Mike Huckabee (R)

Now Not Clearly Pro or Con

Should the Death Penalty Be Allowed?

"I've seen interviews with people saying they'd have no trouble carrying out a death sentence on a mother. People often speak as if they would gladly conduct an execution. I seriously doubt it. And I know a little more about the subject than most of some of the tough talkers. In ten and a half years as a governor, I had to carry out the death penalty sixteen times. And no matter how you think you would react, when you pick up the pen and sign your name to a death warrant that starts in motion a decision that is going to end in the death of a human being, you think about it. And when the IV line is in the veins of the condemned person, and your verbal command results in the injection of lethal drugs, it's not so simple. In the four to ten minutes until death is pronounced, time stands still. One of the executions that I had to preside over was one of only twelve women executed in modern times. She was a mother and had killed her two children. She refused to accept any legal assistance to stop her execution. Now people can talk about how certain they are about deciding on a death sentence. It's because they've never had to do it. I don't understand how the Casey Anthony jury could find her not guilty on all the charges, including manslaughter. But I also don't understand how people could possibly think it would be easy to take a life of a mother, even one who killed her child. And, God help us all if that ever gets to be easy."

Source: FoxNews, "Huckabee: Truth about the Death Penalty," video.foxnews.com, July 11, 2011

[Editor's Note: Huckabee previously expressed a PRO opinion on this question. Read Huckabee's former position on the death penalty]

None Found
Should the United States Abide by Its Treaties with Native American Tribes?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Should Private Prisons Be Allowed in the United States?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Should Law Enforcement Be Allowed to Use Racial Profiling?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Should Supreme Court Justice Scalia's Replacement Be Chosen by President Obama?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Should the United States Continue the War on Drugs?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Should Churches (Defined as Churches, Temples, Mosques, Synagogues, etc.) Remain Tax-Exempt?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Does Lowering the Corporate Income Tax Rate Create Jobs?

No position found as of Nov. 20, 2015

Source:

None Found
Should the Federal Government Continue to Subsidize Oil Companies?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate’s position on this question.

Source:

Con
Should Any Federal Taxes Be Increased?

"We need the FairTax.

• The FairTax brings trillions of dollars in offshore investment and manufacturing back to the United States - creating millions of good jobs for American workers.

• The FairTax is the only plan that lowers everyone's tax rates, untaxes the poor, broadens the tax base, and helps protect Social Security and Medicare.

• The FairTax is the only plan that guarantees criminals, illegal immigrants, and all who operate in the underground economy pay their fair share - not just hard working Americans who play by the rules.

• The FairTax is the only plan that guarantees Washington bureaucrats don't have access to your personal financial information.

I cut taxes nearly 100 times as governor, including the first broad-based tax cut in the history of my state. It's time for Washington to wake-up because America's tax system is badly broken and beyond repair."

Source: Huckabee 2016, "Abolishing the IRS—Fair Tax," www.mikehuckabee.com/tax-reform (accessed Aug. 19, 2015)

Con
Should There Be a Flat Tax on Income?

"Americans spend upwards of $1 trillion each year complying with our 75,000-page tax code that is so confusing and complex, our government cannot explain it.

Instead of tinkering with the tax code, we need a tax revolution that helps every hard-working American and eliminates the IRS once and for all.

Abolish the IRS. Help me pass the Fair Tax."

Source: Huckabee for President, "Abolishing the IRS – FairTax," www.mikehuckabee.com (accessed Nov. 4, 2015

[Editor's Note: The FairTax is a 23% national sales tax on new goods and services that would replace income taxes. We categorized this position as CON because a flat tax is an income tax and the FairTax would eliminate income taxes.]

Pro
Should Glass-Steagall Be Reinstated?

"Mike Huckabee: Look, I'm not sure that the repeal of Glass-Steagall was a brilliant idea because what you did, you erased the line between traditional banks.

John Harwood: Would you bring it back?

Mike Huckabee: And – very likely. Yeah. And I'm not saying there shouldn't be some regulatory controls. And I hate to use the word, controls – some regulation. But what you don't want is a referee that doesn't simply enforce the rules, but tries to totally control flow of the game."

