Jeff Van Drew
Bio | Before his work in politics, Jeff Van Drew worked for over 30 years as a dentist. |
Status and Position | Current US House of Representatives of New Jersey |
Political Party and Jurisdiction | Republican, New Jersey |
Elections | Election Jurisdiction | Started Campaign | Campaign Status | Poll Rankings (of the vote) |
| 2020 House of Representatives Election NJ-02 | NJ-02 | Yes | Running | 44% |
Campaign Financing | Van Drew's campaign contributions mostly come from individuals. The congressman has condemned the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision which permitted a significant amount of money in politics through campaign financing. |
Voting Rights | Van Drew believes in empowering every citizen to practice their right to vote. He voted in favor of the Voting Rights Advancement Act. |
Opinions on Issues
Issues | Stance | Summary |
| Universal Healthcare | For | Van Drew is supportive of universal healthcare. Van Drew has stated that healthcare should be a right not a privilege. To expand coverage, the congressman would like to reform, not repeal, the Affordable Care Act. |
| Socialized Healthcare | For | Van Drew generally supports socialized healthcare. |
| Private Healthcare | Against | Van Drew would like to lower costs for consumers at the expense of healthcare companies. |
| LGBT Rights | Against | Van Drew opposes LGBT rights. To the delight of many New Jersey Christians, Van Drew is known to stand up for "traditional marriage." He generally does not vote in favor of pro-LGBT legislation. |
| Taxes | Nuance | He only advocates for tax cuts in some areas. Van Drew argues that the tax system should benefit middle class families and small businesses. He sees the need for reform with Congress continually enacting bills that cut taxes only for the wealthiest citizens and corporations. |
| Flat Tax Rate | Against | He opposes a flat tax rate. Van Drew argues that the tax system should benefit middle class families and small businesses. He sees the need for reform with Congress continually enacting bills that cut taxes only for the wealthiest citizens and corporations. |
| Abortion | For | He is pro-choice. Van Drew vows to uphold Roe v. Wade and oppose any attempts to restrict the reproductive rights of women. In addition, he has helped secure programs that provide prenatal care and cancer screening for women who cannot afford reproductive care. |
| Gun Control | For | He supports "common sense" gun reform. Van Drew has backed the banning of bumper stocks and assault rifles. He also sees the need for more comprehensive background checks. |
| Assisted Suicide | Unknown | He does not have a clear position on assisted suicide. Van Drew has backed the banning of bumper stocks and assault rifles. He also sees the need for more comprehensive background checks. |
| Government Interference | For | In most instances such as taxation and gun ownership, Van Drew's policies require government interference. |
| Planned Parenthood | For | Van Drew is supportive of funding Planned Parenthood and other reproductive services. |
| Welfare | For | He supports welfare. Van Drew sees the need to expand funding to programs such as Social Security. He has been endorsed by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. |
| Welfare | Unknown | He does not have a position on the issue. |
| Death Penalty | For | He advocates for capital punishment. Van Drew introduced legislation that would reinstate capital punishment in some cases. He has cited instances such as terrorism and the ambushing of police officers as grounds to use the death penalty. |
| Mandatory Prison Sentence | For | Van Drew sponsored a bill that would raise the mandatory minimum prison sentences for repeat sex offenders. |
| Military Spending | For | Van Drew is supportive of defense spending and the economic projects that it funds. |
| War on Terrorism | For | Van Drew has released many statements condemning international acts of terrorism. |
| Foreign Policy International Interaction | For | He supports international interaction. Van Drew has stated that he sees trade as directly impacting South Jersey. He voted in favor of the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement. |
| United Nations power | Unknown | He does not have a strong position on the United Nations. |
| Nationalism | Unknown | He has not taken a stance on nationalism. |
| Free Markets | Against | Van Drew does not necessarily support free markets. The congressman sees the need for varied government interference in the economy. He sees a mixed economy in areas such as taxation as a means of uplifting the middle class and small businesses. |
| Brexit | Unknown | Van Drew does not have an opinion on Brexit. |
| Affirmative Action | Unknown | He has not expressed a strong position on affirmative action. |
| Government Spending | For | Van Drew sees government spending in areas like infrastructure and transportation as a means of directly contributing to economic growth. |
| Charter Schools | For | He is supportive of charter schools. |
| Common Core | Unknown | Van Drew does not have a strong opinion on Common Core. N/A |
| Clean Energy | For | He promotes clean energy. Van Drew sees government investment in renewable energy as a "win,win win." He says it will save money, reduce pollution, and create jobs. |
| Religious Freedom | For | He advocates for religious freedom. Van Drew holds US citizens' right to practice their religion to the highest standards. He vows to oppose any legislation that would infringe upon this right. |
| Separation of Church and State | For | He supports the separation of church and state. |
| Slavery Reparations | Unknown | He has not made an explicit statement on this point. |
| Border Control | Nuance | Van Drew supports increased security with a path to citizenship. While Van Drew is a proponent of programs such as DACA, he would like to start immigration reform by heightening security. He has advocated for better oversight of employers in order to better regulate undocumented immigrants in the labor market. |
| Passenger Profiling | Unknown | He has not taken a stance on this issue. |
| DACA | For | Van Drew would like to uphold DACA. |
| Sanctuary Cities | Against | Van Drew opposes sanctuary cities. |
| Legalizing Marijuana | Unknown | He does not yet have a clear position on legalizing marijuana. |