Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Mondaire Jones for US Congress NY-10
Candidate Name: Mondaire Jones
Office Seeking Election for: US Congress NY-10
Website: https://mondaireforcongress.com/
1. Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district.
I am serving in Congress and seeking reelection to represent NY10 because, for me, policy is personal. Unlike many of the people we are used to seeing in our politics, I don’t come from money or from a political family. Growing up poor, black, and gay I never imagined someone like me could run for Congress, let alone get elected.
I grew up in Section 8 housing and on food stamps. I was raised by a young, single mom who still had to work multiple jobs to provide for our family. She got help raising me from my grandparents; my grandfather was a janitor and my grandmother cleaned homes. When day care was too expensive, my grandmother took me to work with her. I know what it is for a working family to struggle and rely on government assistance to survive.
These experiences are why I fight for racial and economic justice with such urgency in the halls of Congress, not just when it is convenient or politically expedient.
Watching my mom navigate government bureaucracy to keep us housed and fed means I understand how important it is not to sacrifice the robust social safety net programs in the Build Back Better Act, whose universal child care provisions I co-authored. It means that while some of my colleagues push to means-test programs like affordable child care and tuition-free community college, I understand that in practice means-testing most often means excluding the most vulnerable poor, who aren’t able to jump through the required hoops to prove their eligibility.
The right to protect fundamental, constitutional rights is also personal for me. That’s why, one year before we saw Justice Alito’s draft opinion purporting to overturn Roe v. Wade, I introduced the Judiciary Act with Reps. Jerry Nadler and Hank Johnson, which would add four seats to the Supreme Court.
And, having experienced housing insecurity myself growing up, when the rest of Congress had gone home on August recess, I rallied at the Capitol steps with Reps. Cori Bush and AOC in a successful effort to get the White House to extend the CDC’s eviction moratorium to prevent as many as seven million people from being evicted from their homes.
Too many of my colleagues – including some Democrats – are willing to make compromises on the backs of those most vulnerable. I am in Congress, and running for reelection, to put those communities first. I would be honored to have the support of Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club in this fight.
2. Do you now support or have you ever supported an openly LGBTQ candidate for public office?
Yes, I have supported numerous LGBTQ candidates for public office and am a co-chair of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus in Congress, where I am actively working to recruit, support, and elect many more openly LGBTQ members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
3. If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly).
Last year, I was proud to co-sponsor and help pass the Equality Act in the House of Representatives, long-overdue legislation to outlaw discrimination against LGBTQ people. The Equality Act also contains my Juror Non-Discrimination Act, which would outlaw discrimination against LGBTQ people on the juror selection process. I was proud to vote for this legislation in the House and have been vocal in my support of getting rid of the Senate filibuster to pass it into law.
I co-sponsor the PrEP Access for All Act, the PrEP Access and Coverage Act, the Ruthie and Connie LGBTQ Elder Americans Act of 2022, the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act (passed out of the House), the LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment act (passed out of the House), the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act, the Protecting LGBTQ Youth Act, the Lavender Offense Victim Exoneration Act of 2022, and the Commission to Study the Stigmatization, Criminalization, and Ongoing Exclusion and Inequity for LGBTQ Servicemembers and Veterans Act.
I also co-sponsor the Medicare for All Act, which would disproportionately benefit the LGBTQ+ community.
As a Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, I’ve been committed to furthering LGBTQ+ equality, working tirelessly this Congress to move numerous bills impacting the LGBTQ+ community and to fight back against attacks on the LGBTQ+ community. We’ve endorsed dozens of bills this Congress, with several priority bills having passed the House and two signed into law:
I helped pass -- and the President signed into law -- the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which included the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act. The Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act provides for grants to improve data collection of hate crimes -- including hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity -- and for grants for states to create hotlines to assist victims of hate crimes, among other provisions.
I helped pass -- and the President signed into law -- H.R. 49 to designate the Pulse Nightclub as a National Memorial.
I helped pass H.R. 3485, the Global Respect Act, to deny visas to those who commit human rights abuses against LGBTQI+ people abroad and codify reporting requirements on these issues in the State Department’s annual Human Rights Report.
