There’s a big long document at\u00a0http:\/\/www.newt.org\/answers\/<\/a>\u00a0with embedded videos and all sorts of text, but here’s the short version, because we know you’re busy, and we appreciate your time.<\/p>\n Menu<\/p>\n Newt is the only candidate in the race for the Republican nomination who has led a national movement to elect a Republican majority and then actually achieved substantial conservative reforms of the federal government, including welfare reform, balanced budgets, and tax cuts. These historic reforms liberated the American people to create 11 million new jobs in just four years. Read more about the remarkable Newt Gingrich record here.<\/p>\n No candidate in the race can match Newt Gingrich\u2019s 35-year career as a public figure advocating, explaining and achieving conservative reforms in government.<\/p>\n With this vast amount of experience, however, comes over 7,000 votes, over 1,500 speeches, thousands of television and radio appearances, thousands of articles and opeds and 24 books to scrutinize.<\/p>\n The following are the most commonly asked questions about Newt\u2019s record:<\/p>\n Newt’s plan and Ryan’s plan are more similar than any other two proposals. \u00a0They agree on almost everything. \u00a0Newt quickly apologized for the “right-wing social engineering” comment. \u00a0He admits it was a poor way to express one of his few critiques of Ryan’s 2011 plan, that some people would be forced into it. \u00a0Newt opposes any attempt to govern against the will of the people.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Newt opposes Governor Romney\u2019s health insurance mandate, and Newt opposes President Obama\u2019s health insurance mandate. Newt believes mandates to buy health insurance are wrong on principle, and in the case of the Obamacare health insurance mandate, unconstitutional as well.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Newt opposes Romney’s mandate and Obama’s mandate. \u00a0Newt feels that while a state has the power, that still doesn’t make it a good idea; not for Massachusetts, not for America.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Newt’s position on ethanol has been consistent for decades, as part of an “all of the above” energy policy that actually works. \u00a0Unlike pond scum and sunlight, ethanol actually works in your engine. \u00a0Obama’s energy plan is a weapon aimed at the United States economy, and Newt has always viewed ethanol dollars going to (say) North Dakota a better investment than oil dollars going to Saudi Arabia or Venezuela. \u00a0Ethanol is not perfect, but is an important component of a realistic energy policy for the near and mid term.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Oh, Hell no.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Newt’s ad with Pelosi was intended to showcase the fact that conservatives by nature support environmentally sound policies, but disagree as to what the problems and solutions are. \u00a0If you hunt, fish, farm, hike, or breathe, you are concerned about the environment as well. \u00a0Newt’s goal was to bring the left to a more centrist position by showing their horror tales about conservatives to be untrue. \u00a0The ad was a failure.<\/p>\n Newt of course opposes and always has opposed idiot schemes like Cap and Trade, and the globalist money structures built on them such as international carbon credit exchanges.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Newt’s sense of the importance of citizenship of course carries through to his policies on border control and immigration. \u00a0He supports realistic policies to choke off illegal immigration by controlling the border, identifying criminals, prioritizing enforcement, and\u00a0enforcing the law. \u00a0Just like using a photo ID to vote, Newt has long argued that systems developed by and for the private sector such as credit card verification should be used to verify citizenship. \u00a0This step alone could devastate illegal immigration.<\/span><\/p>\n Read Newt\u2019s 10 step immigration plan\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Romney’s dishonest ad distorts Newt’s important message that fluency in and mastery of English is the key to success for young Americans. \u00a0It is hostile to the youth of today to encourage adopting English as a second language only. \u00a0It closes doors, books, and relationships to those young people, and consigns them to a metaphoric ghetto at any rate. \u00a0Newt apologized for phrasing that can reasonably be seen as a slur, but of course, no slur was intended. \u00a0The real slur is in setting kids up to fail by letting them slide by without the tools to succeed in society.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Newt supports maintaining components of existing federal policy that safeguard American farmers against inherently unpredictable weather and price volatility, including a strong crop insurance program, while also streamlining USDA bureaucracy so it better serves American farmers and consumers<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Agriculture is critical to the economy and only becomes more important as the world\u2019s population rapidly continues to grow beyond 7 billion people. Newt supports maintaining components of existing federal policy that safeguard American farmers against inherently unpredictable weather and price volatility, including a strong crop insurance program, while also streamlining USDA bureaucracy so it better serves American farmers and consumers.