Howard Phillips, Constitution Party
Q: How do you propose to protect American interests in Panama, now that
communist
China, by President Clinton's own admission, has de facto control over the
Panama
Canal?
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A: As Chairman of the Conservative Caucus, I have been leading the
campaign for a
dominant U.S. military presence at the isthmus of Panama since the
mid-1970s. Working
with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and Judicial Watch Chairman Larry Klayman,
I am
actively involved in challenging the corruptly concluded Hutchison Whampoa
contract,
which gave a company closely tied to the People's Liberation Army control of
Balboa
and Cristobal, the ports on the Atlantic and Pacific ends of the canal. I am
in regular
contact with key Panamanians who recognize that it is in the interest of
their country and
ours to get Red China out of Panama and a U.S. military presence back in.
Q: Do you believe government has a constitutional right to collect a
percentage of citizens'
earnings? If so, is there an appropriate maximum cap?
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A: As President, I would by veto and other constitutional means strive
to eliminate all direct
federal taxation, whether on incomes, estates, gifts, capital gains or
business activity. I
would veto funding for the IRS and work to replace the income tax with a
revenue tariff.
Q: Do you view the specific declarations enumerated in the U. S.
Constitution as mandates
to be followed and adhered to literally according to their original intent,
or do you regard
the Constitution as a "living" document best interpreted in the current
cultural context?
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A: The Constitution means what it says. I would work to assure that our
federal republic is
governed in a manner which in no way violates the plain text of the
Constitution. The
federal government has only those powers specifically delegated to it by the
states (or
added by amendment) and enumerated in the Constitution.
Q: What is your position on U.S. membership in the United Nations, and
would you do
anything to end that membership?
A: U.S. membership in the United Nations is unconstitutional, violating
the principle that all
legislative powers shall be vested in a Congress of the United States. I
would veto any
and all funding for the United Nations, and immediately withdraw from it.
Q: What is your position on the current process of presidential executive
orders, and what
would you do as president to rectify any abuses of executive orders
perpetrated by
previous presidents?
A: The president of the United States is chief executive of the federal
government, but he is
not legislator-in-chief. Executive orders violative of this principle are
comprehensively
unconstitutional. As president, I would rescind all such executive orders.
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Q: In your opinion, does the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
guarantee the right
of law-abiding citizens to possess modern firearms and ammunition?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you believe unborn babies have any rights?
A: The Constitution makes clear that no person may be deprived of life
without due process
of law. The unborn child is a person with a soul from the moment of
fertilization.
Abortion is unconstitutional. As president, I would direct U. S. Attorneys
to prosecute
abortionists and abortion mills which fail to discontinue their corrupt,
immoral,
unconstitutional activities.
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Q: Since the Constitution does not enumerate a federal role in education,
would you favor
abolishing the Department of Education in favor of returning control of
education to the states?
A: Except with respect to the armed forces of the United States, the
federal government has no authority whatsoever in the realm of education.
Indeed, any and all such expenditures violate the principles of religious
liberty specified in the First Amendment to the Constitution (which asserts
that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof"). I would veto any and all federal
funding for education, including funds for the federal Department of
Education.
Q: Are you in favor of the Strategic Defense Initiative? If not, why not?
If yes, what would you do to accelerate its implementation?
A: As Chairman of the Conservative Caucus, in 1981 I launched a 50-state
campaign to
promote prompt deployment of a global ballistic missile defense. I regret
that no
president has acted to deploy SDI, each of them preferring instead to
entrust our nation's
security to arms control agreements with our adversaries. One of my first
acts as
president would be to terminate the anti-ballistic missile treaty, and to
instruct the
Defense Department to immediately begin the deployment of SDI.
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Q: What steps would you take as president to ensure that the most feared
federal government agencies - the IRS, FBI and BATF - are never again used
to terrorize citizens for political reasons?
A: I would use my veto and administrative authority to terminate the IRS
and the BATF and limit the activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
to those which are specifically authorized under the Constitution.