Carly
Fiorina, the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard, announced her
candidacy Monday for the Republican presidential nomination, saying her
experience running a major multinational corporation shaped her views on
everything from foreign affairs to the economy. Here is a look at where
she stands on some of the major issues of the 2016 campaign.
Foreign Policy
Ms.
Fiorina has accused the Obama administration of playing down the threat
of Islamic extremism and has said Hillary Rodham Clinton underestimated
America’s foes, particularly President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia,
during her time as secretary of state. Ms. Fiorina has said that the
United States should “stand up and arm Ukraine” to fight Russian-backed
rebels, and that she would order high-profile military exercises in the
Baltic States to send “a very clear message” to Mr. Putin. On nuclear
negotiations with Iran, she says the United States should not lift
sanctions against Iran until Tehran agrees to even stricter terms on a
nuclear deal, including more extensive inspections.
Immigration
Ms.
Fiorina in the past has said she would support a path to citizenship
for the children of illegal immigrants if they graduate from college or
serve in the armed forces.
Like
others in the Republican field, she has recently emphasized the need
for tightening border security before undertaking a broader overhaul of
the immigration system.
Same-Sex Marriage
While she does not endorse same-sex marriages,
Ms. Fiorina supports granting government benefits to same-sex couples.
She defended the recent Indiana law, subsequently altered, that drew
criticism for having the potential to allow discrimination against gay
people.
“People
of religious conviction know that marriage is a religious institution
with a spiritual foundation because only a man and a woman can create
life, which is a gift that comes from God,” she said. “We must protect
their rights as well.”
Climate Change
Unlike other Republican candidates, Ms. Fiorina has not denied that human activity causes global warming.
But she has argued against regulation in California to reduce
climate-warming emissions, saying such actions by individual governments
alone “won’t make a bit of difference in climate change.”
She
has also been critical of efforts to reach international treaties to
fight climate change, expressing skepticism that huge carbon emitters
like China will change their behavior. And after previously supporting a
cap-and-trade system for curtailing harmful emissions, she came out against the idea during her failed 2010 Senate run in California.
The Economy
Ms.
Fiorina generally believes that reducing government regulations helps
to spur the economy, and she opposed the 2009 federal stimulus program
as a wasteful use of taxpayer money.
She opposes raising the federal minimum wage, saying doing so “will hurt those who are looking for entry-level jobs.”
She
feels the federal work force is too large and says she would cut the
pay of federal workers and base their compensation on performance. In
her 2010 Senate race, she called for eliminating the estate tax and capital gains taxes for investments in small businesses, and lowering marginal tax rates.