I helped pass H.R. 1443, the LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act, to require the collection of small business loan data related to LGBTQ-owned businesses.
4. What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?
I am proud to be a co-chair of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus in Congress, am endorsed by their PAC, and am endorsed by the LGBTQ Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign.
5. If applicable, what LGBTQ organizations have you allocated funds to?
I have allocated funds to the Jim Owles Club as well as the Equality PAC, the political arm of the Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus.
6. Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?
Yes, I am openly gay.
7. Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
Since my first pride in New York City in 2013, I’ve marched multiple times. I was proud to march in Pride in late June this year through the heart of NY-10.
8. Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?
I have in the past, and continue to today—because I’m committed to ensuring a diversity of identities and experiences on my team.
9. If you receive the endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements?
Yes.
10. What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBTQ issues, pro choice legislation, criminal justice issues and the Resist Trump Movement have you attended?
As a member of Congress, I have attended dozens of press conferences, demonstrations, rallies, and protests in support of these issues. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the people and the organizations fighting to protect our fundamental rights and reform our criminal legal system is of critical importance to me. Most dramatically, as the rest of Congress went home on recess last August, and the CDC’s eviction moratorium was set to expire, putting as many as 11 million people (including LGBTQ people, who disproportionately experience housing insecurity) at risk of being evicted, I rallied at the Capitol steps for days with Reps. Cori Bush and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to get the White House to reverse its position and instruct the CDC to extend the nation’s eviction moratorium. We successfully got the White House to do this. I have also attended numerous pro-choice rallies and have held numerous press conferences in support of my legislation to expand the Supreme Court to protect fundamental rights.
11. Will you advocate for legislation to mandate the review of sentences of incarcerated individuals aged 55 and older who have served in excess of 15 years to determine if they warrant release?
Yes, and continue in my fight for a rebuilding of our terribly broken criminal legal system.
12. Will you advocate for legislation that would ensure those appearing before the New York State Parole Board are considered for release from prison based on who they are today and not exclusively based on the nature of their crime?
Yes.
13. Do you commit to visit constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons such as Bedford Correctional Facility? When was your last visit to visit incarcerated constituents?
Yes, and I plan to visit Rikers in the near future.
14. Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests in relation to the issues of clemency and parole?
No, but I’ve been a champion on these issues.
Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?
Yes.
15. Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work?
Yes.
16. Will you oppose any legislation that promotes the Nordic model.
Yes.
17. What proposals will you advocate for the protection of immigrants and further New York as a Sanctuary City?
I support creating a fair pathway to citizenship for our undocumented brothers and sisters, revamping our visa system, and codifying DACA in order to protect our young people. That’s why I’m a cosponsor of the Bicameral U.S.Citizenship Act of 2021. This bill would provide millions of hardworking, undocumented immigrants with a pathway to earned citizenship, including Dreamers, Temporary Protective Status (TPS) recipients, and essential workers who have made enormous sacrifices during the pandemic; prioritize family reunification and keeping families together; and bolster the country’s long-term economic growth. The bill would also equip the country to responsibly and effectively manage the border with smart and effective investments, address root causes of migration that force people to leave Central America, and restore the United States’ commitment to human rights. I am also proud to have helped pass the American Dream and Promise Act in the House, which would protect our Dreamers by putting them on a pathway to permanent residency. I also believe we must reform our immigration court system to provide the capacity to process asylum claims and hear all immigration cases. Furthermore, I have pushed to overrule the Senate’s parliamentarian in order to allow key immigration provisions to be included in Build Back Better (BBB) so that we can enact real change to our broken immigration system. More recently, I helped lead the successful effort to get the Biden Administration to end Title 42.
18. Will you advocate, including introducing legislation, to remove public funding from religious schools?
I am a product of the public school system. In Congress, I have been a fierce advocate for full funding to public schools and child care. Public schools should not have to sacrifice their resources and funding.
19. Do you support the establishment of safe consumption spaces?
Yes.
20. Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC members? Please identify all candidates.
No, I have not endorsed any IDC candidates, have actively worked to remove them from power, and defeated then-Senator David Carlucci in my last primary.
21. Will you commit to hiring a member of the LGBT community to serve as a liaison to the community?
Yes.
22. Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBT representation among your staff?
Yes, I already employ many LGBTQ+ staff currently.
23. Who did or do you support for office in the Democratic primary in the following races A) mayor and comptroller in 2021
B) President in 2016 and 2020
I voted for Bernie Sanders in 2020.
C) Governor and Lt. Governor 2022 - I did not endorse for these races but will actively support our Democratic nominees because the stakes are far too high to let Republicans anywhere near the executive office of New York State.
24. Describe any federal legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the ongoing effects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination
I support Rep. Jackson Lee’s bill, H.R.40, which would create a commission to study the effects of slavery. I’m proud to have her support in this race. I also know that addressing racism and inequity requires action across all facets of political and economic life. Racial justice means ensuring that every child receives a high quality education, reimagining our criminal justice system, canceling student loan debt which disproportionately affects students of color, large-scale investments in public housing, and addressing the dire threats to voting rights for Black and brown Americans. I have been focused on all these areas and more in my fight to institutionalize racial justice thus far into my term in Congress. To that end I co-authored the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Actand introduced the Judiciary Act of 2021 to expand the Supreme Court by four seats. Furthermore, I have been a leading voice in speaking out against the white nationalist violence we are seeing across our nation. Make no mistake, there is a key connection between the fascist rhetoric of the modern GOP party and the resurgence of white nationalism we are seeing. That is why the fight for our democracy is so important - we must preserve a truly representative government in order to combat racism and hatred in our country. You can count on me to keep leading this fight.
25. What legislation or other policy changes do you support in order to make college and graduate school affordable for poor, working-class, and middle-class Americans and to alleviate the crushing loan debt that many students and alumni are facing?
I co-sponsor the College for All Act, and have successfully helped lead the effort to get President Biden's administration to cancel student debt. I will continue to push for student debt cancellation and work with my colleagues in D.C. to find legislative solutions to this crisis. Student debt payments strips hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a month from borrowers and billions of dollars from the economy each year. We must forgive student debt to liberate an entire generation to fully participate in our economy, such as through homeownership, the single biggest generator of wealth in the United States. And, in order to prevent crushing student debt from accumulating in the future, student debt forgiveness should be paired with tuition-free public college moving forward. I have relentlessly pushed for the Administration to do this and will not stop until student debt is forgiven.
26. Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Please elaborate.
Yes, I co-sponsor the Medicare for All Act and am a strong advocate for its passage into law.
27. Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services.
I unequivocally support the rights of pregnant people to make their own choices with their own bodies. Simply put, abortion is health care and I believe health care is a human right. Additionally, I believe that we must make access to contraceptives easier so that everyone can.
28. Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real estate?
In the past I have accepted money from individuals (not to be confused with PACs) in the real estate industry, however, I have demonstrated that I am a leader in the fight for affordable housing. I fought to include tens of billions for affordable housing in New York City within Build Back Better, introduced the Homes For All Act with Rep. Ilhan Omar, and know how important the work of housing everyone is from my own personal experience of housing insecurity. For me, this is personal.
29. Will you refuse money from police and corrections unions?
Yes.
30. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations complicit in the Trump agenda?
Of course. I am not aware of any donations from sources complicit with the Trump agenda.
31. What additional information would you like Jim Owles to consider when we are making our endorsements decisions?
If New Yorkers re-elect me to Congress, they can count on me to continue fighting for them every day. I have been a progressive champion during my time as a representative thus far, and will continue fighting for the progressive priorities that NY-10 demands.
Saving our democracy from the fascist threats of the Republican Party will continue to be my top priority in Congress. It is the most urgent issue of our time because if we do not have representative government, the broadly popular progressive legislation we want to see become law (for example, climate action and investments in affordable housing) will continue to be blocked in Congress. I will continue my leadership in Congress fighting to defend our democracy and protect the fundamental right to vote.
I have been a leader in the fight to pass H.R. 1 and other essential legislation to combat the erosion of our democracy and expand the right to vote. After the Supreme Court issued its decision in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, I introduced the Inclusive Elections Act, a bill to restore Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which bars states and localities from adopting election laws that disparately challenge the voting rights of people of color. The text of the Inclusive Elections Act was included in the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and passed the House, and was included again in the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, which passed the House in January 2021.
