Political positions<\/span><\/h2>\nAmash is a\u00a0libertarian Republican<\/a>.[36]<\/a><\/sup>[37]<\/a><\/sup>[38]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He is regarded as one of the most conservative members of Congress,[1]<\/a><\/sup>[2]<\/a><\/sup>[4]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0receiving high scores from conservative interest groups such as the\u00a0Club for Growth<\/a>,\u00a0Heritage Action for America<\/a>, and\u00a0Americans for Prosperity<\/a>,[2]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and praise from conservative think tanks and nonprofit organizations.[39]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He is a founding member of the\u00a0House Freedom Caucus<\/a>,[40]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0a group of hard-line conservative Republicans in the House.[3]<\/a><\/sup>[40]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAs a member of Congress, Amash has gained a reputation as a gadfly within the Republican Party; his staunchly libertarian and sometimes contrarian views have resulted at times in disagreements with party leadership and other members of the Michigan congressional delegation.[41]<\/a><\/sup>[42]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAmash has called economists\u00a0F. A. Hayek<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Bastiat<\/a>\u00a0his “biggest heroes” and political inspirations,[21]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and has described himself as “Hayekian libertarian”.[43]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0When\u00a0The New York Times<\/a><\/i>\u00a0asked him to explain his approach to voting on legislation, he replied, “I follow a set of principles. I follow the\u00a0Constitution<\/a>. And that’s what I base my votes on.\u00a0Limited government<\/a>,\u00a0economic freedom<\/a>, and individual liberty.”[44]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAbortion<\/span><\/h3>\nAmash opposes\u00a0abortion<\/a>\u00a0and federal funding for abortion.[45]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He describes himself as “100 percent pro-life”[46]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and in 2017 voted in favor of\u00a0federal legislation to ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy<\/a>.[47]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAmash voted “present” rather than “yes” or “no” on the 2011 Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act, which provided for the cessation of federal funding to\u00a0Planned Parenthood<\/a>. Although he supports eliminating federal funding for Planned Parenthood, he abstained from defunding legislation, arguing that “legislation that names a specific private organization to defund (rather than all organizations that engage in a particular activity) is improper” and an “arguably unconstitutional”\u00a0bill of attainder<\/a>.[44]<\/a><\/sup>[48]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nEconomy<\/span><\/h3>\nAmash opposes government bailouts and tax increases.[21]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nHe was one of four Republicans who joined 161 Democrats to oppose a\u00a0Constitutional amendment<\/a>\u00a0that would require a yearly\u00a0balanced budget<\/a>, due to serious concerns[clarification needed<\/span><\/a><\/i>]<\/sup>\u00a0with that specific proposal.[49]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Earlier that year, Amash had introduced H.J. Res. 81, an alternative balanced budget amendment that addressed those concerns.[50]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nEnergy and environment<\/span><\/h3>\nAmash has criticized the\u00a0U.S. Environmental Protection Agency<\/a>\u00a0(EPA), arguing that many environmental regulations are overreaching.[51]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He voted in favor of the\u00a0Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011<\/a>, which would have amended the\u00a0Clean Air Act of 1963<\/a>to prohibit the EPA from regulating specified\u00a0greenhouse gasses<\/a>\u00a0as\u00a0air pollutants<\/a>.[52]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0In a 2017 debate Amash “exaggerated uncertainty around the basics of climate science”\u2014specifically, the\u00a0scientific consensus<\/a>\u00a0that\u00a0carbon emissions<\/a>\u00a0cause climate change.[53]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He opposed Obama’s decision to sign the\u00a0Paris Agreement<\/a>\u00a0to combat climate change.[54]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Amash voted against legislation to block Trump’s decision to\u00a0withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement<\/a>[55]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and in favor of legislation “expressing the\u00a0sense of Congress<\/a>\u00a0that a\u00a0carbon tax<\/a>\u00a0would be detrimental to the United States economy.”[55]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAmash voted against\u00a0Great Lakes<\/a>\u00a0restoration legislation.[51]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAmash was the only representative from Michigan to oppose federal aid in response to the\u00a0Flint water crisis<\/a>, arguing that “the U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to intervene in an intrastate matter like this one.” Instead Amash contended that “the State of Michigan should provide comprehensive assistance to the people of Flint.”