Republican Debate Issues
- The Republican Party has contrasting values from the Democrats in the United States.the stars & stripes image by smn from Fotolia.com
In the United States' two-party system of government, the Republican Party has a contrasting set of views and beliefs than that of its Democrat counterpart. Republicans represent the conservative political views of the nation and have a specific agenda that often conflicts with the liberal and progressive movement. When it comes time to debate the major issues of the day, there are a handful of topics that can be labeled partisan, partially because the Republican's position is so different than that of the Democrats. - Health care reform has been a hot button issue in politics for many years. In 2010, the Obama Administration passed a health care bill that stood in stark contrast to the Republicans' ideals of a free-market system.
Republicans believe that government-run health care leads to inefficiencies and that health care should be left up to the private providers, according to the On The Issues website. GOP opponents of more regulations on the health care system say government involvement will lead to the pitfalls sometimes seen in other countries. These problems include long waiting periods for treatment and care that is not up to the standards Americans have come to expect.
Republicans feel flexible savings accounts with tax benefits are a better solution than government-run care. They believe the public should be given the tools needed to take care of themselves.
They also believe there should be incentives in place for private sector companies that develop new medicines. The Republicans are almost uniformly against providing coverage for abortions or allowing assisted suicide through controlled substances. - Republicans generally claim to be against tax hikes or new taxes and favor cutting spending or eliminating programs instead when necessary to bring the budget inline. In the early years of the Obama administration, the Republican Party fought hard to extend the so-called "Bush tax cuts" to the wealthiest people in America. They are believers in the idea that taxing those with more money to spend will hurt the economy because they will have less opportunity to spend it, which will in turn stimulate the economy.
- Immigration reform is a debate topic in which the Republicans are quite passionate. The GOP insists on biometric data to track the entry and departure of foreigners to the United States for security purposes. The Republicans want to give more power to the border patrol and strengthen the force and technology used to keep illegal aliens out. Some Republicans have even been in support of building a wall along the Mexican border to help slow illegal entry. They support still penalties for smuggling in aliens and manufacturing false documentation for illegal aliens.
Republicans are generally against amnesty, which they feel encourages illegal entry to the United States. The program would allow those working in the United States illegally to emerge from hiding and apply for citizenship when jobs that cannot be filled by Americans become available. Republicans oppose it because they feel it rewards people who break the law.
