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Jamaal Bowman's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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On The Ballot: Running, Democratic, Working Families for U.S. House (NY) - District 16

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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.

Jamaal Bowman did not provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2022 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 2022.

  • "Codify Roe v. Wade" (twitter.com)
  • Rated 100% by Planned Parenthood Action Fund (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "We need to make the Senate Joe Manchin-proof so we can abolish the filibuster and codify Roe." (twitter.com)
  • "Reproductive Rights: Women’s rights to control their own body are under attack across the country, jeopardizing the lives of women. Medicare for All would cover reproductive services, including abortion." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "I had a great afternoon talking to senior community members out in Co-op city. We need to raise social security benefits, lower prescription drug prices, and fight to protect pensions." (twitter.com)
  • Rated 100% by Alliance for Retired Americans (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Trump wants to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid while increasing defense spending dramatically. We must cut military spending and expand programs that lift up our elders and the most vulnerable." (twitter.com)
  • "No more uncertainty. Social Security will deplete its reserves by 2034, leading to cuts for over 20% of eligible seniors. We must guarantee Social Security funding for the next 50 years. But we have to go further than that. We must link Social Security benefits to inflation and ensure smarter adjustments for the rising cost of living. And we must raise the minimum benefit because it is unacceptable that an American retiring right now after 30 years of hard work is discovering their Social Security benefits put them below the poverty line." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "To protect ourselves from a fascist takeover of government, we need to abolish filibuster and pass the For The People Act." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 1 "For the People Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "No one should profit from our racist justice system. Biden ended federal contracts for private prisons. But we ain't done. We need to end qualified immunity, remove the profit motive from prisons and jails, and focus on restorative, rather than retributive, justice." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021" (votesmart.org)
  • "We have a criminal justice system that allows police officers to shoot an unarmed person 7 times in the back without consequence.This lack of accountability is consistent across the country. We need to end qualified immunity." (twitter.com)
  • "End qualified immunity and ban officers with use of force violations from future employment in other departments." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "Congress just passed a $738 billion defense package. Imagine if we spent some of that money on our schools and communities, and how many millions of lives would be improved." (twitter.com)
  • "Trump wants to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid while increasing defense spending dramatically. We must cut military spending and expand programs that lift up our elders and the most vulnerable." (twitter.com)
  • "We always seem to find the money for defense and weapons, but not for food or healthcare or schools." (twitter.com)
  • "Roads, tunnels, and bridges provide infrastructure that keeps our country running. But we need to invest in the people who do that too — and our reconciliation bill is a great place to start." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 5376 "Build Back Better Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "We need to reinvest in our communities and reinvest in our people a lot more than we invest in weapons and war and Wall Street. It's easy to give trillion-dollar tax cuts to Wall Street. When are we going to start investing trillions in our children and community centers?" (twitter.com)
  • "Invest in Affordable Housing: To overcome our district’s shortage of over 70,000 affordable rental homes, the federal government must make a deep public reinvestment in affordable and social housing." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "Because of the Omicron variant, COVID is spreading faster than it has in the last two years and it isn't going anywhere any time soon. It's time to pass another COVID relief package." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 1319 "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (votesmart.org)
  • "COVID-19 cases are continuing to rise at rapid rates. Now is the time to suppport every community across the country and provide them with another COVID-19 relief bill. We cannot leave anyone behind." (twitter.com)
  • "Granting 46 million Americans financial freedom from their student debt would help cool down inflation. We shouldn’t be forcing a recession when we can prevent it, and @POTUS can cancel student debt with one signature." (twitter.com)
  • "The Inflation Reduction Act finally allows us to hold billionaires and the rich accountable and makes them pay their fair share! Let's tax the rich!" (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 5376 “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022” (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 7688 “Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act" (votesmart.org)
  • "Cancel Student Debt and Make Public Colleges Tuition-Free" (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "From guaranteeing universal childcare and investing in public schools to making public colleges tuition-free and canceling student debt, we must take decisive action to repair the wounds of our history and fulfill the promise of our multiracial democracy." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "Granting 46 million Americans financial freedom from their student debt would help cool down inflation. We shouldn’t be forcing a recession when we can prevent it, and @POTUS can cancel student debt with one signature." (twitter.com)