<\/p>\n Newt\u2019s plan for prosperity for rural Americans in Iowa and across the country begins with an outright repeal of the death tax, which has inflicted disproportionate pain on family farms. Job-killing EPA regulations make it difficult for American farmers to earn a living, and the new threats to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act are downright destructive. Newt will replace the Washington-centric job killing EPA with a new Environmental Solutions Agency that will work with agriculture more closely and constructively. In addition, community banks provide a credit lifeline to American farmers, and Newt will work to repeal the Dodd-Frank regulatory bill that puts disproportionate strain on banks in rural America.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Newt’s position here is No more TARPs, Audit the Fed, repeal Dodd-Frank, and end “too big to fail”.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Zero-based budgeting for everything means for EVERYTHING. \u00a0This is not the repeal or abrogation of multi-year commitments, which are still appropriate in many circumstances. \u00a0What it means is that as things change, so should budgeted amounts of aid, rather than automatically lumbering on unless adjusted by hand.<\/p>\n Newt knows who America’s friends are.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Newt’s position has been consistent given the circumstances. \u00a0He always believed and said that special forces with quiet coalition-building was the right answer. \u00a0Once Obama announced we were going there in public, Newt supported the President in his immediate use of troops in harm’s way. \u00a0As “days not weeks” became months, Newt criticized the dithering that hazarded troops and America’s prestige.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Newt believes that we must always be vigilant about our sovereignty, and hold our lawmakers and courts accountable to our Constitution \u2013 and only our Constitution.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This is a belief firmly rooted in American Exceptionalism. As citizens, we came together to create an American government and body of laws of the people, by the people, and for the people.<\/p>\n Newt has vocally stood up for American sovereignty against Washington elites and an Obama Administration who view America as an unremarkable nation.<\/p>\n Newt believes that it is a violation of our sovereignty when the Department of Justice attempts to cite \u201cinternational norms\u201d to restrict our Second Amendment rights. It is a violation of our sovereignty when the White House sends taxpayer dollars towards a UN environmental program, Agenda 21, that infringes on Americans\u2019 property rights. And it is certainly a violation of our sovereignty when our President seeks approval from the United Nations \u2013 not Congress \u2013 to send our troops into war, as he did with Libya.<\/p>\n Q: If he is a defender of U.S. Sovereignty why is Newt a member of the Council on Foreign Relations?<\/p>\n After 9\/11, Newt was asked to serve on CFR\u2019s Terrorism Task Force and he accepted. On this task force he has brought his same commitment to defending U.S. sovereignty as he has throughout his career.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAs to US contributions to the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, their continuation will be conditional on \u201cconcrete assurances\u201d that no part of the US monies will be used for abortion and the Fund does not support abortion or coercive family planning programs\u201d Speaker Gingrich was one of nearly 150 co-sponsors of a bill in 1989 which included provisions to fund the UN Population Fund. He never voted for this legislation and this never became law. This bill would not have overturned the Mexico City policy, and this funding would never have gone through. Gingrich was assured that Ronald Reagan\u2019s \u201cMexico City Policy,\u201d which prohibits any American tax dollars from funding or promoting abortions overseas, was in effect, so no funds from this bill would go toward supporting China\u2019s barbaric \u201cOne Child\u201d policy or any other programs that used abortion as means for \u201cpopulation control.\u201d<\/p>\n Gingrich has always supported the Mexico City policy, and on day one of his presidency, he will reinstate Ronald Reagan\u2019s policy to assure that no tax dollars fund non-governmental agencies or charities that perform or promote abortions in foreign countries.<\/p>\n Newt supported a very limited aspect of the 1989 bill that promoted hydrogen energy research. This is consistent with his long support of aggressively developing American sources of energy, including American oil, natural gas, coal, and alternatives. The same week he supported these aspects, he voted against the Kostmayer Amendment, legislation seeking to nullify the entire Mexico City Policy.<\/p>\n The world\u2019s population recently passed 7 billion, and Gingrich continues to believe that robust economic growth, free markets and trade, and vastly expanded development of energy resources are the key to ensuring safety, health and prosperity at home and around the world.