[56]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nForeign policy<\/span><\/h3>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/a\/a8\/Justin_Amash_%2828430150180%29.jpg\/220px-Justin_Amash_%2828430150180%29.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\nAmash speaking at the 2016\u00a0Young Americans for Liberty<\/a>\u00a0National Convention in Washington, D.C.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAmash supports decreasing\u00a0U.S. military spending<\/a>, and believes there is significant waste in the military spending of the\u00a0U.S. Department of Defense<\/a>.[57]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nHe believes only\u00a0Congress<\/a>\u00a0has the\u00a0power to declare war<\/a>, criticizing President Obama’s\u00a0intervention in Syria<\/a>\u00a0against\u00a0the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant<\/a>\u00a0for proceeding without a Congressional declaration of war.[58]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nIn 2011 Amash was one of six members of Congress who voted against House Resolution 268 reaffirming U.S. commitment to a negotiated settlement of the\u00a0Israeli\u2013Palestinian conflict<\/a>\u00a0through direct Israeli\u2013Palestinian negotiation, which passed with 407 members in support.[6]<\/a><\/sup>[59]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0In 2014 he was one of eight members of Congress who voted against a $225 million package to restock\u00a0Israel<\/a>‘s\u00a0Iron Dome<\/a>\u00a0missile defenses<\/a>, which passed with 398 members in support.[60]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He supports a\u00a0two-state solution<\/a>\u00a0to the Israeli\u2013Palestinian conflict.[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAmash joined 104 Democrats and 16 Republicans in voting against the\u00a02012 National Defense Authorization Act<\/a>\u00a0(NDAA), which specified the budget and expenditures of the Department of Defense,[61]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0calling it “one of the most anti-liberty pieces of legislation of our lifetime”.[62]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Amash co-sponsored an amendment to the NDAA that would ban indefinite military detention and military trials so that all terror suspects arrested in the United States would be tried in civilian courts. He expressed concern that individuals charged with\u00a0terrorism<\/a>\u00a0could be jailed for prolonged periods of time without ever being formally charged or brought to trial.[63]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nOn March 14, 2016, Amash joined the unanimous vote in the House to approve a resolution declaring the\u00a0Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant<\/a>\u00a0(ISIL) to be committing genocide against religious minorities in the Middle East (it passed 383\u20130), but joined Representatives\u00a0Tulsi Gabbard<\/a>\u00a0(D-HI) and\u00a0Thomas Massie<\/a>\u00a0(R-KY) in voting against a separate measure creating an international tribunal to try those accused of participating in the alleged atrocities (it passed 392\u20133).[64]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nIn 2017 Amash criticized U.S. involvement in\u00a0Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen<\/a>, arguing that “Al Qaeda in Yemen has emerged as a de facto ally of the Saudi-led militaries with whom [Trump] administration aims to partner more closely.”[65]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nIn July 2017 Amash was one of only three House members to vote against the\u00a0Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act<\/a>, a bill that imposed new economic sanctions against Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The bill passed the House on a 419\u20133 vote, with Representatives\u00a0Thomas Massie<\/a>\u00a0(R-KY) and\u00a0John Duncan Jr.<\/a>\u00a0(R-TN) also voting no.[66]<\/a><\/sup>[67]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Trump initially opposed the bill, saying that relations with Russia were already “at an all-time and dangerous low”, but ultimately signed it.[67]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nIn 2019 Amash signed a letter led by Representative\u00a0Ro Khanna<\/a>\u00a0and Senator\u00a0Rand Paul<\/a>\u00a0to Trump asserting that it is “long past time to rein in the use of force that goes beyond congressional authorization” and that they hoped this would “serve as a model for ending hostilities in the future \u2013 in particular, as you and your administration seek a political solution to our involvement in Afghanistan.\u201d[68]<\/a><\/sup>[69]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nGerrymandering<\/span><\/h3>\nAmash opposes political\u00a0gerrymandering<\/a>, saying in 2018 that he strongly supported adopting “an independent process for drawing districts” based on geographic considerations, so that districts would be “as compact and contiguous as possible.”[70]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0As of February 2019 Amash was the only Republican member of Michigan’s congressional delegation who did not join a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s political boundaries.[71]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nHealth care<\/span><\/h3>\nOn May 4, 2017, Amash voted in favor of repealing the\u00a0Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act<\/a>\u00a0(Obamacare) and to pass a revised version of the\u00a0American Health Care Act<\/a>.