Cory Booker in Interviews during 2017-2019
On Civil Rights:
Yes to reparations, but as part of larger conversation
Can I tell you why I'm frustrated and disappointed by this reparations conversation? It's because it's being reduced to just a box to check on a presidential list when this is so much more of a serious conversation. Do I support legislation that is race
conscious about balancing the economic scales? Not only do I support it, but I have legislation that actually does it. It's something called baby bonds, which means that every child born in America would get a bond when they're birthed,
$2,000 placed in it. And every year, depending on their family's income, they would have more money placed in it. The lowest income Americans, by the time they reach
18 years old, would have upwards of $50,000, real wealth, a stake in our economy, to invest in going to school or education, starting a business, buying a home.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On Civil Rights:
Will fight for LGBTQ rights; everyone should feel safe
I'm an original co-sponsor of the Equality Act. I don't need to wait to be president to fight for the rights of my brothers and sisters in this country. Then I will take on the larger fight of uniting this country, like we did for civil rights,
for workers' rights, for women's rights, I will unite this country in the fight to make sure that LGBTQ Americans and all Americans have justice and equality under the law.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On Drugs:
Decriminalize marijuana; expunge past criminal records
In this climate where many states are moving to legalize marijuana, I have a lot of frustrations. We fundamentally have different laws in this country that are treating people differently. There are still marijuana arrests. In 2017, there were more
marijuana arrests in this country than all violent crime arrests combined. And marijuana enforcement is disproportionately impacting black and brown communities. There is no difference in America between using and even selling marijuana between
blacks and whites. But if you're African American in this country, you're almost four times more likely to be arrested for that. That's why I fast put a bill into the Senate called the Marijuana Justice Act, which is about decriminalizing marijuana on
the federal level, letting the states do what they want, but very importantly in the same breath, we've got to talk about expunging the records of everyone who is still suffering.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On Education:
Support public education including some charter schools
I fought for excellent schools no matter whether they were magnet schools or charter schools. In fact, I fought to close low- performing charter schools.
Local leaders need to find the best solutions for public education that work for them.
Whether it's charter or district, local leaders have to support it. On the federal level my goal is that everyone in America regardless of ZIP Code has a great public school.
And we do that by funding our public schools, by supporting public schoolteachers, forgiving their debt, increasing their salaries, and making sure we're drawing more people into the profession.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On Education:
Free community college; loan forgiveness; apprenticeships
Student loan [debt] is changing the culture of an entire generation who are putting aside buying their first home, starting businesses, even getting married because of crushing student debt, at the same time that other countries are lowering their cost
of college. The most offensive part is that the federal government is profiting off of the backs of our students. The student loan program makes billions of dollars. [We should have] a system of debt-free college free community college, and make sure
that certain professions, like teachers, we are going to forgive your debt.I am just as determined to have apprenticeship programs. If I am president, we will have robust apprenticeship programs for kids to learn the skills of a 21st century economy,
like advanced manufacturing, to learn and earn at the same time. If you're a person that's older and lose your job, this country should say to you there is a place for you, as well, to get a midcareer apprenticeship.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On Energy & Oil:
Leadership in dealing with climate change, including nuclear
I support the Green New Deal. When I was mayor, I found out that we can environmentally retrofit buildings, lower our carbon footprint, create good union jobs and apprenticeship programs. Nuclear has to be part of this solution.
Next-generation nuclear is so much safer, uses spent fuel rods. One of the first things I do, should I be president, will be rejoining the Paris Climate Accords.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On Energy & Oil:
Mixed score on "350 Action's 2020 Climate Test"
The environmental group 350 Action released a candidate scorecard known as the 2020 Climate Test to assess presidential hopefuls on three major metrics: support for a Green New Deal, opposition to new fossil fuel development and refusal to accept money
from energy companies. [Candidates supporting all three issues]: - Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)
- Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT)
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA)
Four candidates have supported two of 350 Action's three benchmarks.-
Sen. Cory Booker (NJ)
- Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI)
- Gov. Jay Inslee (WA)
- Andrew Yang (CA)
Three candidates have failed all three of 350 Action's tests, attacking the Green New Deal or making no firm pledges to work against fossil fuel companies.
