Pete Buttigieg
Democrat
Candidate Profile
Verified Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Pete Buttigieg
Party
Democrat
Election Year
2020
Election
Presidential Primary
Race
President of the U.S.
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Candidate did not provide
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
LIBERAL (9)
Don Beyer
Jeff Yarbro
Kathleen Rice
LGBTQ Victory Fund
Nan Whaley
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (6)
ActBlue (2016)
Barack Obama (2013)
Joe Donnelly (2013)
Local, County, and District Democratic Organizations (2010)
Ryan Dvorak (2012)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (8)
American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (2011)
Citizens for Excellence in Goverment (2011)
Equality California (2020)
Local, County, and District Democratic Organizations (2019)
Sheet Metal Workers International Association (2011)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Life begins at breath." “'I think, no matter what you think about the kind of cosmic question of how life begins, most Americans can get on board with the idea of, alright, I might draw the line here, you might draw the line there, but the most important thing is the person who should be drawing the line is the woman making the decision,'the South Bend mayor continued."
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds or grants from federal, state, or local governments.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
Buttigieg would ensure Title X funding “only goes to grantees that provide comprehensive and evidence-based family planning services and the full range of methods."
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Women should be allowed to make their own reproductive choices." “'I think, no matter what you think about the kind of cosmic question of how life begins, most Americans can get on board with the idea of, alright, I might draw the line here, you might draw the line there, but the most important thing is the person who should be drawing the line is the woman making the decision,' the South Bend mayor continued."
I support the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which requires health care providers to provide life-saving treatment for infants who survive an attempted abortion.
Did not answer
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has a livable income.
Did not answer
What changes should be made to the tax code?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
Buttigieg's plan would "increase the marginal tax rate for top income earners. Expand the EITC by an average of $1,000 per year for 35 million families. Raise the corporate income tax rate to 35 percent, up from 21 percent. Allow an extra deduction for 50 percent of the cost of interns in rural or underserved areas."
How would you guarantee Social Security benefits for future generations?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
Buttigieg would "like to increase the cap of income eligible for payroll taxes from what it is now at $132,900 to about $250,000, while speaking at an AARP Forum in Iowa. 'I have a very personal stake in making sure that Social Security and Medicare are there when you retire and when I retire, and if you look at the numbers, that won’t happen without some adjustments,' he said."
What is your position on the minimum wage?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
Increase the minimum wage.
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Did not answer
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Government should not discriminate against individuals, organizations, or business owners who affirm marriage as between one man and one woman.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"One of the smaller tragedies of the 2016 presidential election is that America lost its chance to have a 'First Gentleman' in the White House. With four married heterosexual women running for the Democratic nomination in 2020, that particular portion of the glass ceiling could soon be shattered. But there’s a fifth possibility, too: that the first 'First Gentleman'could be Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of openly gay South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg, who at the moment is having something of a buzz festival." "I also have to say -- and I guess I'm speaking personally because, again, as a candidate, I know it's my obligation to speak to people of any religion and no religion equally -- but I have to say, when religion is used in that way, to me, it makes God smaller. It to me is an insult not only to us as LGBTQ people, but I think it's an insult to faith to believe that it could be used to hurt people in that way."
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"... let me preface this by saying I believe strongly in the separation of church and state...."
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Did not answer
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"I trust the American people to make their health care decisions for themselves."
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
Buttigieg "favors a public option, which would allow individuals to opt into a government plan but would preserve the existing role for private insurers. Buttigieg, who has coined the phrase “Medicare for all who want it” to describe the concept, has argued that a public option will eventually lead to a single-payer system, because individuals will find that Medicare is more cost-efficient than private policies. He has criticized Medicare for All plans such as the legislation championed by Sanders as unrealistic. He proposes to "cut out-of-pocket drug spending for seniors on Medicare by 50% by the end of his first term, so that seniors on Medicare pay no more than $200 per month for drugs; cap out-of-pocket drug spending at $250 a month for anyone who chooses the Medicare for All Who Want It plan; and make co-pays $0 for all generic medicines for low-income Americans on a public plan."
I support the elimination of private healthcare insurance.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
No. "My plan, Medicare for All Who Want It, will get you covered and put you back in charge. It won’t raise your taxes or kick you off a plan you want to keep. Because I trust you to make the right health care decisions for yourself and your family."
