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Qasim Rashid's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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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.
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Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Qasim Rashid is currently being tested through the 2024 Political Courage Test.

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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.

  • "The Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision revealed just how fragile reproductive rights were under Roe v. Wade. Qasim has spent his career fighting for women’s rights, and currently works with nonprofits working to expand reproductive health access nationally. Illinois may have legal protections in place, but an increasing number of Republican controlled states are successfully stripping away reproductive rights. This also disproportionately punishes Black and brown women, who suffer higher maternal mortality rates as well as those too poor to travel to other states for reproductive care. Qasim believes that access to abortion and bodily autonomy is a human right, and he will fight to restore and expand protections for these rights nationally." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "GOP will cut social security and claim it’s needed to cut the deficit. This is a LIE. Vote Blue on Nov 8 to protect Social Security." (twitter.com)
  • "Boy math is GOP cuts $2.1T in taxes for billionaires over 10 years, while billionaires underpay $163B in taxes/year ($1.63T over 10 years) which is $3.73T into the pockets of billionaires—but GOP wants to balance the budget by cutting Medicaid, Social Security, & school lunches🤔" (twitter.com)
  • "FACT: Social Security has decreased the Poverty rate for people 65+ to less than 10%—and if it’s repealed—the poverty rate for people 65+ will exceed 40%😳Dems will strengthen social security. GOP will end social security. Vote BLUE on Nov 8." (twitter.com)
  • "W/o Social Security: Poverty rate for people 65+ would exceed 40% in 1/4th of states. W/Social Security: Poverty rate for people 65+ is less than 10% in 3/4ths of states. Dems: Let’s strengthen social security GOP: Let’s end social security. Vote Dem" (twitter.com)
  • "Teachers can only deduct $250 in school supplies on their taxes, but billionaire Harlon Crow can write off his super yacht.😐 Why? Because millionaire politicians funded by billionaires & corps write tax law for billionaires. We need a Congress for working people—not the .1%" (twitter.com)
  • "Exactly 14 years ago today—on July 24, 2009—the minimum wage was set at $7.25 while top 1% were worth $5T. Today, billionaire wealth is $45T+, meanwhile the min wage is still $7.25. This is what generational wage theft looks like. Pay workers. Tax billionaires." (twitter.com)
  • "Taxing billionaires is not "stealing their wealth." Citizens pay taxes." (twitter.com)
  • "Teachers can only deduct $250 in school supplies on their taxes, but billionaire Harlon Crow can write off his super yacht.😐 Why? Because millionaire politicians funded by billionaires & corps write tax law for billionaires. We need a Congress for working people—not the .1%" (twitter.com)
  • "Exactly 14 years ago today—on July 24, 2009—the minimum wage was set at $7.25 while top 1% were worth $5T. Today, billionaire wealth is $45T+, meanwhile the min wage is still $7.25. This is what generational wage theft looks like. Pay workers. Tax billionaires." (twitter.com)
  • "Taxing billionaires is not "stealing their wealth." Citizens pay taxes." (twitter.com)
  • "Workers nationwide aren’t striking for fun. They’re not striking to be unreasonable or unrealistic. They’re not striking because they’re greedy or lazy. They’re striking because they played by the rules and still got robbed—and enough is enough. Pay Workers. Tax Billionaires." (twitter.com)
  • "Get corporate money out of politics to restore political power to working people." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Limit candidates self funding their own campaigns and implement the same campaign contribution limits that everyone else has to abide by, because the wealthy don’t deserve more political influence than everyone else." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Qasim is the only candidate in this race who fully rejects corporate campaign contributions. He stands with the 96% of Democratic voters who believe that we need to overturn Citizens United and get corporate money out of politics. Qasim believes that a Congressperson should only be accountable to their constituents. Unlike others who say they want to end Citizens United but still take corporate money, Qasim walks the walk and refuses to accept a penny from corporate donor." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "TW: Police violence. Enraging. Arkansas Officer Rodney Dunn flips over Nicole Harper’s car—while she was pregnant—b/c "she didn't pull over quick enough." He’s still a cop & faces 0 consequences b/c of qualified immunity. Unacceptable" (twitter.com)
  • "Police shot Jacob Blake 7 times & were acquitted of any wrongdoing under the horrid doctrine of Qualified Immunity. This lawyer is essentially arguing that b/c his white supremacist client cosplayed as a cop, he should also get the QI defense. Absurd & even worse, it may work.😐" (twitter.com)
  • "SCOTUS ruled in 2005 that police have "no legal duty to protect the public." A Federal judge reaffirmed in 2018 when Parkland students sued the cop who ran away. They lost. AND—Qualified Immunity protects 99.9% of police negligence & violence." (twitter.com)
  • "The Venn diagram of politicians who voted YES on $8T of military spending but plan to vote NO on $1.9T of BBB is a perfect circle. It was never about the cost, and any journalist who frames it that way is doing a massive disservice to the American people." (twitter.com)
  • "3.7 Million *more* children are in poverty b/c Manchin/Sinema claimed extending the $57B child tax credit would increase inflation. Meanwhile both supported an $800B military spending bill. They literally have money for war but can't feed the poor. Where is the accountability?" (twitter.com)