Source: CNBC, "CNBC Digital Video Exclusive: Mike Huckabee Sits Down with CNBC's Chief Washington Correspondent John Harwood," www.cnbc.com, Oct. 16, 2015

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should the US Return to the Gold Standard in Which Coin and Currency Are Backed by Gold?

"But, look, I think the Fed is in a big trouble because they haven't addressed the number one issue that's hurting Americans and that's the fact that wages for the bottom 90 percent of the economy have been stagnant for 40 years. In the 25 years after World War II, up to 1971, wages grew by 85 percent in this country. People were -- were moving up in the middle class. There was a middle class. That's not happening any more, and in large measure, the Fed has manipulated the dollar so it doesn't have a standard. Tie the dollar to something fixed and if it's not going to be gold, make it the commodity basket. But here's what we've got to do. We absolutely have to get it where the people who go out there and work get something in return. And if the dollar keeps fluctuating, and this is as crazy as -- as is the price of bread, well, the fact is, people can't get ahead then."

Source: Washington Post, "Transcript: Fox Business Undercard GOP Debate," www.washingtonpost.com, Nov. 10, 2015

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Social Security Be Privatized?

"I think a lot of people don’t know that 60 million Americans are getting social security. If you start telling them, by the way, we lied to you, we took the money all those years that you worked, you didn’t have any say in it, we involuntarily extracted it from your pay and told you it was going to be there, but we didn't do a good job of taking care of it… Here is something I would take, give me this option: At age 65, instead of a long-term social security payout, give me a one-time cash out benefit tax free. I walk away, the government walks away, then that’s my choice, let me have that choice. That might be something a lot of people would say: 'I'll take that and I’ll invest it.'"

Source: FOXBusiness, "Huckabee: Time to Change Social Security," foxbusiness.com, June 2, 2015

Con
Is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Agreement Good for America?

"Once again, American workers are getting punched in the gut by Washington because this deal is a handout to insiders, interest groups, Obama's allies and Asia... When it comes to negotiating with foreign countries, the Obama Administration gets rolled like sushi, and this TPP deal is more of the same. I can't understand why American workers would trust Obama on a trade deal that affects 40 percent of the world’s economy."

Source: Alex Swoyer, "Mike Huckabee: Americans 'Punched in the Gut' by Obama's Trade Deal," www.breitbart.com, Oct. 5, 2015

None Found
Is the Growth of Charter Schools Good for Education in America?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Are the Common Core Standards Good for Education in America?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Should K-12 Teachers Get Tenure?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Should Any Public Colleges or Universities Be Tuition-Free?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Was the Citizens United Supreme Court Decision Good for America?

"Well, I think it would be better if somebody wants to give you a lot of money, give it to the campaign. Let the candidate stand up and say, 'Yes, Joe Scarborough wrote me a $25 million check, and I’m a wholly owned subsidiary of Joe Scarborough.' That would be less disingenuous than what we have now, which is this utter separation, no coordination, which sometimes doesn't even work in favor of the candidate…

Prohibit nothing, disclose everything and disclose it on the spot. And let the voters make up their mind. And if you want to beat me up for having taken a check from someone — OK, do it."

Source: Nick Gass, "Huckabee Sounds off on Money in Politics," www.politico.com, June 2, 2015

None Found
Should the Presidential Debates Include Third Party Candidates?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Should Felons Who Have Completed Their Sentences (Incarceration, Probation, and Parole) Be Allowed to Vote?

No position found as of Sep. 23, 2015

Source:

Pro
Should Voters Be Required to Show Photo Identification in Order to Vote?

"Oh yes, he [President Obama] did have to produce a photo ID in order to vote. So, help me understand this. If the most recognizable person in the entire United States of America has to show his photo ID, why is it too much to ask that of the rest of us?...

