Michael Gravel (Presidential Candidates)
Michael Gravel
LP-AK
Biography
GRAVEL, Maurice Robert (Mike), a Senator from Alaska; born in Springfield, Hampden County, Mass., May 13, 1930; attended private schools; graduated, Columbia University 1956; member of the United States Army, Counter Intelligence Corps 1951-1954; member, Alaska house of representatives 1962-1966, elected speaker in 1965; author; engaged in real estate development in Anchorage and Kenai; elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1968; reelected in 1974, and served from January 3, 1969, to January 2, 1981; unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1980; is a resident of Arlington, Va.
CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
The presidential candidates have been invited to respond to 14 questions on science and technology policy. Urge Senator Gravel to participate by contacting him today.Login/Register to EditMICHAEL GRAVEL ON SCIENCE
Environment
Arctic National Wildlife refuge (ANWR)
In an interview with The Philadelphia Jewish Voice, Gravel responded to a question on whether or not he supports ANWR with "I would just drop ANWR like a hot potato. At one point in my career I was very supportive of that. I think that we should end it, because I see that off Florida people don’t want any drilling."
Energy
Former Senator Gravel supports a carbon tax to end U.S. energy dependence on the Middle East. He also supports a cap on carbon emissions.
Evolution/Intelligent Design
Global Warming
To combat climate change, Gravel believes in altering the tax structure to a retail sales tax to encourage Americans to save and reduce consumption.
Healthcare
Gravel’s proposal features a universal health care system paid for by a retail sales tax in which all citizens would receive vouchers to pay for their healthcare costs. At the SEIU Democratic Health Care Forum in March 2007, he also endorsed phasing out Medicare and Medicaid over time.
Stem Cell Research
In an interview with a blog in June 2006, Gravel expressed support for stem cell research.
Speeches on Science and Health Policy Issues
SCIENCE IN THE DEBATES:
MSNBC Democratic Debate, September 26, 2007
Question: Would anyone here -- would anyone here raise the gasoline tax in order to wean America off of Middle Eastern oil?
Gravel: First off, let me qualify it. I would ask the Congress -- they won't do it -- but then I would empower the American people to do it, and that is to put a carbon tax on. If we don't do something drastic -- you know, we can get off the gasoline in ten years and we can get off of carbon in 10 years. All we got to do is want to do it. And to put a tax on gasoline permits politicians and bureaucrats to play favorites. You do it right at the lump of coal, and you do it at the gas, and you do it at the oil, and then that filters through the system properly.
Question: Nuclear power?
Gravel: Not at all. The solution obviously is wind power. If we manufactured 5 million of these 2.5 meg windmills across the country, we could electrify the entire nation -- the entire nation. I'm talking about our transportation system. Why don't we do that? We know the -- this is technology off the shelf. That's why I kept saying, we can get off of gasoline in five years; we can get off of carbon in 10 years. All we've got to want is to do it. And it will take the American people, because they can't get that through the Congress.
CNN/Youtube Democratic Debate, July 23, 2007
Question: Senator Gravel, how do you get Americans to conserve?
Gravel: Very simple, change our tax structure. Have a fair tax where people are taxed on what they spend rather than what they earn. And our tax system is totally corrupt right now. And so if we now have a retail sales tax, you’ll take this nation of ours from a consuming nation to a savings nation. And that’s the most significant thing we can do to alter climate change.