I also introduced the Right to Vote Act. The bill would provide the first affirmative guarantee of the right to vote in federal law, requiring federal courts to treat the right to vote as the fundamental right that it is. This bill was also included in the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, which passed the House in January 2021.
In Congress, I have also led the charge to restore balance to a Supreme Court that has shown itself time and again to be hostile to democracy itself. I, along with Jerry Nadler, introduced the Judiciary Act of 2021, legislation to restore balance to a GOP-packed Supreme Court by adding four justices. This bill has changed the national dialogue on the future of our legal system and built a coalition for court reform–including advocates for climate action, gun control, and reproductive justice–that is unprecedented in modern times.
The fight to restore and expand our democracy has faced setbacks, but it is a fight to which we all must remain committed.
32. If you resign in the middle of your term, will you let the voters decide? Do you plan to serve your term and not send a vacancy to the county committee?
If I am given the honor of representing NY-10, I will serve a full term in Congress.
33. Who are you supporting for Speaker/Democratic leader in 2023?
I have not declared support for any House leadership positions for 2023 yet. The status of leadership elections is fluid ahead of the midterms, and my focus in this area is on winning my primary and protecting the House majority. When the time comes for a leadership vote, I will be looking for a progressive who can lead our caucus in the right direction – not pointless moderation.
34. In view of the fact that Ed Koch has been documented to have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people with AIDS, and was blatantly racist, would you support a city bill to rename the former Queensboro Bridge? Do you authorize the use of your name for such a purpose?
I know I wouldn’t have made history as the first openly gay, Black person ever elected to Congress if it wasn’t for the heartbreaking sacrifices and tireless leadership of my forebearers in the GAA, ACT UP, etc.. While we’ve learned since his passing that Ed Koch was likely gay himself, his callousness and cruelty towards our community directly contributed to hundreds and hundreds of deaths. I don’t know whose name would best fit the bridge. But I know Ed Koch is not deserving due to his role in the AIDS epidemic.
35. What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?
While this is in the jurisdiction of the City and State, I believe New York is better served by removing Christopher Columbus’ statue and support a study with community input for a more fitting tribute to the indigenous nations that were here before colonizers and the contributions of Italian-American immigrants.
36. What is your position on FOSTA/SESTA, passed in 2018? Do you or will you sponsor the Safe Workers Study Act which has been introduced by Elizabeth Warren and co- sponsored by Reps. Barbara Lee and Ron Wyden and a host of other sponsors including Bernie Sanders.
I was not in Congress for the FOSTA/SESTA vote, but I would have voted against a bill that has had negative disparities for LGBTQI+ individuals, Tribal communities, people experiencing exploitation and trafficking, and undocumented immigrants. I will vote for the SAFE SEX Workers Study Act and I am familiar with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study that found SESTA/FOSTA has never been used by federal prosecutors to seek criminal restitution for victims of sex trafficking and confirmed that the law has only made it more difficult for officials to investigate and prosecute sex trafficking cases.
37. Do you support the class-wide scheduling of Fentanyl-related substances, which groups like Human Rights Watch have argued would worsen pretrial detention, mass incarceration, and racial disparities?
We need to end mass incarceration, not find new ways to lock up yet another generation of Black men and further perpetuate centuries of systemic racism.
38. Do you support the Green New Deal?
Yes, absolutely. I am a co-sponsor of the full Green New Deal package in the House of Representatives, and I authored my own Green New Deal companion bill, the Fossil Free Finance Act with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
39. President Biden has not granted a single pardon or commutation. When have you publicly demanded that Biden do more on this issue? Will you pledge to publicly speak out about this in 2022?
Yes, I will, and have criticized the administration for not pardoning and commuting more individuals.
40. Do you commit to not supporting Joe Manchin or Kyrsten Sinema? Will you consider supporting a primary opponent?
I would never support either of these two individuals, and I am actively supporting a primary challenger to Kyrsten Sinema.
41. Some members of congress indicate they will only support incumbents regardless of their politics and regardless of who is presenting them a primary. Are you one of them?
No.