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Rick Perry is an American politician who served as the 47th Governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. He was a candidate for the nomination of the Republican Party for President of the United States in 2012 and 2016, and served as the United States Secretary of Energy until December 1, 2019.
Some of Perry's views are in opposition to Constitutional amendments already adopted. In his 2010 book Fed Up! , he takes issue with the Federal government's right to collect income tax, saying "if you want to know when Washington really got off the track, the 16th Amendment, giving them the opportunity to take your money with a personal income tax." [1] He also criticizes the 17th Amendment, which allows for the direct election of U.S. Senators. According to Perry, the 16th and 17th Amendments caused states to "[hand] over significant chunks of their sovereignty and wealth to the federal government. Congress was free to tax and spend to its heart's content." [2]
Perry has expressed support for amending the Constitution to set a nationwide policy on social issues, by prohibiting abortion and same-sex marriage. He also supports abolishing life tenure for judges, empowering Congress to overrule Supreme Court decisions by a two-thirds vote, requirement of a balanced budget, and placing a limit on federal expenditures. [3]
On August 16, 2011, Perry sharply criticized the Federal Reserve, stating that it would be "almost treacherous – or treasonous in my opinion" to be "printing money to play politics". Many prominent Republicans criticized Perry for his statements. [4] For instance, Tony Fratto, a Republican who had worked in the Treasury and White House under the Bush administration, described Perry's remarks as "inappropriate and unpresidential". [5] Perry also suggested that if Chairman Ben Bernanke visited Texas, "we would treat him pretty ugly", a remark criticized by the White House as threatening. [4] [6]
Another of the top-three-polling Republican presidential candidates, Ron Paul, who routinely criticizes Bernanke and has made "End the Fed" a major platform issue, also criticized Perry's comment, saying that "he makes me look like a moderate" and that, unlike Perry, "I have never once said Bernanke has committed treason." [7]
Perry is opposed to the DREAM Act. [8]
Perry opposed the building of a Mexico – United States barrier. Perry says that the federal government should fulfill its responsibility to its citizens by securing the borders with "boots on the ground" and technology to improve safety while not harming trade with the state's biggest trading partner, Mexico. [9] Perry said the Arizona immigration law, SB 1070, "would not be the right direction for Texas" and would distract law enforcement from fighting other crimes. [10] He also opposes requirements that businesses use E-Verify to check the immigration status of prospective employees. [11] He says that employment verification is needed but that the current E-verify system has flaws such as bad data which could be a hindrance to US citizens getting jobs as well as allowing as many as 50% of illegal immigrants through. [12] Perry also wants to grant work visas to undocumented immigrants. [13]
In response to the 2014 crisis of undocumented, unaccompanied children crossing the border, which generated widespread attention, Perry declared the issue of illegal immigration of minors a "side-issue" compared with the number of illegal immigrants arriving who have committed crimes, which he estimated was about 80%. [14]
In 2011, Perry said that he supports the English language to be official language of the United States. [15] [16]
Rick Perry opposes the legal recognition and legalization of same-sex marriage and civil unions, [17] and supported the 2005 ballot proposition which amended the Texas constitution by defining marriage as "only a union between a man and a woman" and prohibiting the state from creating or recognizing "any legal status identical or similar to marriage". [18] In 2011, after New York legalized same-sex marriage, Perry stated that it was their right to do so under the principle of states' rights delineated in the 10th Amendment. [19] A spokesman later reiterated Perry's support for a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, saying that position was not inconsistent since an amendment would require approval by three-fourths of the states. [20]
In his first book, On My Honor, published in 2008, Perry drew a parallel between homosexuality and alcoholism, writing that he is "no expert on the 'nature versus nurture' debate," but that gays should simply choose abstinence. [21] In 2002, Perry described the Texas same-sex anti-sodomy law as "appropriate". [22] The United States Supreme Court's landmark civil rights decision in Lawrence v. Texas struck down the statute Perry referred to the following year for violating the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution.
