Jill Stein's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
On The Ballot: Running, Green Party for President
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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.
- "Democrats failed to codify Roe for 50 years and women across the country are paying an unbearable price. The GOP attacks reproductive rights and the DNC uses them for fundraising. We will pass them into law." (x.com)
- USA Today "She has also criticized Democratic officials for failing to codify the protections provided by Roe v. Wade into law when they controlled both chambers of Congress and the White House from January 2021 to January 2023." (www.usatoday.com)
- USA Today "Stein has advocated for a Medicare-for-all style health care system, moving away from the current system of private health insurance companies." (www.usatoday.com)
- "The Green Party has been ahead of the curve on the Green New Deal, on abolishing student debt, on free higher education, even Medicare for all." (twitter.com)
- "We want a tax code that reflects the progressive values of our country and makes the rich pay their fair share." (x.com)
- "We need to ensure that the rich pay their fair share of taxes again." (x.com)
- USA Today "The Green Party candidate has called for "an economy that works for all of us, not just the wealthy and powerful."' (www.usatoday.com)
- "Police brutality is on display in violence against crowd protesting police brutality! Racist police violence is a scourge on this country. We need to elect officials at all levels who will make sweeping changes to this criminal injustice system, starting with community control of police." (www.facebook.com)
- USA Today "Stein has been critical of police brutality, calling for law enforcement to be trained further in conflict resolution tactics." (www.usatoday.com)
- USA Today "After George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis in 2020, Stein called for community control of police, saying, "Police are supposed to protect and serve our communities, not terrorize them." (www.usatoday.com)
- USAToday "As president, she has said she would revamp Americaâs foreign policy and center it around human rights to oppose "violence, occupation, and apartheid." Stein has called for a cease fire in Israel as its war with Hamas continues." (www.usatoday.com)
- "The bipartisan endless war machine enriches military contractors, lobbyists, and politicians, while it fuels devastation around the world and impoverishes the American people. We must end the endless wars and create a new foreign policy based on diplomacy, international law, and human rights to oppose violence, occupation, and apartheid." (www.jillstein2024.com)
- "We need an economy that works for all of us, not just the wealthy and powerful. To reverse surging inequality and insecurity, we need an Economic Bill of Rights, including the right to a living-wage job, housing, food, healthcare, education and more, so that all of us are guaranteed the basic security for a good life." (www.jillstein2024.com)
- "We need a Green New Deal with massive investment in green jobs, industries, and technologies to revitalize the American economy." (www.jillstein2024.com)
- USA Today "Stein, like some of her other presidential hopefuls, has said she would support an economic bill of rights for Americans." (www.usatoday.com)
- "Homelessness has reached a record high under Biden. It would cost ~40B to end homelessness in the US. Biden is proposing $110B to prolong wars in Ukraine and Gaza. For the price of wars destroying homes in Gaza and Ukraine, we could build them across America and beyond." (twitter.com)
- "To reverse surging inequality and insecurity, we need an Economic Bill of Rights, including the right to a living-wage job, housing, food, healthcare, education and more, so that all of us are guaranteed the basic security for a good life." (www.jillstein2024.com)
- News Week "Provided an economy is increasingly productive, we don't get inflation. You get inflation if you're pouring money in, but you don't have a more productive economy. So I think those kinds of issues can be answered." (www.newsweek.com)
- "The Inflation Reduction Act is a #fossilfuels-first bill." (twitter.com)
- "The Green Party has been ahead of the curve on the Green New Deal, on abolishing student debt, on free higher education, even Medicare for all." (twitter.com)
- USA Today "She has also supported free tuition for students at public colleges." (www.usatoday.com)
- "SCOTUS just lowered the bar for voter suppression. If it wasnât bad enough already with Voter ID & bogus "Cross Check" purges, now you can be thrown off voter rolls simply for not voting for 4 years & missing a notice. This is not what democracy looks like" (x.com)
- "Why isnât the media freaking out about domestic election meddling too? Thereâs a mountain of evidence: Voter ID laws, "Interstate Crosscheck", felon disenfranchisement" (x.com)
- USA Today "Stein has said the U.S. must take "decisive action" to address climate change and "prevent the worst-case scenario of climate collapse." She has backed a Green New Deal, a climate-focused model based on the New Deal programs enacted in American in the wake of the Great Depression." (www.usatoday.com)
- "From record heat waves and wildfires to devastating hurricanes, droughts and floods, the warning signs are clear: we must take decisive action now to fight runaway global heating and prevent the worst-case scenario of climate collapse." (www.jillstein2024.com)
- "We need a Green New Deal with massive investment in green jobs, industries, and technologies to revitalize the American economy, improve our quality of life, protect our planet and safeguard our childrenâs future." (www.jillstein2024.com)
