Card image cap

Vicente Gonzalez's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Democratic for U.S. House (TX) - District 34

Key

Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Candidates who qualify for the General Election will be invited to take the 2024 Political Courage Test.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2024.

  • Voted in favor of HR 8296 "Women's Health Protection Act of 2022" (None)
  • "Increase funding for critical health care and family planning services for women." (www.vicentegonzalez.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3755 "Women's Health Protection Act of 2021" (None)
  • Voted in favor of HR 8297 "Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022" (None)
  • "The Congressman has proudly co-sponsored legislation that would address the long-term challenges associated with funding Social Security and ensure that seniors' hard-earned benefits keep pace with the rising cost of living, healthcare, and prescription drugs. Some of this legislation includes H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, which eliminates the windfall elimination provision, and H.R. 5376, the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides savings on prescription drugs and limits insulin to $35 a month for seniors on Medicare." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "Congressman Gonzalez opposes ill-advised efforts to privatize Social Security or turn Medicare into a voucher system. The Congressman supports protecting and expanding Social Security and Medicare for all Americans." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "For decades, Medicare and Social Security have helped millions of Americans retire comfortably after a lifetime of work. As a country, we made a promise to protect our elderly and ensure they would have reliable access to the resources and support that they earned. Now more than ever, we cannot abandon our seniors when their resources, and ultimately their independence is threatened." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • Rated 100% by National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSM) (None)
  • "Congressman Gonzalez is a voice for American consumers and an advocate for fiscally responsible policies that encourage economic growth and job creation in South Texas. He supports updating our nation's tax regime so that all Americans benefit from the nation's tax system equitably. He also supports reducing barriers for folks entering and moving up in the workforce, such as lowering the cost of education and increasing access to childcare." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "The so called "FairTax" plan would hurt middle class families and slash taxes for the ultra-wealthy. South Texans won’t be fooled." (twitter.com)
  • "Your daily reminder that Republicans voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which means they voted against affordable health care and forcing corporations to pay their fair share." (twitter.com)
  • "Congressman Gonzalez is a voice for American consumers and an advocate for fiscally responsible policies that encourage economic growth and job creation in South Texas. He supports updating our nation's tax regime so that all Americans benefit from the nation's tax system equitably. He also supports reducing barriers for folks entering and moving up in the workforce, such as lowering the cost of education and increasing access to childcare." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "The so called "FairTax" plan would hurt middle class families and slash taxes for the ultra-wealthy. South Texans won’t be fooled." (twitter.com)
  • Rated 85% by End Citizens United (None)
  • Rated 78% by Common Cause (None)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1 "For the People Act of 2021" (None)
  • "We are seeing, now more than ever, the critical need to reform our policing system and its officers. It's not about defunding, but about making substantial changes to training methods that impact the way policing happens in America. We need to promote a system that encourages and rewards good officers for taking a stand against bad officers who hurt the reputation of all police in America. We need to raise accountability and provide additional racial and bias training for police. Independent review boards, body cameras, and using violence as a last resort to de-escalate situations are just a few places we can start to make change." (None)
  • "Increase investments and resources for local law enforcement and first responders." (www.vicentegonzalez.com)
  • Vote in favor of HR 1280 "George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021" (None)
  • Voted in favor of HR 2670 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024" (None)
  • "America is the land of the free, and I support a strong military and national defense to ensure we stay that way. Today we face various enemies who play by different rules, and we must stay vigilant while honoring the Constitutional rights of US citizens. As Congressman, I will support the critical efforts to keep our country and families safe." (www.vicentegonzalez.com)
  • "Keeping our military strong and continuing to remain a leading force in global defense and protection." (www.vicentegonzalez.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7900 "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023" (None)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3684 "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" (None)
  • "South Texas lacks a major highway connecting us to the rest of the state and the nation. With the enactment of the bipartisan infrastructure bill we are steps closer to completing projects like I-69 and improving our infrastructure connectivity." (twitter.com)
  • "Today, I voted to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill and send it to the President's desk. This legislation will create good-paying jobs, invest in our roads, bridges, dams, and broadband, and ensure our south Texas communities are equipped to succeed and compete globally. This critical investment in our crumbling infrastructure is long overdue. We must continue bringing transformational change to all and assure working families have a fair shot." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (None)
