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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.
- "Today I signed an Executive Order to protect the reproductive rights of women in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's extreme decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. It formalizes the actions I announced right after the decision and will add new measures to protect women's health." (x.com)
- "As we mark the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, now is the time to rededicate ourselves to the work ahead. From codifying Roe to eliminating maternal and infant health disparities, our Administration is committed to ensuring everyone has access to the health care they need." (x.com)
- "One year ago, the Supreme Court took away a constitutional right from the American people, denying women the right to choose. My Administration has taken swift and strong action â but the job isn't finished until Congress codifies the protections of Roe v. Wade once and for all." (x.com)
- "When Roe v. Wade was overturned, we committed that we'd never stop fighting for your reproductive rights. That hasn't changed. Today, I signed a third reproductive health care Executive Order that strengthens access to contraception â an essential part of reproductive care." (x.com)
- "I believe rebuilding the middle class is the moral obligation of our time â that's why I'm so proud to celebrate Social Security's birthday. It's why me and my Democratic friends on the Hill are working to protect and expand it. Republicans in Congress want it sliced." (x.com)
- "Americans have paid into their Social Security and Medicare every single paycheck since they were 16 years old. I'm strengthening those programs. And if a piece of legislation lands on my desk that wants to gut them, I'll veto it." (x.com)
- "House Republicans are threatening to cut Social Security and Medicare, putting the dignity of millions of Americans who rely on these programs at risk. I wonât stand for that. We ought to strengthen these programs â not gut them." (x.com)
- "I know that for a lot of Republicans on the Hill their dream is to cut Social Security and Medicare. Well, let me say this. If thatâs your dream, I'm your nightmare." (x.com)
- "Iâm not looking to punish anyone, I just think itâs only fair that the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share once again. Then, weâll use that money to invest in the middle class." (x.com)
- "After I signed the Inflation Reduction Act, some claimed our tougher tax enforcement policies would go after middle-class families. Todayâs numbers prove otherwise. Congressional Republicans may not like it, but Iâm going to make sure the wealthy pay what they owe." (x.com)
- "I proposed a minimum billionaire tax because no billionaire should be paying a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter." (x.com)
- "My budget proposes a billionaire minimum tax, requiring the wealthiest Americans to pay at least 25% on all of their income, including appreciated assetsâbecause no billionaire should ever pay a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter." (x.com)
- "Iâm a capitalist. If you can make a billion dollars, go get it. Just pay a little more in taxes. Itâs time billionaires pay a 25% minimum tax." (x.com)
- "I proposed a minimum billionaire tax because no billionaire should be paying a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter." (x.com)
- "Itâs time billionaires paid at least a 25% minimum tax." (x.com)
- "Iâm not looking to punish anyone, I just think itâs only fair that the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share once again. Then, weâll use that money to invest in the middle class." (x.com)
- "Wealthy special interests, corporations, and foreign influences are skewing the policy process in Washington in their own favor by taking advantage of the way we finance elections. We need to create a public financing system for federal campaigns and pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United to amplify the voices of individual Americans and ensure elected officials are working for the people. In the meantime, the public has the right to know who is contributing to which advertisements and campaign initiatives." (None)
- "Eliminate all private dollars from federal elections. Overturn Citizens United and end dark money groups. Ban lobbyists from donating to candidates they lobby. It's time we ensure our government works for the people â not just the powerful." (x.com)
- "It's time we overturn Citizens United and create a public financing system for our elections." (None)
- "Overturning Citizens United isnât enough. Ridding our politics of big money and corporate special interests demands more. We must go further. I will introduce a constitutional amendment to get all private dollars out of our federal elections." (x.com)
- "We need real police reform that holds all cops up to the high standards that so many of them actually meet -- that holds bad cops accountable, and that repairs the relationship between law enforcement and the community they are sworn to protect." (None)
- "I am pleased that the House will vote next week on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. I encourage the House to pass it. Following Senate consideration, I hope to be able to sign into law a landmark police reform bill." (x.com)
- "I signed an executive order for all federal officers banning chokeholds, restricting no-knock warrants, and other key elements of the George Floyd Act. But all of us need to rise to this moment. We canât turn away. Letâs come together and finish the job on police reform." (x.com)
- "Iâve called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, but Senate Republicans have stood in the way of progress. Thatâs why this afternoon, Iâm taking action and signing an Executive Order that delivers the most significant police reform in decades." (x.com)
