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Don Payne, Jr.'s Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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Don Payne, Jr. is currently being tested through the 2024 Political Courage Test.

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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.

  • Rated 100% by Planned Parenthood Action Fund. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3755 "Women's Health Protection Act of 2021." (votesmart.org)
  • ""Women should have to right to determine their own health care choices," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. "What happened in Texas is a direct assault on women's personal freedoms and the U.S. Constitution. This bill would protect a woman's right to safe reproductive health care in Texas and across the country. We need to pass this bill into law, so that other states do not follow Texas and continue this violation of women's rights."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Women should have to right to determine their own health care choices," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. "What happened in Texas is a direct assault on women's personal freedoms and the U.S. Constitution. This bill would protect a woman's right to safe reproductive health care in Texas and across the country. We need to pass this bill into law, so that other states do not follow Texas and continue this violation of women's rights." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1425 "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by Alliance for Retired Americans. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • ""The expanded Child Tax Credit has been a tremendous success for New Jersey families because it has helped them pay for food and other necessities for their children during this global pandemic," said Rep. Payne, Jr. "I held a Child Tax Credit event in the district to encourage all eligible New Jersey parents to take full advantage of it. As a father of three, I know how every extra dollar can make a difference in household budgets. President Biden and Congressional Democrats are committed to helping American families during this crisis and the expanded Child Tax Credit is a great example of that."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • ""Today, we celebrate two of the most important programs in our nation's history," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. "Medicaid and Medicare were created to provide affordable health care for working Americans and seniors. These two programs have protected the health and safety of millions of Americans. We need to continue to work to provide affordable health care to all Americans, such as our work in Congress to strengthen the Affordable Care Act. Affordable health care is a right that all Americans deserve."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The expanded Child Tax Credit has been a tremendous success for New Jersey families because it has helped them pay for food and other necessities for their children during this global pandemic," said Rep. Payne, Jr. "I held a Child Tax Credit event in the district to encourage all eligible New Jersey parents to take full advantage of it. As a father of three, I know how every extra dollar can make a difference in household budgets. President Biden and Congressional Democrats are committed to helping American families during this crisis and the expanded Child Tax Credit is a great example of that." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Today, we celebrate two of the most important programs in our nation's history," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. "Medicaid and Medicare were created to provide affordable health care for working Americans and seniors. These two programs have protected the health and safety of millions of Americans. We need to continue to work to provide affordable health care to all Americans, such as our work in Congress to strengthen the Affordable Care Act. Affordable health care is a right that all Americans deserve." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 "For the People Act of 2021." (votesmart.org)
  • Rated 80% by Common Cause. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Ten years ago #CitizensUnited opened the floodgates to unlimited spending in our elections, giving undue influence to a handful of wealthy individuals and corporations. We must return power to the people by passing #HR1 and overturning this decision." (twitter.com)
  • ""Hopefully, this bill will close an ugly chapter in American history," said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. "For too long, many Americans were considered dangerous and violent simply because of the color of their skin. Chokeholds are the 21st century's version of legalized lynching. This bill will eliminate them and end "no-knock" warrants, which have allowed police officers to violate the sanctity and privacy of African-American homes. And it will create a nationwide standard for police conduct to stop police brutality against African Americans and other minorities. This is a day we have been awaiting in the Black community for a long time. I am proud to vote for this bill and honored to be part of the Congressional Black Caucus that made it happen. All lives will matter when Black lives matter."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021." (votesmart.org)
  • "Hopefully, this bill will close an ugly chapter in American history," said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. "For too long, many Americans were considered dangerous and violent simply because of the color of their skin. Chokeholds are the 21st century's version of legalized lynching. This bill will eliminate them and end "no-knock" warrants, which have allowed police officers to violate the sanctity and privacy of African-American homes. And it will create a nationwide standard for police conduct to stop police brutality against African Americans and other minorities. This is a day we have been awaiting in the Black community for a long time. I am proud to vote for this bill and honored to be part of the Congressional Black Caucus that made it happen. All lives will matter when Black lives matter." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 0% by Center for Security Policy. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Secretary Shanahan: "In New Jersey, there are military construction projects with funds appropriated towards construction at JBMDL, Picatinny Arsenal and Atlantic City International Airport to support our Armed Forces operations within the state. These projects have gone through a multi-year process of review and selection by both the Department of Defense (DOD) and Congress. Any delay or disruption of any one of these military construction projects will ultimately hinder the ability of our Armed Forces to carry out their missions effectively." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted against S 1605 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022." (votesmart.org)
