more regulated or less regulated?
Paul will reduce regulations on gun control.
From Paul's website: "I share our Founders' belief that in a free society each citizen must have the right to keep and bear arms. They ratified the Second Amendment knowing that this right is the guardian of every other right, and they all would be horrified by the proliferation of unconstitutional legislation that prevents law-abiding Americans from exercising this right."
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Should gay marriage be legal?
Paul would leave the issue of gay marriage to be decided by individual states.
From Paul's weekly column: "The definition of marriage- a union between a man and a woman- can be found in any dictionary. It's sad that we need government to define an institution that has existed for centuries. The best approach to complex social problems, as always, is to follow the Constitution. This means Congress should restrict federal court jurisdiction when necessary, and social matters should be left up to states under the Ninth and Tenth amendments."
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Should the government offer affordable healthcare to all Americans?
Paul believes the government should not offer health care. He believes a government health care system would inevitably be inefficient and ineffective.
From Paul's website: "The federal government will not suddenly become efficient managers if universal health care is instituted. Government health care only means long waiting periods, lack of choice, poor quality, and frustration."
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What is the best way to save the environment and achieve energy independence?
Paul believes citizens should be allowed to protect their land by suing polluters.
From the Paul's website: "The key to sound environmental policy is respect for private property rights. The strict enforcement of property rights corrects environmental wrongs while increasing the cost of polluting... In a free market, no one is allowed to pollute his neighbor's land, air, or water. If your property is being damaged, you have every right to sue the polluter, and government should protect that right."
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Should the government fund research using embryonic stem cells?
Paul opposes funding research using embryonic stem cells.
Remarks by Paul during a speech in the U.S. House of Representatives: "Does the US government have the constitutional authority to fund any form of stem cell research? The clear answer to that question is no. A proper constitutional position would reject federal funding for stem cell research, while allowing individual states and private citizens to decide whether to permit, ban, or fund this research."
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Was the No Child Left Behind Act a good idea or should it be reformed or abolished?
Paul believes the No Child Left Behind Act should be abolished.
Remarks by Paul during the Des Moines Register Presidential Debate: "And we have No Child Left Behind. The teachers don't like it. The students don't like it. And the quality of education hasn't gone up. The cost of education has gone up... It used to be parents had control of education through local school boards. Today it's the judicial system and the executive branch of government, the bureaucracy, that controls things."
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Should English be designated as America's official language?
Paul says yes.
Remarks by Paul during a Republican Univision Debate: "We should have one language... we, as federal officials, as a congressman or a president, we only have authority over the federal government. So I think all federal things should be in English. But when it comes to bilingualism in schools or the states, under our Constitution, it really is permissible."
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Should waterboarding, an interrogation procedure that gives the sensation of drowning, or torture be used on suspected terrorists?
Paul says no.
Remarks by Paul during a speech in the U.S. House of Representatives: "If we're willing to consider a different foreign policy, we should ask ourselves a few questions... What if the Pentagon's legal task-force opinion that the President is not bound by international or federal law regarding torture stands unchallenged, and sets a precedent which ultimately harms Americans, while totally disregarding the moral, practical, and legal arguments against such a policy?"
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