John Hall (New York Politician) - Political Positions

Political Positions

Hall is only the third Democrat to represent what is now the 19th district since World War I. (The first was George McClellan, from 1913-15 when it was the 27th District; the second was Joseph Y. Resnick from 1965–69, when it was the 28th District.)

Despite representing a historically Republican area, Hall has described himself as a progressive Democrat. He is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus In the beginning of the 110th Congress, Hall voted to raise minimum wage and federal funding of stem cell research.

Prior to the election, Hall expressed interest in drug policy reform, noting that many of his best friends and mentors in the music industry partake in recreational drug use without adverse effects. At SUNY New Paltz, during a March 11, 2006 audio interview, he said that drug prohibition had "failed" and that he agreed with Maurice Hinchey on the need for reform on Plan Colombia, Medical Marijuana, and a provision of the Higher Education Act that denies financial aid to students with drug offenses. However, in July 2007, John Hall voted against an amendment by Hinchey that would end the raid of medical marijuana patients.

Hall voted for the Healthcare Reform Bill that passed in the House on November 7, 2009 as well as the Senate bill on March 21, 2010. He opposed the Stupak Amendment which proposed to restrict the use of federal funds for abortion funding.

Hall has been a critic of BP's handling of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hall was assigned to serve on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and is chairman of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the 110th Congress.