  • "We must cancel all student loan debt. A universal, across-the-board cancellation will drive economic growth and provide an entire generation with the ability to escape suffocating debt to begin building wealth. This can be largely funded through raising taxes on Wall Street and a wealth tax." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "Attacks on the voting rights of Black Americans and the working class are as old as America itself. That's why I'm joining my brothers today to take a stand in defense of our right to the ballot box." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 4 “John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021” (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 5746 “Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act” (votesmart.org)
  • "We need a democracy where everyone can participate. We must honor those who marched for our voting rights and reject any and all efforts to take away our power. #RestoreTheVRA" (twitter.com)
  • "A Global Green New Deal is what would really address this oil crisis with Russia - and prevent future ones. It’s time we mobilize for real energy security, climate safety, and peace." (twitter.com)
  • "A transition to renewable energy not only increases our chances of a livable future, but decreases the power of autocratic governments like Saudi Arabia’s to exert influence on the global stage." (twitter.com)
  • "In addition to housing as a human right, we support a Green New Deal to transition our economy from dependence on fossil fuels toward clean and renewable energy, and offer a federal jobs guarantee which will provide a family-sustaining wage." (twitter.com)
  • "Millions of families were left out of the original New Deal and we must repair the wounds of our history if we are ever to fulfill the promise of this nation. Our district can lead in clean energy production, create millions of new jobs and fight pollution-related diagnoses like asthma, which disproportionately plague Black and Latino children." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "Exciting to see that Coop City will begin to benefit from solar energy. This is a small first step toward 100% clean energy in my district. We now need the federal gov’t to support the state’s work to get us to net zero-carbon emissions by 2030" (twitter.com)
  • "Our Green New Deal for Public Schools will reimagine our schools as centers for climate resiliency. We will build safe, zero-carbon learning environments for our kids — funding jobs, changing lives, & healing our communities after years of disinvestment in the process." (twitter.com)
  • "The climate crisis is already damaging our communities in New York, from deadly flooded basements to asthma-inducing dirty air. It will require a mass mobilization to combat climate change. The scale, scope and urgency of this issue surpasses anything we have faced in generations, and the Green New Deal is the only solution that matches our current crisis." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "The investments in our schools will have a global impact, eliminating 78 million tons of metric carbon dioxide emissions per year—the equivalent of removing 17 million cars off the road. Schools across the country will eliminate carbon emissions by powering their buildings with new green energy procurements, on-site renewable energy, energy efficiency upgrades and electrification projects." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "Every single shooting inflicts unquantifiable trauma on the individuals, families, and communities it victimizes.We need to move to abolish the filibuster, pass common-sense gun laws, and break the NRA’s corruptive stranglehold on our government." (twitter.com)
  • "It's been 8 years since 20 children and 6 educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary. We need bold action to heal the sickness in our country and end the gun epidemic that allows that sickness to destroy people. Sending love and strength to Sandy Hook." (twitter.com)
  • "The American people have wanted common sense gun reform for years. The only reason Congress hasn’t delivered it is because the NRA has been running our government. That needs to end — and we need background checks and a ban on assault rifles, immediately." (twitter.com)
  • "America’s health care system is fundamentally broken. We must guarantee health care as a human right and save millions of lives. The solution is found in nearly every other wealthy country across the globe: A single-payer system that guarantees comprehensive health care coverage not tied to your job." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "Lower Prescription Prices: Big pharma is ripping off the American people. Medicare for All puts their power in check and allows the government to negotiate lower prescription drug and medical device prices." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • " No Premiums, No Deductibles, No Copays: Working families are drowning in rising copays, deductibles and premiums. With Medicare for All, you have comprehensive coverage free at the point of service, no fees. In addition, there are no more confusing networks that limit what doctors you can visit and no more surprise bills." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "Reproductive Rights: Women’s rights to control their own body are under attack across the country, jeopardizing the lives of women. Medicare for All would cover reproductive services, including abortion." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "About 2 million fewer women are in the workforce today than before the pandemic. It’s not acceptable to me that our economy is leaving them behind. We must pass the Build Back Better Act in full and invest in paid leave, child care, workforce development and more." (twitter.com)
  • "Every worker deserves paid leave." (twitter.com)
  • "I think it's about time that Americans are guaranteed more than 0 weeks of paid leave. The Build Back Better Act is the transformative change families across the country deserve." (twitter.com)
  • "The #COVID19 pandemic has further exposed our need for a #PaidLeave policy. Only 5% of our essential, low-wage workers have access to paid leave through their employer. We need to pass the comprehensive and inclusive #FAMILYAct to change that." (twitter.com)
