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Don Young

Republican, Alaska
Former US House of Representatives

Don Young currently the longest serving member in Congress with a political career that began as the Mayor of Fort Yukon in 1964. He transferred to the Alaska House of Representatives where he served until he was elected a member of the Alaska Senate in 1971. In 1973, he was elected a member of the United States House of Representatives from Alaska's At-Large District. He remains incumbent in this position today while also serving as Chair of the House Resources Committee, Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and most importantly serving as the Dean of the United States House of Representatives in 2017 where he remains incumbent as of August 2020. Don Young is 92 years old. Based on voting history, policy positions, and public statements, Don Young demonstrates a Center political bias. Compare Don Young with other politicians in our Politician Bias Chart.

Analyst Rating
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Biasly’s analyst team evaluates politician twitter accounts, voting records, and statements made in the press to determine leanings. Our diverse analyst team includes equal representation from conservative, center, and liberal viewpoints on every article we rate.

Very Right

A.I. Policy Leanings
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Our policy leanings for Don Young show what policies Don supports and opposes including Don's conservative and liberal leanings based on the news.

10% Center

Extremely
Liberal

Very
Liberal

Moderately
Liberal

Somewhat Liberal

Center

Somewhat Conservative

Moderately
Conservative

Very
Conservative

Extremely
Conservative

-100%
Liberal

100%
Conservative

*Our bias meter rating uses data science including sentiment analysis, machine learning and our proprietary algorithm for determining biases in news articles. Bias scores are on a scale of -100% to 100% with higher negative scores being more liberal and higher positive scores being more conservative and 0% being neutral. The rating is an independent analysis and is not affiliated nor sponsored by the news source or any other organization.

A.I. Media Portrayal
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The A.I. media portrayal of Don Young shows how positively or negatively the media portrays Don. Negative and positive sentiment scores are on a scale of -100% to 100% with higher negative scores showing that more media companies see Don in a negative light and higher positive scores showing that more media companies see Don in a positive light.

41% negative

Don Young’s Policy Stances

Left
Center
Right
  • Criminal Justice
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Gov. Dependency
  • Healthcare
  • Immigration
  • National Security
  • Reduce Budget Deficit
  • War on Drugs
  • Criminal Justice
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Energy
  • Government Dependency
  • Healthcare
  • Immigration
  • National Security
  • Reduce Budget Deficit
  • War on Drugs
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  • Stances

  • Media Portrayal

  • Policy Leanings

  • News Mentions

  • Creations

  • My Articles

  • Contact

  • Criminal Justice

    Somewhat Right

    On criminal justice reform, Young generally takes somewhere in between conservative and moderate positions. While he has supported some reform measures, like voting for the First Step Act to reduce recidivism and decrease the federal inmate population, he has also maintained more traditional conservative views on law enforcement. Young voted to make lynching a federal crime and supported the creation of a commission to examine disparities faced by Black men and boys. However, he has also advocated for tougher policing and maximum sentences for certain offenses. This balanced approach suggests Young recognizes the need for some reforms while still emphasizing law and order principles.
    Source: Wikipedia

  • Economy

    Medium Right

    Young's policy record on the economy is generally conservative with some moderate elements. He has consistently supported pro-business policies, including voting for tax breaks for corporations and reducing regulations on smaller banks. Young voted to reduce corporate tax rates from 35% to 21%, arguing it would create jobs. However, he has also shown support for some government intervention, such as voting for stimulus packages during economic downturns and supporting expanded lending caps for credit unions to small businesses. While generally favoring free-market solutions, Young has demonstrated a willingness to back targeted government action to stimulate economic growth when deemed necessary.
    Source: On The Issues

  • Education

    Very Right

    Young's education policy stance is generally Very Right, as he has consistently supported school choice initiatives, including voting for vouchers for private and parochial schools and backing charter schools. Young has also advocated for allowing school prayer and opposed federal involvement in education, voting against increased federal funding for public schools. He supported the No Child Left Behind Act, which implemented standardized testing requirements, but generally favored local and state control over education rather than federal oversight. Young also co-sponsored a constitutional amendment to guarantee parents' rights in directing their children's education, reflecting a conservative emphasis on parental authority in schooling.
    Source: On The Issues

