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Gerry Connolly's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Democratic for U.S. House (VA) - District 11

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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.

  • Rated 100% by Planned Parenthood Action Fund (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "1 in 4 women have an abortion in their lifetime. 1 in 3 women nationwide have lost access to abortion care post-Dobbs. More than 3 in 5 Americans support abortion rights. I’m fighting with the @ProChoiceCaucus for #ReproductiveFreedom for all—full stop." (twitter.com)
  • "Let's be perfectly clear – this kind of draconian decision can only happen because Roe v. Wade is not in place. Donald Trump did this." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 8297 "Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "What does it look like to #BuildBackBetter? Historic middle class tax cuts. Universal pre-k & cheaper child care. Vision & dental covered by Medicare. Crucial investments in clean energy. Let’s get it done." (twitter.com)
  • "Democrats will always defend Social Security, especially when extreme MAGA Republicans try to gut it." (twitter.com)
  • "Social Security keeps 22.5 million Americans, including children, above the poverty line. On the 88th anniversary of Social Security, it’s time to enhance and expand benefits." (twitter.com)
  • "Thank you to the Spring Hill Community for having me join your "Never Stop Learning" monthly series. I was able to give a congressional update on what we’re working on and speak on important topics such as social security, environmental protection, and infrastructure investments." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "If we want true justice, we can start by: Banning chokeholds. Banning no-knock warrants. Demilitarizing the police. Ending racial profiling. Ending qualified immunity for law enforcement. Making lynching a federal crime. The #JusticeInPolicingAct gets it done." (twitter.com)
  • "With the #JusticeInPolicing Act, we say enough is enough. We've had enough of religious and racial profiling. We've had enough of no-knock warrants and chokeholds. We've had enough of qualified immunity. And we've had enough of military-grade equipment on our streets." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7120 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3684 "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "He was proud to support President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the largest investment in Americans roads, bridges, and infrastructure in 70 years. Finally, after years of dithering, America is rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. Thanks to the Infrastructure bill our region will receive nearly $20 billion in investment." (gerryconnolly.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2 "Moving Forward Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5376 "Build Back Better Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7301 "Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Was great speaking this morning at the groundbreaking for the FIRST 100% affordable housing development in Tysons! Affordable housing has always been a top priority of mine, and I’m proud that our federal dollars will help build over 500 new units and a new community center!" (twitter.com)
  • "We write to highlight the urgent need for substantial affordable housing infrastructure investments as part of the broader Build Back Better Act. While congressional leaders continue to negotiate the size and scope of the economic recovery package, it is critical that any cuts made to the overall package do not come at the expense of affordable, accessible homes for America's lowest-income and most marginalized people." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 8294 "Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Great news! @EPA/@EPAEnvJustice has announced $2 billion in Community Change Grants through the Inflation Reduction Act to help disadvantaged communities address environmental and climate justice issues!" (twitter.com)
  • "Jobs are up. Wages are up. The stock market is up. Consumer confidence is up. Unemployment is down. Inflation is down. #Bidenomics" (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7688 "Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by National Education Association (NEA) (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2547 "Comprehensive Debt Collection Improvement Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The right-wing extremists on this Supreme Court are too busy accepting gifts and trips from their billionaire friends to lift a finger for the generation of Americans saddled with crippling student loan debt." (twitter.com)
  • "ICYMI: @POTUS has announced the most affordable student loan repayment plan ever! More than 20 million borrowers could benefit from the SAVE Plan, which calculates payments based on income and family size – not loan balance." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5746 "Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I am a child of the civil rights era. I did not run for office to witness a reversion to Jim Crow in America. The Senate should abolish the filibuster altogether. If they won't, they must implement a carveout for voting rights legislation. Democracy is at stake." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 4 "John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 4 "Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 4447 "Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "In his fight to stop climate change, Congressman Connolly became one of the original co-sponsors of the Green New Deal (GND), which creates a framework for the nation to transition into a green future centered around the principles of climate justice. The GND commits to the decarbonization of the economy, a federal jobs guarantee with large-scale public investments, and an emphasis on transition into a lower-carbon society that addresses the racial, social and economic impacts of environmental justice. This deal allows us to build a greener, more sustainable plan for the future, while also ensuring a just transition and jobs for all who are affected. To do so, he has cosponsored The Energy Innovation And Carbon Dividend Act, which imposes caps on corporate carbon emissions to invest in a zero carbon future." (gerryconnolly.com)
