Elections

Economic issues

MacArthur was the only member of Congress from the New Jersey congressional delegation to vote yes for the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017; other lawmakers harshly criticized the adverse impact of the bill on New Jersey taxpayers.^[58][59][60] The tax plan would lead to an aggregate tax cut in most states, but has stirred controversy in New Jersey due to the decrease in the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction to $10,000, which means that the bill raises taxes on many New Jersey citizens.^[61][58][59] MacArthur explained his vote by asserting that "nearly all taxpayers" in his district do not need SALT deductions above $10,000, and citing his efforts to restore the deduction to $10,000 after prior versions of the bill eliminated it entirely.^{[58][59][62][63]} When asked to elaborate by the Washington Post fact-checker, MacArthur said that 93% of his constituents did not pay SALT higher than $10,000 and shared his team's calculations with the Washington Post.^[59] The Washington Post fact-checker gave MacArthur "Two Pinocchios", writing that "even that accounting ignores the interaction of the property tax provision with other parts of the tax bill, so even people who would benefit from the cap still might find themselves with an increase in taxes. MacArthur appears to have worked diligently to tilt the bill so that it would benefit his constituents, but he oversells his achievement."^[59]

MacArthur was the only member of the New Jersey congressional delegation to vote in favor of a bill that funded farm subsidies for five additional years while imposing work requirements and new restrictions on food stamp usage.^[64] According to NJ.com, the bill, which did not pass, would have cost 35,000 New Jersey residents their access to food stamps.^[64] According to Vote Smart's 2016 analysis, MacArthur generally opposes allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts.^[65]

Environment

MacArthur introduced legislation to combat pollution in Barnegat Bay and cosponsored legislation to reauthorize the National Estuaries Program.^[66][67] The League of Conservation Voters has given him a lifetime score of 10%.^[68] MacArthur opposes the Trump administration's proposal to open New Jersey's waters to offshore oil and gas drilling.^[69] According to Vote Smart's 2016 analysis, MacArthur generally supports the building of the Keystone Pipeline, supports government funding for the development of renewable energy, and opposes the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.^[65]

Gun policy

MacArthur had described himself as a supporter of the Second Amendment and was endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund with a 93% ("AQ") rating.^{[70][71][72][73]}

Healthcare

MacArthur became a key player in efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, citing the loss of his first child and his own background in insurance as motivating factors.^[74] Then-candidate Andy Kim cited MacArthur involvement as a motivating factor for his own run against MacArthur, and healthcare became a dominant theme in the campaign.^[75] MacArthur has repeatedly called for repealing the Affordable Care Act and helped craft legislation for its repeal.^[76][77][78] However, in January 2017, he was one of nine Republicans who voted no on its repeal.^[79]

On March 20, 2017, MacArthur announced his support for the American Health Care Act of 2017.^[80]

On April 25, 2017, MacArthur introduced an amendment to the Act which became known as the MacArthur Amendment.^[81] It permits states to waive out of Obamacare's ban on pre-existing conditions, allowing insurers to charge sick people higher premiums than healthy people. It also dictates that health insurance offered to members of Congress and their staffs not be included in the exemption from covering pre-existing conditions.^[82] A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted in April 2017, found that 70 per cent of Americans favored protections for pre-existing conditions.^[83]

In response to MacArthur's vote to pass the AHCA, which would partially repeal and replace Obamacare, there were protests in his district, and MacArthur held town halls where some constituents questioned MacArthur about his vote.^[84][85][86]

MacArthur resigned as chair of the Tuesday Group in May 2017 due to disagreements among its members over the AHCA.^[87]

The repeal effort was defeated in the Senate in a narrow vote where Republican senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and John McCain joined with all Senate Democrats in voting against it.^[88][89]

LGBT rights

MacArthur's 2014 campaign website stated that he believes marriage is "between one man and one woman," and that questions of marriage should be resolved at the state level.^[90][91] It would appear later versions of MacArthur's campaign website did not contain this language. MacArthur led a bipartisan effort to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the 2020 Census, and opposed the Trump Administration's efforts to ban transgender persons from military service.^[92][93] Garden State Equality, a New Jersey LGBT advocacy organization, endorsed MacArthur for re-election in 2016.^[94] In 2018 Garden State Equality stated that MacArthur was "one of the most pro-LGBTQ Republicans in the nation and has proven a steadfast ally to the LGBTQ community," though the organization withheld an endorsement in the race due to differences with MacArthur over healthcare policy.^[95]