- "President Trump has abandoned all fiscal discipline when it comes to defense spending. His budget is dominated by investments in aging legacy capabilities. At a time when weâre winding down our main combat efforts from the last two decades, we need to make smarter investments in our military. We can maintain a strong defense and protect our safety and security for less. The real question is not how much we invest â itâs how we invest." (www.militarytimes.com)
- "Joe Biden has long believed that the US should narrow rather than broaden its military efforts in Afghanistan, and has for years advocated for ending the war responsibly. We can't keep spending tens of billions of dollars a year to sustain a stalemate." (None)
- "Our military is one tool in our toolbox--along with diplomacy, economic power, education, science and technology. We must invest in and strengthen all elements of our power. And, we must modernize our military to prepare for the wars of tomorrow, while ensuring that we only deploy American troops into harm's way when it is in our vital national security interest." (None)
- PBS: Biden authorizes $768.2 billion in defense spending, a 5 percent increase, "The Act provides vital benefits and enhances access to justice for military personnel and their families, and includes critical authorities to support our countryâs national defense." (www.pbs.org)
- Signed H.R. 1319 "American Rescue Plan Act of 2021" (votesmart.org)
- "My Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is funding historic improvements nationwide that will help us build a better America â because when we invest in infrastructure, we invest in opportunity." (x.com)
- "Nearly 10 million new jobs have been added to the economy, a record high at this point in a presidency. We've got 3.7 percent unemployment â a near record low. A big reason for all this is the American Rescue Plan. And not a single Republican in Congress voted for it." (x.com)
- Signed H.R. 3684 "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" (votesmart.org)
- "The Inflation Reduction Act will upgrade Americaâs affordable housing, making our homes stronger and built to withstand the impacts of extreme weather." (x.com)
- "Housing should be a right â not a privilege. But far too many people are struggling to keep a roof over their head. I look forward to working with @SecFudge to help renters and homeowners get through this crisis and ensure every American has access to quality, affordable housing." (x.com)
- "My budget invests in building more homes to help us deal with skyrocketing housing costs." (x.com)
- "We need to deal with the shortage of affordable housing in America. With my Build Back Better Agenda, weâre going to make a historic investment in affordable housing â increasing and improving the housing supply by building or rehabilitating more than 2 million homes." (x.com)
- "My message to Congress is this: The Inflation Reduction Act is the strongest bill you can pass to lower inflation, reduce costs, and tackle our climate crisis. So pass it. Pass it for the American people â and pass it for America." (x.com)
- "I ran for president to give the middle class some breathing room in dealing with costs. But despite our progress, prices are still too high. That's why we passed the Inflation Reduction Act to combat health care costs and other price pressures squeezing America's families." (x.com)
- "This morningâs report shows core inflation fell to its lowest level in two years â down 60% from its peak as unemployment stays below 4%. Our plan is delivering, but the jobâs not done. Iâll continue fighting to lower costs and grow our economy from the middle out and bottom up." (x.com)
- Signed H.R. 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (votesmart.org)
- "Weâve never walked away from that sense of possibility that drives this country. Delivering student debt relief to borrowers that need it is about extending the power of possibilities to every American. Not just those at the top." (x.com)
- "To those Republicans in Congress who believe student debt shouldnât be forgiven: I will never apologize for helping Americaâs middle class â especially not to the same folks who voted for a $2 trillion tax cut for the wealthy and giant corporations that racked up the deficit." (x.com)
- "I've directed my Administration to move as quickly as possible under the law to provide student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible." (x.com)
- "Congressional Republicans led an effort to pass a bill blocking my Administrationâs plan to provide up to $20,000 in student debt relief to working and middle class Americans.I wonât back down on helping hardworking folks." (x.com)
- "Weâre calling on Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote Act to prevent voter suppression â and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore the Voting Rights Act and allow the Department of Justice to stop discriminatory laws before they go into effect." (x.com)
- "I want to thank everyone who voted today in support of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The House has acted â the Senate must join them and send this important bill, and the For the People Act, to my desk." (x.com)
- "Itâs time we pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and ensure every eligible American can make their voice heard at the ballot box." (x.com)
- "Jim Crow 2.0 is about two insidious things: voter suppression and election subversion. Itâs about making it harder to vote, who gets to count the vote, and whether your vote counts at all. We have to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act." (x.com)
- "The Inflation Reduction Act incentivizes the domestic production of solar panels and wind turbines, boosting American manufacturing and creating good-paying American jobs. Weâre building a clean energy economy." (x.com)