[72]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Amash initially opposed the American Health Care Act, describing it as “Swampcare”,[73]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0tweeting that “It didn’t take long for the swamp to drain @realDonaldTrump”[74]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and criticizing House leadership for attempting to “ram it through.”[75]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Nevertheless, Amash voted for the updated AHCA plan before the\u00a0Congressional Budget Office<\/a>\u00a0could determine its impact or cost.[76]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nImmigration<\/span><\/h3>\nIn July 2018 House Republicans introduced a resolution supporting the officers and personnel of\u00a0Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)<\/a>. Amash was the only Republican in the chamber to vote against the resolution.[43]<\/a><\/sup>[77]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He tweeted, “The House voted today on an inane resolution regarding ICE. The resolution makes several dubious claims and denounces calls to abolish ICE. I wouldn’t abolish ICE without an alternative, but there’s no reason to treat a federal agency as though it’s beyond reproach and reform.”[77]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nIn December 2018 Amash was one of eight House Republicans to vote against a stopgap government funding bill that included $5.7 billion in border wall funding. Amash tweeted, “This massive, wasteful spending bill \u2013 stuffed with unrelated items \u2013 passed 217\u2013185. It\u2019s amazing how some wall funding causes my fellow Republicans to embrace big government.”[78]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nIn February 2019 Amash was the only House Republican to co-sponsor a resolution to block\u00a0Trump’s declaration of a national emergency<\/a>\u00a0to redirect funds to build a\u00a0wall on the U.S.-Mexico border<\/a>\u00a0without a congressional appropriation for such a project. He wrote, “A national emergency declaration for a non-emergency is void”, and “[Trump] is attempting to circumvent our constitutional system.”[79]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0On February 25 Amash was one of 13 House Republicans to vote to block Trump’s declaration.[80]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nMarijuana legalization and forfeiture<\/span><\/h3>\nAmash and fellow\u00a0U.S. Representative<\/a>\u00a0Ted Lieu<\/a>\u00a0(D-CA) introduced a bill[81]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0to block the\u00a0Drug Enforcement Administration<\/a>\u00a0(DEA) from financing its Cannabis Eradication Program through\u00a0civil asset forfeitures<\/a>.[82]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAmash took aim at civil asset forfeiture in a statement, saying that the practice allows for “innocent people to have their property taken without sufficient\u00a0due process<\/a>“.[83]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAmash co-sponsored H.R. 1227, the\u00a0Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act<\/a>\u00a0of 2017. The bill was introduced by\u00a0U.S. Representative<\/a>\u00a0Thomas Garrett<\/a>\u00a0(R-VA).[84]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nSame-sex marriage<\/span><\/h3>\nAmash supported a repeal of the\u00a0Defense of Marriage Act<\/a>, saying that the “real threat” to traditional marriage and religious liberty is government, not gay couples.[45]<\/a><\/sup>[85]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nSecurity and surveillance<\/span><\/h3>\nAmash has been a frequent critic of the\u00a0National Security Agency<\/a>‘s anti-terrorism surveillance programs.[7]<\/a><\/sup>[86]<\/a><\/sup>[87]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nHe voted against the 2011 reauthorization of the\u00a0USA PATRIOT Act<\/a>,[88]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0the 2012 reauthorization of the\u00a0FISA Amendments Act<\/a>,[89]<\/a><\/sup>and the\u00a0USA Freedom Act<\/a>.[90]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nIn 2013 Amash and 15 other members of Congress filed an amicus brief in Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court supporting the release of the Court’s unpublished opinions regarding the “meaning, scope, and constitutionality” of Section 215 of the Patriot Act.[91]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAmash opposed President\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>‘s 2017\u00a0executive order<\/a>\u00a0to ban citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States. Amash said: “Like President Obama’s executive actions on immigration, President Trump’s executive order overreaches and undermines our constitutional system.”[92]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\nAmash proposed an amendment to the reauthorization bill of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.[93]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The Amash amendment would have required the government in criminal cases to seek a warrant based on probable cause before searching surveillance data for information about Americans.[94]<\/a><\/sup>[95]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0While the Amash amendment received bipartisan support as well as support from civil liberties groups including the\u00a0American Civil Liberties Union<\/a>,[96]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0the amendment ultimately failed by a vote of 183 to 233.
