Con: "In the United States House of Representatives, I had a consistent pro-life voting record and in 2008 the National Right to Life Political Action Committee commended me 'for your 100 percent pro-life voting record throughout your twelve years of service in the U.S. House of Representatives.' As President I would continue to oppose abortion and would submit a budget to Congress with zero funding for planned parenthood and any other similar entities."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed Apr. 25, 2012)
Con: Virgil Goode, former US Representative (R-VA), on Dec. 10, 2008, voted against the "Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act" (HR 7321). The Congressional Research Service (CRS) summary of the act, available at www.thomas.loc.gov, states the following:
"(Sec. 4) Requires the designee to authorize and direct the disbursement of bridge loans or to enter into commitments for lines of credit to each automobile manufacturer that submitted to Congress a plan on December 2, 2008, and request for such loan or commitment ("automaker," for purposes of this Act). Establishes as the amount of such assistance the amount intended to facilitate continued operations of the automaker and prevent its failure...
(Sec. 10) Makes appropriations to provide loan funds under this Act in an amount up to $14 billion. Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Energy to replenish funds made available. Provides loan terms and conditions."
"Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act" (HR 7321), www.thomas.loc.gov, Dec. 10, 2008
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "Our debt has increased by over 4 trillion dollars under the Obama Presidency, which has also given us trillion dollar deficits. The United States can not borrow its way to prosperity. It is incumbent on our next President to propose a balanced budget upon taking office and not ten years down the road. There will be pain, but the old saying that one will not get out of the hole by digging the hole deeper is accurate. Nearly every department and agency will face significant cuts and some will face elimination. Veterans benefits is an example that will not be cut. Examples of programs eliminated include the National Endowment for the Arts, No Child Left Behind, etc. Other programs and departments, such as Foreign Aid and Education, will be slashed and trimmed."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed Oct. 9, 2012)
Con: "You might not get what you want to hear from me but you're going to get straight talk. We can't afford more federally subsidized student loans and we can't afford more Pell grants. I wish I could stand here and tell you 'yes we can give you more, no one is going to have to pay for it.' A debt of 16 trillion dollars is bearing down on us... We can't afford more Pell grants, and we can't afford more federally subsidized student loans... We've got to balance the budget."
"Third Party Presidential Debate," in Chicago, IL, hosted by the Free and Equal Elections Foundation, www.c-span.org, Oct. 23, 2012
Con: "Washington should not be running our local school systems. We need to leave local education decisions to the states and localities. I am opposed to national testing of public school students and voted against 'No Child Left Behind' with its new mandates and new tests that must comply with national standards. I support ending the federal Department of Education."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed July 16, 2012)
[Editor's Note: In a May 14, 2012 email to ProCon.org, Virgil Goode stated "No" in response to our question "Has the No Child Left Behind Act been effective at improving public education?"]
Con: "Washington should not be running our local school systems. We need to leave local education decisions to the states and localities. I am opposed to national testing of public school students..."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed July 16, 2012)
[Editor's Note: In a May 14, 2012 email to ProCon.org, Virgil Goode stated "No" in response to our question "Is the use of federally mandated standardized tests improving education in America?"]
"Was the US Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which allows for unlimited political contributions on the grounds of free speech, good for America?"
Con: "You shouldn't have political action committees... I think a constitutional amendment on that [overturning the Citizens United ruling] would pass even though you'd have a lot of heavy hitters on both sides objecting to it."
"Why This Man Won't Be the Next Nader," www.motherjones.com, Oct. 1, 2012
Not Clearly Pro or Con: “The United States must be free of foreign fossil fuel. Freedom from the Middle Eastern sheiks, Nigeria, and Venezuela is necessary for a continued bright future for our country. We cannot allow OPEC to control our energy supply. The United States must develop its own resources and alternative fuel sources. Hydrogen, biodiesel, and other alternative energy sources have potential in making us less dependent on foreign fossil fuels. I also support the utilization of nuclear power and expanded drilling opportunities for natural gas and oil in this country so that our energy needs are met by domestic and not foreign sources.”
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed Oct. 25, 2012)
Pro: "The Canada to Texas pipeline needs to be built and operational expeditiously and not delayed or stopped as the current Administration is doing."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed May 14, 2012)
[Editor's Note: In a May 14, 2012 email to ProCon.org, Virgil Goode stated "Yes" in response to our question "Should the US authorize the Keystone XL pipeline to import tar sand oil from Canada?"]
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "The United States must develop its own resources and alternative fuel sources. Hydrogen, biodiesel, and other alternative energy sources have potential in making us less dependent on foreign fossil fuels. I also support the utilization of nuclear power and expanded drilling opportunities for natural gas and oil in this country so that our energy needs are met by domestic and not foreign sources."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed May 8, 2012)
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "The United States must develop its own resources... I also support... expanded drilling opportunities for natural gas and oil in this country so that our energy needs are met by domestic and not foreign sources. I have supported and will continue supporting drilling in Alaska and the continental United States. If President, I would support the drilling off our coasts where it can be done safely and where the states, such as Virginia, have passed legislation requesting offshore drilling."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed May 8, 2012)
Not Clearly Pro or Con: Virgil Goode, former US Representative (R-VA), provided the following response on Feb. 16, 2012, to "The Constitution Party of Indiana Presidential Candidate Questionnaire," available at www.cpindiana.org:
"Section M – Environment and Energy...