- Donald Trump (NY)
- Former Rep. John Delaney (Md.)--Does not support the Green New Deal.
- Former Gov. John Hickenlooper (Colo.)--Does not support the Green New Deal.
Source: Mother Jones, "On Climate," on 2020 Presidential Hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On Gun Control:
Consensus on common sense gun laws; ready to fight NRA
I am frustrated with politicians who all the best they can muster is to give thoughts and prayers. Gun-owners and non-gun owners agree that we need to have universal background checks and close so many of these loopholes. And the NRA
does not represent their membership, because their membership actually agrees with closing those loopholes. I am going to bring a fight like the NRA has never seen if they're going to defend corporate gun manufacturers more than represent the people.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On Health Care:
Medicare for all; start with commonsense reforms
In a system that is the most expensive system on the Planet Earth, we spend about 18 percent to 20 percent of our GDP on health care, and we still have folks that are struggling just to get by because our system doesn't go to patient care.
The ideal is that everyone should have access to health care. Health care is an American right, and the current system is definitely wrong.
I believe the best way to get there is by having Medicare for all. We can drive prices down doing commonsense things like using Medicare's bargaining power.
You raise your drug prices higher than other countries, we're going to have a definite penalty. We're going to take away your patent and let generics come in and undercut those prices.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On Homeland Security:
Supports military spending on Foreign Affairs Committee
- Sen. Cory Booker has voted for 16 out of 19 military spending bills in the Senate.
- Despite serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee, he has not taken a public position for ending U.S. wars or cutting its military spending.
His record of voting for 84 percent of military spending bills suggests he would not make major cuts.
- He also describes himself as a "staunch advocate for a strengthened relationship with Israel."
Source: Truthout.org, "War and Peace," on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On Immigration:
Support DREAMers, reform immigration to reflect our values
DREAMers are Americans in every way except for the piece of paper. When I become president, immediately I'm going to reverse Trump's actions and gives those DACA folks a pathway to citizenship. But we need comprehensive immigration reform.
The kind of thing that's going on is a direct abuse to our values. I will change that as your president, affirm our values, and create an immigration system that keeps us safe and works in accordance to our values, as well.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On Social Security:
Raise the cap on Social Security taxes to fund system
Fixing Social Security is not as complicated as people make it. It is unfair that if you're making $100,000, $150,000, you're paying a higher percentage of your income into Social Security than somebody who's paying a million dollars. We need to make
sure that we create a fairer, more progressive Social Security tax situation so that if you're making a million dollars, you're paying more into that system. Having changes to that cap to Social Security would more fully fund Social Security.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On War & Peace:
End intervention in Yemen & Iran, but not Israel
- Booker was one of the first five cosponsors of Sanders's Yemen War Powers bill, and he has an 86 percent Peace Action voting record.
- He cosponsored the Senate bill condemning the UN Security Council resolution against Israeli settlements in
2016.
- He was an original cosponsor of a bill to impose new sanctions on Iran in December 2013, before eventually voting for the nuclear agreement in 2015.
Source: Truthout.org, "War and Peace," on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 27, 2019
On Drugs:
Legalize marijuana federally, plus state incentives
Kamala Harris' call for legalization of marijuana follow the lead of multiple others. Sen. Cory Booker, a NJ Democrat and one of Harris' top opponents for the party's nomination, introduced a bill in 2017 that would both legalize marijuana use at a
federal level & encourage states to legalize it locally through incentives. By attaching the issue to himself early on, Booker--one of the early top prospects for the Democrats in 2020--all but forced contenders to take a stance on legalizing marijuana.
