Abby Finkenauer
Bio |
Finkenauer was raised in the small rural town of Sherrill. Before getting elected to the Iowa State House of Representatives, she graduated from Drake University. |
Status and Position |
Former US House of Representatives of Iowa |
Political Party and Jurisdiction |
Democrat, Iowa |
Elections |
Election Jurisdiction |
Started Campaign |
Campaign Status |
Poll Rankings (of the vote) |
| 2020 House of Representatives Election IA-01 | IA-01 | Yes | Running | 45.0% |
Campaign Financing |
Finkenauer campaign finances are mostly comprised of individual contributions. She points out that her opposition, Rod Blum, has been named in End Citizen United as one of the biggest recipients of donations. |
Voting Rights |
Finkenauer has not taken an explicit stance on voting rights. |
Opinions on Issues
Issues |
Stance |
Summary |
| Universal Healthcare | For | Finkenauer believes in expanding access. The congresswoman believes that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. In trying to increase levels of access, she has been involved with premium reduction efforts as well as tackling corporations that keep prescription drug costs high. |
| Socialized Healthcare | For | She supports socialized healthcare in the form of a completely public option of healthcare as well as community health centers and telemedicine in order to bridge the gap in rural communities that face dwindling healthcare services. |
| Private Healthcare | Against | She has spoken out against efforts to privatize programs such as Medicaid due to its restriction on healthcare access. |
| LGBT Rights | For | Advocates for LGBT rights Finkenauer stands with the LGBT community in their fight to pass anti-discrimination legislation. She was a cosponsor of the Equality Act. |
| Taxes | Nuance | She supports taxes but works to establish tax credit policies. Although Finkenauer supports taxes for their role in producing public funding, some of her most prominent political victories involve guaranteeing the biodiesel industry and Iowa families tax credits. As such, her stance on taxation is nuanced. |
| Flat Tax Rate | Against | Does not advocate for a flat tax rate Although Finkenauer supports taxes for their role in producing public funding, some of her most prominent political victories involve guaranteeing the biodiesel industry and Iowa families tax credits. As such, her stance on taxation is nuanced. |
| Abortion | For | She is pro-choice. Finkenauer has been praised as a strong ally for women's rights. She supports the right for women to choose what they do with their body. |
| Gun Control | For | Supports regulations on guns Finkenauer has stood up for the passing of common sense gun violence legislation. After the El Paso and Dayton mass shootings, she denounced Congress' lethargic response in enacting gun reform. |
| Assisted Suicide | Unknown | She has stated that she is undecided on the issue. Finkenauer has stood up for the passing of common sense gun violence legislation. After the El Paso and Dayton mass shootings, she denounced Congress' lethargic response in enacting gun reform. |
| Government Interference | For | As most of Finkenauer policies revolve around public intervention, she supports government intervention. |
| Planned Parenthood | For | Supports the funding of planned parenthood |
| Welfare | For | Supports welfare Finkenauer has helped enact legislation that funnels resources through new programs as well as existing programs such as social security. |
| Welfare | For | She supports embryonic stem cell research. |
| Death Penalty | Unknown | She has not expressed an opinion on the death penalty. N/A |
| Mandatory Prison Sentence | Against | Finkenauer is against mandatory prison sentences. |
| Military Spending | For | Finkenauer is for a robust defense budget which includes legislation supported by the congresswoman that includes a raise to those serving in the military. |
| War on Terrorism | Unknown | She does not have a clear position. |
| Foreign Policy International Interaction | Against | She has been critical of international policy. Finkenauer is very apprehensive about international policy such as the USMCA. She is concerned about making sure that these sorts of actions meet environmental and labor standards that she argues will be better for jobs in her district. |
| United Nations power | Unknown | She has not taken a position on the United Nations. |
| Nationalism | Against | Finkenauer opposes nationalism. |
| Free Markets | Against | Supports tighter restrictions on the market Finkenauer does not support the complete privatization of industries such as the healthcare system. She argues that a completely free market would be unable to address issues such as high prescription drug costs. |
| Brexit | Unknown | She has not made a stance on Brexit. |
| Affirmative Action | For | Finkenauer supports affirmative action. |
| Government Spending | For | Finkenauer advocates for the maintenance of traditional government spending such as Social Security. In addition, she sees public spending as a means of expanding programs in fields such as healthcare. |
| Charter Schools | Unknown | Finkenauer has not taken a stance on charter schools. |
| Common Core | Unknown | She has no position on common core. N/A |
| Clean Energy | For | She supports clean energy. With Iowa on the forefront of progress in renewable energy, Finkenauer sees alternative energy as vital as the US pushes into a more ecological and sustainable future. |
| Religious Freedom | Against | She does not advocate for religious freedom in the face of LGBT rights. With the enactment of the Equality Act, Finkenauer actively worked against those who sought to protect people's right to treat LGBT people differently based off religious practice. She sees this restriction as necessary for the broader fight against discrimination. |
| Separation of Church and State | For | She supports the separation of church and state. |
| Slavery Reparations | Unknown | She has not established a position on this issue. |
| Border Control | Nuance | Finkenauer does not advocate for increased border security. But, she does recognize the need for law enforcement. The congresswoman has spoken out against the Trump administration's efforts to further limit immigration at the Southern border. However, she does not believe in abolishing ICE and feels that law enforcement must be kept intact. |
| Passenger Profiling | Unknown | She has no explicit position on passenger profiling. |
| DACA | For | Although Finkenauer would like to see reform in immigration policy, she wants to make sure DACA is not thrown out in future legislation. |
| Sanctuary Cities | For | Finkenauer supports sanctuary cities. |
| Legalizing Marijuana | Nuance | Finkenauer has supported recreational and medical marijuana on the state level. However, she has voted against ending the prohibition at the federal level. |