  • "Housing is a basic human right, not a privilege. We should all be able to own a home. #OurHomesOurVoices" (twitter.com)
  • "#FairHousing means ensuring that everyone, no matter who they are, has access to safe, decent, and affordable housing, so that they can thrive. #FairHousingMonth" (twitter.com)
  • "Great to meet everyone and discuss solutions to housing in South Texas!" (twitter.com)
  • "To invest in the future of our communities, we must invest in safe and affordable housing in every zip code. #OurHomesOurVoices" (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5376 "Inflation Reduction Act of 2022" (None)
  • "The Inflation Reduction Act is an important opportunity to counteract inflation and deliver for South Texas. It is far from perfect, but it is the product of compromise. The bill caps the cost of insulin, sets an out-of-pocket cap on and lowers the price of medication for medicare beneficiaries, reduces energy and healthcare costs for South Texas families and requires corporations and those at the top to pay their fair share in taxes without raising taxes on families making $400,000 or less." (twitter.com)
  • "The Inflation Reduction Act is historic legislation that will lower kitchen table costs, dramatically reduce the deficit and support our seniors without raising taxes for middle class American families and small businesses." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7688 "Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act" (None)
  • "We can do more than pause loans, we can wipe them away. It’s time to #CancelStudentDebt, and my bill, the Student Loan Relief Act, can be the first step." (twitter.com)
  • "Of the 45 million Americans who hold student debt, 1 in 5 are over 50 years old…in an era of declining wages and rising debt, Americans are not aging out of their student loans—they are aging into them." @potus it is time to #CancelStudentDebt" (twitter.com)
  • "Student borrowers across the country and in Texas are struggling under the crushing burden of $1.5 trillion in student loans. President Biden can lift this burden with a stroke of a pen by permanently canceling their student loan debt. There's no time to waste." (twitter.com)
  • "Help our college students graduate debt free." (www.vicentegonzalez.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 4 "John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021" (None)
  • "The right to vote is an indispensable pillar in the foundation of our democracy. I commend the Texas legislators who had the courage to leave their families, homes, jobs and the great state of Texas to preserve our democracy. The U.S. House of Representatives has done its part to advance voting rights legislation by passing H.R. 1, the For the People Act. President Biden must take a stand and urge the Senate to do whatever is necessary to pass critical legislation that maintains the integrity of our elections and protects every American's sacred right to vote." (twitter.com)
  • "Today, I proudly voted for #HR4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to #RestoreTheVote. It is important we protect this sacred right that heroes like John Lewis fought so bravely to protect." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 5746 "Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act" (None)
  • "Congressman Gonzalez supports an all-the-above approach to energy and understands the importance of American energy not only to power our cars and homes, but also as a national security issue and a job creator." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "Congressman Gonzalez also supports the development of sources of renewable energy, acknowledging the potential in wind and solar energy for both the South Texas economy and American energy independence. Currently, Texas produces more wind energy than most other U.S. states. The 34th District is home to part of the Los Vientos Wind farm, the second largest wind farm in the country." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "Many have raised concerns with provisions pertaining to domestic energy production. Rest assured that I worked and am still working to assure this bill does not prevent the United States from leading the world in responsible oil and gas production. This legislation will empower us to invest in the technologies to create a cleaner, greener future. I look forward to continuing my work to bring energy costs down for all Americans and ensure the United States remains energy independent." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "Thank you @potus for banning Russian oil imports. Now is the time to unleash American energy production to support hardworking Americans and our allies." (twitter.com)
  • "As chairman of the Congressional Oil and Gas Caucus, Congressman Gonzalez aims to bring a Texas perspective to Washington, D.C., regarding the oil and gas industry. The leads the caucus as an opportunity to educate fellow lawmakers about the production and distribution of oil, gas and other petroleum hydrocarbons, including crude oil, natural gas and gas liquids." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "Congressman Gonzalez also supports the development of sources of renewable energy, acknowledging the potential in wind and solar energy for both the South Texas economy and American energy independence. Currently, Texas produces more wind energy than most other U.S. states. The 34th District is home to part of the Los Vientos Wind farm, the second largest wind farm in the country." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "Due to current regulations, offshore wind leases cannot move forward until offshore oil and gas leases are offered by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). It’s imperative that BOE finalize the five-year program and hold uninterrupted lease sales immediately so America’s burgeoning offshore wind sector can flourish. This sector will create tens of thousands of jobs over the next few years and drastically improve our country’s energy security by harnessing non-traditional energy sources to power our homes, schools, and businesses. What’s more, offshore wind is poised to be a significant contributor to our environmental restoration efforts — with the potential to invest millions into coastal restoration and outdoor recreation initiatives. For this to work, offshore oil and gas lease sales must be held in a timely manner." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "This inaction must stop. We know background checks save lives. Every day background checks stop more than 170 felons and 50 domestic abusers from getting a gun. Any delay to pass commonsense gun violence prevention legislation only increases the chances that more innocent people in America may suffer from the tragic and needless loss caused by gun violence. Again, we urge you to follow the leadership of the House Democratic Majority and immediately come back into session to pass H.R 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, that could prevent dangerous criminals from obtaining weapons and save lives." (None)