A fraudulent vote is a stolen vote. It steals a vote from the thin air and nullifies the legal and legitimate vote of a tax-paying citizen, whose rights to a fair election should not be tampered with. Winning an election is important, but winning it honestly is imperative in a constitutional republic. We expect there to be some ballot manipulation in totalitarian countries with dictators like Chavez, Ahmedinejad, and Castro. We should expect and tolerate nothing less than clean and honest voting in our elections in the United States.

When I go to vote, the people at my voting station recognize me, even call me by name, but I still gladly show them my photo ID just in case there is some unlucky chump who looks just like me. I don't mind. And the president shows his ID even in his hometown of Chicago. He didn't object either. So let's stop the phony nonsense that requiring an ID disenfranchises voters who are old or black. I'm getting old, and Obama is black, and it didn't disenfranchise either one of us."

Source: Mike Huckabee, "Huckabee: Is Asking for Voter ID Really Too Much?," www.foxnews.com, Oct. 27, 2012

Con
Should US Election Campaigns Be Publicly Financed?

"Prohibit nothing, disclose everything, and disclose it on the spot and let the voters make up their mind… If you want to beat me up for having taken a check from someone, ok, do it. If somebody wants to give you a lot of money, give it to the campaign. Let the candidate stand up and say 'Yes, Joe Scarborough wrote me a $25 million check and I'm a wholly owned subsidiary of Joe Scarborough. That would be less disingenuous than what we have now which is this utter separation, no coordination which sometimes doesn’t even work in favor of the candidate."

Source: Ben Kamisar, "Huckabee Bashes Campaign Finance System," thehill.com, June 2, 2015

Energy

None Found
Should New Fossil Fuel Leases on Federal Land Be Allowed?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Energy

None Found
Should Fracking Be Allowed?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Energy

None Found
Should the United States Build Additional Nuclear Power Plants?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Pro
Is China an Economic or Military Threat to the United States?

"The way you deal with a bully on the playground is to punch them in the face and put them on the ground because the only thing they respect is power.

The Chinese attacked our government and hacked into the lives of 4 million Americans. The response and retaliation to this behavior is simple - America should hack the Chinese government. We should hack the cell phones of some prominent Communist party leaders, hack the bank accounts of intelligence officials, publicly humiliate Chinese families for political corruption, or wipe-out a few critical Chinese computer systems.

When you tolerate bad behavior and bullying, you get more of it. China's attack against four million Americans is the the [sic] largest theft of government data in our nation's history. As President, I will stand up to China, retaliate with strength, and never apologize for protecting Americans."

Source: Huckabee 2016, "Time to Hack China Back," www.mikehuckabee.com (accessed Sep. 23, 2015)

Now Pro

Should the United States Maintain Its Embargo against Cuba?

"These are untrustworthy people who have never kept an agreement in their lives. They oppress their people, they kick their people in the groin. You don't go around and make friends and nice with people who do horrible things. You put pressure on them. You don't release the pressure... My gosh, if my parents had raised me that way—I'd have been a monster. My parents corrected my bad behavior, they didn't encourage it by rewarding me with ice cream and candy every time I did something horrible. So when you've got the Iranians or the Cubans doing terrible things to their people, you don't give them ice cream and candy, for Heaven's sake."

Source: Jesse Byrnes, "Huckabee: US Giving Iran and Cuba 'Ice Cream and Candy,'" thehill.com, Mar. 7, 2015

[Editor's Note: Huckabee previously expressed a CON opinion on this question. Read Huckabee's former position on the Cuba embargo]

Con
Is the Nuclear Arms Deal with Iran Good for America?

"Shame on the Obama administration for agreeing to a deal that empowers an evil Iranian regime to carry out its threat to 'wipe Israel off the map' and bring 'death to America.'

John Kerry should have long ago gotten up on his crutches, walked out of the sham talks, and went straight to Jerusalem to stand next to Benjamin Netanyahu and declared that America will stand with Israel and the other sane governments of the Middle East instead of with the terrorist government of Iran.

As president, I will stand with Israel and keep all options on the table, including military force, to topple the terrorist Iranian regime and defeat the evil forces of radical Islam."