Source: Politico.com, "Legalization," on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Feb 11, 2019
On Crime:
Make lynching a hate crime
- Booker has made criminal justice reform one of his top issues in the Senate, and scored a victory last year with the passage of the bipartisan First Step Act.
- The law, which overhauled sentencing guidelines and prison conditions, was an
updated version of a bill Booker first sponsored in 2015. Booker's personal connection to the criminal justice system, which he has called a "cancer on the soul of our nation," goes back more than two decades to when he ran free clinics to help
Newark residents expunge their criminal records.
- Booker joined the Senate's two other black members--Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and
Tim Scott, R-S.C., in introducing a bill to make lynching a hate crime.
- Booker also cited concerns about Jeff Sessions' record on civil rights at the Alabama senator's confirmation hearing for attorney general.
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Feb 1, 2019
On Families & Children:
Opposes family separation policy at southern border
- The New Jersey senator is also a vocal critic of Trump administration immigration policies that led to the separation of thousands of families at the Southern border.
- He was one of 11 senators, including 2020 presidential candidates Sens.
Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to request weekly updates from the administration about children who were separated from their families.
- Booker also co-sponsored the REUNITE Act, a bill to reunite separated families.
-
He visited the border to see the impact of Trump's immigration policies, and later objected to the Pentagon sending troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in the run-up to the 2018 midterms."
-
Unlike some Democrats, Booker has stopped short of calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and instead believes Congress should take a "serious look" at the agency.
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Feb 1, 2019
On Foreign Policy:
Re-examine relationship with Saudi Arabia
- A member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Booker has grown increasingly critical of the Trump administration's policy in Saudi Arabia, especially after the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
-
Booker believes it's time to "re-examine" the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia and previously voted against arms sales to the kingdom.
-
Booker has also criticized U.S. policy and airstrikes in Syria, and believes the 2001 military authorization passed by Congress after the 9/11 terror attacks should not be used to justify continued action in Syria.
-
Booker believes Trump's planned withdrawal of troops from Syria is "reckless and dangerous" but also voted against a Senate resolution that warned against a hasty withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan.
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Feb 1, 2019
On Free Trade:
No fast-track trade authority for Trans-Pacific Partnership
Booker has said little recently about President Donald Trump's re-negotiation of trade deals with Canada and Mexico, but he once said such agreements need to be "much more fair to U.S. companies."
He opposed giving the Obama administration fast-track trade authority during early negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Feb 1, 2019
On Gun Control:
Require background checks; ban assault weapons
- Booker often cites gun violence in his own Newark neighborhood when pushing for stricter federal gun safety laws. He supports legislation to require background checks for all gun purchases and introduced legislation to ban
high-capacity magazines and assault weapons.
- Booker previously sponsored legislation to ban bump stocks, devices that convert semi-automatic weapons into fully-automatic guns, which were used in the
October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas.
- In 2000, as a city councilman in Newark, Booker supported banning all guns.
-
By the time he was mayor a decade later, he admitted banning assault weapons would only prevent a "small percentage" of murders and called the gun debate "tiring."
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Feb 1, 2019
On Health Care:
Allow importing prescription drugs to lower Rx prices
- In early January, Booker joined Sanders to sponsor a series of bills to lower the cost of prescription drugs by tying prices to other developed countries; allowing the importation of medication from Canada; and directing the Department of
Health and Human Services to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare.
- Two years earlier, Booker angered progressives when he voted against another Sanders-backed amendment to allow Americans to buy cheaper prescription drugs from Canada.
-
At the time, Booker cited concerns about the safety standards of imported drugs.
- Booker, who represents a state with a large number of pharmaceutical companies,
put a "pause" on campaign donations from the industry nearly two years ago after receiving criticism from Democrats. He later vowed to reject any corporate PAC contributions.
