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Suraj Patel's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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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.
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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.

  • "There's no time to waste, after Roe, this extremist Supreme Court will go after Obergefell, Griswold, even Loving. We must CODIFY these rights now" (twitter.com)
  • "Women all across America, not just in select states, should have full control over what happens to their bodies. The fundamental right to reproductive care has become a left-right battleground, with women losing out every time. This must end. Every person should have the resources and agency to make healthy decisions about their own individual bodies, sexuality, and reproduction. Lawmakers must support, not deny, this right." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "the GOP Tax Scam was a big Wall Street giveaway. They got a windfall, then cut staff, & loaned less. That was the last time. We need to restore balance in our economy away from capital and towards work." (twitter.com)
  • "This “tax cut” was a generational theft bill. $1.5 trillion could’ve been used to invest in the future, in our people, in our infrastructure. Instead, we will foot the bill for someone’s yacht" (twitter.com)
  • "Following a pandemic that has hit disabled and older Americans harder than nearly anyone, it is more critical than ever that we reform and update the Social Security Income (SSI) eligibility rules that trap millions of people with disabilities and seniors in deep and enduring poverty. Seniors and disabled Americans should never have to live in poverty, and it is disgraceful that the SSI program has been pushed aside and ignored by policy makers for decades. At minimum, we must make long-overdue improvements to SSI benefits like increasing monthly benefits to the federal poverty level and updating outdated income and asset limits for inflation. Congress must pass the Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act to achieve these goals." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "The Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. F.E.C. has completely changed the landscape of American elections. It further established the legal basis for the myth that “corporations are people” and opened the door for billionaires and special interests to spend unlimited, untraceable money in America’s elections. Now, billionaires like the Koch Brothers and corporations are trying to tip the balance of political power in their favor. Politicians of all stripes are beholden to their donors, not the American public. But it doesn’t have to be this way." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "We need a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, a disastrous Supreme Court ruling that 78% of Americans oppose, and we need leaders with the courage to call for it. As long as special interest groups and the ultra wealthy continue to bankroll campaigns, they’ll be the only ones getting what they want. We can also get big money out of politics today by publicly financing federal elections. We can amplify the voices of small donors by with an opt-in federal public financing system that matches small-dollar donations, gives small-dollar donors a partial tax credit, caps all contributions at $1000, and eliminates PAC funding as well as self-funding." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "We must pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act" (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "The relationship between law enforcement and community is deeply broken. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act addresses a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. It increases accountability for law enforcement misconduct, restricts the use of certain policing practices, enhances transparency and data collection, and establishes best practices and training requirements." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "As we look ahead to rebuilding as a nation, we will need bold, progressive plans to provide M4A, to create jobs, and to make our economy work for everyone." (twitter.com)
  • "It's time for a #BlueNewDeal to build coastal resiliency, fight climate change, and create jobs. Living shorelines are more beneficial than hardened shorelines." (twitter.com)
  • "Republicans spent trillions on a tax cuts to corporations justified by a debunked idea it would be passed onto workers and consumers." (twitter.com)
  • "the GOP Tax Scam was a big Wall Street giveaway. They got a windfall, then cut staff, & loaned less. That was the last time. We need to restore balance in our economy away from capital and towards work." (twitter.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Everyone should have access to quality, affordable education. We must restructure and increase investment in our post-secondary education and workforce training systems, provide student debt relief, and invest in the future of our academic institutions." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "In 1892, the United States of America realized that a middle school education was no longer sufficient in preparing our children for the workforce. In 1892, the Committee of Ten - a group of leading educators - recommended the standardization of high school education in the United States and the High School movement that followed led to the rapid expansion of high schools across the country from 1910-1940. Similarly, K-12 education is no longer sufficient for our youth and American competitiveness. America adapted when it realized a middle school education was not sufficient?—?it is time to bring our educational system to the 21st century." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "President Biden recently signed a landmark $1.3 trillion infrastructure bill into law to repair our subways, bridges, and tunnels and invest in our clean-energy future but unfortunately, those dollars won’t go nearly as far enough due to out-of-control costs." (twitter.com)
  • "we must prevent the hijacking of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) to prevent clean energy projects from being approved and expand FERC’s power to bypass localities that try to block the construction of transmission lines." (twitter.com)
  • "We must aggressively deploy a multipronged strategy to deeply decarbonize our economy and reach net-zero by 2030." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "We must pass a Carbon Fee and Dividend, which would place a steadily rising fee on carbon emissions and distribute that money back to households as a monthly dividend." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "Congress must legislate national universal background checks that would close these loopholes and require all gun purchasers in all states to undergo a background check." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "Leaders in Congress need to take a stand against special interests that make our nation less safe. We need to stand up for all Americans and pass comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation, and put an end to this national epidemic of gun deaths." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "We must close the “boyfriend loophole,” which allows domestic abusers to obtain firearms, despite criminal convictions or restraining orders against them just because they did not marry the victim. The presence of a firearm in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%. Closing the boyfriend loophole is long overdue and should be a key, bipartisan priority." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "Taking healthcare out of the hands of companies and pushing for a single-payer system wouldn’t just improve health outcomes, it could also boost our economy, increase hiring, and eliminate startup costs for small businesses." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "Access to flexible scheduling, paid family leave, and high-quality child care remains a major hurdle for women and for families across America. The United States is the largest developed country that does not guarantee paid leave to workers, forcing new parents with limited resources to return to work just days after the birth of their children." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "Walmart's emergency paid sick leave policy - requiring a positive coronavirus test - will continue to put workers and shoppers at risk. We need universal paid family/medical leave, and we need national, coordinated COVID testing." (twitter.com)
  • "What makes our country great is our heritage of immigration, we cannot let outdated, and, frankly racist immigration policies hold our nation back. We cannot forget the immense cultural, political, technological, and economic value that immigrants and refugees give to our nation." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "We must halt mass deportation, open our borders to asylum seekers, and provide more pathways to citizenship." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "We must view immigration as a source of strength and power for our country. We must welcome immigrants and refugees with open arms and restore humanity to our immigration system." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "What makes our country great is our heritage of immigration, we cannot let outdated, and, frankly racist immigration policies hold our nation back. We cannot forget the immense cultural, political, technological, and economic value that immigrants and refugees give to our nation." (www.surajpatel.nyc)
  • "We can not afford in any way another war in the Middle East. Just no more, period." (twitter.com)
  • "We can not afford in any way another war in the Middle East. Just no more, period." (twitter.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.

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