Ben Taylor supports and endorses the positions outlined by the Green Party, which are always in support of working people, LGBTQ+ communities, global solidarity movements, and our natural environment.
Read more about Ben’s positions and policies below!
Healthcare
Healthcare must be treated as a human right. With the amount of money our Congress feeds to the military-industrial complex, dozens of robust social services could be funded instead. There is simply no excuse for our elected representatives to refuse to establish and fund a single-payer universal healthcare system. As treatment and medication prices continue to increase, medical debt remains a serious threat for the people of New Jersey, especially vulnerable workers. I promise to fight for universal healthcare until it is achieved.
Education
High quality education must be upheld as a human right. The education system in our district is not meeting our needs. Efforts to cut funding for public education have largely been successful, causing widespread deterioration across all school years. The effects of these policies have been catastrophic for an entire generation wracked with unsustainable student debt. Many young people in low-income families are forced to enter the workforce at a very young age rather than pursuing higher education. This has led to widespread alienation. Education must be free at all levels. Knowledge is not to be locked behind a paywall.
When in Congress, I will design comprehensive legislation to cancel all existing student debt. I will also fund free public education at all levels, preventing our future students from suffering under for-profit schools.
Women’s Rights
Our society remains entrenched within the patriarchic quagmire. As access to medical procedures like abortions become politicized once again, it is clear that systemic misogyny hasn’t gone anywhere. Abortions are medical procedures, not political tokens to be dangled over peoples’ heads. As such, the right to abortion is as much a human right as it is a women’s right. I will fight for this forever. The uterus is an organ of the human body, and it should never to be politicized.
Additionally, due to the systemic nature of the capitalist, imperialist patriarchy, women are under immense societal pressures. This extends to women in positions of power and authority, as these positions exist to serve and perpetuate the patriarchy. Thus, we must fight to tear up the patriarchy from its roots.
In Congress, introducing legislation that codifies Roe v. Wade will be my top priority. I will continue to push for federal legislation that protects abortion as a basic human right until it passes. I will also enact legislation that mandates paid maternity leave for all mothers.
Indigenous Liberation
I oppose settler-colonialism on all fronts, and I will not tolerate settler-colonial ventures perpetrated by the United States government or the corporations it serves. I support the positions and struggles of the Land Back movement. Indigenous liberation a necessary component of climate justice, racial justice, and economic justice. As settler-colonialism continues to export unjust social systems across the globe, it becomes increasingly more important to recognize the inherent right of self-determination for all indigenous peoples. Although some milestones toward indigenous liberation can be achieved through the existing colonial framework, a total restructuring of the capitalist real estate system will be necessary for lasting justice.
In Congress, I will introduce legislation that allows the return of land to indigenous peoples. I will also provide funding for the many sustainable indigenous land-use projects across New Jersey and the country.
Military
The United States military is a foundational component of Western capitalist society. As the largest polluter on the planet, a chorus of anger can be heard not only from those communities most affected by the military’s operations, but also from the very ground we stand upon. The industries that prop up the United States military profit off of violence and death on a global scale. With over 750 bases around the world, military spending and expansion must shrink drastically. I will fight to prevent any further expansion of the United States military, while pushing for the immediate cessation of existing operations. I promise to stand strong as an unwavering voice for peace and solidarity. Profiting off of war cannot be tolerated.
Additionally, it is necessary to reduce the military’s influence on global affairs. The idea of the United States as the “world police” is based entirely in white supremacy and chauvinism. Dangerous and violent rhetoric regarding military “domination” upholds the language of the patriarchy. And military activities that support “America’s interests” serve only the interests of multinational corporations as they seek to expand markets and maximize profits, leaving behind both foreign and domestic instability. Regular people should not be forced to fund these extremist military policies with their tax dollars. Instead, I will redirect military spending toward social programs like universal healthcare, education, housing, and clean energy transitional programs. The lessons shared by both historic and contemporary anti-war movements teach us that this is just the first step toward peace.
I will introduce policies in Congress that would close down overseas military bases, reduce the military budget by at least 50%, and promote wellness and community resources for Americans returning home.
Climate Crisis
As massive corporations pursue unlimited growth and ever-increasing profits, the earth is plummeting toward global climate catastrophe. Sadly, for many fragile ecosystems in New Jersey, time has already run out. We are feeling the effects of climate change month after month, year after year. And as the scientific community turns to our government to recommend solutions before 2030, our government shifts the blame onto consumers and workers. It’s time we hold fossil fuel industries accountable for the terror they continue to unleash upon the many.
In 2004, oil industry giant BP began its “carbon footprint” propaganda campaign. The goal was simple: alter public perception of climate change, transforming it into a consumption issue as opposed to a production issue. BP figured it could absolve itself from the consequences of the climate crisis by shaming those who consume their product. This was a massive win for fossil fuels, as it allowed oil companies to continue business as usual. But for the people of New Jersey, the United States, and the world, the horrific effects of this campaign could not understated. Climate anxiety now plagues young people, spurring self-doubt in the minds of an entire generation. And that very same generation must also grapple with the long-term effects of our government’s inaction.
It is my understanding that we cannot have a proper, scientific conversation about the climate crisis without first recognizing the psychological warfare waged by the fossil fuel industry. That’s why I vow to hold these companies accountable for their actions. The myth of individual responsibility must be challenged at every opportunity. Time is running out. We need to start having serious conversations about how our economic system is unsustainable and contradictory. We cannot allow corporations to continue seeking infinite growth in a finite world. Vulnerable communities around the world are already suffering the consequences of unopposed greed.
In Congress, I will help to design a comprehensive Green New Deal that invites public ownership of renewable energy sources, bans unsustainable farming practices, and reshapes our infrastructure to align with scientific consensus. This will also include jobs in the public sector. Additionally, I will introduce legislation that forces fossil fuel companies, rather than consumers, to pay the costs associated with these transitions.
