This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Aug. 23, 2012 - Over his years in public office, Todd Akin, the embattled Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Missouri, has taken strong positions on a variety of issues. Here is some of what he has had to say, compiled from his own website, his statements and news stories.
Abortion:
"Our founders understood that life is a fundamental right granted to us by our Creator and that the government’s role is to protect this right. A government that doesn’t protect innocent life fails at one of its most basic roles. I believe that life begins at conception and I’m appalled that we do not protect the innocent lives of our unborn children.
"As a former board member of Missouri Right to Life, I have remained steadfast in fighting for life. I actively worked to pass numerous pro-life legislative initiatives at both the state and federal level. Because of these actions, Planned Parenthood has listed me in their “Toxic 10” worst legislators in the U.S. for daring to stand up for the unborn.
"I have repeatedly fought against our tax dollars going to fund abortions. Just in the past two years, I cosponsored the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 3) and the Protect Life Act (H.R. 358), both of which passed the House.
"Recently, I discovered a potential loophole where abortions might be funded with our tax dollars through multi-state health exchanges. To prevent the indirect funding of abortions, I introduced H.R. 4971 the Stop Abortion Funding in Multi-state Exchange Plans (SAFE) Act. My amendment was added to the FY2013 House Financial Services Appropriations bill.
"I also stand against embryonic stem cell research. It is wrong to build science upon the lives of our unborn children. Furthermore, there are other viable options which do not promote abortion: adult stem cells and cord blood stem cells are two of these.
"Protecting life is fundamental to freedom." (akin.org)
Health-care law
"The Supreme Court has established an unprecedented finding on Congress' ability to regulate and penalize virtually any action and simply call it a tax. I firmly reject SCOTUS' decision to not strike down Obamacare, and I again voted with my House colleagues to fully repeal this massive government takeover of health care. This Congress we have brought 30 bills to the House floor to repeal, defund, or dismantle this massive tax burden.
"The president's policies have failed and are making the economy worse. With unemployment over 8 percent, slapping the American people with 21 new taxes costing over $800 billion from Obamacare alone is not the way toward prosperity. The average family premiums have risen by $2,213 since the president came to office despite promises to lower health costs. Mandating the federal bureaucratic takeover of roughly one-fifth of the U.S. economy and trying to steer health care markets is not working.
"Health care is ultimately about an individual's freedom to make the best choices for themselves and their family without undue government interference. By regulating away personal responsibility we destroy this basic right first outlined in the Declaration of Independence. By once again voting to repeal Obamacare and working to implementing patient-centered health-care reforms, we can restore individual freedom in health care. (Akin's House website)
Second amendment
"The Second Amendment explicitly protects the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. It is part of the 'checks and balances' system of government established by our Constitution. I am committed to defending this right and have an 'A' lifetime rating with the NRA.
"Our founders realized the importance of self-defense to a free people. In fact, the first battle in the War for Independence was fought in part because British soldiers were trying to take the weapons from the colonists. This was the battle of Concord and Lexington in 1775.
"Today, Americans legally employ firearms to protect lives and property over 2 million times a year – often without even firing a shot. Certainly, some people commit crimes with weapons, and I support the prosecution and conviction of these lawbreakers — this includes everyone from the street criminal to our attorney general, Eric Holder.
"In recent years, our Second Amendment rights have come under attack through regulation and international treaties. We have already seen this with attempts by the Bureau of Land Management to restrict recreational shooting in Western states. Also, the Obama administration is calling on the U.S. Senate to ratify the U.N. Small Arms Treaty. This treaty will infringe upon the Second Amendment. I find this unacceptable and am a co-sponsor of Second Amendment Sovereignty Act of 2012 (H.R. 5846), which prevents funding for a U.N. treaty which attacks our Second Amendment rights." (akin.org)
Budget deficit
"I have fought and will continue to fight for significant cuts to government spending. I have voted for and will continue to fight for a balanced budget amendment and capping growth of government to a percentage of GDP. I support abolishing the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency and many federal programs that cripple families and business with needless red tape and regulation. Further I support overhauling our tax system and implementing the Fair Tax or a flat tax. I believe that enforcing our immigration laws and preventing the waste of tax dollars on benefits to illegal aliens is necessary along with other commonsense measures to secure our borders. Further, we must ensure a level playing field for American business and workers to compete internationally.