- "Because of our clean energy investments, we'll see a 25% increase in solar, wind, and battery deployment over the next four years." (x.com)
- "Because of the incentives my Administration has announced to bring solar power manufacturing back to our shores, we're one step closer in helping us meet the goal of 100 percent clean, renewable energy electricity by 2035." (x.com)
- "Today, I'm taking executive action to launch the American Climate Corps â a workforce initiative that will train over 20,000 young people for good-paying jobs in the clean energy and climate resilience economy." (x.com)
- "The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework represents a crucial step forward in combating the climate crisis. Itâll make the largest investment in clean energy transmission in American history, modernizing our power grid to accelerate the build out of zero-carbon, renewable energy." (x.com)
- "I set ambitious goals of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050. Today, I took bold action to advance those goals." (x.com)
- "The Biden administration will make the largest ever investment in clean energy research and innovation to develop zero-carbon technologies, so America is the engine of the worldâs clean energy economy." (x.com)
- "The Inflation Reduction Act will cut 1 billion tons of carbon emissions a year, create more than a million good-paying clean energy jobs. And has already attracted billions in private sector investment. I know we'll emerge from the climate crisis stronger than before." (x.com)
- "It is within our power to once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require safe storage of guns, to end gun manufacturersâ immunity from liability, and to enact universal background checks." (x.com)
- "Ban assault weapons. Require safe storage of firearms. Require background checks for all gun sales. Eliminate gun manufacturersâ immunity from liability. We can and must do these things now." (x.com)
- "How many more parents must live their worst nightmare before we stand up to the gun lobby to establish universal background checks, national red flag laws, require safe storage of firearms, and end immunity from liability for gun manufacturers?" (x.com)
- "Last summer, I signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Actâthe most significant gun legislation in 30 years. It closes the "boyfriend loophole," supports red flag laws, requires young people ages 18 to 21 to undergo enhanced background checks, and more. It will save lives." (x.com)
- "When I ran for President, I promised to protect and build on the historic foundation of the Affordable Care Act. Now, thanks to our special enrollment period, 2.8 million more Americans have the peace of mind that comes with health insurance. This is just the beginning." (None)
- "Health care is a right -- and I will do everything in my power to ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable care." (None)
- "I promised to lower costs for families and ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care. Today, we received further proof that our efforts are delivering record-breaking results. More Americans than ever before have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. From November 1st to January 15th, over 16.3 million Americans signed up for insurance on HealthCare.gov and the state-based Marketplaces... Over the last few months, four out of five consumers looking for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act were able to find health care coverage for as little as $10 a month or less. These lower rates -- which were originally delivered as part of my American Rescue Plan -- were set to expire at the end of 2022, but thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, we extended them and millions of families are continuing to save $800 per person per year on their premiums. We've made record-breaking progress in expanding coverage and lowering health care costs for American families, saving them money and giving more Americans the peace of mind that comes with affordable health insurance." (None)
- NBC News: "We have a whole number of hospitals that are being stretched, including rural hospitals, that are going to need more financing. That doesnât come from a single-payer system. That comes from the federal government stepping up and dealing with the concerns that they have" (www.nbcnews.com)
- "We are one of the few major economies in the world that does not cover paid family and medical leave. My Build Back Better Agenda will change that by providing up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave." (x.com)
- "Let me be clear: No one should have to choose between a paycheck and taking care of themselves or their loved ones. The American Families Plan will finally provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for every American." (x.com)
- "The Family and Medical Leave Act has helped many Americans take time off to care for themselves and their families, but it leaves far too many people forced to choose between a paycheck and caregiving. This has to change. We need a national paid family and medical leave program." (x.com)
- "Today, we celebrate 30 years of the FMLA. And in that same breath, we acknowledge that we're still one of the only countries in the world that doesnât guarantee paid leave. I remain committed to passing a national paid family and medical leave program." (x.com)
- "Weâre capping seniorsâ out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs at $2,000 a year â even if their drugs cost $10,000, $12,000, $14,000 a year like some cancer drugs do. Instead of that money going to Big Pharma, itâs going back into folksâ pockets." (x.com)
- "A few companies control the market for many vital medicines, causing Americans to pay two-and-a-half times more for prescription drugs than in other countries. I ordered the FDA to work with states and tribes to safely import prescription drugs from Canada to lower prices." (x.com)
