Comparing Gutknecht and Walz on the issues

Trying to compare two candidates on all the issues is a virtually impossible task. Fortunately, there is an abundance of resources. Several that stand out are:

• The candidates' websites: Gutknecht • Walz
• Rep. Gutknecht's congressional website
  
• Project Vote Smart: Gutknecht • Walz
• The Minnesota Newspaper Association survey: Gutknecht • Walz
• OnTheIssues.org: Gutknecht only (VoteMatch)

Nevertheless, Minnesota Monitor/Vox Verax have attempted to gather information on most of the key issues. Here is what we have found:

Issue	Gil Gutknecht	Tim Walz
Agriculture	Supports current Farm Bill. Supports incentives for developing farm-based renewable energy resources. Chair of House Agriculture Subcommittee on Operations, Oversight, Dairy, Nutrition and Forestry. (Agricultural policy is here and here.)	Supports current Farm Bill. Supports incentives for developing farm-based renewable energy resources. Supports Healthy Farms, Foods and Fuels Act. Supports farmers being able to buy into Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. (Agriculture policy is here.)
Defense	Supports Star Wars missile defense system.	Opposes pumping more money into missile defense system that has proven expensive and technologically questionable.
Primary and Secondary Education	Voted against No Child Left Behind. Supports school vouchers. Supports local control and accountability. Received 25% rating from National Education Association in 2005.	Does not support No Child Left Behind but admits it has raised level of school accountability. Says if NCLB is to stay, government must increase funding and loosen testing requirements. Supports increasing federal funding for special education. Supports local control and accountability. Endorsed by National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers and Education Minnesota. (Education policy is here.)
Energy	Supports energy independence and renewable fuels. Introduced 10 by 10 Act. Supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Supports funding research for clean coal and nuclear power. Voted for 2005 Energy Policy Act. (Energy policy is here.)	Supports energy independence and renewable fuels. Opposes expansion of domestic oil production. Supports tax breaks for energy research and efforts to reduce energy consumption.
Environment	Supported deauthorizing "critical habitat" for endangered species. Supported speeding up approval of forest thinning projects. (Source: On the Issues.) Supports drilling in ANWR. Opposed raising CAFE standards for motor vehicles. Received 0% rating from the League of Conservation Voters in 2006.	Opposes rollbacks to Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Air Act. Opposes privatizing National Forests, National Monuments, National Parks and wilderness areas. Opposes drilling in ANWR. Endorsed by League of Conservation Voters, Clean Water Action and the Sierra Club. (Environment policy is here.)
Health care	Sponsor of Pharmaceutical Market Access Act allowing for importation of prescription drugs. Supports Health Savings Accounts. (Health care policy is here.)	Supports allowing federal government to negotiate with drug companies to lower prescription drug prices. Supports universal health care coverage. (Health care policy is here.)
Higher Education	Voted for the Budget Reconciliation Act, which raised student loan rates. Says that higher education needs to limit its costs.	Supports making higher education more affordable. Believes in public education through college at minimal cost. Quote: "Some people ask, ‘How are you going to pay for it?’ All I have to say is $300 million per day. That’s Iraq."
Immigration	Supported Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act. Supports repeal of birthright principle, which guarantees citizenship to all persons born in this country. Co-sponsor of Border Protection Corps Act allowing citizens to patrol borders. Rated "A" by Americans for Better Immigration. (Immigration policy is here.)	Supports high-tech methods for border and immigration enforcement. Opposes wall across southern border as being too expensive and ineffective. Opposes sending National Guard to patrol border. Opposes criminalizing those who help undocumented immigrants. Supports path to citizenship. (Immigration policy is here.)
Social Security	Supports replacing current system with individual investment accounts. Alliance for Retired Americans rating was 10% in 2005.	Supports keeping current guaranteed benefit system and adding optional individual investment accounts. Supports raising current income ceiling of $90,000 on Social Security withdrawals to guarantee solvency of the system.
Taxes	Supports Bush tax cuts and repeal of estate tax. Supports replacing income tax with national sales tax.	Opposes Bush tax cuts for high-income earners. Supports reform, not repeal, of estate tax. Supports tax relief for lower and middle-income earners.
Transportation	Supports loan for DM&E expansion.	Opposes loan for DM&E expansion.
Veterans Issues	Supported expanding TRICARE benefits to reservists and families. Voted against TRICARE fee hike. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America rating of C+ in 2006. Disabled American Veterans rating of 66% in 2006. (Veterans policy is here.)	Supports guaranteed health care benefits and transition support for veterans. Supports mandatory VA funding. Endorsed by Veterans and Military Families for Progress. (Veterans policy is here.)
War in Iraq	Until recently has been solid supporter of the war. Says that war is critical in fight against terrorism.	Supports reevaluation of war policy. Supports rebuilding infrastructure, turning military responsibility over to U.N. or other international force and withdrawing U.S. troops.