Source: Fox News Insider, "'A Staggeringly Bad Deal': 2016 GOP Field Reacts to Obama's Nuclear Deal with Iran," insider.foxnews.com, July 14, 2015

Con
Should There Be an Independent Palestinian State?

“I realize that for the past several years there has been both on the democratic and republic side the notion that we will be able to achieve middle east peace by something called the two-state solution. I wanna be on record, and I know that this would not even be agreeable to some of you, because there are many republicans who think that the two-state solution is in fact a solution. I consider it no solution whatsoever. There cannot be two states polling for the same piece of real estate especially when one of those states does not believe the other one even has a right to exist much less exist peacefully.

…[Y]ou can't have two governments wanting to own the same piece of real estate, so why don't we leave it in the hands of the government to whom it was originally given and why don't we leave it into the hands of those who will protect not only the antiquities but respect the religions, not only of the Jews, but also of the Muslims, and of the Christians.”

Source: C-Span, "Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee at the Republican Jewish Coalition Presidential Forum," www.c-span.org, Dec. 3, 2015

Con
Should More Gun Control Laws Be Enacted?

"The Second Amendment is the last line of defense against tyranny and must be protected.

I was the first governor in America to have a concealed handgun license, and I’m a lifetime member of the NRA.

As President, I will:

• Defend the 2nd Amendment

• Oppose new gun control laws

• Protect the rights of gun owners from Big Government

• Oppose new gun restrictions, registrations, regulations & mandates

This issue is crystal clear. Abolishing guns because of reckless abusers makes as much sense as abolishing cars because some people drive drunk.

I'm a lifelong deer, duck, turkey, and pheasant hunter. But the Second Amendment isn’t about hunting — it's about preserving all the rights we possess as American citizens. Washington needs to understand this basic truth."

Source: Huckabee 2016, "Firearms, Freedom & the Second Amendment," www.mikehuckabee.com (accessed Aug. 19, 2015)

None Found
Should Schools Be Gun-Free Zones?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate’s position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Should the Federal Government Study Gun Violence?

No position found as of Jan. 20, 2016

Source:

Pro
Should People on the No-Fly List or the Terror Watch List Be Allowed to Purchase Guns?

"[Interviewer:] Well, on this specific issue, since they [the White House] keep coming back to it, what about someone on the terrorist watchlist, should they be allowed to buy a gun?

[Mike Huckabee:] Well, the problem is, most of the time, it is a name, not a background. It's not the full identity. So, I've had friends, I'm sure all of us have, friends who ended up on that list because their name was the name of somebody that might have a suspicion, not necessarily even so much as a probable cause, but they were on the No-Fly List, and it took them months, if not a couple of years, to get off of it. In the meantimes their lives were a living hell. Now, why would you put people through that. If you can't, at that point, really say that this is a person you’re suspecting of terrorist activity, or some — even suspecting of criminal activity?"

Source: Ian Hanchett, "Huckabee: Don't Bar People on No-Fly List from Buying Guns, Gun Control 'False Argument' to Dodge 'Real Issue,'" www.breitbart.com, Dec. 4, 2015

Con
Should Abortion Be Legal?

"Since 1973, 60 million unborn children have died in their mother's womb. If I'm president I will invoke the Fifth and 14th Amendment of the Constitution and protect unborn life… What we need to be doing… with abortion, and the destruction of innocent human life, what Lincoln and the early Republican Party did with slavery 130 years ago, and that is bringing abolition to it."

Source: Maya Kliger, "Mike Huckabee Compares Actions of ISIS to Abortion," www.desmoinesregister.com, Aug. 26, 2015

None Found
Should Any Vaccines Be Required for Children?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Con
Is Obamacare Good for America?

"ObamaCare is a $2.2 trillion disaster that dumps millions of people into a broken, expensive system and does nothing to fix the basic problems everyday Americans face.

• We must tackle out-of-control costs.

• ObamaCare raided $700 billion from Medicare. This is not reform -- it's theft.

• We must reject government dependency.

• We need solutions and choices -- not government mandates and new taxes.

• We must address pre-existing conditions with common sense.