As a member of Congress, Amash has gained a reputation as a gadfly within the Republican Party; his staunchly libertarian and sometimes contrarian views have resulted at times in disagreements with party leadership and other members of the Michigan congressional delegation.[41]<\/a><\/sup>[42]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash has called economists\u00a0F. A. Hayek<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Bastiat<\/a>\u00a0his “biggest heroes” and political inspirations,[21]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and has described himself as “Hayekian libertarian”.[43]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0When\u00a0The New York Times<\/a><\/i>\u00a0asked him to explain his approach to voting on legislation, he replied, “I follow a set of principles. I follow the\u00a0Constitution<\/a>. And that’s what I base my votes on.\u00a0Limited government<\/a>,\u00a0economic freedom<\/a>, and individual liberty.”[44]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash opposes\u00a0abortion<\/a>\u00a0and federal funding for abortion.[45]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He describes himself as “100 percent pro-life”[46]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and in 2017 voted in favor of\u00a0federal legislation to ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy<\/a>.[47]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash voted “present” rather than “yes” or “no” on the 2011 Full Year Continuing Appropriations Act, which provided for the cessation of federal funding to\u00a0Planned Parenthood<\/a>. Although he supports eliminating federal funding for Planned Parenthood, he abstained from defunding legislation, arguing that “legislation that names a specific private organization to defund (rather than all organizations that engage in a particular activity) is improper” and an “arguably unconstitutional”\u00a0bill of attainder<\/a>.[44]<\/a><\/sup>[48]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash opposes government bailouts and tax increases.[21]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n He was one of four Republicans who joined 161 Democrats to oppose a\u00a0Constitutional amendment<\/a>\u00a0that would require a yearly\u00a0balanced budget<\/a>, due to serious concerns[clarification needed<\/span><\/a><\/i>]<\/sup>\u00a0with that specific proposal.[49]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Earlier that year, Amash had introduced H.J. Res. 81, an alternative balanced budget amendment that addressed those concerns.[50]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash has criticized the\u00a0U.S. Environmental Protection Agency<\/a>\u00a0(EPA), arguing that many environmental regulations are overreaching.[51]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He voted in favor of the\u00a0Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011<\/a>, which would have amended the\u00a0Clean Air Act of 1963<\/a>to prohibit the EPA from regulating specified\u00a0greenhouse gasses<\/a>\u00a0as\u00a0air pollutants<\/a>.[52]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0In a 2017 debate Amash “exaggerated uncertainty around the basics of climate science”\u2014specifically, the\u00a0scientific consensus<\/a>\u00a0that\u00a0carbon emissions<\/a>\u00a0cause climate change.[53]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He opposed Obama’s decision to sign the\u00a0Paris Agreement<\/a>\u00a0to combat climate change.[54]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Amash voted against legislation to block Trump’s decision to\u00a0withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement<\/a>[55]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and in favor of legislation “expressing the\u00a0sense of Congress<\/a>\u00a0that a\u00a0carbon tax<\/a>\u00a0would be detrimental to the United States economy.”[55]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash voted against\u00a0Great Lakes<\/a>\u00a0restoration legislation.[51]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash was the only representative from Michigan to oppose federal aid in response to the\u00a0Flint water crisis<\/a>, arguing that “the U.S. Constitution does not authorize the federal government to intervene in an intrastate matter like this one.” Instead Amash contended that “the State of Michigan should provide comprehensive assistance to the people of Flint.”[56]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash speaking at the 2016\u00a0Young Americans for Liberty<\/a>\u00a0National Convention in Washington, D.C.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Amash supports decreasing\u00a0U.S. military spending<\/a>, and believes there is significant waste in the military spending of the\u00a0U.S. Department of Defense<\/a>.[57]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n He believes only\u00a0Congress<\/a>\u00a0has the\u00a0power to declare war<\/a>, criticizing President Obama’s\u00a0intervention in Syria<\/a>\u00a0against\u00a0the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant<\/a>\u00a0for proceeding without a Congressional declaration of war.