Cory Booker was elected to the Senate in a special election in October 2013. Prior to becoming a senator, he served as the mayor of Newark, N.J., for seven years during which time he oversaw the doubling of affordable housing development in the city. Booker is a Rhodes Scholar and a graduate of Yale Law School.
Previous Work Around Poverty and Opportunity
- Introduced the Marijuana Justice Act in 2017 to legalize marijuana at the federal level.
- In 2012, participated in the Food Stamp Challenge to draw attention to food insecurity.
- Lived in Brick Towers, a public housing development in Newark, from 1998 through 2006.
On the Issues
Jobs: Supports pilot programs that would allow cities to experiment with guaranteed jobs programs.
Affordable Housing: His $134 billion-a-year HOME Act would provide a refundable credit to people who spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent.
Health Care/Insurance: Supporter and co-sponsor of Medicare for All legislation.
Education: Hassupported school choice, private school vouchers and merit pay for teachers.
Criminal Justice: In March 2019, introduced Next Step Act, a criminal justice reform bill that builds off the bipartisan First Step Act to limit mass incarceration and address employment barriers for people leaving prison.
Minimum Wage: Advocates for a $15 per hour minimum wage.
Safety Net: Supports expanding Social Security benefits and opposes raising the Social Security retirement age.
Children/Families: Has proposed a “Baby Bonds Act” that would provide all children with a $1,000 seed fund that could be accessed at age 18 for certain needs such as paying tuition.
Taxes/Tax Credits: Wants to increase capital gains and estate taxes as well as expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
News Articles
“Cory Booker’s 2020 Policy Agenda: ‘Baby Bonds,’ Criminal Justice Reform, Action on Climate Change” (The Washington Post: 1/1/2019)
“An Exclusive Look at Cory Booker’s Plan to Fight Wealth Inequality: Give Poor Kids Money” (Vox: 8/22/2018)