Occupied Palestine
In the midst of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza, I stand in steadfast solidarity with the Palestinian people. The Palestinian struggle is one that extends deep into modern history, as Israel, with the backing of the west, continues its zionist quest to ethnically cleanse the entire region of Palestine. Israeli officials have repeatedly called for genocide, and virtually all our representatives have backed up the Biden administration’s funding of that genocide. It is not the people of Palestine who are antisemitic, nor is it the students across the nation standing up and calling for a ceasefire: zionism is antisemitic.
In Congress, I promise to stand up against the zionist project, demanding an immediate ceasefire, independent investigations into Israel’s crimes, and the immediate end of all weapons sales to Israel.
Drug Decriminalization
The immediate decriminalization of all drugs is a necessary step toward economic justice. Drug use should never be a criminal offense. The War on Drugs, since its inception, has only been used to increase policing in communities of color and against political activists. This has led to mass incarceration, with the United States far surpassing the rest of the world in prison population. This is unacceptable. The simple act of ingesting a mind-altering substance cannot be justified as a federal crime.
When elected to Congress, I will design policy that restricts the DEA, eventually phasing it out completely. Additionally, I will fund addiction treatment to be accessible for all, and harm reduction resources to be abundantly available.
Mental Health Crisis
New Jersey is in the midst of a mental health crisis, fueled in part by pharmaceutical companies. Low standards of living, especially among low-income communities, only exacerbate the problem. In addition, access to mental healthcare is unacceptably low in the face of this crisis. Lawmakers have failed to provide any solutions– instead, they would rather give more funding and grants to pharmaceutical companies that have proven themselves ineffective. Churning out new, marketable SSRIs and atypical antipsychotics simply pads the wallets at Big Pharma.
Widespread alienation is becoming a terrifying trend for young people as their futures remain in jeopardy. Feelings of personal fulfillment and confidence are rapidly declining. Employers continually increase their requirements, making the job market nearly impossible to navigate. All of these struggles put tremendous amounts of pressure on the people of New Jersey, who often live paycheck to paycheck.
This is why we need to fight for novel mental health solutions that show great promise. This is why, in Congress, I will fully support Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and advocate for its full legalization in conjunction with full accessibility. However, we cannot end the mental health crisis without also tackling systemic contradictions sewn into the fabric of our society. Economic justice for the many is the only way forward, and my policies centered around restricting advertising, lowering work hours, and increasing wages are necessary for long-term healing. By coming together and rallying for an equitable economic system, and by talking about our personal struggles in support groups and social circles, we can begin to combat the divisive alienation that isolates our common goals.
LGBTQ+ Issues
The LGBTQ+ community has endured marginalization from all directions, demonstrating great resiliency and bravery. As our government strips away the few protections that had been fought for and won, I reaffirm my commitment to LGBTQ+ justice. Additionally, the social construction of gender must be challenged. LGBTQ+ rights are human rights.
In Congress, I will help design federal protections for transgender identities and push back against the cruel, transphobic legislation that invites bigotry to our communities. I will also introduce legislation that provides critical resources to families and victims of hate crimes.
Prison and Police
The United States currently holds the record for prison population out of all countries on the planet. Our prisons in New Jersey have the highest racial disparities in the country, making them some of the most racist and corrupt prison institutions in the world. A study in 2022 demonstrated that black adults were 12 times more likely to be imprisoned than white adults, and despite black folks comprising 15% of New Jersey’s population, they account for 59% of all prison inmates. These are more than just statistics: they represent the real material conditions for communities of color living in our state. The law enforcement system of New Jersey is, simply put, astoundingly racist. Over-policing of communities of color leads to shockingly illegal levels of racial profiling.
Furthermore, the racist prison institution is enmeshed within the profit-driven capitalist system. Private prisons make enormous amounts of money by exploiting prison labor. This is legalized slavery. All private prisons should be immediately closed, and no person should ever be subjected to forced labor. Restructuring the United States prison system is absolutely necessary as a matter of racial and economic justice, and I will take all possible measures to fight for reparations.
Police violence and militarization has no place in New Jersey, and as students and faculty across the nation protest against Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza in 2024, I stand in solidarity with the collective struggle. I call for full investigations into the egregious acts of police misconduct at these protests. The police are never above the law.
No institution that employs this amount of racism should ever be trusted to enforce the law. This is why, in Congress, I will introduce measures to dramatically reduce police funding, cutting off access to military equipment. I will enact legislation to close for-profit prisons and help design new training programs for law enforcement. Furthermore, I will fund new, alternative institutions that serve people in need.
Immigration
Due to the material conditions affecting many communities in Latin America, migrant workers have been forced to find work elsewhere. These conditions are the result of American military interventions in the late 1900s, as several socialist revolutions swept across the Central and South American continent. CIA-backed coups resulted in the establishment of many right-wing dictatorships that allowed for mass privatization of industry. Although not all coups were successful, the resulting conditions brought only poverty to the working people.
Economic justice, in part, means that the United States must take responsibility for its violence in Latin America and its theft of industry. Instead, however, the United States has increased its militarization at the Mexican border with bipartisan support. As policing increases, so too do arrests and deportations, allowing the xenophobic narrative to gain traction by pointing out an apparent “increase in crime.”
In Congress, I will support robust citizenship programs for migrant workers and their families. I stand in solidarity with all immigrants, and I will fight for labor protections to combat the dangerous working conditions faced by many migrant workers. Additionally, education programs must be made available for all immigrants regardless of documentation. I will never tolerate any policies that treat human beings only as laborers.
Ben Taylor for NJ 