As a governor, I know these issues first hand. Our system of 'sick care' is upside down. Doctors, hospitals and drug companies get paid for treating people who are sick -- not keeping people healthy or preventing illnesses. So many Americans cannot afford to get sick, while others take advantage of a system that isn't fair.

ObamaCare simply doubles down on this backwards, broken, flawed and failing system. We need honesty, leadership and real reform. As President, I will repeal ObamaCare and fight for real health care reform."

Source: Huckabee 2016, "Repealing ObamaCare--REAL Health Care Reform," www.mikehuckabee.com/healthcare (accessed Aug. 19, 2015)

Pro
Should Parental Consent Be Required for Pregnant Minors to Have Abortions?

"The record I am proudest of in my tenure of over a decade in the governor's office is having signed numerous pieces of pro-life legislation, including a ban on partial birth abortion. Another bill established a woman's right to know, ensuring her consent to an abortion is an informed one, based on the same information she would be given if she were removing her tonsils instead of her baby. Equally important was legislation [in March 2005] mandating parents be informed and provide consent before the serious surgical procedure of an abortion could be performed on a minor. (At the time, parental consent seemed appropriate enough to be required for a child given an aspirin at school, but not an abortion in a clinic!)"

Source: Mike Huckabee, From Hope to Higher Ground: My Vision for Restoring America's Greatness, 2007

Con
Should Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide Be Legal?

"In fact, it feels worthwhile to publish a short list of accomplishments here. During my tenure as governor, we... Signed legislation [Act 394] banning physician-assisted suicide."

Source: Mike Huckabee, Do the Right Thing, 2008

Con
Should Planned Parenthood Receive Federal Funding?

"Washington's priorities are pathetic and absolutely absurd. More than 300,000 of our veterans have died waiting for healthcare, while Washington prioritizes pumping $500 million into Planned Parenthood each year… Our country is $19 trillion in the hole and Planned Parenthood had a surplus of $127 million last year. Clearly this private entity does NOT need public taxpayer funding to function… Planned Parenthood isn't purely a 'healthcare provider' any more than a heroin dealer is a community pharmacist. Butchering babies and harvesting their organs to be swapped and sold is evil. I join with millions of fed-up and frustrated Americans who are disgusted that Washington uses our tax dollars to fund this despicable organization."

Source: Alex Swoyer, "Exclusive: Mike Huckabee: Washington's Priorities 'Pathetic' Funding Planned Parenthood as Veterans Die Waiting for Healthcare," www.breitbart.com, Sep. 30, 2015

Con
Should All Americans Have the Right (Be Entitled) to Health Care?

"We don't need universal health care mandated by federal edict or funded through ever-higher taxes... I advocate policies that will encourage the private sector to seek innovative ways to bring down costs and improve the free market for health care services... It is time to recognize that jobs don't need health insurance, people do, and to ease the burden on our businesses. Our employer-based system has outlived its usefulness, but the answer is a consumer-based system, not socialized medicine."

Source: "Issues: Health Care," mikehuckabee.com (accessed Oct. 30, 2007)

None Found
Should the Federal Government Use Raids to Enforce Immigration Laws?

Withdrew on Feb. 2, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Should Checking Employee Immigration Status (as in the E-Verify Program) Be Mandatory for All Employers?

No position found as of Nov. 20, 2015

Source:

Pro
Should the United States Continue to Build the Fence/Wall along the US-Mexico Border?

"Seal the border within a year... Think about being able to build a secure border. We can do that and we can certainly do it in less than a year. So that's what we should do. It's what I’ve pledged to do. As President, it's what I will do."

Source: Todd Beamon, "Mike Huckabee: I Will Secure Border within a Year if Elected," www.newsmax.com, July 30, 2015

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Undocumented Immigrants in the United States Be Allowed to Become Legal Residents?

"America has an immigration crisis on its hands, and it's time for the federal government to do its job. Without a secure border, nothing matters.

We have drug cartels running reckless on our southern border, and the Washington establishment wants to reward illegal immigrants with amnesty and citizenship. As President, I will:

• Reject President Obama's unconstitutional executive orders.

