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Don Beyer, Jr.'s Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Democratic for U.S. House (VA) - District 8

Key

Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Don Beyer, Jr. has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2024 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

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Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2024.

  • "Like many of you, when I heard the Supreme Court had overturned Roe, I immediately went to the SCOTUS building. This is a dark and discouraging moment, but it does not end here. We can’t give up, we must take heart for the struggle ahead — much of which will happen in the states." (x.com)
  • "Awful news from our neighbor to the south. Since the Supreme Court’s disastrous Dobbs decision, Republicans have passed or are on the verge of passing abortion bans in every state across the southeast. Only Virginia stands alone. Make no mistake — they want to ban it here too." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of S 610 "Protecting Medicare and American Farmers from Sequester Cuts Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I am working with the Democratic Caucus to build on that progress and make affordable, accessible health care fully universal. I introduced the Choose Medicare Act to do just that, and am a proud co-sponsor of Medicare for All. I have also championed legislation to lower prescription drug costs and, in the midst of COVID-19, successfully introduced and passed legislation to ensure vaccines would be available for free." (friendsofdonbeyer.com)
  • Rated 100% by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSM) (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 98% by the Alliance for Retired Americans (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Voted in favor of HR 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The House just passed the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act, taking a major step forward for justice. It bans no-knock warrants and police chokeholds, ends qualified immunity, and establishes new standards for policing and transparency. I voted YES." (x.com)
  • Rated 0% by the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "June: CARES Act funds flowed; ~5M jobs added. July: CARES Act stimulus slowed, ~2M jobs added. August: CARES Act stops, ~1M added. Millions remain unemployed, permanent job losses and racial disparities are climbing. It's clear as day: Congress needs to pass more stimulus." (x.com)
  • "Couldn’t have a clearer contrast. We are investing in America’s infrastructure to make our rail system better while creating good-paying jobs. House Republicans are about to vote for a funding bill that would gut Amtrak’s budget, all as they keep seeking tax cuts for the rich." (x.com)
  • "FULL STEAM AHEAD: we are thrilled to announce a ***$729 million*** investment in Virginia rail projects including the Long Bridge Project thanks to the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act! This is a huge deal for Virginia infrastructure!!!" (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The tax bill before us is not perfect, but in a divided Congress it is a pleasant surprise to be able to pass meaningful legislation to lift hundreds of thousands of American children out of poverty and support major new affordable housing construction. I will vote yes." (x.com)
  • "New: I have submitted my Community Project Funding Requests for FY24. This year we took a particular focus on supporting affordable housing across Northern Virginia, with infrastructure projects and much more." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7301 "Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted 100% by the National Education Association (NEA) (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Good news, everyone: the application for federal student loan debt forgiveness is online, short, and easy to complete!" (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2547 "Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "1) A GOP campaign committed *election* fraud. Blaming voters is a lie 2) NC GOP passed a voter ID law federal judges called "the most restrictive voting law North Carolina has seen since the era of Jim Crow" 3) McConnell blaming Dems for Republican election fraud is nonsensical" (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5746 "Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "PASSED– the Freedom To Vote: John R. Lewis Act is adopted in the U.S. House. My name is on the bill, but its provisions were written by @RepTerriSewell, @RepSarbanes, and many others who have worked tirelessly to advance voting rights and election reform" (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 9 "Climate Action Now Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The federal government should not be promoting fossil fuels, the consumption of which poses a threat to human existence on this planet. After years of expansions of drilling, we finally have an administration looking out for public health and working to make our economy greener." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 4447 "Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1941 "Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Banning offshore drilling was one of the first things I worked on in Congress, and my bill to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales and other marine species by stopping seismic blasting is something I've pushed for years. So happy that we finally passed these this week." (x.com)
  • "The federal government should not be promoting fossil fuels, the consumption of which poses a threat to human existence on this planet. After years of expansions of drilling, we finally have an administration looking out for public health and working to make our economy greener." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1146 "Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "We can and should do so much more to save American lives from the scourge of gun violence. Congress should start by renewing the Assault Weapons Ban." (x.com)