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n As an ardent supporter of capitalism and the free market, Newt has always been a staunch supporter of expanding opportunities for American manufacturers, farmers, and businesses to bring their goods and services to the world market.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Since first entering Congress, Newt has put the interests of American entrepreneurs, producers and consumers first, as he supported the historic Reagan tax cuts, then went against many in his own party to oppose the George Bush and Clinton tax hikes. When the North American Free Trade Agreement in came up for a vote in 1993, Newt recalled the words of Ronald Reagan in 1979: \u201cA developing closeness among Canada, Mexico, and the United States\u2013a North American accord\u2013would permit achievement of that potential in each country beyond that which I believe any of them, strong as they are, could accomplish in the absence of such cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n Although controversial at first, NAFTA has created vast new opportunities for American producers and consumers. In the first fifteen years after NAFTA\u2019s passage, U.S. industrial production rose 57% and unemployment averaged 5.1%. In the decade preceding the trade agreements, industrial production only rose 28% and unemployment average 7.1%.<\/p>\n However, a strong American manufacturing base is an economic and national security imperative, and there are steps that Newt will take on day one to rebuild American industry. Newt will immediately eliminate the capital gains tax for all manufacturers, and will give manufacturers the opportunity to fully write-off capital investments in one year, freeing up more resources to hire more employees. Gingrich will implement an \u201call of the above\u201d American Energy Plan to lower energy costs for manufacturers and their employees, and replace the EPA, ending its 40-year assault on American energy and entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n As President, Newt will dramatically shrink the Department of Education to a research and reporting overview agency, and restore decision-making powers to states and communities.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n When Newt voted for the creation of the Department of Education, the institution was only structured to provide research and collect data. Unfortunately, the bureaucracy ballooned, so while Speaker, Newt aggressively campaigned to pare down the Department back to its appropriate role and return power to the states.<\/p>\n As President, Newt will dramatically shrink the Department of Education to a research and reporting overview agency, and restore decision-making powers to states and communities. Most responsibilities and positions will be eliminated, and its new role will be to help find new and innovative approaches to then be adopted voluntarily at the local level. Newt will steadfastly oppose any national curriculum standards, and will reverse Barack Obama\u2019s nationalization of the student loan industry.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Newt has long been an ardent supporter of empowering parents to choose the best school for their children by removing power from educational bureaucracies and unions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n A critical first step in empowering parents is to vastly expand the number of charter schools, which are now artificially limited by caps set by bureaucrats. Newt will with work with anyone, regardless of political affiliation, who shares his pro-family conviction that it is the parents\u2019 right to send their student to a charter school of their choice. In 2009, Rev. Al Sharpton and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan \u2013 two prominent figures on the Left \u2013 decided that they agreed with the Gingrich position, and the group appeared in several events together promoting the charter school movement. Newt was not endorsing any other initiatives, including the Obama Administration\u2019s so-called \u201cRace to the Top.\u201d<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Newt Gingrich has consistently upheld a pro-life standard. He had a consistent pro-life voting record throughout his twenty years in Congress, including his four years as Speaker of the House of Representatives.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Gingrich pledges to uphold this consistent pro-life standard as president.<\/p>\n Gingrich\u2019s consistent pro-life standard is reflected by the following:<\/p>\n 1. 98.6% Lifetime Pro-Life Rating from the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC). For the 20 years that Gingrich served in Congress (1979-1999), Gingrich supported the pro-life position in 70 out of 71 votes. (In the one instance that he did not take the NRLC position, it was because the NRLC opposed an early 1995 version of welfare reform because it changed certain welfare payments for mothers with children; NRLC did not oppose the final version of Gingrich\u2019s welfare reform passed in 1996)<\/p>\n 2. Supported the Hyde Amendment. Gingrich consistently voted for the Hyde amendment and other bans on government funding of abortions.