  • ""This bill will pave roads and repair bridges to improve commutes and trips for millions of working Americans in New Jersey and nationwide," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. "These investments will create millions of good-paying jobs and help America become more competitive worldwide. I am proud of the strong investments it makes in clean drinking water, but I wanted to make sure our lead removal efforts put a higher priority on schools and neighborhoods that have a history of lead contamination. We need to make sure that what happened to the drinking water in Newark and Flint, MI does not happen anywhere else."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3684 "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5376 "Build Back Better Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "We must reduce our long-term debt, but not at the expense of short-term investments like education and jobs training, transportation and infrastructure, and research and development that will create jobs, grow the economy, and rebuild a strong middle class as well as create ladders of opportunity for those working to get into the middle class. I believe in a balanced approach to reducing our deficit -- one that cuts spending responsibly, closes corporate tax loopholes, protects the most vulnerable, and ensures millionaires pay their fair share. We cannot simply cut our way to prosperity. Instead, we must continue to examine a long-term deficit reduction plan that preserves investments that will ensure we remain the competitive leader in an advancing, global economy." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "This bill will pave roads and repair bridges to improve commutes and trips for millions of working Americans in New Jersey and nationwide," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. "These investments will create millions of good-paying jobs and help America become more competitive worldwide. I am proud of the strong investments it makes in clean drinking water, but I wanted to make sure our lead removal efforts put a higher priority on schools and neighborhoods that have a history of lead contamination. We need to make sure that what happened to the drinking water in Newark and Flint, MI does not happen anywhere else." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 266 "Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act" (votesmart.org)
  • ""We need to make sure all stimulus money gets to Americans who need it the most," said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. "Our small businesses support towns and communities nationwide. I was extremely angry to hear of million-dollar companies getting stimulus money while our small women and minority-owned businesses couldn't get a dime. Now, we need to start to discuss the next stimulus bill, which I hope will provide resources to our state and local governments to help pay for first responders, unemployment benefits, and food assistance programs."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "We need to make sure all stimulus money gets to Americans who need it the most," said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. "Our small businesses support towns and communities nationwide. I was extremely angry to hear of million-dollar companies getting stimulus money while our small women and minority-owned businesses couldn't get a dime. Now, we need to start to discuss the next stimulus bill, which I hope will provide resources to our state and local governments to help pay for first responders, unemployment benefits, and food assistance programs." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "I was proud to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act today because it will clean the environment, create new jobs in energy technology, make sure corporations pay their fair share in taxes, and significantly reduce the prices of life-saving medications for millions of Americans." (twitter.com)
  • "Today, Pres. Biden signed the historic Inflation Reduction Act into law to fight climate change, create new energy jobs, tax corporations responsibly, and drop the prices of life-saving medications. I applaud Pres. Biden's leadership to get it passed!" (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)
  • "I held a roundtable with Rutgers University students today to discuss their experiences with student debt and how to decrease it. Student debt is a trillion dollar problem in the U.S. We need to do much more, like eliminating loan debt for millions of students." (twitter.com)
  • "Pres. Biden will cancel $10,000 in federal student loan debt for certain borrowers. This is great news for students nationwide." (twitter.com)
  • Rated 100% by National Education Association (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 80% by Common Cause. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • 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)
  • "Yday 5th Circuit struck down discriminatory voter ID laws in Texas! Great win for democracy. Now let’s #RestoreTheVRA!" (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 9 "Climate Action Now Act." (votesmart.org)
  • "As the world takes an increased interest in environmental monitoring, management, and regulatory compliance, green jobs and training must be a priority for the future of New Jersey. My GREEN Jobs Act will increase access to loans for green small businesses that create jobs to retrofit buildings, install and replace solar panels, regulate waste, clean up contamination, and collect samples to help monitor pollution levels are expanding exponentially. By the year 2016, it is projected that these fields will increase by 28%. The GREEN Jobs Act will accelerate that growth so that New Jersey and America leads the way in innovation and creating jobs in emerging green energy fields." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 4447 "Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019." (votesmart.org)
  • ""We need to commit to a future where America is run on clean energy for a variety of reasons," said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. "It is better for the environment with less pollution in our air and drinking water. It is becoming less expensive than fossil fuels and there is tremendous growth in the clean energy job market. Right now, clean energy jobs outnumber fossil fuel jobs three to one and that is only going to get larger. It is a great bill for New Jersey and our country."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "We need to commit to a future where America is run on clean energy for a variety of reasons," said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. "It is better for the environment with less pollution in our air and drinking water. It is becoming less expensive than fossil fuels and there is tremendous growth in the clean energy job market. Right now, clean energy jobs outnumber fossil fuel jobs three to one and that is only going to get larger. It is a great bill for New Jersey and our country." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 86% by League of Conservation Voters. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Administrator Regan: "One third of the warming from greenhouse gasses occurring today is due to human-caused emissions of methane. In the U.S., the oil and natural gas industry is the largest industrial source of methane emissions, emitting more methane than the total greenhouse gas emissions of 164 other countries combined. In addition to methane pollution, oil and natural gas operations also emit smog-forming volatile organic compounds and toxic air pollutants, such as benzene, that harm public health. The proposed rules would reduce 41 million tons of methane emissions from 2023 to 2035, avoid 12 million tons of smog-forming VOC pollution, and 480,000 tons of air toxics pollution through 2035. In 2030 alone, the rules are expected to reduce methane emissions from sources covered in the proposal by 74 percent compared to 2005." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Signed Letter to Administrator Regan: "We appreciate the EPA's demonstrated commitment to combatting environmental racism and advancing equal access to clean air, land, and water. We specifically applaud the steps the EPA has taken to set criteria pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. We encourage you to expand these efforts to include other freight sources, including locomotives, ocean-going vessels, and aircraft." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • ""Background checks are a simple way to get guns out of the hands of people who want to harm others," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. "It is a way to separate the legitimate gun owners from potential gun buyers who are terrorists and domestic abusers. This bill will save lives and protect gun owners from unreasonable delays regarding their purchase. I do not understand how anyone could fail to support a bill that protects Americans and their Second Amendment rights."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Rated 100% by Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1446 "Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021." (votesmart.org)
  • "Background checks are a simple way to get guns out of the hands of people who want to harm others," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. "It is a way to separate the legitimate gun owners from potential gun buyers who are terrorists and domestic abusers. This bill will save lives and protect gun owners from unreasonable delays regarding their purchase. I do not understand how anyone could fail to support a bill that protects Americans and their Second Amendment rights." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "The #ACA has made health care affordable for millions of Americans." (twitter.com)
  • "Thanks to everyone who came to my #ProtectOurCare roundtable today. Great discussion about the importance of defending the #ACA" (twitter.com)
  • "This week, I spoke on the House floor about the health disparities that exist in our country. We must work to make sure ALL Americans have the same quality and affordable healthcare nationwide." (twitter.com)
  • "Trump has cut the individual mandate in an attempt to gut #Obamacare. Democrat like me want to strengthen Obamacare because people should have better access to healthcare in the wealthiest country on earth. #sotu" (twitter.com)
  • "Access to #paidleave shouldn’t depend on where you live or work. We need nat’l #paidleave!" (twitter.com)
  • "I was extremely proud to vote for the coronavirus support bill early this morning. This is an economic crisis as well as a public health and safety one. American workers need paid sick leave to avoid possibly spreading the disease in their workplace." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 6201 “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (votesmart.org)
  • "Seniors would see increased Medicare benefits and lower prescription drug prices with the #BuildBackBetter Act. We must pass this bill immediately!" (twitter.com)
  • "Today, we passed a bill to enhance the popular Affordable Care Act. I voted for it because it will allow more Americans to get quality health care at rates they can afford as well as allow the administration to negotiate Medicaid prescription drug prices with drug companies." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 3 “Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019” (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of H.R. 6833 “The Affordable Insulin Now Act” (votesmart.org)
  • "No one wants open borders, but the American People don’t want a wall. They want smart, evidence-based border security." (twitter.com)
  • "Look, we can agree on smart, effective border security solutions like new tech to scan for drugs and detect unauthorized crossings, but we are not building his stupid wall." (twitter.com)
  • "The vast majority of drugs cross legal ports of entry. A stupid wall won’t help. What border agents want and need is technology to better detect drugs in vehicles, manpower, and funding." (twitter.com)
  • ""I am glad to see the Supreme Court uphold the policies of freedom, equality, and pursuit of happiness that make up the foundations of our democracy," said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. "DACA has been a highly successful program to help immigrant children who have been raised in our country to stay in their communities. We should do everything we can to help children, whether they were born here or not."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • ""Immigrants have built this country from the very beginning," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. "The children and workers affected by these bills are Americans in every way but their status. They live, go to school, and pay bills here. The legislation we passed today will help them fulfill their dream to become American citizens. I am proud that the American Dream bill includes immigrants who have Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure status. I have worked for years to get them a pathway to citizenship in our country. These are immigrants who want to become legal residents of the country they love."" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1333 "NO BAN Act." (votesmart.org)
  • Voted in favor of HR 6 "American Dream and Promise Act of 2021." (votesmart.org)
  • "I am glad to see the Supreme Court uphold the policies of freedom, equality, and pursuit of happiness that make up the foundations of our democracy," said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. "DACA has been a highly successful program to help immigrant children who have been raised in our country to stay in their communities. We should do everything we can to help children, whether they were born here or not." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Immigrants have built this country from the very beginning," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. "The children and workers affected by these bills are Americans in every way but their status. They live, go to school, and pay bills here. The legislation we passed today will help them fulfill their dream to become American citizens. I am proud that the American Dream bill includes immigrants who have Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure status. I have worked for years to get them a pathway to citizenship in our country. These are immigrants who want to become legal residents of the country they love." (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • 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)
  • "It was an honor to meet with members of the American Coalition for Ukraine today. I shared with them that I will always stand with the people of Ukraine against Russia’s brutal assault. The Ukrainian people deserve to live in a free, peaceful and sovereign nation." (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)
  • "I was proud to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act today because it will clean the environment, create new jobs in energy technology, make sure corporations pay their fair share in taxes, and significantly reduce the prices of life-saving medications for millions of Americans." (twitter.com)
  • "Once again I’m voting AGAINST H.R. 1, the #GOP’s plan to give massive tax breaks to the wealthy. #StopGOPTaxScam" (twitter.com)
  • Rated 3% by National Tax Limitation Committee (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • "Republicans want to fund their billionaire friends’ tax cuts by taking the state and local tax deduction away from lower- and middle-income families. That doesn’t work for New Jersey, and it doesn’t work for the American people. #TaxScam" (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5430 "United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act." (votesmart.org)

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