  • Rated 0% by the NRA (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1808 "Assault Weapons Ban of 2022" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I am working with the Democratic Caucus to build on that progress and make affordable, accessible health care fully universal. I introduced the Choose Medicare Act to do just that, and am a proud co-sponsor of Medicare for All. I have also championed legislation to lower prescription drug costs and, in the midst of COVID-19, successfully introduced and passed legislation to ensure vaccines would be available for free." (friendsofdonbeyer.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1425 "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The Build Back Better Act contains some of the most important benefits for American families ever contemplated by Congress: lowered drug prices, paid family leave, affordable child care and health care, universal pre-Kindergarten, and the extended child tax credit. Let's pass it." (x.com)
  • "Every American worker deserves paid sick and family leave and we can't stop fighting until they get it." (x.com)
  • "Study after study has shown that having women in positions of business leadership helps the companies they lead foster more inclusive work practices and also boosts their bottom lines," said Rep. Beyer. "Promoting women to management helps eliminate unconscious bias, provides role models and mentors to others in the company ranks, and gives a powerful boost to internal advocates for pay equity and paid family leave. House resolutions are often symbolic, but sending this message matters, and it is my hope on International Women's Day that this gender parity legislation will inspire American businesses to do the right thing and promote more women up the ladder of leadership." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The Build Back Better Act contains some of the most important benefits for American families ever contemplated by Congress: lowered drug prices, paid family leave, affordable child care and health care, universal pre-Kindergarten, and the extended child tax credit. Let's pass it." (x.com)
  • "I am working with the Democratic Caucus to build on that progress and make affordable, accessible health care fully universal. I introduced the Choose Medicare Act to do just that, and am a proud co-sponsor of Medicare for All. I have also championed legislation to lower prescription drug costs and, in the midst of COVID-19, successfully introduced and passed legislation to ensure vaccines would be available for free." (friendsofdonbeyer.com)
  • "Lowering the cost of prescription drugs is a moral imperative. I firmly support the provisions of the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act and will continue to work with my colleagues to make sure the House passes strong legislation to reduce prescription drug prices" (x.com)
  • Voted against HR 6136 "Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2018" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I voted for @AOC’s amendment to halt Trump’s militarization of the border. Disappointed that it was unsuccessful, but many of us are deeply concerned about this and we will keep working on it." (x.com)
  • Rated 0% by the Federation of American Immigration Reform (FAIR) (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 2 "Secure the Border Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Trump is fighting in court to end DACA and undo all the good it has done for students and workers in our community. Hatred of immigrants is one of the central themes of his Administration. The House passed legislation earlier this year to protect Dreamers. The Senate should too." (x.com)
  • "Today the House turns the page on years of partisan fighting and failure on immigration, passing a much needed and widely agreed upon fix to protect Dreamers. The legislation we just passed also gives protections to TPS-holders. The Senate should send it to the President’s desk." (x.com)
  • A great day for the United States. Dreamers are Americans. They belong here. Very glad the Supreme Court sided with them, though the urgent need for Congress to pass humane immigration reform remains. Also, if Trump had a personal motto it would be "Arbitrary and Capricious." (x.com)
  • "Speaker Johnson could pass assistance for Ukraine today if he chose to. He should. For months he has failed to support our ally, which emboldens Russia and its autocratic allies including Iran and China. Our Ukrainian friends urgently need help – we should get it to them ASAP."
  • "Alexei Navalny's death is intended to silence internal Russian dissent and hope for freedom and democracy. This is a chilling reminder of Vladimir Putin’s tyranny and the necessity of protecting a free Ukraine. The House must pass Ukraine aid to counter Putin's aggression." (x.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 8035 "Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7520 "Protecting Americans' Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
Pro-choice Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
Yes Do you support expanding federal funding to support social safety net programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
I support tax increases that would make the wealthy pay their fair share.
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations,unions, and individuals?
No Do you support the protection of government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct?
Yes Do you support increasing defense spending?
I support increases in defense spending to support Ukraine's fight for freedom. There are other areas of the defense budget where I think reductions could be smart.
Yes Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
Yes Do you support the federal government taking action, beyond those of the Federal Reserve, to alleviate inflation?
Yes Do you support the forgiveness of federal student loan debt?
No Do you support requiring a government-issued identification in order to vote at the polls?
Yes Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
Yes Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
Yes Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
Yes Do you support a government-run (single-payer) healthcare program, such as Medicare-for-All?
Yes Do you support expanding paid family AND/OR medical leave opportunities?
Yes Do you support lowering the cost of prescription drugs?
Yes Do you support increasing security along the southern US border?
No Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
Yes Do you support economic intervention as a means of resolving international conflicts?
Yes Do you support the U.S. providing increased offensive military aid to Ukraine?
Yes Do you support raising taxes, on any income or on any entity, to promote economic growth?
Yes Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
Please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.

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