- "Americans pay two-and-a-half times more for prescription drugs than in other leading countries. We have to change that. My Build Back Better Agenda will lower prescription drug costs for Americans by letting Medicare negotiate drug prices. That's a big deal." (x.com)
- "The cost of prescription drugs is too high. Thatâs why Iâve fought to lower drug prices and get hardworking Americans more breathing room. Iâm proud to be the first president to beat Big Pharma and let Medicare negotiate lower drug costs. We wonât stop there." (x.com)
- "Our problems at the border didnât arise overnight. And they wonât be solved overnight. But, we can come together to fix this broken system. We can secure the border and fix the immigration process to be orderly, fair, safe, and humane." (x.com)
- "Fentanyl is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year. Letâs launch a major surge to stop fentanyl production and sale, with drug detection machines to inspect cargo and stop pills and powder at the border â and impose strong penalties to crack down on trafficking." (x.com)
- "MAGA House Republican proposals would slash funding for border security â a move that could allow nearly 900 pounds of fentanyl into our country. We need more resources to secure the border. Not less." (x.com)
- "While House Republicans spent the last 22 days determining who would lead their conference, I proposed a historic supplemental funding package that advances our bipartisan national security interests in Israel and Ukraine, secures our border, and invests in the American people. We need to move swiftly to address our national security needs and to avoid a shutdown in 22 days." (x.com)
- "President Trump's ICE raids are inhumane. His scare tactics solve nothing. We shouldn't be terrorizing communities and splitting up families. We should provide a pathway to citizenship and find a lasting solution." (None)
- "Congress needs to pass the U.S. Citizenship Act and create a path to citizenship for Dreamers, farm workers, and TPS holders now." (x.com)
- "Yesterday's Fifth Circuit decision that DACA is unlawful is the result of efforts by MAGA Republican officials to strip people of their protections. I'm committed to defending Dreamers. Itâs time that Congress pass permanent protections, including a pathway to citizenship." (x.com)
- "You've got my word. I'll use every tool at my disposal to preserve and protect DACA, fight for Dreamers, and build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system." (x.com)
- "We will make sure Ukraine has weapons to defend against the invading Russian force. We will send money and food and aid to save Ukrainian lives. We will welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms." (x.com)
- "I just spoke with President Zelenskyy to discuss our continued support for Ukraine â including security assistance and humanitarian aid â as it defends itself against Russian aggression. We will hold Russia accountable, and our sanctions are already having a devastating impact." (x.com)
- "This morning, I spoke with @IsraeliPM and reaffirmed U.S. support for Israelâs defense, underscored the importance of operating consistent with the law of war, discussed moving humanitarian aid into Gaza, and ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas." (x.com)
- "Together with our allies, we are providing support to the Ukrainians in their fight for freedom. Military assistance. Economic assistance. Humanitarian assistance. And we will continue to aid the Ukrainian people as they defend their country and to help ease their suffering." (x.com)
- "We will make sure Ukraine has weapons to defend against the invading Russian force. We will send money and food and aid to save Ukrainian lives. We will welcome Ukrainian refugees with open arms." (x.com)
- "I just spoke with President Zelenskyy to discuss our continued support for Ukraine â including security assistance and humanitarian aid â as it defends itself against Russian aggression. We will hold Russia accountable, and our sanctions are already having a devastating impact." (x.com)
- "Ukrainians have inspired the world with their courage. The United States will continue doing everything we can to get Ukraine what it needs in the face of Putin's brutal war as rapidly as possible." (x.com)
- Signed S 3522 "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022" (None)
- "We must hold social media platforms accountable for the national experiment theyâre conducting on our children.Itâs time to strengthen privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to children, and demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children." (x.com)
- ABC News: "It's time to pass bipartisan legislation to stop Big Tech from collecting personal data on kids and teenagers online." (abc7news.com)
- Wall Street Journal: "As my administration works to address these challenges with the legal authority we have, I urge Democrats and Republicans to come together to pass strong bipartisan legislation to hold Big Tech accountable. The risks Big Tech poses for ordinary Americans are clear. Big Tech companies collect huge amounts of data on the things we buy, on the websites we visit, on the places we go and, most troubling of all, on our children. As I said last year in my State of the Union address, millions of young people are struggling with bullying, violence, trauma and mental health. We must hold social-media companies accountable for the experiment they are running on our children for profit." (www.wsj.com)
- "Folks, we saw in 2016 what can happen when social media platforms are left unchecked and allow disinformation to run rampant. It puts the very integrity of our elections at risk. We simply cannot let it happen again in 2020." (x.com)
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