Should the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water and Air Acts be continued and/or strengthened?
[Virgil Goode's response] No."
"The Constitution Party of Indiana Presidential Candidate Questionnaire," www.cpindiana.org, Feb. 16, 2012
Con: "I’m a conservative, but with a focus on average people. For instance, I support Social Security and Medicare. And I disagree with Paul Ryan about the need to turn Medicare into a voucher program."
"What Makes Virgil Goode Run?," www.salon.com, Sep. 29, 2012
Pro: "As President, I would immediately direct the Attorney General to support and NOT oppose the efforts of Arizona, Alabama and others to deal with the illegal problem in the states."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed May 8, 2012)
Pro: "Illegal immigration must stop. Our borders must be secure. In Congress, I supported and cosponsored legislation to stop illegal aliens, terrorists, drug smugglers, and other criminals from coming across our Southern border. We need to utilize troops, fences, and other measures to stop the invasion from Mexico. I was the first to sponsor legislation providing for a fence along the Southern Border. We must continue to fight for funding and for adequacy of the fence."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed May 14, 2012)
[Editor's Note: In a May 14, 2012 email to ProCon.org, Virgil Goode stated "Yes" in response to our question "Should the US continue to build a physical barrier, such as a fence, along the US-Mexico border?"]
Pro: "Illegal immigration must stop. Our borders must be secure. In Congress, I supported and cosponsored legislation to stop illegal aliens, terrorists, drug smugglers, and other criminals from coming across our Southern border. We need to utilize troops, fences, and other measures to stop the invasion from Mexico. I was the first to sponsor legislation providing for a fence along the Southern Border. We must continue to fight for funding and for adequacy of the fence."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed Oct. 25, 2012)
Con: "Illegal immigration costs the United States taxpayers billions every year through increased health care costs, social service utilization, emergency room fees, prison expenses, and in other areas. For example, of the 189,000 federal prisoners, 50,000 are illegal or recent aliens costing the taxpayers millions of dollars for their incarceration."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed May 14, 2012)
[Editor's Note: In a May 14, 2012 email to ProCon.org, Virgil Goode stated "No" in response to our question "Are illegal immigrants a net gain to the US economy?"]
Con: "I believe that marriage should be a union between a man and a woman. I am opposed to gay marriages and so-called gay civil unions. I support the federal Marriage Protection Amendment."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed May 14, 2012)
[Editor's Note: In a May 14, 2012 email to ProCon.org, Virgil Goode stated "No" in response to our question "Should gay marriage be legal?"]
Con: “I’ll balance the budget and part of the cuts have to be in the Department of Defense. We cannot do, as Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan suggest, increase military funding by two trillion dollars over the next decade. I support a strong defense but we need to retrench rather than trying to be the policemen of the world. We have too many soldiers, too many troopers scattered around the world. Our bases need to be reduced around the world, not increased. And the United States should stop trying to be the overseer of the world. That will save us billions and billions of dollars.”
"Third Party Presidential Debate," Chicago, IL, hosted by the Free and Equal Elections Foundation, www.c-span.org, Oct. 23, 2012
"Is the 2012 NDAA, which authorized arresting and indefinitely detaining suspected terrorists (including US citizens) without charge, good for America?"
Not Clearly Pro or Con: "We must preserve and protect Social Security. Social Security is owed over two trillion dollars. Social Security should be repaid and have real money in the Social Security Trust Fund and not IOU's."
"The Issues," www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed May 14, 2012)
[Editor's Note: In a May 14, 2012 email to ProCon.org, Virgil Goode stated "All citizens who have or are paying deserve the benefits they have paid for" in response to our question "Should Social Security be privatized?"]
Email to ProCon.org from Virgil Goode, May 14, 2012
Virgil Goode's Biography
Title(s):
Former US Representative (R-VA)
Personal Information:
Full Name: Virgil Hamlin Goode, Jr.
Marital Status: Married
Birthdate: Oct. 17, 1946
Children: One
Birthplace: Richmond, VA
Religion: Baptist
Involvement:
Private attorney
US Representative (R-VA), Jan. 2003-Jan. 2009
US Representative (Ind.-VA), Jan. 2001-Jan. 2003
US Representative (D-VA), Jan. 1997-Jan. 2001
Former member, House Appropriations Committee
Former member, House Subcommittee on Agriculture
Former member, House Subcommittee on Science, State, Justice and Commerce
Former member, US House of Representatives Liberty Caucus
Former member, National Guard & Reserve Components Congressional Organization
Former member, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
Member, Virginia State Senate, 20th District, 1973-1996
US Senate Candidate (D), 1994
US Senate Candidate (D), 1982
Education:
JD, University of Virginia, 1973
BA, University of Richmond, 1969
Affiliations and Memberships:
Member, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
Member, Omicron Delta Kappa
Member, Phi Beta Kappa
Member, Smith Mountain Lake Association
Other:
He began his congressional career as a Democrat in 1997 but left the Democratic Party to become an Independent on Jan. 27, 2000 and began caucusing with Republicans. On Aug. 1, 2002, he switched to become a member of the Republican Party.
Voted for the impeachment of president Bill Clinton while serving as a Democratic member of the US House of Representatives