Perry has been a denier of human contributions to climate change. In Perry's book, Fed Up!, he called climate science a "contrived phony mess." On August 17, 2011 at a breakfast with business leaders in New Hampshire Perry said that he does not believe the science behind global warming, saying that he thinks "there are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling in to their projects". [23] [24] [25] [26] Perry has said that "Virtually every day another scientist leaves the global warming bandwagon ... But you won't read about that in the press because they have already invested in one side of the story." [27] Perry's views have been criticized, with fact-checkers stating that surveys showed that more than 97% of climate scientists believed that global warming is anthropogenic and arguing that the ranks of dissenters don't appear to be swelling. [28] [29] On June 19, 2014 at lunch organized by the Christian Science Monitor Perry criticized the Obama administration's policies on climate change, including proposed regulation of greenhouse gases, saying "Calling CO2 a pollutant is doing a disservice the country... I'm not a scientist... I don't believe that we have the settled science by any sense of the imagination...". He said he was offended by being called a "denier." He said he supports the Keystone XL pipeline. [30] [31] [32] In 2014, a spokesman for Perry cited "unsettled science" regarding climate change in partial explanation of Perry's opposition to the regulation of greenhouse gases. [33]
Texas-based TXU had been planning a $10 billion investment in 11 new coal-fired power plants over the next several years, but drastically reduced those plans in 2007 under the terms of a buyout by a consortium of private equity firms. [34] The Governor's Clean Coal Technology Council [35] continues to explore ways to generate clean energy with coal. After the 2009 legislative session, Perry signed House Bill 469 [36] which includes incentives [37] for clean coal technology breakthroughs.
Perry opposes regulation of greenhouse gas emissions because he says it would have "devastating implications" for the Texas economy and energy industry. He has stated that he supports an "all of the above" energy strategy [38] including oil, coal, nuclear, biofuels, hydroelectric, solar, and wind energy. [39] Perry has collaborated with T. Boone Pickens, who has advocated reduced use of oil, primarily through replacing it with natural gas. [40] Under Governor Perry, Texas sued the Obama administration to overturn Environmental Protection Agency regulations. [41]
In 2011, temperatures in Texas set an all-time record for the hottest summer in the contiguous United States, with 91% of the state "experiencing extreme or exceptional drought". [42] Perry said that comments by President Obama that linked the resulting wildfires to climate change were "outrageous". [43] [44]
Perry says the fossil fuel reserves in the United States are sufficient to meet current demand levels for the next 300 years. [45] He supports current policies that may add a quarter million jobs by fracking the Marcellus Shale. [46] However the report he based his comments on seems to have vastly overstated the case for America's gas reserves. [47] As governor of Texas, Perry signed the first law in the nation to require drilling companies to disclose the chemicals used in the fracking process, in order to confront fears that the chemicals are leaking into water supplies. [48]
In 2008, Perry pushed for federal loan guarantees for the expansion of the South Texas Nuclear Generating Station, but in 2011 he said that he had changed his position and no longer favored federal engagement in energy projects. [49]
In Perry's book, Fed Up!, published in the fall of 2010, he said that Social Security was "a crumbling monument to the failure of the New Deal." [50] He likened the program to "an illegal Ponzi scheme" and also suggested that it was unconstitutional, having been enacted "at the expense of respect for the Constitution and limited government." [50] During the promotion of the book he said that the Federal government should leave health care to the states and focus on putting Social Security on "better and more solid footing". [51]
In 2011, after he announced his candidacy for the presidency, a spokesman for Perry said that the book was written "as a review and critique of 50 years of federal excesses, not in any way as a 2012 campaign blueprint or manifesto". [50] Later, Perry stated in a campaign appearance that he still believed the views in his book, and that he "[hadn't] backed off anything in [his] book." [52] [53] Perry has continued to sharply criticize Social Security, describing it as a "monstrous lie" and a "Ponzi Scheme". [54] Perry's comments on Social Security have been criticized by many prominent Republicans, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, Republican strategist Karl Rove, and Republican presidential primary candidate Mitt Romney. [55] Romney has released a detailed list of questions as to what would happen if Perry moved Social Security from the federal level over to the states. [56]
During the campaign, Perry has suggested that changes in Social Security could include restricting eligibility on the basis of age and income, and a switch to private accounts. [57]
While visiting Israel in August 2009, Perry gave an interview to the Jerusalem Post in which he affirmed his support for Israel from his religious background, "I'm a big believer that this country was given to the people of Israel a long time ago, by God, and that's ordained." [58]
In 2011, he accused President Obama of a "policy of appeasement" for giving "equal standing to the grievances of Israelis and Palestinians" in peace talks. [59] [60] [61]