  • "5.2 Million *more* kids are in poverty b/c GOP & Manchin/Sinema claimed extending the $57B child tax credit was excessive spending. Meanwhile they all supported an $800B+ military spending bill. They literally have money for war but can't feed the poor. This is beyond outrageous" (twitter.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "•No affordable healthcare •No affordable housing •No affordable tuition •No parental time off •No living wage No wonder people aren’t having kids. Politicians have decided to sell out the next generation to bootlick billionaires & give them more tax cuts. Deplorable." (twitter.com)
  • "Americans are dying of COVID, lack adequate healthcare, lack affordable housing, lack a living wage, the climate crisis worsens daily—& two people who could vote to provide immediate relief to all of this unnecessary suffering are literally wasting time playing games. Reckless." (twitter.com)
  • "The United States has: •Living wage ❌ •Affordable housing ❌ •Universal healthcare ❌ •Affordable higher education ❌ •$33,000 average cost to have a child ✅ Media: We just can't figure out why the fertility rate is so low???" (twitter.com)
  • "US Mfg is now #1 globally for the first time in a generation, GDP growth up to 2.4%, Inflation down to 2.97%, & Unemployment down to 3.6%. Oh & 13.2M jobs created as #BidenBringsBackJobs. We have work to do but our economy is being righted—while GOP touts benefits of slavery.😐" (twitter.com)
  • "•Donald Trump arrested. •Inflation is at 2 year lows. •Unemployment at 50 year lows. •Manufacturing at 50 year highs. And while there is still much we must do to improve America, b/c it involves lifting up low income people, these absurd culture wars are all the GOP cares about" (twitter.com)
  • "To summarize: —Bidenomics •US GDP growth up to 2.4% •Inflation down to 2.97% •Unemployment down to 3.6% •US Manufacturing now #1 globally" (twitter.com)
  • "Fight for debt free college and trade schools so that people can get the training they need to build their careers." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "So now we know—through their own admission—that universities have price fixed tuition to exploit students since at least 2003. But politicians (especially those who get campaign cash from universities) still won't talk about student loan cancellation. smh" (twitter.com)
  • "MAGA: Canceling student loans is immoral. This is why we need a Govt based on the Bible. Deuteronomy 15: "At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made." MAGA: Not that part of the Bible #CancelStudentDebt" (twitter.com)
  • "We already have Voter ID laws. It’s called registering to vote. And it works. There’s been no meaningful voter fraud. Multiple investigations prove it. GOP Voter ID bills enforce additional ID requirements targeting minority & low income voters. They exist only to suppress voters" (twitter.com)
  • "NC GOP enforced voter ID laws to specifically disenfranchise Black voters—and now NC Supreme Court has said it is A-OK. Leaving voting up to "the states" is a sure fire way to block BIPOC votes. US Senate must abolish the Jim Crow filibuster & protect voting rights federally." (twitter.com)
  • "Since GOP claims restrictive voter ID laws, an unpaid Election Day, & limits on polling locations, mail, hours, & early voting don’t infringe voting—let’s apply all that to guns. Now to buy a gun you need a specific ID, can only buy from certain places, from 9am-6pm, once a year" (twitter.com)
  • "Invest in clean energy and infrastructure development in construction and transportation to get the United States to carbon neutral by 2030." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Build on the record investments in green energy that President Biden championed in the Inflation Reduction Act." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Invest in climate and ecosystem resiliency and mitigation projects to harden infrastructure and homes against future climate disasters like fires, hurricanes, and flooding." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Immediately end fracking and the debunked science of ‘carbon capture.’" (qasimrashid.com)
  • "End fossil fuel subsidies and increase the tax rate on oil company profits to fund community cleanup initiatives in Black and Latino neighborhoods." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Stop issuing new permits and leases for oil drilling on federal land, and immediately retire unused permits." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Implement universal background checks and a seven day waiting period for all gun purchases." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Close the Charleston loophole to prevent the sale of firearms when a background check is not completed within three days. Close the Boyfriend Loophole to keep guns away from domestic abusers. Implement a seven day waiting period for all gun purchases. Create a national Red Flag Law to limit access to firearms for those deemed to be a threat to themselves or others." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Gun violence and mass shootings are the number one cause of death for children and teens. As someone who has lost a loved one to gun violence, and as a father who wants to keep his and all children safe, this is a particularly personal issue for Qasim. Qasim will work with activists and academics to pass immediate and meaningful legislation to end our country’s gun violence epidemic." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Ban and create a buyback program for automatic firearms, military style semi-automatic firearms, 3D printed "ghost" guns, bump stocks, and high capacity magazines." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "No family should go broke because they get sick. Qasim understands that access to affordable health insurance isn’t the same as access to affordable healthcare: no family with health insurance should face bankruptcy because of skyrocketing out-of-pocket expenses that private insurers refuse to cover." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Expand Medicare funding to offer enrollment to anyone who wants to join." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "We can save residents money, achieve better health outcomes and life expectancy, and reduce infant and maternal mortality by bringing Medicare to everyone who wants to join. (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Deliver federally mandated paid sick and parental leave." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Allow medicare to negotiate the cost of care and procedures, not just prescription drugs." (qasimrashid.com)
  • "Meanwhile when 16 year old children arrive at our Southern Border with no money in their pocket, malnourished, and dying of thirst, the GOP orders troops to deny them water & push them into the river to drown them. GOP's lack of self-awareness is exceeded only by GOP's cruelty." (twitter.com)
  • Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border? "No" (votesmart.org)
  • Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? "No" (votesmart.org)
  • "The UAE has become a hub for Russia to protect its money and avoid international sanctions—while waging unjust war on Ukraine. Yet another reason the US must stop selling UAE weapons." (twitter.com)
  • "GOP is blocking renewing the free school lunch program—which feeds 23M kids daily—because of the $11B cost. Meanwhile, GOP voted to approve $40B in military aid to Ukraine & wants to spend tens of billions more arming teachers🤔" (twitter.com)
  • "Congress just authorized $40B in military aid to Ukraine—but now GOP won’t approve $11B in a free lunch program that’s helped feed 23 Million children. GOP’s ongoing war on working people is cruel & barbaric. Got money for war but can’t feed the poor." (twitter.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
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?
Qasim believes that reproductive health decisions should be between a woman and their doctor, and not include a politician in Washington. Qasim supports access to safe and legal abortion, to birth control and emergency contraception, to reproductive health services and education.
Yes In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
Yes Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
Qasim believes in protecting and expanding Social Security and Medicare and ensuring that we're keeping our promise to Americans now and in the future.
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
I support the reversal of Citizens United so that we can get big money out of politics and requiring that all publicly traded companies disclose any political donations or donations to trade associations or non-profits that engage in political activity.
No Do you support the protection of government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct?
No Do you support increasing defense spending?
Qasim believes we must ensure every nickel spent on national defense helps prepare America for 21st century threats, including pandemic, climate change, and terrorism. Diplomacy matters, and an effective State Department will help reduce spending on the Defense Department. The Defense Department has an important role to play in foreign policy and must have the resources necessary to protect. But we should not be running our foreign policy through the Pentagon. It's time to invest in diplomacy, and take time during the COVID-19 pandemic to think about what national security truly means in a 21st century world.
Yes Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
No Do you support lowering corporate taxes 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?
We must ensure that any federal aid provided is regulated and has oversight and that workers' interests are being prioritized over executives and large corporations.
Yes Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
The federal standards are the minimum. States can (and should where possible) exceed beyond the minimum standards.
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?
We must: - Repair and upgrade infrastructure while eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and guaranteeing access to clean water. - Create millions of good paying jobs while protecting our current energy workforce by training fossil-fuel workers in renewable energy jobs. These clean energy jobs will offer competitive benefits, income support, and retirement benefits. - Require project labor agreements to provide a prevailing wage for clean energy jobs; protecting the right of workers to join unions without employer interference. - Provide affordable, energy efficient public transportation systems. - Make investments in the agricultural sector and provide incentives for small and midsize farms.
Yes Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
I support common-sense gun laws that promote freedom, happiness, and safety. Qasim's experience with guns began in his childhood when his parents taught him responsible gun ownership. He believes in protecting the Second Amendment but ensuring violent felons, domestic abusers, and otherwise dangerous individuals don't have easy access to guns. Gun violence is an epidemic in America, causing over 40,000 annual deaths, far surpassing every other developed nation and western democracy. Meaningful gun laws work, in which responsible citizens have access to firearms for self-defense and hunting needs and our citizens and schoolchildren are protected from mass shooters and terrorists.
No Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
Yes Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19?
It is imperative that we support workers on the frontline of this crisis, in hospitals and grocery stores and warehouses all across America. They need a living wage, hazard pay, and paid sick time off. They need personal protective equipment. They need the federal government to do its job.
No Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
No Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
Qasim believes that Virginia's success is closely tied to a successful immigration policy. Qasim recognizes the need to work in a bipartisan manner. Accordingly, on the topic of undocumented immigration, Qasim largely agrees with Republican President Ronald Reagan and Republican President George H.W. Bush, who sought an immigration policy built on compassion, justice, and fairness. President Ronald Reagan declared in 1984, "I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here, even though some time back they may have entered illegally."
No Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)?
Yes Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
Yes Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
I support global trade agreements that ensure that our American workers are protected.
Achieving good, quality health care for everyone, securing good paying jobs that strengthen working families, uplifting rural areas, and protecting our environment. We can address these issues by creating a single-payer healthcare system and guaranteeing healthcare for every American, by making the federal minimum wage a living wage, making broadband internet a utility, and acting urgently to combat climate change through green economic reform.

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