Buddy Carter

The marijuana legalization advocacy organization NORML has rated Carter a "D", which indicates a strongly anti-drug stance.[10]

Carter voted against the Veterans Equal Access Amendment in 2015 & 2016 (which would expand access to medical marijuana for veterans), against the McClintock/Polis Amendment in 2015 (which would prevent the Department of Justice from prosecuting federal marijuana offenses that are legal in the state) and against the Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment in 2015 (which would prevent federal officials from interfering with a state's medical marijuanrogram).[10]

In 2017, Carter renewed his push to drug test citizens who receive unemployment insurance.[11]

Carter supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He has stated that there is no circumstance that would induce him to vote in favor of keeping the ACA, including if most of his constituents were in favor of it.[12]

On July 26, 2017, Carter was asked during a live television interview if he supported Trump's criticism of Republican U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski for her opposition to the procedural vote to begin the Senate's healthcare debate. Carter agreed with the criticism, saying, "Somebody needs to go over there to that Senate and snatch a knot in their ass."[13] The incident prompted widespread media coverage.[14][15][16]

Carter voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[17] His reason for voting "Yea" on the bill was that he believed businesses located in his district would become more competitive in a global market. He also said it would help his constituents earn and/or save more money.[18]

Carter has stated that "granting amnesty to illegal immigrants is unconstitutional."[19] However, he has co-sponsored a bill which would let illegal immigrants serve in the US military in exchange for legal residency.[20]

Carter supported President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order to temporarily curtail immigration from six countries until better screening methods are devised. He stated that "While I believe there needs to be thoughtful clarifications on the executive actions similar to Secretary Kelly’s announcement about lawful permanent residents, the number one priority of the federal government is to provide for the common defense."[21]

Carter wants to prohibit all federal funding from sanctuary cities in Georgia (sanctuary cities prohibit city officials from asking about a person's immigration status when they're reporting an unrelated crime).[22] Carter also stated he would like to test the huge backlog of rape kits in Georgia, except in sanctuary cities. He said about testing the rape kit backlog, "We'll do everything we can to help," but then added, "Unless they’re a sanctuary city."[23][24]

Carter opposes abortion. He cosponsored the Sanctity of Human Life Act (H.R. 586), which would make all abortions illegal.[25]

H.R. 586 provides a constitutional right to life to embryos at the moment of fertilization.[26] While a similar bill in the Senate, S. 231, claims to not target women who use birth control, women who suffer from miscarriages, or families that want to conceive using vitro fertilization,[27] the House bill contains no such exceptions. When asked by a constituent during a town hall in Savannah, Georgia whether he had concerns about restricting access to birth control when rape is so common on college campuses, Carter replied "I'm not going to vote for any bill that endorses abortion."[28] H.R. 586, which would ban abortion, contains no exceptions for the life or health of the mother or for cases of rape or incest.

When questioned during a February 2017 town hall in Savannah, Georgia as to whether religious doctrine ought to be taught in public school science classes, Carter responded "I have always thought we should teach the Bible in school."[29]

Carter believes gay marriage should be illegal.[30]

During an August 2017 town hall in Brunswick, Georgia, Carter stated that he supported a ban on transgender people serving in the military, saying, "I don't want 'em serving in the military. I'm sorry."[31][32]

Carter is a strong supporter of gun rights, and has an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association for his stances on gun issues.

In 2018, Carter stated: "I support the 2nd Amendment so I don't want to see us outlawing anything. However, however I will say that I have recently come out and said I am against bump stocks." (Bump stocks are what allowed the shooter in the Las Vegas Massacre to fire more rapidly than semi-automatic weapons normally do.) "Automatic weapons are against the law here in America and a bump stock in my opinion is nothing more than an attempt to circumvent the law so I don't think that we should have those," said Carter.

"But you know at the same time people have the right to bear arms, it's the 2nd Amendment," Carter reiterated. "And you know even if you were to outlaw some of these semi-automatic weapons they're going to get a get a weapon from somewhere," he said.

In February 2018 during a town hall in Hinesville, Georgia when asked about mass shootings in America, Carter told attendees to not look towards Congress for answers about gun violence, stating Congress is not responsible for gun violence in America.[33]

In December 2020, Carter was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives who signed an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden prevailed[34] over incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of the election held by another state.[35][36][37]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of "election subversion." Additionally, Pelosi reprimanded Carter and the other House members who supported the lawsuit: "The 126 Republican Members that signed onto this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House. Instead of upholding their oath to support and defend the Constitution, they chose to subvert the Constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions."[38][39] New Jersey Representative Bill Pascrell, citing section three of the 14th Amendment, called for Pelosi to not seat Carter and the other Republicans who signed the brief supporting the suit. Pascrell argued that "the text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States. Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that."[40]

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Health
  • Subcommittee on Environment
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

• Republican Study Committee[44]

• House Baltic Caucus[45]
• United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus[46]
• U.S.-Japan Caucus[47]