- "This is why we were willing to risk arrest protesting the Keystone Pipeline and DAPL. All pipelines spill, poisoning land & water with toxic sludge. If we don't keep the oil under the soil, it's game over for most life on Earth." (x.com)
- "Keystone XL decision proves the establishment values short-term profits over the survival of life on Earth. Time for a Green revolution to replace every bought-off politician!" (x.com)
- "We stopped them from invading Syria, privatizing the Internet & building Keystone XL. When we the people mobilize together, we get it done." (x.com)
- USA Today "She has previously supported an assault weapons ban." (www.usatoday.com)
- The Washington Post "Stein has called for closing the "gun show loophole." (www.washingtonpost.com)
- "The Green Party has been ahead of the curve on the Green New Deal, on abolishing student debt, on free higher education, even Medicare for all." (twitter.com)
- USA Today "Stein has advocated for a Medicare-for-all style health care system, moving away from the current system of private health insurance companies." (www.usatoday.com)
- "#COVID19 is now officially a pandemic. That means inadequate healthcare ANYWHERE is a threat to public health EVERYWHERE. To beat back the virus, we need Emergency Medicare for All (including immigrants), Paid Sick Leave, & an end to killer Economic Sanctions." (x.com)
- "To protect working people, let's enact federal paid sick leave + family leave, plus strong overtime protections." (x.com)
- The Guardian "We can end endless wars which donât solve anything." (www.theguardian.com)
- USA Today "Stein accuses both political parties of feeding an "endless war machine" that helps military contractors and public officials. As president, she has said she would revamp Americaâs foreign policy and center it around human rights to oppose "violence, occupation, and apartheid."' (www.usatoday.com)
- USA Today "In February 2023, she said the people of Ukraine were being used in a "superpower proxy war."' (www.usatoday.com)
- "Homelessness has reached a record high under Biden. It would cost ~40B to end homelessness in the US. Biden is proposing $110B to prolong wars in Ukraine and Gaza. For the price of wars destroying homes in Gaza and Ukraine, we could build them across America and beyond." (twitter.com)
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? | ||
| I believe that women have a right to make their own reproductive health decisions free of coercion from legislatures, the courts, or their employers. I would reduce unwanted pregnancies by implementing a universal single-payer health care system that would provide all women with the reproductive health care they need and deserve. | |||
| Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| We are now spending more on the military than the next seven nations in the world - and most of those seven nations are our allies. We cannot afford to continue this overspending. Nor can we afford the unnecessary and unjust tax breaks which allow corporations and the wealthy to shift their taxes onto the backs of ordinary people. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Our democracy must be protected from the disempowerment of voters that occurs when big money controls elections. An electoral system controlled by private money will never produce a government that stands up for ordinary people. I do not accept the support of superPACs nor do I accept campaign donations from lobbyists hired by for-profit corporations to seek influence with my administration. I support public campaign financing which is a proven technique for allowing good candidates to run for office without selling out to wealthy special interests. | |||
| No | Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | ||
| No | Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| Experience indicates that capital punishment does not serve the interests of justice or deterrence. It provides a distraction from the question of how to prevent future criminal acts. Our goal in sentencing non-violent offenders should be to return them to their families and communities and help them live socially constructive lives. Mandatory minimum sentences often result in unjust sentencing and should be eliminated. | |||
| Yes | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| No | Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Federal spending on needed infrastructure or on developing beneficial markets is an investment that pays for itself many times over. I do not support broad no-strings-attached tax reductions awarded with the vague and suspect argument that they promote "growth". Such tax breaks tend to shift taxes from corporations to individual taxpayers, and they are very expensive for the benefits they produce. Tax breaks and tax incentives should be designed to produce specific social benefits and should not be designed so that only the wealthy can take advantage of them. | |||
| No | Do you generally support requiring states to adopt federal education standards? | ||
| The Federal government must stop pushing questionable "reforms" such as privatization, charter schools, and standardized testing. The Federal government should not punish struggling schools by denying them the funds that they desperately need to provide services to students. Competition for funding should not be used to bully schools or to camouflage the lack of adequate overall funding. I do support federal involvement that encourages state action to eliminate racial disparities in education and to learn from the experiences of other states. | |||
