2016-07-27
WASHINGTON (AP) July 24, 2000 -- A look at where Dick Cheney has stood on the issues, based primarily on his voting record when he was a congressman from Wyoming from 1978 to 1989 and his tenure as secretary of defense from 1989 to 1993: ABORTION:
Opposes abortion rights and has voted against federal funding of abortions even in cases of rape, incest or when a woman's life is in danger. But Cheney has said there must be room in the GOP for contrary views on abortion. GUN CONTROL:
Opposed gun control measures while in Congress and opposed bans on imports of plastic guns that could be smuggled past metal detectors and armor piercing bullets. ENVIRONMENT:
Opposed funding for the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. Cheney voted against spending more on ``Superfund'' environmental cleanups and supported oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But he opposed gas and oil leasing in Wyoming wilderness areas and wanted to designate 650,000 additional acres in Wyoming as wilderness areas. MILITARY:
Was a staunch supporter of a strong defense and backed President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, known as ``Star Wars,'' the deployment of the MX missile, production of new chemical weapons and military aid to the Nicaraguan contras. But, as secretary of defense during the Bush administration, he oversaw defense budget cuts that he described as ``very, very painful,'' proposed halting production of the Marine Corp's Osprey aircraft and ordered cutbacks in other military hardware programs. DEATH PENALTY:
Has supported capital punishment. SOCIAL SECURITY:
Favored raising the Social Security retirement age from 65 to 67 . CIVIL RIGHTS:
Opposed busing to achieve racial desegregation in public schools and the Equal Rights Amendment and supported prayer in public schools. CAMPAIGN FINANCE:
Opposed limiting contributions by political action committees. MEDICARE:
Opposed coverage of long-term home care for the chronically ill under Medicare and voted against a measure that would have shielded Medicare beneficiaries from bills for catastrophic illnesses and provided prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
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