Round two, here we go! Remember, if you’re registered to vote in Massachusetts as either a Republican or unenrolled (Independent), you may vote in the Republican Primary on March 6th.
Education:
— Ron Paul voted against the No Child Left Behind act because he is generally opposed to federal involvement in education. He has said he would like to abolish the Department of Education.
— Rick Santorum also believes the federal government should have a very small role in education, and says he regrets voting for No Child Left Behind.
— Newt Gingrich is in favor of shrinking the Department of Education, but not abolishing it completely. He supports aspects of No Child Left Behind.
— Mitt Romney is in favor of No Child Left Behind because of its focus on standardized test scores and teacher evaluations. He believes that state and local governments should take a larger role in education policy.
Energy and the Environment:
— All of the candidates support drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and offshore drilling in Alaska.
— Ron Paul and Mitt Romney support green energy sources: Paul is in favor of providing tax credits for alternative fuel technology, and Romney says he would reduce the obstacles in the way of this development.
— Rick Santorum wants to eliminate subsidies for all types of energy, and says that the market will create incentives for different energy sources.
— Newt Gingrich made a promotional video in 2008 with Nancy Pelosi urging solutions to global warming, but now calls it a mistake.
Health Care:
— The candidates are all strongly opposed to President Obama’s national healthcare plan.
— Rick Santorum has said that suspending the law would be his first executive order.
— Mitt Romney has promised to issue an edict waiving the provisions of the health care law for all states on his first day in office, even though Obama’s system is based partly on the one that Romney put in place as governor of Massachusetts.
— Newt Gingrich would replace President Obama’s health care plan by making insurance more affordable through large tax credits or deductions for those who purchase it.