  • "Lower Prescription Prices: Big pharma is ripping off the American people. Medicare for All puts their power in check and allows the government to negotiate lower prescription drug and medical device prices." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "Rent, groceries, prescription drugs, and more are too high, and people cannot afford to live. My Emergency Price Stabilization Act would provide the President the power to analyze price increases and work to end them saving consumers hundreds and thousands." (twitter.com)
  • "The Inflation Reduction Act caps insulin for Medicare at $35 per month, but we can do better. We need to ensure that no one, including those who are uninsured pay more than $35 per month on their insulin. We cannot charge thousands of dollars for a drug folks need to live." (twitter.com)
  • "Abolish ICE" (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "ICE is not making our nation safer. They were used as a rogue deportation force under President Trump, showing the structurally racist intent of the agency when it was founded by President Bush. We must end raids at schools, places of worship, hospitals, and so much more." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "We are turning away thousands of people who are fleeing danger and hardship. We must decriminalize immigration, end the detention of those seeking asylum and relief at our border, and eliminate all for-profit detention centers." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "We must repeal the 10-year ban that blocks immigrants who have been deported from returning to their families in the United States. We must also support a Marshall Plan for Central America that helps confront the root economic, political, and environmental roots of increased migration" (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "DACA must be preserved and protected. Undocumented people are members of the human family and should always be treated with love and dignity. Let us unite to protect them and create a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and those seeking asylum." (twitter.com)
  • "The stakes have been raised, and futures of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients hang in the balance. We must move in this Congress to protect DACA and create a path to citizenship for all undocumented people." (twitter.com)
  • "We need to maintain & expand executive orders like DACA, that support undocumented youth and their families, while we work to have permanent legislative protections. Finally, we demand a lifting of the travel ban that targets our Muslim friends and family as well." (twitter.com)
  • "DACA must be preserved and protected. Undocumented people are members of the human family and should always be treated with love and dignity. Let us unite to protect them and create a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and those seeking asylum." (twitter.com)
  • "Jamaal believes there must be path to citizenship and permanent protection from deportation for all 11 million undocumented Americans in our country." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "The stakes have been raised, and futures of hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients hang in the balance. We must move in this Congress to protect DACA and create a path to citizenship for all undocumented people." (twitter.com)
  • "We need to maintain & expand executive orders like DACA, that support undocumented youth and their families, while we work to have permanent legislative protections. Finally, we demand a lifting of the travel ban that targets our Muslim friends and family as well." (twitter.com)
  • "I was proud to stand with my New York colleagues today as we announced legislation to divest from Russian companies." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 6968 “Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act” (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 7691 “Making emergency supplemental appropriations for assistance for the situation in Ukraine for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes.” (votesmart.org)
  • "We unequivocally stand with the global Ukrainian community in the wake of Putin's attack and invasion on Ukraine. Now is the time for Congress to work with the Biden Administration to swiftly ensure Putin and his oligarchs are held accountable and urgently establish a ceasefire." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 7691 “Making emergency supplemental appropriations for assistance for the situation in Ukraine for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes.” (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S. 3522 “Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022” (votesmart.org)
  • "We unequivocally stand with the global Ukrainian community in the wake of Putin's attack and invasion on Ukraine. Now is the time for Congress to work with the Biden Administration to swiftly ensure Putin and his oligarchs are held accountable and urgently establish a ceasefire." (twitter.com)
  • "It's time to tax the rich and all their hidden investments." (twitter.com)
  • "The wealthy and powerful should pay their fair share. It’s more than an issue of fairness and equality, it’s the only way to build a more just and fair society." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "We must pass a modest 2% wealth tax on the ultrarich with a net worth of over $50 million to invest in universal child care, free public college, canceling student debt and more." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "We must repeal the Trump tax cuts for the rich and massive corporations. We must tax capital gains at the same rate as income for the top 1%. We must close tax loopholes for corporations like Amazon who are paying little or zero federal taxes." (bowmanforcongress.com)
  • "Trade agreements should strengthen unions and lift up all of our communities, not be a global race to the bottom. As we move toward the era of the Green New Deal, we must rewrite the rules of the global economy to tackle inequality and promote justice." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 8351 “Formula Act” (votesmart.org)

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