NATIONAL SECURITY
What is the best way to maintain peace and protect national security?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"We need to fundamentally rethink our foreign policy to help America lead and shape a better world for our future. The next president will have to restore American credibility on the world stage and establish a new and higher standard for the deployment of U.S. military force. It’s time to put an end to endless war and focus on how best to use America’s strengths to address future threats, including climate security as a key basis for diplomacy. Pete is committed to reinventing institutions of international engagement to address 21st century challenges and opportunities and to reversing the rise of authoritarianism abroad while revitalizing democratic capitalism and our democracy at home."
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of radical Islamic terrorism?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"I served overseas, at risk to my life, in the struggle against such terrorism. But it can only be fully defeated if we have leaders at home who defuse its capacity to sow hate—hate against Islam or against any number of 'others.'"
IMMIGRATION
I am in favor of construction of a wall and other necessary infrastructure on our border that gives complete control over entering and exiting the United States.
Did not answer
Children covered by DACA should be granted legal citizenship.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
He "upports a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants."
How would you re-write immigration laws?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Common sense immigration reform must include a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living, working, paying taxes, and contributing to our American story, including DREAMers; resources to end the backlogs in our lawful immigration and asylum processes; and reasonable security measures at the border." He would: "modernize our immigration laws to reflect today’s humanitarian and economic needs; restore our global leadership in humanitarian relief for refugees; end the family separation crisis and evaluate ICE and CBP practices to ensure similar humanitarian crises never happen again; and reinstate enforcement priorities and prevent arbitrary targeting of immigrant communities by enforcement officials."
EDUCATION
How would you improve the quality of education in the United States?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"We will invest in an equitable public education system by massively increasing federal resources for students at Title I schools, issuing new regulations to diversify the teaching profession, and investing in high-quality state and local educational programs....We need federal support to boost teacher pay, and we will begin by dramatically increasing funding for Title I schools–the schools with the highest economic and racial inequity."
I support charter schools.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"I believe that we need to move away from for-profit charter schools altogether."
VALUES
I support adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"I will press for and sign the Equality Act into law as soon as it hits my desk, making anti-discrimination the law of the land."
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support the death penalty.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"From abolishing the death penalty to restoring voting rights for those who’ve been incarcerated, we need a more just justice system."
Mandatory minimum sentencing should be required and enforced for violent crimes.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Eliminate mandatory minimums and direct the U.S. Sentencing Commission to explore sentencing caps."
How would you address the overcrowding of jails?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Buttigieg plans to reduce the number of people incarcerated in the U.S. at both the federal and state level by 50 percent. As part of that effort, Buttigieg said he would prioritize funding for programs aimed at pretrial reforms, decarceration, and expansion of alternative to incarceration programs. As part of the incarceration reduction plan, Buttigieg said on the federal level, he would eliminate incarceration for drug possession, reduce sentences for other drug offenses, and apply the reductions 'retroactively.' Buttigieg said he also would legalize marijuana and 'expunge past convictions.'"
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
No. Buttigieg "supports universal background checks, and opposed allowing guns in schools and so-called 'Stand Your Ground' self-defense gun laws."
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
We must: "institute universal background checks; ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; enact red flag laws (also known as extreme risk laws) that disarm at-risk individuals and allow friends and family to intervene when they observe warning signs; close the 'boyfriend loophole' to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers; close the 'Charleston loophole' to allow the FBI additional time to complete every background check; close the hate loophole to prohibit people convicted of hate crimes from acquiring or possessing firearms; hold the gun industry accountable by repealing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) to end gun industry immunity; establish a nationwide gun licensing system; resume federal funding for gun violence research; and invest in evidence-based urban gun violence intervention programs proven to work."
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Buttigieg’s [Douglass] plan would be enacted alongside potential direct reparations for slavery, not in place of potential reparations."
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Our country is under attack from white nationalist terrorism, inspiring murder on our soil and abetted by weak gun laws. If we are serious about national security, we must summon the courage to name and defeat this evil."
The United States should not have withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Rejoining the Paris Agreement is just the beginning...."
I support BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanction) against Israel if they refuse to allow the creation of a Palestinian state.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Mayor Pete Buttigieg has flip-flopped on the issue."
The Electoral College should be abolished.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"'It’s gotta go,' Buttigieg told Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent. 'We need a national popular vote. It would be reassuring from the perspective of believing that we’re a democracy.'"
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
"To counteract this troubling trend, we commit to advancing a 21st Century Voting Rights Act, to ensure that every vote is counted everywhere, particularly in communities with a history of discrimination. This means banning practices like voter ID laws and ensuring that potentially discriminatory changes to voting laws first be reviewed by the Department of Justice."