Perry said, during the Republican debate in Orlando on Sept. 22, 2011, that the U.S. had chosen not to sell F-16 jet fighters to India; India made the decision to go with another military airplane. The Obama administration had lobbied for the sale. [62] In that same debate, Perry also decried the Obama Administration's refusal to sell F-16C/Ds to Taiwan. Perry criticized Obama's policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying that the announcement of the scheduled withdrawal from Iraq by the end of 2011 has endangered American troops in the area. [63]
Perry has also expressed support for an Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. [64]
In 2012, Perry argued against prosecuting American troops for violations of the Geneva Conventions. [65]
In late 2011, Perry argued for the use of waterboarding as a method of obtaining information from suspects attempting to harm U.S. service personnel. [66]
In August 2014, the Pentagon denied Perry's claims that Islamic terrorists were crossing the Texas border. [67] The National Guard members Perry activated to face this "threat" were then directed to seek help from food banks while they waited to be paid for their service. [68]
In October 2011, Perry put forwards a flat tax proposal that would allow taxpayers to choose either their tax rate under existing law or a flat 20% rate. The plan would also eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits and inheritances. Asked if his tax plan would help wealthy taxpayers, Perry said he was not concerned about that because a lower tax rate would encourage greater investment and job creation by the wealthy. [69] [70]
As Governor of Texas, Perry received grades of B in 2004, [71] [72] B in 2006, [73] [74] B in 2008, [75] [76] B in 2010, [77] [78] C in 2012, [79] [80] and B in 2014 [81] [82] from the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, in their biennial Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors.
In October 2007, despite their political differences on many social issues, Perry endorsed Rudy Giuliani for President. "Rudy Giuliani is the most prepared individual of either party to be the next President... I'm not talking about any mayor, I'm talking about America's Mayor," Perry said. [83] Some conjectured that, if Giuliani were elected, Perry might have been considered for a position in the new president's cabinet, or perhaps the vice presidency. [84] Giuliani withdrew from the race on January 30, 2008, after failing to gain support in early primaries.
Both Giuliani and Perry immediately endorsed Arizona Senator John McCain for President. [85] Shortly after Mitt Romney's withdrawal from the race in early February, Perry reportedly called McCain rival Mike Huckabee and suggested that he withdraw as well to clear the way for McCain to secure the nomination. Huckabee declined this request and made it clear publicly that he would abandon his presidential bid only if McCain secured enough delegates. [86] Huckabee withdrew his presidential bid on March 5, 2008, after John McCain won the Texas and Ohio primaries.
The Cato Institute is an American libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Ed Crane, Murray Rothbard, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Koch Industries. Cato was established to have a focus on public advocacy, media exposure and societal influence. According to the 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, Cato is number 27 in the "Top Think Tanks Worldwide" and number 13 in the "Top Think Tanks in the United States".
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. Bush, who grew up in Houston, was the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, and a younger brother of former President George W. Bush. He graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a degree in Latin American affairs. In 1980, he moved to Florida and pursued a career in real estate development. In 1986, Bush became Florida's Secretary of Commerce. He served until 1988. At that time, he joined his father's successful campaign for the Presidency.
Michael Dale Huckabee is an American politician, Baptist minister, and political commentator who served as the 44th governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate for the Republican Party presidential nomination in both 2008 and 2016.
Lincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician. He was mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island, from 1993 to 1999, a United States Senator from 1999 to 2007, and the 74th Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. He was a member of the Democratic Party from 2013 to 2019; in June 2019, The Boston Globe reported that he had become a registered Libertarian, having previously been a Republican until September 2007 and an independent and then a Democrat in the interim.
Argeo Paul Cellucci was an American politician and diplomat from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A Republican, he served as the 69th governor of Massachusetts from 1999 to 2001, and as the United States Ambassador to Canada from 2001 to 2005. He also served as the Commonwealth's 68th lieutenant governor from 1991 to 1999, as well as in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate from 1977 to 1991.
James Richard Perry is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 and as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. Perry also ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in the 2012 and 2016 elections, losing to Mitt Romney and Donald Trump, respectively.
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is an American politician who served as the 55th governor of Louisiana from 2008 to 2016. The only living former Louisiana governor, Jindal also served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Chairman of the Republican Governors Association.
Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. is an American businessman, diplomat and politician who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the Ambassador of the United States to Russia from 2017 to 2019, to China from 2009 to 2011, and to Singapore from 1992 to 1993.
The political career of Arnold Schwarzenegger began in 2003, when Arnold Schwarzenegger entered politics for the first time by running for Governor of California in a recall election. He was subsequently elected Governor when then-Governor Gray Davis was successfully recalled and served the remainder of Davis' term between 2003 and 2007. Schwarzenegger was then reelected to a second term in 2006 to serve his first full term between 2007 and 2011. Schwarzenegger was unable to run for a third term due to term limits imposed by Constitution of California, but has still been involved in politics and the promotion of environmentalism.
Mike Huckabee is the former Governor of Arkansas (1996–2007) and was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States in the 2008 presidential election. He was running for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States in the 2016 presidential election but suspended his campaign on February 1, 2016
The public image of former Governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is mixed. He has been criticized by many conservatives such as Rush Limbaugh. He received significant support in his 2008 presidential campaign, including endorsements from five Representatives of the U.S. House, three former governors and seven newspapers.
Newt Gingrich has declared his position on many political issues through his public comments and legislative record, including as Speaker of the House. The political initiative with which he is most widely identified was the Contract With America, which outlined an economic and social agenda designed to improve the efficiency of government while reducing its burden on the American taxpayer. Passage of the Contract helped establish Gingrich's reputation as a public intellectual. His engagement of public issues has continued through to the present, in particular as the founder of American Solutions for Winning the Future.
The Jon Huntsman presidential campaign of 2012 began in mid-2011 when Ambassador and former Governor of Utah Jon Huntsman, Jr. announced his candidacy for the Republican Party (GOP) nomination for President of the United States in the 2012 election. On May 3, 2011, Huntsman announced his intentions to file a political action committee with the Federal Election Commission. Subsequently, Huntsman announced on June 14, 2011, he was running for president and made an official announcement in Liberty State Park one week later on June 21.
Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington is a 2010 political non-fiction book authored by then Governor of Texas Rick Perry and his senior advisor Chip Roy, published by Little, Brown and Company. It was released shortly after Perry's re-election to a third term as governor. The book analyzes states' rights and the growing role of the federal government, demonstrating Perry's support for federalism. In the book, he argues that state sovereignty was dominant at the founding of the United States, but was lost through time as the federal government overreached through excessive spending, over-taxation and over-regulation. Perry feels that this has led to frustration among the populace, which gave rise to the Tea Party movement. The book charts a course to end the growth of the federal government.
The Rick Perry presidential campaign of 2012 began when Rick Perry, four-term Governor of Texas, announced via a spokesman on August 11, 2011, that he would be running for the 2012 Republican Party nomination for president of the United States.
Rick Perry, having served as the Lieutenant Governor of Texas for one year, succeeded to the office of Governor of Texas on December 21, 2000, when Governor George W. Bush resigned to prepare for his presidential inauguration. Perry became the first Texas A&M graduate to serve as governor. Perry was a member of the Republican Governors Association, the National Governors Association, the Western Governors Association, and the Southern Governors Association. Perry served as Chairman of the Republican Governors Association in 2008 and 2011.
The start of the 2012 Republican race for president was shaped by the 13 presidential debates of 2011 beginning on May 5. Gary Johnson and Buddy Roemer, both former Governors, were left out of most of the debates, leading to complaints of bias. On December 28, 2011, Johnson withdrew to seek the Libertarian Party nomination and on February 23, 2012, Roemer withdrew to seek the Reform Party and the Americans Elect nomination.
The political positions of Paul Ryan, the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 1st congressional district from 1999 to 2019 and the 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019, were generally conservative, with a focus on fiscal policy. Ryan was Chairman of the House Budget Committee from 2011 to 2015 and of Ways and Means in 2015. Ryan was the Republican nominee for Vice President as the running mate of Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.
Jeb Bush is a Republican politician in the United States. Bush was governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He was a candidate for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in the 2016 election.
The 2016 presidential campaign of Rick Perry, the 47th Governor of Texas, was officially launched on June 4, 2015. This campaign constituted Perry's second consecutive bid for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. Perry announced on September 11, 2015, that he had suspended his campaign.