<\/p>\n 3. Partial Birth Abortion Ban. During Gingrich\u2019s tenure as Speaker, the House of Representatives twice passed legislation banning partial birth abortions. President Clinton vetoed this legislation both times. Finally, a partial birth abortion ban was signed into law in 2003. The legislative effort to ban partial birth abortions had a very positive impact increasing pro-life support in the United States.<\/p>\n 4. Signed the Susan B. Anthony List Pro-Life Leadership Presidential Pledge. In June 2011, Gingrich signed the SBA List Pro-Life Leadership Presidential pledge in which Gingrich pledges to the American people that if elected President he will (i) only nominate judges to the Supreme Court and federal judiciary who are committed to restraint and applying the original meaning of the Constitution, and not legislating from the bench (ii) select pro-life appointees for relevant executive branch positions, (iii) advance pro-life legislation to permanently end all taxpayer funding of abortion in all domestic and international spending programs, (iv) defund Planned Parenthood; and (v) advance and sign into law a Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to protect unborn children who are capable of feeling pain from abortion.<\/p>\n 5. Pledges to Sign Two Pro-life Executive Orders on the first day of a Gingrich Administration.<\/p>\n i. \u201cMexico City Policy\u201d of Respect for Life. Reauthorize President Ronald Reagan\u2019s policy \u2013 also known as the \u201cMexico City Policy\u201d\u2014 to stop the federal funding of any non-governmental agencies or charities that perform or promote abortions in foreign countries.<\/p>\n ii. Respect the Beliefs and Integrity of Healthcare Workers. No American working in a medical environment should be forced to perform any action or procedure that he or she finds morally or ethically objectionable. This protection should include, but not be limited to, abortion and sterilization procedures. Existing conscience clause protections need to be strengthened.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Newt has always been a vocal proponent of proper end-of-life planning \u2014 and an equally vocal opponent of government intervention in the most sacred of moments. Proper end of life planning empowers individuals and their families to choose with their doctor the care they want at the end of life. However, the involvement of the government creates a slippery slope from reimbursing providers for this counseling to dictating what should be said, particularly when you see the dramatic expansion of powers that Obamacare gives the government. Newt believes the best policy is for patients and their doctors to voluntarily have these conversations, with the government staying out of the process altogether. Newt publicly praised Gunderson-Lutheran hospital for their approach to end of life care, which does not involve the government, after seeing the care his father-in-law received at the facility.<\/p>\n Back to Menu<\/a><\/p>\n Newt is deeply opposed to government imposed healthcare rationing and has consistently spoken out against it. He rejects the recommendations of the former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Donald Berwick, for a system like the British National Health Service that rations the health care Americans can receive. Read the debate Newt had on rationing with Michael Rawlins, the chair of the British rationing board NICE, to see that Gingrich has always opposed any government effort to deny or ration care. Where Newt has praised Berwick was in the work he did with the Save 100,000 Lives campaign, which put forth solutions on preventing infections in hospitals; preventing deadly medication errors; and improving the treatment of patients who have suffered heart attacks. Newt believes Berwick\u2019s views on rationing care, however, are controversial and dangerous.<\/p>\n\n
<\/a>Paul Ryan (and the House GOP\u2019s) Medicare Plan<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Mandate to Purchase health insurance<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Ethanol<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Fairness Doctrine<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Global Warming\/Cap and Trade<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Immigration\/DREAM Act<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Spanish a \u201cghetto language\u201d<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Agriculture Subsidies<\/h3>\n
<\/a>TARP<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Zero-Based Budgeting in Foreign Aid\/Inclusion of Israel<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Changing Position on Libya<\/h3>\n
<\/a>U.S. Sovereignty\/Council on Foreign Relations<\/h3>\n
<\/a>China\u2019s One Child Policy<\/h3>\n
\n-US Policy Statement for the International Conference on Population, 1984<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/a>NAFTA<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Vote for Department of Education<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Education Tour with Al Sharpton and Arnie Duncan<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Consistent Pro-Life Record<\/h3>\n
<\/a>End-of-Life Care<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Healthcare Rationing\/Donald Berwick<\/h3>\n