[58]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n In 2011 Amash was one of six members of Congress who voted against House Resolution 268 reaffirming U.S. commitment to a negotiated settlement of the\u00a0Israeli\u2013Palestinian conflict<\/a>\u00a0through direct Israeli\u2013Palestinian negotiation, which passed with 407 members in support.[6]<\/a><\/sup>[59]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0In 2014 he was one of eight members of Congress who voted against a $225 million package to restock\u00a0Israel<\/a>‘s\u00a0Iron Dome<\/a>\u00a0missile defenses<\/a>, which passed with 398 members in support.[60]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He supports a\u00a0two-state solution<\/a>\u00a0to the Israeli\u2013Palestinian conflict.[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash joined 104 Democrats and 16 Republicans in voting against the\u00a02012 National Defense Authorization Act<\/a>\u00a0(NDAA), which specified the budget and expenditures of the Department of Defense,[61]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0calling it “one of the most anti-liberty pieces of legislation of our lifetime”.[62]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Amash co-sponsored an amendment to the NDAA that would ban indefinite military detention and military trials so that all terror suspects arrested in the United States would be tried in civilian courts. He expressed concern that individuals charged with\u00a0terrorism<\/a>\u00a0could be jailed for prolonged periods of time without ever being formally charged or brought to trial.[63]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n On March 14, 2016, Amash joined the unanimous vote in the House to approve a resolution declaring the\u00a0Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant<\/a>\u00a0(ISIL) to be committing genocide against religious minorities in the Middle East (it passed 383\u20130), but joined Representatives\u00a0Tulsi Gabbard<\/a>\u00a0(D-HI) and\u00a0Thomas Massie<\/a>\u00a0(R-KY) in voting against a separate measure creating an international tribunal to try those accused of participating in the alleged atrocities (it passed 392\u20133).[64]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n In 2017 Amash criticized U.S. involvement in\u00a0Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen<\/a>, arguing that “Al Qaeda in Yemen has emerged as a de facto ally of the Saudi-led militaries with whom [Trump] administration aims to partner more closely.”[65]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n In July 2017 Amash was one of only three House members to vote against the\u00a0Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act<\/a>, a bill that imposed new economic sanctions against Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The bill passed the House on a 419\u20133 vote, with Representatives\u00a0Thomas Massie<\/a>\u00a0(R-KY) and\u00a0John Duncan Jr.<\/a>\u00a0(R-TN) also voting no.[66]<\/a><\/sup>[67]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Trump initially opposed the bill, saying that relations with Russia were already “at an all-time and dangerous low”, but ultimately signed it.[67]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n In 2019 Amash signed a letter led by Representative\u00a0Ro Khanna<\/a>\u00a0and Senator\u00a0Rand Paul<\/a>\u00a0to Trump asserting that it is “long past time to rein in the use of force that goes beyond congressional authorization” and that they hoped this would “serve as a model for ending hostilities in the future \u2013 in particular, as you and your administration seek a political solution to our involvement in Afghanistan.\u201d[68]<\/a><\/sup>[69]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash opposes political\u00a0gerrymandering<\/a>, saying in 2018 that he strongly supported adopting “an independent process for drawing districts” based on geographic considerations, so that districts would be “as compact and contiguous as possible.”[70]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0As of February 2019 Amash was the only Republican member of Michigan’s congressional delegation who did not join a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s political boundaries.[71]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n On May 4, 2017, Amash voted in favor of repealing the\u00a0Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act<\/a>\u00a0(Obamacare) and to pass a revised version of the\u00a0American Health Care Act<\/a>.[72]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Amash initially opposed the American Health Care Act, describing it as “Swampcare”,[73]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0tweeting that “It didn’t take long for the swamp to drain @realDonaldTrump”[74]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and criticizing House leadership for attempting to “ram it through.”[75]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Nevertheless, Amash voted for the updated AHCA plan before the\u00a0Congressional Budget Office<\/a>\u00a0could determine its impact or cost.