Cory Booker

Where Booker stands

Grouped by topic by Vote Book; headings and quoted words are the candidate’s own, with the source under each one. “As reported” items are a news outlet’s description, not an exact quote.

Abortion

What is your stance on access to abortion and other reproductive healthcare? And what roles should the federal government and the states each play on reproductive healthcare?

The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade defied nearly half a century of legal precedent and stripped Americans of the fundamental right to control what happens to their own bodies. It was an outrageous attack on our Constitution and our freedom—and it cannot stand. Republican politicians' coordinated attack on reproductive rights demands a coordinated response. We must pass the Women's Health Protection Act to establish federal protections for patients and providers, and safeguard access to abortion care. We must protect access to contraception and IVF. And we must guarantee high-quality maternal care across the country. Congress cannot stand idly by while the Supreme Court and state legislatures dismantle Americans' core constitutional rights. Every American—wherever they live—must be free to make their own reproductive health care decisions, free from the interference of politicians.

Immigration & border

What is your position on immigration reform? What do you think the relationship between federal immigration enforcement and state or local government institutions should be?

The Trump administration's immigration policies are unconstitutional and a moral stain on our nation. ICE is snatching people off the streets, raiding homes without warrants, separating children from their parents, and detaining American citizens. The most immediate task before us is to restore lawfulness to a reckless, out-of-control system. We are also long overdue for comprehensive, structural reforms. That means creating real pathways to citizenship for families who have built their lives here, protecting DREAMers, and modernizing our antiquated visa processing systems so people aren't waiting years for their cases to be resolved. We are a nation of immigrants—our diversity is a source of strength—and our policies must reflect that, with an immigration system that is safe, humane, lawful, orderly, and fair.

Immigration

I'm not going to approve another dollar to a reckless, dangerous, out-of-control agency that is hurting people in my state and hurting our economy and hurting our safety.

Health care

What changes would you support to make healthcare and mental health services more affordable, accessible, and easier to navigate?

The United States is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not guarantee affordable health care to its citizens—the only one where millions risk financial ruin simply for getting sick. That is a moral outrage. We must immediately undo the damage of the past year. Restore the premium tax credits Republicans let expire. Reverse the nearly $1 trillion in cuts they made to Medicaid and rural hospitals. Reverse Trump Administration policies that keep medical debt on Americans' credit reports. Then we must go further. Expand drug price negotiation. Lower out-of-pocket caps for more Americans. Extend Medicare coverage for vision, hearing, and dental. Expand access to mental health care. And invest in what keeps people healthy—clean water, clean air, safe food, and preventive care. We are the wealthiest nation on Earth. We can build a system where prescriptions are affordable, everyone is covered, and no one goes bankrupt simply for getting sick.

Health care

New Jerseyans are facing a twin tsunami of healthcare cuts: first from Trump's cuts to the Affordable Care Act, and then from a second round of looming Medicaid cuts.

Energy & environment

What actions would you support to strengthen climate resilience and protect infrastructure and neighborhoods from the impact of extreme weather?

Climate change is driving more frequent and destructive storms, threatening New Jersey's environment, infrastructure, and economy. We have seen the damage firsthand: flooding that has become a regular reality for too many communities, coastlines under threat, and extreme weather events that were once rare arriving season after season. I'm proud to have delivered substantial federal relief to New Jersey homeowners and municipalities following major storms. But we cannot rely on post-storm recovery alone. We need to invest in resilience—flood control, stormwater upgrades, and shoreline protection—to protect residents and reduce long-term costs. We must also restore the clean energy tax credits that Republicans recklessly repealed, reinvest in climate science, and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy that creates good-paying jobs and protects our environment. The costs of inaction are too high. New Jersey—and the country—cannot afford leaders who look away.

Jobs, wages & cost of living

What policies would you support to ease the cost of living and strengthen long-term economic stability for families in this district?

The costs of basic necessities are soaring—rent, groceries, utilities, child care, elder care, and more. Trump and congressional Republicans promised to lower costs. Instead, they've made things worse. I'm fighting for affordability on every front. I've introduced legislation to exempt the first $75,000 of household income from federal taxes. I'm co-leading legislation to take on the energy grid operators driving up our electricity bills. I've led legislation to crack down on agriculture monopolies that are pushing up grocery prices. I've been one of the Senate's leading champions for expanding the child tax credit. And I'm pushing to build more homes so that homeownership is a reality for more New Jerseyans. Daily life is too expensive for too many in our state. We need to be relentlessly focused on bringing down costs, putting more money in people's pockets, and making sure the economy works for working families, not just those at the top.

Tariffs

The Trump administration's tariffs have been devastating for New Jersey's businesses and consumers.

Cost of living

Costs across the board have gone up, as I said, between $4,000 and $5,000 for the average family, but for other families, they see their healthcare costs go up and skyrocket.

Elections, ethics & government

What are the most important challenges facing our country, and how do you propose to address them?

Costs are soaring, corruption is rampant, and our democracy is hanging in the balance. We need an economy that works for all New Jerseyans, not just the ultra-wealthy. I've introduced legislation to exempt the first $75,000 of household income from federal taxes—and I'll keep fighting the powerful interests driving up the cost of food, energy, and healthcare. There is something deeply wrong with an administration that spends billions on an illegal war abroad while gutting Americans' healthcare here at home. Fixing this requires getting money out of politics. Our system drowns out citizens and hands power to the highest bidder. We must overturn Citizens United, ban congressional stock trading, reject special interest and corporate PAC money, and return government to the people it's supposed to serve. And we must reassert the rule of law, restore checks and balances, and hold to account those who subvert our Constitution. These are not normal times—and they cannot be treated as such.

What measures do you support to expand voter access and restore trust in our elections?

There is an active effort in Washington to make it harder for New Jerseyans to vote. It's called the SAVE America Act, and it's one of the most dangerous attacks on voting rights I've seen in my lifetime. Among other troubling provisions, it would impose major burdens on voting by mail, make it harder for people who've changed their names to cast a ballot, and add new restrictive requirements for registering to vote. Defeating this bill is the first order of business. But there's more we need to do. We should pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, expand vote by mail, institute automatic and same-day registration, and restore funding to agencies like CISA where career professionals work to defend against foreign interference. We must also reject politicians who undermine trust in our elections with baseless claims of voter fraud. Elections should be easy to participate in and hard to manipulate. Republicans in Washington have those priorities exactly backwards.