Can the GOP take back the White House in 2016? The potential Peter King 2016 ticket aims to win over the party through a traditional conservative platform.
New York Republican Rep. Peter King is looking to cast himself in the mold of a traditional Reagan conservative as he attempts to capture the hearts and minds of GOP primary voters.
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Is he really true to that heritage? These eight facts about King's political views illustrate his ideological perspective as a congressman.
1. Supports War on Terror.
King is a fixture on the Homeland Security Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. He served as committee chairman from 2005 to 2006 and again in 2011 and 2012.
King has worked to raise increased awareness on Islamic radicalization within American mosques.
2. Onetime IRA supporter.
Early in his political career, King lent public support to the Irish Republican Army and often defended its violent actions in seeking to remove British rule from Northern Ireland.
King eventually had a change of heart, withdrew his support of the group, and called on the IRA to disband in 2005.
3. Opposes illegal immigration.
King is a vocal opponent of illegal immigration, even opposing prominent Republicans like John McCain on the issue.
He supports measures that would require all immigrants to learn the English language and supports building a fence to secure the U.S.–Mexico border.
4. Favors gun control.
In 2006 and 2008, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence endorsed King on its website. The Brady Campaign is named after President Ronald Reagan's former press secretary who was shot during an attempted assassination of the former president, the group seeks stiffer gun control laws.
King has been a vocal proponent of expanded background checks and has introduced stricter gun control measures, particularly in the wake of mass shootings.
5. Voted for 2008 bailout.
King supported the 2008 Wall Street bailout. He defended his stance in an interview with Newsday, saying it was necessary for the financial health of New York.
He later opposed the 2009 economic stimulus package introduced by President Barack Obama.
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6. Opposes closing Gitmo.
As a supporter of the War on Terror, King has opposed Obama's efforts to close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay. He has also opposed holding terrorist trials in the United States, citing security risks and added costs for using the U.S. judicial system for these trials.
7. Opposes WikiLeaks.
The activities of WikiLeaks in releasing sensitive government and military documents have drawn sharp criticism from King.
In 2010, in a letter to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, he proposed that WikiLeaks be classified as a terrorist organization by the federal government.
8. Supported Iraq War.
Starting in 2002, King fully supported President George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq and liberate the Iraqi people from the rule of Saddam Hussein.
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