"I do not believe in raising taxes on businesses and individuals. It has been proven many times that lower taxes increases revenues. I am certainly in favor of extending the Bush tax cuts." (Beyond November voters guide)
Education
"Education of children is best left to the wisdom of parents, teachers and the taxpayers of local communities (local control). The federal government only adds inefficiency to the education process. This is one of the reasons why I support eliminating the Department of Education.
"In 2001, I opposed my own party and was the only congressman from Missouri to stand with teachers and parents against 'No Child Left Behind.' My party had strayed from its principles in seeking to expand the federal government's reach into our classrooms. Our teachers don’t need more directives from Washington to do their job. 'No Child Left Behind' was a bad bill. I voted against it, against those in my own party and against President (George W.) Bush’s first bill. This was a hard vote, but I stood on principle.
"Ten years later we see that 'No Child Left Behind' program hasn’t worked very well. States are now opting out of it to avoid the inefficiencies it creates.
"It is absurd that our tax dollars go to fund a federal education program that is currently spread over 39 federal agencies, costing upward of $120 billion each year. Our dollars run this bureaucracy and create more bothersome red tape under the name of education. This doesn't make any sense."
Federal student loans
In a debate with other GOP Senate candidates in April, Akin used the phrase “stage three cancer of socialism “ in connection with the federal student loan program. The remark prompted criticism from President Barack Obama, though he didn’t mention Akin by name.
Akin replied, saying Obama had misquoted him and what he was saying really was aimed at the federal government’s intrusion into too many areas of Americans’ lives.
“I was not saying that student loans are a cancer,” Akin said. “I referred to the policies where there is a government takeover of private industries.”
School lunch program
Asked about it earlier this month at the Missouri State Fair, Akin told the Kansas City Star:
““Is it something the federal government should do?” Akin said. “I answer it no. … I think the federal government should be out of the education business.”
“Why not do it at the state level?” he asked. “I’m not against school lunches, but I have a question whether the federal government should be doing as many things as it’s doing, and that would be one to take a look at.”
National defense
"Because I believe that a strong national defense keeps our economy strong, our country safe and is vital to Missouri, I have worked tirelessly to promote a strong national defense. My actions include:
- As the chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee, overseeing programs like Navy shipbuilding, the Air Force tanker program (built by Boeing), and the next generation bomber, which eventually will replace the B-2’s stationed at Whiteman AFB.
- Consistently fighting for things that are good not only for our military, but also for taxpayers. I led a long effort to get the Navy to use a multi-year contract to buy F/A-18 Super Hornets. My persistence led to a savings of over $600 million for taxpayers, more great fighter planes for the Navy, and secured 1,500 Missouri jobs for years to come.
- Consistently fighting to protect our military from the liberal agenda in Washington. In my role on the House Armed Services Committee, I helped lead the fight against repealing 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.' While liberals want to remove all religion from the military, I have led the fight against the Obama administration’s efforts to get military chaplains to perform gay marriages on bases across the country.
- Championing missile defense, which will keep our homeland safe from rogue nations with nuclear weapons like Iran or North Korea.
- Opposing Obama’s efforts to close Guantanamo Bay and bring captured terrorists to the U.S., possibly to a prison only a few miles from the Missouri border." (akin.org)
17th amendment -- direct election of U.S. senators
At a debate in May, Akin echoed the concerns of many in the tea party movement and elsewhere that the amendment has improperly constricted states' rights by reducing the power of state governments.
“In general, I have a very serious concern about the erosion of states’ rights,” Akin said. Repeal of the 17th amendment “might pull that balance back.”
Akin emphasized that he had not taken a definite position on the matter.
Thanksgiving
In a series of videos that have attracted hundreds of views on YouTube, Akin recounted the history of Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims, who he said were involved in “probably the greatest adventure story that ever history has dealt to mankind.”
Akin’s rankings by various groups:
112th Congress:
League of Conservation Voters -- 9 percent
That's My Congress -- 2 percent liberal action score, 78 percent conservative action score
Planned Parenthood -- 0 score
111th Congress:
Center for Security Policy -- 100 percent
National Tax Limitation Committee -- A
Family Research Council -- 100 percent
American Conservative Union -- 100 percent
110th Congress:
National Right to Life -- 100 percent pro-life voting record
National Association of Manufacturers -- 90 percent
Citizens Against Government Waste -- 95 percent
U.S. English -- A
U.S. Chamber of Congress -- 89 percent