Cheri Bustos takes a balanced and nuanced stance on criminal justice issues, supporting measures to improve police accountability and address systemic racism, while also recognizing the need to work with law enforcement. She advocates for banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants, as well as increased training in de-escalation and community relations. However, Bustos opposes the "defund the police" movement, instead favoring a more measured approach to reallocating resources. Overall, Bustos's position on criminal justice can be characterized as Somewhat Liberal.
Source: Bustos Now Considers ‘Black Lives Matter’ a Movement with ‘Credibility’ after Saying in 2017, ‘I Don’t Dwell on Them’ | WCIA.Com, n.d. Cheri Bustos takes a balanced approach on economic issues, with a mix of liberal and conservative stances. She supports federal stimulus spending and raising the minimum wage, indicating a somewhat liberal stance on economic policy. However, she has also voted against prioritizing spending in case the debt limit is reached, suggesting a more conservative fiscal outlook. Overall, Bustos appears to be a Somewhat Liberal Democrat on economic matters, seeking to balance economic growth with fiscal responsibility.
Source: Cheri Bustos - Ballotpedia, n.d. Cheri Bustos has a Somewhat Liberal stance on education policy. She opposes private and religious school voucher programs, but supports making two years of community college free and recruiting women and minorities for STEM teaching. Bustos also voted against reauthorizing the DC opportunity scholarship program, which provides vouchers for private and parochial schools, indicating a more liberal position on school choice. Overall, Bustos appears to favor increased public education funding and access, while opposing measures that divert resources away from public schools.
Source: Cheri Bustos - Ballotpedia, n.d. Cheri Bustos appears to have a moderate to somewhat liberal stance on energy policy, particularly when it comes to supporting the ethanol industry and promoting renewable fuels. She has sponsored the INVEST CO2 Act, which aims to provide federal financing for the development of carbon capture and transportation infrastructure, indicating her support for technologies that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy and industrial sectors. Bustos also emphasizes the importance of the ethanol industry to her district's economy, highlighting the jobs and opportunities it creates for family farmers. Overall, her energy policy positions seem to balance economic and environmental considerations, placing her in the Somewhat Liberal to Center range on this issue.
Source: Carbon Capture Coalition, n.d.; EP. 23 - Congressional Rep. Cheri Bustos and the Next Generation Fuels Act: A Full Tank of Good Policy, n.d. Cheri Bustos has a somewhat liberal stance on foreign policy. She has called for cuts in defense spending and supported the Iran nuclear deal, stating that it was "the right step for our national security and the security of the global community." Bustos has also advocated for removing barriers to trade with Cuba and sees the country as a "huge trade opportunity" for the US. Overall, Bustos appears to favor diplomatic solutions and engagement over more hawkish foreign policy approaches.
Source: Cheri Bustos - Wikipedia, n.d. Cheri Bustos has a somewhat liberal stance on government dependency. She opposes maintaining work requirements for welfare recipients, indicating a more progressive view on social safety net programs. However, she also voted against prioritizing spending in case the debt limit is reached, suggesting a more moderate approach to government spending. Overall, Bustos appears to favor a balanced approach that provides a social safety net while also exercising fiscal responsibility.
Source: Cheri Bustos on Tax Reform , n.d. Cheri Bustos takes a very liberal stance on healthcare policy. She strongly opposes repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and supports expanding access to healthcare, including keeping the promise of Medicare and opposing any attempts to privatize Social Security. Bustos also supports funding abortion and expanding stem cell research to improve healthcare outcomes. Overall, Bustos's healthcare policy positions align with a very liberal approach.
Source: Ensuring Affordable, Quality Health Care - Cheri Bustos for Congress, n.d. Cheri Bustos appears to have a somewhat liberal stance on immigration. She opposes the idea of immigrants having to exit the US to apply for citizenship, and she voted to legalize DREAMER immigrants through military service. However, the sources do not provide detailed information on her specific positions on other immigration-related issues. Overall, Bustos seems to lean towards a more progressive approach on immigration policy.
Source: Cheri Bustos on the Issues , n.d. Cheri Bustos has a somewhat liberal stance on national security. She supports making the U.S. military the "best-trained, best-equipped and best-prepared" but also believes in reducing defense spending. Bustos voted in favor of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, indicating a balanced approach to national security. However, she has also expressed support for reducing combat operations in Afghanistan, suggesting a more liberal leaning on this specific policy.
Source: Cheri Bustos - Ballotpedia, n.d. Cheri Bustos appears to have a somewhat liberal stance on reducing the budget deficit. While she has voted against prioritizing spending in case the debt limit is reached, she has also supported federal stimulus spending and raising the minimum wage, which could increase the deficit in the short term. However, she has also criticized the fiscally irresponsible budgeting and appropriating process that has led to record-high deficits. Overall, Bustos seems to favor a balanced approach to deficit reduction, with a mix of spending cuts and revenue increases.
Source: 76 Options for Reducing the Deficit, n.d. Congresswoman Cheri Bustos has a somewhat liberal stance on the issue of the opioid epidemic and addiction treatment. She has introduced bipartisan legislation, the Addiction Recovery for Rural Communities (ARRC) Act, which aims to help rural communities combat the opioid crisis by increasing access to substance abuse treatment and recovery services through USDA programs. Bustos has also supported legislation to expand telemedicine access for medication-assisted treatment, indicating her support for evidence-based, public health-focused solutions to the addiction crisis rather than solely relying on law enforcement. Overall, Bustos appears to take a balanced, bipartisan approach to addressing the opioid epidemic. Source: Evans Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Help Rural Communities Fight Addiction Epidemic | Representative Dwight Evans, n.d.
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