CTC Questionnaire

Progress

For the first time, the Courage to Change PAC is issuing a distinction to candidates seeking local, state and federal office who successfully complete our national questionnaire. The Courage to Change Distinction seeks to identify those candidates who are truly committed to social, economic and racial justice - rather than those candidates who would superifically claim the progressive mantle.  

The questionnaire asks candidates to commit to policy pledges across eleven different areas. Ultimately, a Courage to Change candidate: believes in ending the influence of special interest and corporations in campaign finance; expanding union power everywhere; increasing investments for infrastructure projects that emphasize sustainability, equity and access for everyone; adopting the Green New Deal, and its principles of jobs, justice, and decarbonization; increasing public safety through education, jobs, healthcare, and community-based programs; making housing permanently affordable, inclusive, and widely available; passing Medicare for All; making public colleges and universities tuition-free while cancelling all student debt; treating all immigrants with dignity and respect while creating a pathway to citizenship; and expanding voting rights to protect our democracy. 

The Courage to Change Policy Pledge Distinction should not be considered an endorsement from Rep. Ocasio-Cortez when awarded. 

Courage to Change Policy Pledge Distinctions will be announced on a rolling basis. You may submit your completed Candidate questionnaire today, and all Candidate questionnaires must be submitted to CTC on or before April 1, 2022.

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    Our current issues are too large and complex for any one person, organization or agency to address; it is going to take the collective will of movement leaders across the board to uplift the most vulnerable in our society during some of the toughest years in our history. This moment calls for inclusivity, collaboration, vision, and compassionate leadership.

    The corrupting role of big money in politics is one of the largest threats we have to achieving truly people-driven government and policy. We see this when executives and board members of private companies, including the real estate and fossil fuel industries, attempt to gain access to elected officials through large personal and bundled contributions. As a result of being courted and financed by special-interest groups, politicians end up spending more time with their big dollar donors rather than with their communities, where they can refine the policies that will make this country a better place for everyone.

    The United States is home to millions of innovative, creative, and tenacious people who hustle every day to provide for their families, save for their future, and simply get by. These are the people we must amplify and uplift with strong labor rights. But our labor rights are under attack by corporate interests who advocate for private control of the social structures that regulate the relationship between humans and production. We need progressive champions to protect and expand labor rights because labor rights lead to increasing wages and benefits; protect workers from fraudulent and deceptive practices; and ensure that employees work in safe conditions.

    If running for a legislative position do you pledge to vote for the following; alternatively, if running for an executive position or a position that does not vote on such matters, do you pledge to publicly support and work towards the following:

    It is time to build a society that works for all of us. This means investing in improvements to public transit so every person can access a safe and reliable ride to work; quality broadband internet services for everyone; and public school retrofits to provide our children with a safe place to learn. Our communities are interconnected through housing, transit, schools, and more — bold infrastructure investments are a key part to building a prosperous future for everyone.

    If running for a legislative position do you pledge to vote for the following; alternatively, if running for an executive position or a position that does not vote on such matters, do you pledge to publicly support and work towards the following:

    The original Green New Deal resolution introduced in 2019 emphasizes the urgent need to create and pass laws that are centered on the following three things: jobs, justice, and decarbonization. The Green New Deal Resolution has inspired the introduction and adoption of similar Green New Deal resolutions into municipalities and States across the country.

    Securing a Green New Deal means fighting for environmental justice on behalf of communities that suffer the worst effects of climate change, supporting a just transition for fossil-fuel workers and communities affected by the closure of fossil fuel industries, and holding corporate polluters responsible for the costs of climate change.

    If running for a legislative position do you pledge to vote for the following; alternatively, if running for an executive position or a position that does not vote on such matters, do you pledge to publicly support and work towards the following:

    In order to provide real public safety and undo our unjust system of mass incarceration and over-policing, we must invest in education, housing, jobs, healthcare, and community-based programs.

    If running for a legislative position do you pledge to vote for the following; alternatively, if running for an executive position or a position that does not vote on such matters, do you pledge to publicly support and work towards the following:

    When we carry out the work to preserve public housing, to protect tenants and to usher in social housing for all, we will realize the true impact of progress by providing enough for everyone.

    If running for a legislative position do you pledge to vote for the following; alternatively, if running for an executive position or a position that does not vote on such matters, do you pledge to publicly support and work towards the following:

    Every person should receive the healthcare that is available in a country like the United States. However, our current healthcare system costs over $4 trillion per year and does not cover the needs of every person. At the same time, a woman's right to choose is under attack, leaving black women and working-class women most vulnerable to the risks associated with reproduction. We need courageous leaders in office right now to empower healthcare for all.

    If running for a legislative position do you pledge to vote for the following; alternatively, if running for an executive position or a position that does not vote on such matters, do you pledge to publicly support and work towards the following:

    A better world is possible when we reinforce our commitment to public education, increase our investments in public schools from pre-k through college, and cancel student debt.

    If running for a legislative position do you pledge to vote for the following; alternatively, if running for an executive position or a position that does not vote on such matters, do you pledge to publicly support and work towards the following:

    Undocumented immigrants are members of our society. They are dreamers who came to the U.S. as infants and young children, small business owners who have lived in the United States for many years, parents and loved ones of U.S. citizens, essential workers and one-third of our childcare workforce. Our country simply couldn’t run without them. The just, necessary thing to do is to provide a pathway to citizenship for all immigrants.

    If running for a legislative position do you pledge to vote for the following; alternatively, if running for an executive position or a position that does not vote on such matters, do you pledge to publicly support and work towards the following:

    Today, as in the years leading up to passage of the Voting Rights Act, there is an urgent need for dedicated and courageous leadership. The recent court-packing by Republicans has given us an illegitimate 6-3 conservative supermajority in the Supreme Court that is already threatening to rollback rights on abortion, gun safety, and combating climate change. If we are going to solve the problems ahead and make social, racial, and economic justice a reality, this leadership must be willing to confront attacks on democracy for everyone.

    If running for a legislative position do you pledge to vote for the following; alternatively, if running for an executive position or a position that does not vote on such matters, do you pledge to publicly support and work towards the following: