Where John Padora stands on the issues:
Taxes
Every day Americans are carrying the brunt of our infrastructure here in Colorado and across the country. It’s time for the ultra-wealthy and the mega-corporations to pay their fair share to keep America safe and ensure the government is working for the people. We must reduce the tax burden for working families and provide much needed relief. In Congress, I would support Senator Wyden’s billionaire income tax bill, which would tax the gains of billionaire wealth just like workers pay taxes on their paychecks each year. The bill is supported by two-thirds of Americans and would generate $557 billion in revenue over ten years. Hard working Americans deserve bold legislation that would return their well-earned money back in their pockets.
Abortion
No one in this country, let alone our government, has the right to tell anyone what they can or cannot do with their own body. Those decisions belong solely to a patient and their doctor. In Congress, I will vote to codify, once and for all, the right to choose and the right to affordable and accessible reproductive healthcare. Extremists have risked the health and safety of American women for far too long with their draconian policies, enough is enough.
Clean Water
With each passing year the Eastern Plains of Colorado & rapidly developing communities on the front range are struggling with access to clean water. We need to ensure we have a sustainable future for our farmers and families to maintain our lifestyle here in District 4. In Congress, I will fight for federal funding to help pay for water treatment facilities in our district and rural districts across the country because every American has a right to clean, safe water
Social Security
The Republican Party’s attack on social security has been relentless and only shows how out of touch they are with the lived reality of working class Americans. Without bold legislation to alleviate the financial burden on the program, the social security fund is on track to be depleted by 2033 when 66 million Americans will see their social security benefits cut by 23-25%. Social security continues to be one of the most successful programs in lifting hard working Americans out of poverty, future retirees deserve to see the program continue. In Congress, I will work across the aisle to ensure we continue to fund social security and protect the retirement of all hard working Americans.
Climate Change
Investing in maintaining and sustaining our Colorado way of life in light of the worsening climate crisis means making changes — but it doesn’t mean leaving people behind. I want to ensure our kids and grandkids have a bright future here in Colorado and that requires that we take climate change seriously and begin passing bold legislation that will protect the air, land, and water we’ve enjoyed for so long, but we have to do so responsibly. Fracking, while detrimental to our environment, is a massive industry in our district. We have to prepare workers in the industry for the inevitable shift away from fracking, and we have to do so with their input, while also holding the industry accountable for the millions of dollars in damage they cause to our communities.
Healthcare
Our healthcare system is in crisis. We saw the strains the pandemic put on our healthcare workers and the frustration of working with middle-men insurance companies every time we need care. I believe life-saving procedures and medications shouldn’t bankrupt everyday families. Healthcare is a fundamental human right and I will fight to ensure all Americans have affordable access to quality preventative healthcare that leads to longer, healthier lives for all.
Drug Policy Reform
Here in Colorado, we know we can safely and effectively legalize marijuana - now it’s time to do the same federally. Our marijuana industry is suffering because of federal prohibitions that have shut businesses off from banks and prevented interstate commerce. Since its inception, the war on drugs was based on misinformation & failed draconian policies that have caused American prison populations to surge while creating one of the most robust, dangerous and thriving global black markets while providing a false illusion of safety. It’s time to adopt complete decriminalization, dismantle for-profit prisons, and finally declare substance abuse disorder a public health crisis. No one gets better in a jail cell and it’s time we provide treatment in lieu of harsh, life destroying sentences for non-violent drug offenders.
Campaign Finance Reform
Americans deserve fair elections that are free from the corporate and lobbyist influence that has festered since Citizens United. In Congress, I would support a constitutional amendment that would reverse Citizens United and ban unlimited funding by corporations into our elections. I would also support legislation that would require the disclosure of all political spending and eliminate the fundraising loopholes that are frequently exploited. For too long, the influence of corporations and lobbyists have silenced the voices of American voters who can’t afford to spend massive amounts of money on our elections, and I will fight to end that influence once and for all.
Resuscitate American Manufacturing
When I think of the American Middle Class, I think of the steady and reliable manufacturing jobs so many could once rely on. Rapid globalization and corporate greed has cost us too many of those jobs. It’s time to revive the American manufacturing industry. The engineers and workers making everything from cars to medical devices, solar panels to chips can help rebuild our middle class and increase our domestic security by combatting our sustained supply chain crisis. We can mitigate the power autocratic nations have over us and ensure that America is self-reliant once again! We can do this by passing Buy-American legislation, supporting an increase in minorities and women in manufacturing jobs, and investing in small manufacturing companies’ research and development.
Congressional Ethics Reform
Congressional ethics reform is long overdue. Far too many Representatives and Senators are being called out for their questionable trading practices, lobbyist connections, and suspicious campaign fund use. In Congress, I will fight to pass ethical reform that would prohibit members of Congress from buying and trading stocks and cryptocurrency, prohibit accepting undisclosed cash from lobbyists, and extend the ban on members joining corporations and lobbyists too soon after leaving office. I will also fight to increase funding for every congressional office to combat the influence of lobbyist and corporate money.