• Oppose amnesty.

• Secure the border now.

If you reward people who play outside the rules and punish people who live within the rules, pretty soon nobody is going to play by the rules. We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws."

Source: Huckabee 2016, "Immigration & Border Security," www.mikehuckabee.com/border-security (accessed Aug. 19, 2015)

None Found
Should Sanctuary Cities Continue to Receive Federal Funding for Law Enforcement?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Con
Should the United States Allow Syrian Refugees into the Country?

"When Chipotle had an outbreak of E. coli just recently, what did they do? They closed all the Chipotle restaurants. I mean, how many gallons of tainted milk do we tolerate before we say, 'take it off the shelves'? Here's the point. If we take millions of gallons of tainted milk and we close entire restaurants because a few people get sick, does it make any sense that we would say, 'Well, we're gonna bring in tens of thousands of people. We have no idea who they are. We have no idea if they're ISIS members. But we’re going to bring them in because we can handle a few people who are going to bring bomb and shoot up a night club or shoot up a football stadium of people watching high school kids play.' My God, Dana, what have we come to when we don't understand that the number one responsibility of the President of the United States is to protect America, not the image of Islam."

Source: The Blaze, "Governor Mike Huckabee Makes His First Blaze Appearance / Dana," www.youtube.com, Nov. 16, 2015

Labor & Wages

None Found
Should the Federal Government Guarantee Paid Family and Medical Leave?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Labor & Wages

Con
Should the Federal Minimum Wage Be Increased?

"Instead of arguing over the minimum wage, why don't we help people get to a maximum wage?

Families can't live on $10 an hour much better than $7.25… Here's my question to you as a worker: would you really be satisfied with the bare minimum the government says you can earn? What if I could help you get to a maximum wage?...

I'd much rather help you make $50 bucks an hour, so you buy a house, put your kids in a good school and buy yourself a fishing boat. You'll need less from the government, which makes you a lot less expensive to your neighbors than you are now, and you'll pay more in taxes, which means you'll put more in than you take out. And then we'll start paying down the national debt instead of borrowing more money from China to spend some money we don't have. Instead of increasing the number of weeks of unemployment, where we pay you to not work, why not pay for your training to learn a skill that will get you to a maximum wage?"

Source: Fox News Insider, "Huckabee: Don't Settle for Minimum Wage, Work to Command a Maximum Wage," insider.foxnews.com, Nov. 2, 2014

[Editor's Note: On Apr. 10, 2006, while Governor of Arkansas, Huckabee approved a $1.10 increase in the Arkansas Minimum Wage, a 21% increase that brought the minimum wage to $6.25 (the federal minimum wage was then $5.15).]

Labor & Wages

None Found
Do Labor Unions Provide an Overall Benefit to Their Workers in the United States?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Marijuana & Alcohol

None Found
Should the Minimum Legal Drinking Age Be Lowered from 21 to a Younger Age?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Marijuana & Alcohol

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?

"Do we really think marijuana is something we want to encourage people to have greater access to?... If there's a benefit to it, and there may be medically, so if your doctor prescribes certain uses of it, then I'm open to that… [Interviewer: What about legalizing medical marijuana then? That's something that's been discussed a lot in the state out here.”] Sure. And I think that's a very different equation because that's not use of marijuana just so a person can get stoned. That's so that a doctor believing that that particular prescription would help a patient whether it's with chronic pain or a particular disease. Doesn't necessarily have to be administered by giving them, you know, a box of joints. It could be administered in different ways. But I think that's a different equation altogether. I'm open to that."

Source: KCII, "KCII Close up: Mike Huckabee," www.youtube.com, Oct. 17, 2015

Marijuana & Alcohol

Now Not Clearly Pro or Con

Should Recreational Marijuana Be Legal?

"[Mike Huckabee: T]his idea of recreational marijuana — well let's let Colorado have at it for a few years and let's see how that works out for them... The best way to determine whether this is good public policy is to do what the founders envisioned, and that's let states become laboratories of democracy.

[Host] Are you willing to change the federal law to allow that to happen?