  • Rated 0% by American Energy Alliance (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 9 "Climate Action Now Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 1 "Lower Energy Costs Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Congressman Connolly understands that the fight for our environment begins here at home – and it is one he has been waging since he was a Fairfax County Supervisor, when he developed the County’s first Comprehensive Environmental Plan and Cool Counties Initiative. He continues leading the decades-long fight to oppose oil and gas drilling off the coast of Virginia, as well as stopping the Trump administration attempts to eliminate essential funds for cleaning the Chesapeake Bay. He helped force local power companies to clean up toxic coal ash from groundwater sources in our community here in Northern Virginia. He has been pushing Congress to ban single use plastic, increase funding for water infrastructure, permanently reauthorize and fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and continue to expand preserved lands across the country – including opposing drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. Climate change must be stopped, and to do so we need the dedication, action, and accountability that Congressman Gerry Connolly delivers each and every day for the people of the 11th District, Virginia, and the country." (gerryconnolly.com)
  • Rated 0% by American Energy Alliance (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against HR 21 "Strategic Production Response Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1808 "Assault Weapon Ban of 2022" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "In 2022, he was proud to support the first new federal gun control law in 30 years. The bill extended background check requirements, blocked domestic abusers from buying guns, and expanded red-flag laws. Thanks to that bill, the ATF now requires anyone selling a gun for a profit to complete a background check on that sale." (gerryconnolly.com)
  • Rated 0% by National Rifle Association (NRA) (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of S 2938 "Bipartisan Safer Communities Act" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "It could be more affordable than you think to sign up for coverage on Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, 4 out of 5 Americans can find plans for less than $10 a month!" (HealthCare.gov)
  • "Congressman Connolly also helped champion Medicaid expansion, which has allowed more than 400,000 Virginians gain access to healthcare coverage. He supports lowering the enrollment age for Medicare and expanding coverage to include dental, hearing and vision care. Gerry has fought to protect the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides coverage to more than 200,000 children in the Commonwealth." (gerryconnolly.com)
  • "Every American deserves access to affordable, quality, and reliable healthcare. Congressman Connolly is proud to have voted for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which has lowered costs and expanded health care access to millions of Americans, many of whom would not have insurance otherwise. He has consistently opposed Republican efforts to repeal the ACA. He supports expanding the ACA by offering a public option that would offer Americans an even more affordable option. He voted for legislation to temporarily increase subsidies for health insurance during the pandemic and supports making those permanent." (gerryconnolly.com)
  • "Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, 13 million Americans will save an average of $800 per year and $2,400 per family on #ACA health insurance premiums. Starting today, you can sign up to #GetCovered for the start of 2023!" (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "House Democrats fought for lower prescription drug prices, a cap on insulin costs for seniors on Medicare, and cheaper health care premiums for millions — and we won. House Republicans have promised to undo all of it. They will never put #PeopleOverPolitics." (twitter.com)
  • "Medicare has begun negotiating lower drug prices on 10 of the most common medications seniors depend on every day! 9 million American seniors are set to start receiving lower-cost prescriptions thanks to the #InflationReductionAct." (twitter.com)
  • "Thanks to the #InflationReductionAct: Monthly Cost for Insulin Capped at $35 under Medicare. Recommended Vaccines Covered in Medicare without Cost-sharing. Lowers Medicare Part D prescription drug costs" (twitter.com)
  • "He believes we must reform the asylum seeking process to prevent bad actors from abusing it while providing the necessary protections to those with legitimate asylum claims. He also supports expanding H1-B visas so high-skilled foreign workers can come to the United States and believes foreign students who graduate from American universities should be allowed to stay and work here, not be sent home." (gerryconnolly.com)
  • "Congressman Connolly is a vocal advocate for DREAMers, young people who came to this country by parents seeking to shelter them from the poverty, violence, or persecution that they faced in their native countries. They are as American as any of us. The Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program gave these young people the freedom to come out of the shadows and live a life without fear of deportation. He opposed the Trump administration’s attempt to end DACA and has joined in multiple bipartisan efforts to enshrine it into permanent law." (gerryconnolly.com)
  • "He also staunchly opposed limits on refugees imposed by the Trump administration and publicly pressured President Biden to reverse those limits. Additionally, he introduced the Lady Liberty Act to institute a minimum of at least 125,000 refugees to be admitted to the country annually." (gerryconnolly.com)
  • "When the Afghan government collapsed to the Taliban, he joined the community in welcoming the fleeing refugees to Northern Virginia with open arms, and his office worked with public and private groups to coordinate the departure and asylum applications for more than 23,000 Afghans. As the grandchild of immigrants, Congressman Connolly knows that those who come to the United States pursuing the American Dream are not so different from us and deserve a fair chance, and he believes that the more than 11 million undocumented people who already live and pay taxes here deserve a path to citizenship." (gerryconnolly.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6015 "Iran Sanctions Accountability Act of 2023" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3033 "Solidify Iran Sanctions Act of 2023" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5692 "Ukraine Security Assistance and Oversight Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7691 "Making emergency supplemental appropriations for assistance for the situation in Ukraine for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6833 "Continuing Appropriations and Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3522 "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7691 "Making emergency supplemental appropriations for assistance for the situation in Ukraine for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5692 "Ukraine Security Assistance and Oversight 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)

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