Over 20 Democratic presidential hopefuls are attempting to remove President Donald Trump from the White House in 2020.
Getting to Know Sen. Cory Booker
“When people join together we can achieve the things other people tell us are impossible,” said Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Cory Booker.
The senator from New Jersey has made a name for himself by bringing different demographics together as equals.
He hopes to bring that change with him to the White House in 2020 as the 46th President of the United States of America.
Since childhood, academic achievement proved a constant in the life of Cory Booker.
He attended and graduated from Stanford University on a football scholarship, becoming a Rhodes scholar.
Upon graduation from Stanford, Booker completed his law degree from Yale University.
Like former President Barack Obama before him, Booker began his political career as a community organizer of sorts.
Cory Booker worked as a tenant organizer in Newark, N.J.
That position led to a stint on the Newark, N.J. city council.
The 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful then became mayor of Newark, N.J.
As Newark’s mayor, Cory Booker worked tirelessly to curb crime in the city.
He helped to revitalize a crippling economy.
And for the first time in approximately 50 years, the population of Newark grew during Booker’s tenure as mayor.
Booker’s popularity as Newark’s mayor led to him winning a seat in the United States Senate.
As a U.S. senator, Cory Booker continued speaking up for all Americans, especially those from underrepresented demographics like people of color.
He helped write and pass legislation that attempts to reverse the injustices of mass incarceration called the First Step Act.
This year, Booker reintroduced legislation that would legalize marijuana on the federal level called the Marijuana Justice Act.
The bill would also restore justice to those incarcerated on marijuana charges.
Convictions on marijuana charges have disproportionately affected African-Americans over the years.
Booker says that his American Opportunity Act would basically close the wealth gap in America racially by funding a savings account for every baby born in America.
The Stanford University alum co-sponsored the Equality Act, which aims to protect LGBTQ rights.
He has supported same sex marriage for many years.
At the beginning of his political career, Booker supported the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on sexuality or gender identity.
Additionally, Cory Booker has criticized President Donald Trump’s transgender military ban.
“Mr. President, trans military members have sacrificed far more than you ever have—or will,” Booker said.
Furthermore, Booker advocated expanding Medicare to all Americans.
Booker advocates stopping climate change as well with an emphasis towards climate change’s impact on vulnerable communities like communities of color.
His proposed Environmental Justice Act strengthens legal protections against environmental injustice for minority communities, lower income neighborhoods and indigenous communities.
Cory Booker supports the Green New Deal, which intends to transition the United States to 100 percent clean and renewable energy in 10 years.
In February Booker said, “The hard truth is climate change has imperiled the planet—it’s going to take bold action now to save it including dramatic investment in green energy that will create jobs. We can do this.”
Like former Rep. Beto O’Rourke promised in his 2018 United States senatorial campaign, Booker has vowed to not accept any financial donations from corporate PACs or federal lobbyists.
Although a super PAC has begun to support Booker’s campaign, the 49-year-old still has spoken out against PACs.
“My election will be run and powered by the people,” he said. “That’s why we’re not taking corporate money, federal lobbyist money, pharma executive money.”
Most of the contributions (nearly 68 percent) to Booker’s campaigns from 2013 to 2018 have come from large individual donations of over $200.
On abortion rights, Booker favors Roe. v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose.
In 2017, Booker co-sponsored legislation that would prohibit states from placing restrictions on access to abortions.
Cory Booker has supported eliminating the Electoral College for determining the President of the United States.
In addition, the senator supports automatically registering Americans to vote once they reach their 18th birthday.
He also wants to make Election Day a national holiday and has called for a new Voting Rights Act.
Having the day off from work as a result of a national holiday will allow many more Americans the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.
Cory Booker supports universal background checks for gun ownership.
He also co-sponsored the Assault Weapons Ban of 2017, a legislative act that sought to ban military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
Booker said, “Gun violence is an epidemic in this country—we have a responsibility to take this seriously and pass legislation that will curb the violence and take care of survivors and their families.”
Many Democrats said that Booker stood out at the first presidential debate for the party’s nomination on June 26.
The senator from New Jersey also made headlines after the second Democratic debate on June 27.
Booker criticized former Vice President Joe Biden’s response on school busing in the 1970s by the Department of Education, which he did not support at the time.
“That struck me,” Booker said. “I literally leaned back in my couch and couldn’t believe that one moment to me, and again not understanding the history of the need for the federal government.
“There were states and state policies that were driving these deep divisions in our country.”
Booker added that people who know the history of African-Americans know the community has “had to turn to the federal government to intervene because there were states that were violating those rights.”
