Political positions of Newt Gingrich
The political initiative with which he is most widely identified was the Contract With America, which outlined an economic and social agenda designed to improve the efficiency of government while reducing its burden on the American taxpayer.
[6] On November 18, 2010, Gingrich delivered a speech before the Republican Governors Association Conference in San Diego outlining 12 steps for what he called a "Replacement of the Left" strategy.
[8] Specific steps address tying unemployment compensation to job training programs, replacing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) with state-based healthcare solutions and implementing ideas from business leaders to reduce the overall cost of government.
[15] He has been criticized by socially conservative Republican presidential primary opponents Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann for not consistently supporting the position that life begins at conception.
"[26] He later clarified his position, saying he was not proposing major changes in the law or encouraging children to seek jobs instead of attending school, but rather was "talking about working 20 hours a week and being empowered to succeed".
[28] In a 2006 article in the National Review, Gingrich stated that current campaign finance rules have moved the U.S. "dangerously closer to a plutocracy where the highest bidder can buy a seat.
[30] In his book Winning the Future, Gingrich criticized McCain-Feingold for creating a "more irresponsible" system than before its passage, in which 527s and other extra-campaign activities increased, and "rich people ironically had an even greater impact" on elections.
"[38] Gingrich's 2010 book To Save America: Stopping Obama's Secular-Socialist Machine, the chapter co-authored by Lisa Keegan, Nancy Sinnott Dwight, and Fred Asbell, states, "We must be an intellectually hungry, morally strong, and urgently demanding nation with an education system capable of responding to a voracious American desire to learn.
The group began circulating an online petition calling for the government to authorize new drilling onshore and offshore in an effort to lower gas and diesel prices.
[57] In a letter published by Human Events, Gingrich called for dramatically expanding the federal land open for oil and gas production with the stated goal of increasing supply.
"[59] Subsequently, President Obama announced a speech on energy policy on February 23, 2011, which news organizations including MSNBC, CBS and the Wall Street Journal attributed in part to Gingrich's criticisms.
[citation needed] He also supports personal accounts for Social Security and Medicare, funded using the employee's portion of FICA payroll taxes, to replace all or part of the benefits paid under the current system.
[63] In May 2011, following an appearance on Meet the Press, Gingrich was criticized by some conservatives for using the phrase "right-wing social engineering" in apparent reference to Rep. Paul Ryan's voucher system plan for Medicare.
"[73] In February 2007 Gingrich stated that he "would strongly support" a cap and trade system for reducing carbon emissions based on the success of the Acid Rain Program enacted by Congress during his tenure.
[81] In the book To Save America, also published in 2010, Gingrich described PPACA as "a dead end of higher taxes, bigger government, more bureaucracy and a decaying health system".
[86] The Center has played a role in opposing PPACA, arguing that the plan will increase costs for both taxpayers and consumers and expand insurance coverage by growing government.
The Center has released a series of charts highlighting different aspects of the legislation, focusing on the 159 new bureaucratic organizations it would create;[87][88] the ten-year implementation timeline of nearly 500 related deadlines, mandates and taxes;[89] and a claimed 1,968 new and expanded powers granted to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
[94] His 1995 book, To Renew America, outlined related ideas, including employer initiatives to make employees key players in improving processes and products.
[105] In a speech to The Heritage Foundation in August 2011, he stated that the waste cutting methods should be used to address the deficit, and estimated that through their application the government could identify a $3 trillion saving over 10 years by December 2011.
According to a Washington Post op-ed Gingrich co-authored with Pat Nolan, as a supporter of the conservative "Right on Crime Campaign", he is in favor of diverting funding from prisons to probation services and "proven community corrections approaches".
I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they're my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American."
[134] Gingrich advocated the formation of a permanent crewed lunar base by 2020, the presumed end of his 2nd presidential term, and tried to introduce legislation in 1981, the Northwest Ordinance for Space, that would have enabled the Moon colony to become the 51st state upon reaching a population of 13,000 residents.
In a Los Angeles Times opinion article co-written with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Gingrich argued such a provision would allow states to reorganize their finances and free them from contractual obligations, specifically with government employee unions.
In the op-ed, Gingrich wrote that many government employee pension systems are "bloated, broken and underfunded" and are "perhaps the most significant hurdles for many states trying to restore fiscal health."
He stated, ""The Bush Administration has now provided three case studies in arrogance, isolation, and destructiveness: Michael D. Brown during Hurricane Katrina, Ambassador Jerry Bremer in Baghdad, and Secretary Paulson at Treasury.
"[145] In January 2011, Gingrich held a forum on Latino issues where he announced a goal to overhaul the country's immigration system so that every worker in the United States is legal within a decade.
His suggestions included advice on how to approach ongoing conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians, noting that "America does not have a doctrine for total war against an enemy who is hiding behind a civilian population."
[168] Gingrich has previously argued that government-to-government foreign aid programs are detrimental to the promotion of democracy since they "prop up" repressive governments and allow them to retain control.
[180] Gingrich was criticized in 2010 by Andy Card, George W. Bush's White House chief of staff, for remarks he made during an interview with National Review, in which he said "What if [Obama] is so outside our comprehension, that only if you understand Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior, can you begin to piece together [his actions]? ...
[188] Ultimately, Pence was chosen to be Trump's vice presidential pick, though Gingrich remained a contender for a possible cabinet position, specifically secretary of state, ahead of the general election.