  • "Mayra Flores is too dangerous for South Texas families. In Congress, Mayra has: Voted AGAINST Senator Cornyn’s bipartisan gun control bill that increases school safety measures and protects women in abusive relationships. We can’t let Mayra win in November." (twitter.com)
  • "My thoughts and prayers today are with the victims of the tragic #OdessaShooting. We need to pass universal background checks, gun safety legislation and other common sense reforms or we will continue on this path." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 1446 "Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021" (None)
  • "Strengthen and improve the Affordable Care Act." (www.vicentegonzalez.com)
  • "12 yrs ago today, Pres. Obama signed the #AffordableCareAct into law making healthcare more affordable for millions of Americans. Last year, the #AmericanRescuePlan made coverage more affordable for thousands of Texans. Now, we must cont. working to expand access & lower costs." (twitter.com)
  • "All South Texans deserve access to affordable, quality health care, including those who live in rural communities and medically underserved areas. Unfortunately, South Texas is home to a large uninsured or underinsured population. Congressman Gonzalez continues to work with his colleagues to develop innovative ideas that lower health care costs and provide better coverage for more people." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "The Congressman recognizes that more needs to be done to lower premiums, expand coverage, and improve the Affordable Care Act. While the Affordable Care Act was a step in the right direction, he understands it is not perfect. For these reasons, he supports working across the aisle to build consensus and develop common sense solutions to improve our health care systems." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "That means making child care more affordable, standing by family medical leave, and ensuring that affordable health care is within the reach of every working Texan." (www.vicentegonzalez.com)
  • "As of 2015, only 12% of U.S. private sector workers had access to paid family leave through their employer. I support workplace rights because they allow our nation’s economy to grow and provide essential care to newborns in their first months of life." (twitter.com)
  • "Not only does paid maternity leave have immense benefits on child health outcomes, but it can also increase female labor force participation by allowing women to stay in the workforce after giving birth." (twitter.com)
  • "We lead the world in many ways, but we are woefully behind when it comes to taking care of hardworking families. There is no reason that of the 195 countries, we are part of the eight that don’t offer national paid family leave. We must do better." (twitter.com)
  • "The Inflation Reduction Act is an important opportunity to counteract inflation and deliver for South Texas. It is far from perfect, but it is the product of compromise. The bill caps the cost of insulin, sets an out-of-pocket cap on and lowers the price of medication for medicare beneficiaries, reduces energy and healthcare costs for South Texas families and requires corporations and those at the top to pay their fair share in taxes without raising taxes on families making $400,000 or less." (twitter.com)
  • "Empowering Medicare to Negotiate Drug Prices: For the first time, empowers Medicare to negotiate prices for the highest cost single-source drugs in Medicare, a policy that Democrats have been trying to enact for years. The provisions save more than $100 billion over 10 years." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • "Lower prescription drug prices." (www.vicentegonzalez.com)
  • "New $2,000 Out-Of-Pocket Cap for Part D Drugs for Seniors on Medicare: Caps Part D out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 a year for seniors and individuals with disabilities on Medicare, starting in 2025. Caps Insulin Costs at $35 A Month for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities on Medicare: Caps Medicare beneficiaries' insulin costs at $35 a month. Republicans voted against capping insulin out-of-pockets costs for Americans with private health insurance keeping this vital protection out of the bill." (gonzalez.house.gov)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Voted in favor of HR 6968 "Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act" (None)
  • "The U.S. and our allies must keep applying pressure on Putin and the Russian Government for their unprovoked actions and atrocities towards the people of Ukraine. I applaud the newest U.S. sanctions as we continue to fight back against Putin's illegitimate invasion." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3774 "Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act" (None)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7691 "Making emergency supplemental appropriations for assistance for the situation in Ukraine for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes" (None)
  • Voted in favor of HR 3522 "Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022" (None)
  • "Honored to hear from President Zelensky today. We discussed the latest developments in Ukraine and how the U.S. can continue to support the Ukrainian people." (twitter.com)
  • Voted in favor of HR 7691 "Making Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Assistance for the situation in Ukraine for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes." (None)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.

Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.

arrow_upward