[Huckabee] I'm willing to let states operate under the 10th Amendment, and I'm willing for the states, if they think that marijuana and the legalization of it is a great thing, you know, I'm willing for them to experiment and find out. And it if it works and it turns out that the presence of recreational marijuana makes them a more prosperous state... well heck, we may just all want to reach out there and grab that.

[Host] But you don't think that's going to happen.

[Huckabee] I probably don't think so."

Source: KCII, "KCII Close up: Mike Huckabee," YouTube.com, Oct. 17, 2015

[Editor's Note: Huckabee previously expressed a CON opinion on this question. Read Huckabee's former position on legalizing recreational marijuana]

None Found
Should the United States and Russia Collaborate to Combat Terrorism?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Should the United States Continue Its Use of Drone Strikes Abroad?

No position found as of Sep. 23, 2015

Source:

Pro
Should the United States Send Ground Troops to Fight ISIS?

"[Wolf] Blitzer: Governor Huckabee, you have not put a number of how many U.S. ground troops would be needed to combat ISIS. Is Senator Graham’s proposal [of 10,000 ground troops] sufficient?

[Mike] HUCKABEE: Wolf, it may be sufficient, but rather than put a number — and I'm comfortable that we say 10,000, 20,000 — look, I think we make a mistake when we start telling the enemy what our limitations are. I think we make a huge mistake when we say we're gonna do up to this. I think what we say is, we're gonna do whatever it takes. If it's 10,000, if it’s 100,000, if it's 3,000 sorties a day, if it’s 5,000 sorties a day."

Source: New York Times, "Transcript: Republican Presidential Debate," www.nytimes.com, Dec. 15, 2015

None Found
Should the United States Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

None Found
Should the US Have Attacked Iraq in 2003?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Should the US Military Budget Be Increased?

"Well cutting the military really is cutting our capacity to defend ourselves against the crazy people that cut the heads off of children… It incapacitates us from being able to answer very quickly threats anywhere around the world. Whether they are threats of terrorism or the threats of a rogue nation like Iran. Cutting the military is like taking your alarm system out of your house unlocking your doors and window and putting a sign up that says we're vulnerable, unlocked and unarmed. Come steal from us. This is nuts. We need to say this country is prepared for anything you throw at us and if you attempt to come after us, we're going to put you on your backside."

Source: Mary King, "Gov. Mike Huckabee Decries Recent Cuts to Military as 'Nuts' in Lexington Visit," wistv.com, Oct. 3, 2015

None Found
Should the United States Have Mandatory National Service (Military or Civilian)?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Con
Should the National Security Agency (NSA) Continue to Collect Phone and Email Metadata on US Citizens?

"Today's federal appeals court ruling [disallowing the NSA's bulk collection of data] is good news in that a court agrees with what so many Americans already knew, that this program has gone too far.

There's no doubt that Intelligence gathering is vital to the security of all Americans but there should be a balance between that protection and our privacy. However, Obama's warrantless, NSA spying program is more than just illegal, it's an unconstitutional, criminal assault on our freedoms as Americans. As President, I will repeal this program and protect the privacy and civil liberties of all Americans."

Source: Mike Huckabee, Facebook post, www.facebook.com/mikehuckabee, May 7, 2015

Con
Should Interrogation Techniques That Some Consider Torture, Such as Waterboarding, Be a Legal Option?

"There is seemingly a virtual unanimous understanding among recent Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as from other military experts, that torture is simply an ineffective way of extracting information that is useful... What we don't get is reliable information. What we do get is a very challenged soldier who has participated in something that goes against not only his or her own moral code, but against our own sense of justice in this country."

Source: Ari Shapiro, "GOP Presidential Hopefuls Disagree on Torture," www.npr.org, Dec. 4, 2007

None Found
Should the Veterans Health Administration Be Privatized?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Con
Should Women Be Allowed to Serve in Military Combat Positions?