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Feb 1, 2019
On Health Care:
Backs Medicare-for-All
- Booker calls health care an "American right" and co-sponsored "Medicare for All" legislation introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
- The government-run plan would be phased in over four years and end the private insurance market as it
currently exists.
- It would be paid for by a tax on employers and increased taxes on capital gains and on incomes exceeding $250,000.
- Booker had previously defended the Affordable Care Act but stopped short of supporting a single-payer plan.
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Feb 1, 2019
On Homeland Security:
Transgender troops should be allowed to serve
- In the Senate, Booker pushed for marriage equality and cheered the 2015 Supreme Court decision making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.
- As mayor of Newark, he refused to officiate any weddings until same-sex marriage was legal;
in his final weeks as mayor, he married seven LGBT couples once the state legalized it.
- One of the first bills Booker co-sponsored in the Senate was the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which prohibited workplace discrimination because of sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Booker has said his support for the LGBT community has evolved over time.
- In a column he wrote for
Stanford University's newspaper in 1992, Booker said that he once "hated gays."
- Booker has also said the president's plan to ban transgender people from serving in the military "undermines our national security."
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Feb 1, 2019
On Immigration:
Supports DACA and DREAMers
- Booker supports protections for so-called "Dreamers," undocumented immigrants who entered the United States as children and are shielded by the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
-
In late 2017, he and other Democrats refused to support an end-of-year spending bill that didn't include a legislative fix for DACA.
-
Trump tried to end DACA last year by executive order, but the move drew legal challenges that remain stalled in the courts, which means the program remains in effect, for now.
-
Booker attended Trump's first State of the Union address with a "dreamer."
- More recently, he sponsored a bill to prevent the Department of Homeland Security from giving personal information about DACA recipients to law enforcement.
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Feb 1, 2019
On Jobs:
Supports $15 minimum wage and guaranteed jobs
Booker supports a $15 minimum wage and calls it "unacceptable" for Americans to "work a full-time job and still live in poverty." He also backs a pilot program that would provide grants to guarantee everyone a job and paid sick leave. Last year,
Booker sponsored legislation to eliminate the income gap by creating a savings account for every child that could grow to as much as $46,000 by their 18th birthday. The "opportunity account" could be used to pay for home ownership or higher education.
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Feb 1, 2019
On Welfare & Poverty:
HOME Act: $134 billion a year via EITC for people in poverty
Cory Booker's HOME (Housing, Opportunity, Mobility, and Equity) Act is a massive expansion of the EITC, which provides supplemental cash to low-income people who work. The HOME Act (estimated cost $134 billion a year) would provide a refundable credit
to people paying more than 30% of their income in rent. The credit would be worth the difference between their year's rent (capped at the area fair-market rent) and 30% of their income.
The fair market rent requirement prevents the credit from going to luxury renters.[A similar bill by presidential rival Kamala Harris], the Middle Class Act and Rent Relief Act, would cost $93 billion a year and provide
$42 billion to people in poverty. Booker's HOME Act, which costs significantly more per year than Harris's rental bill, accordingly provides $51.9 billion to households in poverty.
Source: Vox.com,"5 anti-poverty plans" by 2020 presidential hopefuls
Jan 30, 2019
On Civil Rights:
Parents experienced racist "redlining" at family home in NJ
Booker's father grew up in a low-income community in North Carolina, and the senator has recalled his family's struggle to settle in suburban New Jersey amid discrimination against black homebuyers."When I was a baby, my parents
tried to move us into a neighborhood with great public schools, but Realtors wouldn't sell us a home because of the color of our skin," he said in his video.
"A group of white lawyers, who had watched the courage of civil rights activists, were inspired to help black families in their own community, including mine. And they changed the course of my entire life.
Because in America, courage is contagious.
"My Dad told me, 'Boy, never forget where you came from, or how many people had to sacrifice to get you where you are.'?"
Source: Washington Examiner on 2020 Presidential Hopefuls
Jan 15, 2019
Page last updated: Nov 01, 2021