[76]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n In July 2018 House Republicans introduced a resolution supporting the officers and personnel of\u00a0Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)<\/a>. Amash was the only Republican in the chamber to vote against the resolution.[43]<\/a><\/sup>[77]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0He tweeted, “The House voted today on an inane resolution regarding ICE. The resolution makes several dubious claims and denounces calls to abolish ICE. I wouldn’t abolish ICE without an alternative, but there’s no reason to treat a federal agency as though it’s beyond reproach and reform.”[77]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n In December 2018 Amash was one of eight House Republicans to vote against a stopgap government funding bill that included $5.7 billion in border wall funding. Amash tweeted, “This massive, wasteful spending bill \u2013 stuffed with unrelated items \u2013 passed 217\u2013185. It\u2019s amazing how some wall funding causes my fellow Republicans to embrace big government.”[78]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n In February 2019 Amash was the only House Republican to co-sponsor a resolution to block\u00a0Trump’s declaration of a national emergency<\/a>\u00a0to redirect funds to build a\u00a0wall on the U.S.-Mexico border<\/a>\u00a0without a congressional appropriation for such a project. He wrote, “A national emergency declaration for a non-emergency is void”, and “[Trump] is attempting to circumvent our constitutional system.”[79]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0On February 25 Amash was one of 13 House Republicans to vote to block Trump’s declaration.[80]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash and fellow\u00a0U.S. Representative<\/a>\u00a0Ted Lieu<\/a>\u00a0(D-CA) introduced a bill[81]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0to block the\u00a0Drug Enforcement Administration<\/a>\u00a0(DEA) from financing its Cannabis Eradication Program through\u00a0civil asset forfeitures<\/a>.[82]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash took aim at civil asset forfeiture in a statement, saying that the practice allows for “innocent people to have their property taken without sufficient\u00a0due process<\/a>“.[83]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash co-sponsored H.R. 1227, the\u00a0Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act<\/a>\u00a0of 2017. The bill was introduced by\u00a0U.S. Representative<\/a>\u00a0Thomas Garrett<\/a>\u00a0(R-VA).[84]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash supported a repeal of the\u00a0Defense of Marriage Act<\/a>, saying that the “real threat” to traditional marriage and religious liberty is government, not gay couples.[45]<\/a><\/sup>[85]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash has been a frequent critic of the\u00a0National Security Agency<\/a>‘s anti-terrorism surveillance programs.[7]<\/a><\/sup>[86]<\/a><\/sup>[87]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n He voted against the 2011 reauthorization of the\u00a0USA PATRIOT Act<\/a>,[88]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0the 2012 reauthorization of the\u00a0FISA Amendments Act<\/a>,[89]<\/a><\/sup>and the\u00a0USA Freedom Act<\/a>.[90]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n In 2013 Amash and 15 other members of Congress filed an amicus brief in Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court supporting the release of the Court’s unpublished opinions regarding the “meaning, scope, and constitutionality” of Section 215 of the Patriot Act.[91]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash opposed President\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>‘s 2017\u00a0executive order<\/a>\u00a0to ban citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States. Amash said: “Like President Obama’s executive actions on immigration, President Trump’s executive order overreaches and undermines our constitutional system.”[92]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Amash proposed an amendment to the reauthorization bill of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.[93]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0The Amash amendment would have required the government in criminal cases to seek a warrant based on probable cause before searching surveillance data for information about Americans.[94]<\/a><\/sup>[95]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0While the Amash amendment received bipartisan support as well as support from civil liberties groups including the\u00a0American Civil Liberties Union<\/a>,[96]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0the amendment ultimately failed by a vote of 183 to 233.Abortion<\/span><\/h3>\n
Economy<\/span><\/h3>\n
Energy and environment<\/span><\/h3>\n
Foreign policy<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nGerrymandering<\/span><\/h3>\n
Health care<\/span><\/h3>\n
Immigration<\/span><\/h3>\n
Marijuana legalization and forfeiture<\/span><\/h3>\n
Same-sex marriage<\/span><\/h3>\n
Security and surveillance<\/span><\/h3>\n