"The Pentagon is opening more combat positions up to women. But the Marines have fitness tests for combat that require men to be able to do at least three pull-ups. Because they consider women to have less upper body strength, women didn't have to do the pull-ups. But starting in 2014, they will. And a study of over 300 female Marines found that only 21 percent could do at least three pull-ups. Already last summer, two female Marines who enrolled in the Marine Corps' grueling Infantry Officer Course washed out. So far, no more women have volunteered.

So the ACLU is suing for full gender equality in all combat roles. But in reality, the only ways to achieve full equality are either to lower the strength requirements for all Marines or to make unequal exceptions for women. Something tells me none of their legal arguments will matter much to a soldier who gets shot in combat and needs his comrade to carry him to safety. All he'll know is that no ACLU lawyers are going to be around to help with the heavy lifting."

Source: Mike Huckabee, Facebook post, facebook.com, Nov. 29, 2012

Race

None Found
Should Colleges and Universities Use Affirmative Action for Admissions?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Race

Con
Is the Black Lives Matter Movement Good for America?

"I understand how people have great passions. But I also understand that the way you begin to resolve them is, you do it by loving people and treating people with dignity and respect, and you don't do it by magnifying the problems -- you do it by really magnifying the solutions. When I hear people scream, 'black lives matter,' I think, 'Of course they do.' But all lives matter. It's not that any life matters more than another. That's the whole message that Dr. King tried to present, and I think he'd be appalled by the notion that we're elevating some lives above others."

Source: Eric Bradner, "Huckabee: MLK Would Be 'Appalled' by Black Lives Matter Movement," cnn.com, Aug. 18, 2015

Race

None Found
Is the Criminal Justice System Unfair to Black People?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Not Clearly Pro or Con
Is Human Activity Primarily Responsible for Global Climate Change?

"Whether it's man made or not, I know that when I was in college I was being taught that if we didn't act very quickly, that we were going to be entering a global freezing... Go back and look at the covers of TIME and Newsweek from the early '70s. And we were told that if we didn't do something by 1980, we'd be popsicles.

Now we're told that we're all burning up. Science is not as settled on that as it is on some things."

Source: Meet the Press, "Huckabee: 'Science Is Not as Settled' on Climate Change," www.nbcnews.com, June 21, 2015

Con
Should Genetically Modified (GMO) Foods Have Mandatory Labeling?

"[Iowa Farm Bureau survey question:] Do you support the use of biotechnology in food products and oppose efforts to require mandatory labeling for foods simply because they contain ingredients derived from biotechnology?...

Mike Huckabee: Yes."

Source: Iowa Farm Bureau, "Read the Candidates' Positions," www.iowafarmbureau.com (accessed Jan. 12, 2016)

Pro
Should the United States Authorize the Keystone XL Pipeline to Import Tar Sand Oil from Canada?

"Partisan politics has kept us from Arctic exploration, energy opportunities along the Outer Continental Shelf, building the Keystone pipeline, and new sources of natural gas. Wind, solar, and renewable energy have great potential, occur naturally, and flow from inexhaustible sources.

We should explore and exploit all forms of domestically produced energy — oil, gas, wind, solar, bio-fuels, hydro-electric, nuclear, coal — anything and everything."

Source: Huckabee 2016, "Energy Independence," www.mikehuckabee.com/energy (accessed Aug. 19, 2015)

None Found
Should the United States Transition Away from Fossil Fuels and Towards Renewable Energy?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Sex & Gender

Con
Was the US Supreme Court Decision Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage a Good Decision?

"The Supreme Court in a very, very divided decision [Obergefell v. Hodges] decided out of thin air that they were just going to redefine marriage. It's a decision that the other justices in dissent said they didn’t have and there wasn't a constitutional shred of capacity for them to do it."

Source: CNN, "GOP Presidential Debate. Aired 8:10-11:15p ET.," transcripts.cnn.com, Sep. 16, 2015

Sex & Gender

None Found
Should Religious Liberty Give People the Right to Deny Goods and Services for Gay Marriage?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate's position on this question.

Source:

Sex & Gender

None Found
Should Transgender People Be Allowed to Use the Bathroom of Their Choice?

Withdrew on Feb. 1, 2016; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate’s position on this question.

Source: