Political positions of Cory Booker

See also: Cory Booker 2020 presidential campaign § Political positions
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Booker speaks at an American Federation of Government Employees rally in 2018

Cory Booker is the junior United States senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. He was previously the 36th mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013. Before that Booker served on the Newark City Council for the Central Ward from 1998 to 2002.

He has been described as a liberal.[1] Throughout his Senate career, Booker has amassed a liberal voting record.[2][3] In a July 2013 Salon interview, Booker said that "there's nothing in that realm of progressive politics where you won't find me."[4] In a September 2013 interview with The Grio, when asked whether he considered himself a progressive, he stated that he is a Democrat and an American.[5]

He supports long-term deficit reduction efforts to ensure economic prosperity, Cap and Trade taxation to combat climate change, and increased funding for education.[6] He has spoken in favor of creating a federal job guarantee and baby bonds (low-risk savings accounts that minors get access to at age 18).[2] In the Senate, he has emphasized issues of racial and social justice.[2] He played a leading role in the push to pass the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill.[2] He supports ending the war on drugs and legalizing cannabis.[7] Booker supports abortion rights and affirmative action.[5][8][9] Booker supports a single-payer health care plan. In September 2017, he joined Bernie Sanders and 14 other cosponsors in submitting a single-payer health care plan to Congress called the "Medicare for All" bill.[10]

On foreign policy, Booker supports scaling down U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and is against intervention in Syria.[11][12] After the US strike on Syria in April 2017, Booker criticized military action "without a clear plan" or authorization from Congress.[13] He supports a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. On Iran, Booker has supported the Iran nuclear deal framework.[14]

  1. ^ Andrew Silow-Carroll, "Senator Cory Booker: A liberal African-American Baptist who loves talking Torah", Haaretz, October 17, 2013
  2. ^ a b c d Tamari, Jonathan (February 2019). "N.J. Senator Cory Booker launches 2020 campaign for president". www.philly.com. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  3. ^ "'Together, America, We Will Rise.' Cory Booker Launches 2020 Campaign". Time. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  4. ^ Matt Taylor, "Cory Booker doubles down", Salon, July 9, 2013
  5. ^ a b Perry Bacon Jr., "What Cory Booker will do in the Senate", The Grio, October 16, 2013
  6. ^ Christine Richard, "Ackman Cash for Booker Brings $240 Million Aid From Wall Street", 'Bloomberg, October 28, 2010
  7. ^ Mollie Reilly, "Cory Booker Condemns Drug War As 'Tremendous Failure'", The Huffington Post, August 18, 2013
  8. ^ Matt Friedman, "Where Cory Booker and Steve Lonegan stand on the issues", nj, October 16, 2013
  9. ^ "Safeguarding Civil Rights and Civil Liberties" Archived March 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, corybooker.com
  10. ^ Kurtzleben, Danielle (14 September 2017). "Here's What's In Bernie Sanders' 'Medicare For All' Bill". NPR. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  11. ^ "Keeping America Secure" Archived March 21, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, corybooker.com
  12. ^ Ruby Cramer, "Cory Booker Walks Back Opposition To Military Intervention In Syria", BuzzFeed Politics, August 31, 2013
  13. ^ "Local Officials React To US Missile Strike On Syria". CBS New York. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  14. ^ David Weigel (September 4, 2015). "Chris Christie: Cory Booker should be ashamed to back Iran deal". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 8, 2015.