On The Ballot: Running, Democratic for U.S. House (IL) - District 9
Jan Schakowsky is currently being tested through the 2024 Political Courage Test.
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.
Pro-choice | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
I believe each woman should be free to make decisions about her own health based on her own situation, including whether and when to have a family. I support access to the full range of reproductive health services, including maternity care, contraception and abortion. I am a leader in the House Pro-Choice Caucus and a co-author of the Each Woman Act to end Hyde amendment restrictions. |
Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
I am a co-author of the People's Budget to reduce defense spending and target it more efficiently, and to ask those who can afford to do so (millionaires, billionaires and wealthy corporations) to contribute their fair share of taxes. I introduced the Fairness in Taxation Act to create a 45% tax rate on annual income over $1 million a year, 49% on income over $1 billion. I have also sponsored legislation, the Patriot Employer Act, to end tax breaks for corporations that outsource jobs and profits and, instead, reward companies that invest in America. |
Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
As a vice-chair of the House Democracy Reform Task Force, I believe money in politics -- including dark money -- is having an extremely negative effect and preventing enactment of policies that would benefit children, working women and men, and retirees. I oppose the Citizens United decision and support legislation to require disclosure of funding spent to influence elections. I also believe that we need to take an aggressive approach to end foreign interference in our elections and remove barriers to voting. |
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? | ||
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Federal investment initiatives like green energy, repairing pipes and bridges, and providing safe drinking water create good jobs and help our economy. It also allows us to ensure workers share in the benefits. Experience shows the across-the-board lowering taxes for corporations all too often results in stock buybacks and higher CEO compensation, not increases in workers' wages and benefits or significant investments in national priorities. While I support targeted tax incentives -- for example, tax credits to promote renewable energy -- I do not support "trickle-down" tax policies that mostly just reduce taxes for the wealthy and profitable corporations. |
Unknown Position | Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards? | ||
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While I believe there is a federal role in promoting public education, assisting teachers, and improving neighborhood schools, I opposed the testing requirements in No Child Left Behind and voted for changes in the new ESEA reauthorization, the Every Student Succeeds Act. My response to the question would depend on what type of education reforms are being required and for which grants. |
Yes | Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
Climate change is one of the biggest environmental, economic and national security challenges we face. I oppose the Trump Administration's actions to roll back existing policies. I am a cosponsor of the 100 by '50 Act and the Off Fossil Fuels for a Better Future Act, each of which would aggressively reduce carbon emissions, and set a timeline to eliminate them altogether and move to 100% use of clean, renewable energy. |
Yes | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
I am a member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and support common-sense legislation such as expanded background checks and bans on assault weapons. |
No | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
While I believe we need to build on the foundation of the ACA to lower prescription drug prices, make access to health care affordable and add a public option, Obamacare has expanded coverage, ensured that people with pre-existing conditions can get insurance, ended the practice of charging higher prices to people with chronic conditions and women, and prohibited annual and lifetime limits on benefits. I strongly oppose actions by the Trump Administration and Republican Congress to erode those protections. |
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? | ||
Immigration enormously benefits the 9th Congressional District and the entire nation, and I strongly oppose the Trump Administration's policies: separating families at the border, holding families in lengthy detention, attempting to end DACA, denying temporary protected status, turning refugees away and sending people back to horrific circumstances. Immigrants built our nation. Welcoming immigrants who want to participate in the American dream and contribute to our economy is fundamental to who we are. I support comprehensive immigrant reform that reflects those values -- allows undocumented to earn citizenship, keeps families together, and maintains America as a safe haven. |
Yes | Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes? | ||
I am a cosponsor of the Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol Act. |
No | Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
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No | Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support? | ||
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We must reduce -- and hopefully eliminate -- the existence of nuclear weapons. I believe diplomacy is always the preferred option over military force, which is why I was a leader in mustering votes for the Iran nuclear deal in Congress and so strongly oppose President Trump's decision to pull out of that agreement. I believe that any military intervention in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East requires Congressional approval through a specific and time-limited authorization for the use of military force (AUMF). |
We must create good jobs with good wages, investing in national priorities such as green energy, education, access to broadband and transportation. We must reduce health care costs to families, businesses and taxpayers (by, for example, lowering the price of prescription drugs) and use savings to expand coverage. We should create a comprehensive long-term care policy and help those who provide caregiving to children, adults and aging loved ones. Instead of providing huge tax breaks to the wealthiest 1%, we can fund those initiatives through fair tax policies that ask those who can to contribute to those national priorities. |
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