| No | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| Yes | Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| Yes | Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | ||
| We should be investing our nation's wealth in renewable energy, not in fossil fuel infrastructure that locks us in to further damage from climate change. I would ban fracking as part of an initiative to end fossil fuel pollution and stop funding of dirty energy markets. The health care savings that can be realized by cleaning up our air and water with renewable energy will largely pay for renewable energy infrastructure. | |||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Climate change is the greatest challenge that humanity has ever faced. If we continue down the road of inadequate, "all of the above" energy programs, we will see our economy destroyed and our children facing a destabilized and inhospitable planet. The United States must show leadership in supporting a binding international agreement that does what science says is necessary to save our planet. We must begin an emergency initiative to transition to renewable energy by 2030. | |||
| Yes | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| I support measures such as background checks for gun purchases and a ban on military-style assault rifles. My universal health care program will help reduce gun violence by ensuring that emotionally disturbed individuals get proper mental health care before they get to the point of committing violent acts. | |||
| No | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| Rather than a simple "repeal" I favor replacing the floundering Obamacare system with a universal "Medicare for All" system in which every citizen would receive adequate health care by presenting a single card to medical care providers. This would save billions of dollars that are now wasted in paperwork, and it would allow us to stop the overcharging for prescription drugs. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| I favor a welcoming path to citizenship for all law-abiding immigrants. I will end the massive deportations that have been occurring in recent years. I strongly oppose any new mass deportation scheme. | |||
| Yes | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| In 2002 I became the first gubernatorial candidate in my state to support marriage equality (at a time when no other major party candidate had ever gone further than supporting "civil unions"). In 2012 I made marriage equality a key point of my presidential campaign at a time when "gay marriage" was opposed by my opponents. I am proud of my party's consistent support for fair and equal treatment of all persons regardless of their sexual orientation. | |||
| No | Do you support increased American intervention in Iraq and Syria beyond air support? | ||
| No | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| We have no right to seize the land or the skies of Syria. "No fly" zones are shoot-down zones likely to lead to war with Russia. We must work with all parties to create a cease fire and a negotiated solution. We must establish a weapons embargo and freeze the bank accounts of countries refusing to stop funding terrorist groups - including the Saudis. We should support the elimination of all nuclear weapons. Using military attacks to manage a one-sided nuclear arms race is dangerous and sure to fail. | |||
| No | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| Social Security should be a cornerstone of retirement security for all Americans. It should not be undermined by diverting its revenues into private accounts. | |||
SpendingIndicate what federal spending levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.TaxesIndicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.
| Slightly Decrease | a) Agriculture | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Arts | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Defense | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Greatly Increase | e) Environment | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Maintain Status | g) International aid | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Medical Research | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Slightly Decrease | j) Space exploration | ||
| Maintain Status | k) United Nations | ||
| Slightly Increase | l) Welfare | ||
| m) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Greatly Increase | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Small business taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Greatly Increase | j) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | k) Payroll taxes | ||
| We must enact a financial transaction tax to apply to stock market exchanges. | |||
| I would use executive orders to implement policies that have the support of the American people, and are consistent with the Constitution, but which are being blocked by a Congress under the influence of big money lobbyists. |
| First, create full employment through direct job creation wherever unemployment exists. Secondly, ensure universal access to health care, containing health care costs through a Medicare-for-All insurance system. Thirdly, pursue a binding international agreement to do what science says is necessary to avert a climate catastrophe. Initial costs for these programs would be covered by cutting unnecessary military spending and requiring wealthier Americans to pay their fair share of taxes. Ultimately, all expenses are more than paid for by health care savings and avoiding costly environmental disasters. |
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