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Ricky Barajas' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Key

Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Ricky Barajas has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2024 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

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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.

  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Republicans are eager to regain the Majority in Congress. If they succeed, their fist act will be to demolish Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Nikki Haley wants to raise the retirement age to 70 where according to the CDC, current life expectancy is at 76. Social Security is funded through a dedicated payroll taxed by employers and employees. The reason Social Security is expected to run out of money by 2040, it is not because it is not fully funded, it is Congress is borrowing from it. We must ensure we do not borrow against important social programs, stabilize current payments, lift the cap on those making above 400k to contribute more into the program, and lower the retirement age to a liveable wage." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • "We need tax reforms that empower the middle class, not hurt them. My plan would include raising the child tax credit, eliminate tax brackets and obligation down to 15% for anyone making less than $400k. Follow President Biden's tax plan to ensure large corporations pay their fair share. No more bailing out Wall Street, and let's start investing in the Middle and Lower class." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • "Republicans are eager to regain the Majority in Congress. If they succeed, their fist act will be to demolish Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Nikki Haley wants to raise the retirement age to 70 where according to the CDC, current life expectancy is at 76. Social Security is funded through a dedicated payroll taxed by employers and employees. The reason Social Security is expected to run out of money by 2040, it is not because it is not fully funded, it is Congress is borrowing from it. We must ensure we do not borrow against important social programs, stabilize current payments, lift the cap on those making above 400k to contribute more into the program, and lower the retirement age to a liveable wage." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • "We need tax reforms that empower the middle class, not hurt them. My plan would include raising the child tax credit, eliminate tax brackets and obligation down to 15% for anyone making less than $400k. Follow President Biden's tax plan to ensure large corporations pay their fair share. No more bailing out Wall Street, and let's start investing in the Middle and Lower class." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Oregon infrastructure sits at an overall grade of C-. We need to invest​ $3 billion into Oregon Infrastructure to improve our heavily damage roads, bridges, and city. President Biden has taken the 1st step by passing into law an Infrastructure bill that will help our depleted roads and highways come to life. Let's put an end to potholes once and for all." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • "Co-sponsor Vice- President Kamala Harris Rent Relief Act. This legislation creates a new, refundable tax credit for households spending more than 25% of their income, including rent and utilities. Apartment and the Housing markets has sky rockets in the last four years. In order to stabilize the rise of housing, we need to be proactive and build affordable home so every American is able to afford without having to work multiple jobs." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Double Pell Grants and allow students to refinance their loans at lower rates. *Student loan payments shout not exceed 5% of monthly income. *Debt should be forgiven after eight years. *Entrepreneurs in distressed communities can defer their loans up to 3 years, including the forgiven partial amount of their loan. *Servicing our nation and public interest up to two years, can have their loan forgiven. No tax breaks for corporations until they opt into a student loan repayment program. No Federal student loan should exceed 3% in interest." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • "Automatic register all citizens at age 17 to be eligible to vote once they turn 18. Expand voting polls sites throughout the state, expand voting hours, and sponsor legislation to make Election Day a National Holiday." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • "Climate change is the biggest issue that we need to address in the next decade. We need to invest in clean energy, which, in return, will create new high paying jobs and ensure a sustainable future for our children. I am thankful to President Biden for recommitting to the Paris accord. I strongly believe Oregon can lead the Pacific North West in Green energy projects and power the western states in renewable energy." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • "Climate change is the biggest issue that we need to address in the next decade. We need to invest in clean energy, which, in return, will create new high paying jobs and ensure a sustainable future for our children. I am thankful to President Biden for recommitting to the Paris accord. I strongly believe Oregon can lead the Pacific North West in Green energy projects and power the western states in renewable energy." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "We need to expand and improve Obamacare to cover all Americans. My plan would eliminate deductibles and copays for preventable services. Provide coverage for pre-existing conditions on day one, and continue President Biden's low cost of insulins and other prescriptions. Insurance companies should be providing a refund on your premium after five years of consecutive coverage." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "We need to expand and improve Obamacare to cover all Americans. My plan would eliminate deductibles and copays for preventable services. Provide coverage for pre-existing conditions on day one, and continue President Biden's low cost of insulins and other prescriptions. Insurance companies should be providing a refund on your premium after five years of consecutive coverage." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • "I am the only candidate to have a real solution to Immigration reform and the border crisis. We need to partner up with Mexico to ensure they protect their side of the border. Increase Federal judges to expedite asylums claims, provide temporary work visa up to 2 years upon e-verification. Lastly, in order to stop immigrations from Mexico and Central America, we must partner up with those countries to lift up their economies which will allow people to stay in their home countries and live a dignify life. We need to emphasize on our southern countries neighbors to limit immigration and reduce the stress at the border." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • "I am the only candidate to have a real solution to Immigration reform and the border crisis. We need to partner up with Mexico to ensure they protect their side of the border. Increase Federal judges to expedite asylums claims, provide temporary work visa up to 2 years upon e-verification. Lastly, in order to stop immigrations from Mexico and Central America, we must partner up with those countries to lift up their economies which will allow people to stay in their home countries and live a dignify life. We need to emphasize on our southern countries neighbors to limit immigration and reduce the stress at the border." (www.barajas4congress.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
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?
No In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
Yes Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
Social Security and Medicare is fully funded by the people and a payroll tax. We must ensure Congress does not borrow against these programs. We must expand Social Security benefits by lifting the cap and ensuring the top 1% pay their fair share.
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
We need campaign reform and minimize the infleunce corporations have on Congress.
No Do you support increasing defense spending?
Defense spending has increased drastically under this administration. We need to fund other social programs instead of increasing spending for defense.
Yes Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
No Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
First and foremost, I support providing financial relief to the Ameican people, small businesses, the disabled, and those on SSI. If we are going to provide financial aid to a corporation, they must not be able to buy back their stock, and they MUST report how they allocate their funding. They need to return it to their employees who are suffering far more than corporations directly. If they show corporate responsibility, I am in favor of financial relief for the business.
Yes Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
To some extend. Every student learns at a different capacity, and we need to provide funding for after school programs that benefit the student with a learning disability.
Yes Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
Yes Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
We need to first and foremost make guarantee a Green New Deal which includes the cutting of gas emissions does no harm to those in rural communities in the coal industry.
Yes Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
No Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
Yes Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19?
If businesses and large corporations are going to ask for financial relief during a public health crisis, Yes, they must provide paid medical leave.
No Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
No Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
Only immigrants with felonies. Those who are here unlawfully, we must work together to grant them visas, leading to citizenship. Immigrants contribute to local, state and federal economies by paying into Social security and other taxes to benefits they do not qualify for.
No Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)?
Yes Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
Yes Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
My top priorities if elected to Congress will include: 1. Universal Health Care 2. Green New Deal/ Expanding to Green Energy by 2030. 3. Immigration Reform/ DACA: Granting DACA recipients permanent status and introducing legislation to address the overdue issue of Immigration Reform. On top of my priorities, I would work to pass legislation if we ever have a public health crisis, that money is ready to be allocated within days, not weeks or months. We need to pass proactive laws that first and foremost protect all Americans and small businesses. It is time we bail out America.

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