  • Energy

    Somewhat Right

    Don Young's stance on energy policy appears to be a mix of conservative and moderate positions. While he strongly supports expanding fossil fuel production, including offshore drilling and hydraulic fracturing, he also advocates for developing alternative energy sources like hydropower. Young has backed legislation to invest in dam rehabilitation and retrofitting to increase clean energy production. He emphasizes the importance of diversifying Alaska's energy portfolio and securing affordable, clean energy for future generations. Young's approach seems to balance traditional Republican support for fossil fuels with recognition of the potential for renewable energy development, particularly in his home state of Alaska.
    Source: National Hydropower Association

  • Government Dependency

    Very Right

    Based on the available information, Don Young appears to lean strongly conservative on the issue of government dependency. He has expressed views linking government assistance programs to social problems like suicide, suggesting that such "largesse" undermines self-reliance and personal responsibility. Young argued that Alaska's high suicide rate is partly due to government handouts, stating "This suicide problem didn't exist until we got largesse from the government." He advocated for a society that doesn't "coddle" people and emphasized the importance of work and self-sufficiency.
    Source: Politico

  • Healthcare

    Medium Right

    Don Young's stance on healthcare appears to be predominantly conservative. He consistently voted against the Affordable Care Act and supported efforts to repeal it. Young advocated for market-based solutions like expanding medical savings accounts and allowing small businesses to form associations for purchasing health insurance. He supported limited prescription drug benefits for Medicare recipients and voted to cap damages in medical lawsuits. However, Young did show some flexibility by voting for the expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program and co-sponsoring legislation to increase access to community health centers. Overall, his voting record and policy positions align closely with traditional Republican approaches to healthcare reform.
    Source: On The Issues

  • Immigration

    Very Right

    Young has consistently opposed measures that would provide benefits or a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. He supports increased border security, including expanding the border wall with Mexico, and favors stricter enforcement measures like increased deportations and penalties for businesses hiring unauthorized workers. However, he has shown some flexibility by co-sponsoring legislation to increase skilled worker visas. While Young acknowledges the role of migrant workers in the economy, he prioritizes law enforcement and border control over immigration reform that would expand legal immigration or provide relief to undocumented immigrants already in the country.
    Source: On The Issues

  • National Security

    Very Right

    Young's has a strongly conservative track record on national security. He consistently voted in favor of expanding military capabilities, supporting measures like deploying a Strategic Defense Initiative and increasing defense appropriations. Young opposed restrictions on no-bid defense contracts and voted against additional oversight of intelligence agencies. He supported allowing commercial airline pilots to carry guns and advocated for assassinating terrorist leaders. However, Young did show some nuance by voting to restrict domestic phone call monitoring and end bulk data collection under the PATRIOT Act, indicating a concern for civil liberties within the broader context of national security.
    Source: Congress.gov

  • Reduce Budget Deficit

    Medium Right

    Based on the available information, Don Young's perspective on defecit reduction appears to generally run conservative. He voted against raising the national debt limit, citing concerns about inflation and the lack of a "realistic, good-faith plan to stabilize our nation's finances" from Democrats. Young emphasized the need for the government to pay its debts but expressed skepticism about proposed solutions. His position aligns with traditional Republican views on fiscal responsibility and spending cuts. However, it's worth noting that Young's vote against raising the debt ceiling was part of a broader partisan divide, with most Republicans opposing the measure.
    Source: Alaska Public Media

  • War on Drugs

    Somewhat Right

    Don Young's stance on the war on drugs appears to be somewhat mixed, but leaning more conservative overall. While he has supported some drug reform measures, like exempting industrial hemp from marijuana laws and sponsoring legislation to prevent federal enforcement against state-legal marijuana, he has also taken more hardline positions. Young voted for military border patrols to combat drugs and terrorism, and against increased funding for Mexico to fight drugs. His voting record earned him a -25 rating from NORML, indicating a “hard-on-drugs“ stance, though this later improved to a B+ rating, suggesting some evolution on the issue over time.
    Source: Vote Smart

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Our politician ratings are based on recent news using data science and A.I. technology. We analyze hundreds of articles published by news sources daily to determine politicians and policy leanings.