Kean believes that District 7 needs to prioritize growing the economy to get it out of the "COVID crisis." He says that D.C. needs to be "an equal partner in making New Jersey more affordable, as friends and family members of his have had to relocate due to the tax burden. "Restoring the full SALT (State And Local Tax) deduction, as well as a more responsible tax code are key components to future affordability and job growth in our state and our nation."

COVID-19

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Response

Malinowski says that his priority is to get COVID-19 under control and get economic relief for business owners. He has since helped in passing the CARES Act, giving $2 Billion for people in his district alone, and has helped 1,800 people cut through red tape. Malinowski has passed legislation in the House to fix the medical stockpile and insisted on relief being directed towards New Jersey. He believes COVID-19 can be solved with a national plan that should be dealt with appropriately, and if not, he'll hold the President accountable through Congress.

Kean says that Malinowski campaigned as a moderate but in his term he has proved to be overly liberal and partisan. Because of this, there is the current political gridlock, a "symptom of failure and it's unacceptable." Kean claims that Malinowski only wants to "get things done is if he's in the majority party" which is only harmful for this district. He says that the district needs action and resources, and Malinowski has "sat on the sidelines" while working to "do away with freelancers and independent contractors" and "stifle biotech and life science innovation."

Political Extremism

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Incompetence

Malinowski says that both of them have experience, but Kean has a very different record, one favoring large corporations and political action committees like insurance and pharmaceutical companies while lacking representation of the people. He favors the ACA, gun laws, pro-choice, and other projects along with hosting town halls while Kean has opposed these and has hosted no town halls. Malinowski also claims to have condemned supremacist and extremist groups from all sides, while Kean has endorsed Trump when "we need real leaders willing to stand up and say what is right and wrong."

Kean plans on prioritizing and finishing the Gateway Tunnel project. On the state level, Kean has worked with governors and legislators to reform the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and help lay the foundation for this project on a bi-state basis. His knowledge and experience will be beneficial in making sure the job gets done.

Infrastructure

Malinowski seeks significant federal investment in infrastructure to get people back to work, such as the Gateway rail transportation project and eventually a new Hudson River Tunnel, while his opponents have cut these projects. He claims that many New Jerseyans use these roads and railways and that they should be kept at peak quality. These projects are a priority of his, that he'll work across party lines by those who see it as a non-partisan issue, and he sees it as a way to preserve their quality of life and competitiveness.

Many business groups named Kean "Legislature of the Year" for helping bring many jobs to New Jersey and his help with creating technological ingenuity and development opportunities. His legislation also transformed the industry on brew pubs and created thousands of new jobs. Kean knows this district, the industries that drive North Jersey and will always stand up for his constituents’ jobs in Congress.

Jobs

Malinowski says that he'll support all American people, the rich and working Americans. Especially during these times, he says that we need to be guided by science and "stand by our front-line workers, support small businesses, and aid the most vulnerable in our community." He doesn't stand with Senators like Mitch McConnell blocking what McConnell called the "blue state bailout" and other direct relief acts.

To fix the economy from the downturn it had because of the coronavirus, Kean is willing to work with Democrats like Senate President Steve Sweeney to support an effort to address the issue of economic injustice. He's part of the Joint Committee on Economic Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity, which is charged with developing solutions that can be enacted by the Legislature to address the economic and social disparities that serve as barriers to success. All his goals are centered around the idea of ending social and economic inequity

Economy

Malinowski sees that New Jersey is in a public health and economic emergency. He's seeking reelection to ensure federal relief for small businesses and local governments next year, having helped secure loans for small "mom-and-pop stores in need, not to wealthy corporations like Ruth’s Steakhouse or the LA Lakers." Along with this, Malinowski would also like to see to the closing of special interest loopholes, the SALT deduction, and increased spending on infrastructure, while fighting against GOP tax laws.

Kean is passionate in regards to the environment. He began his career in public service working at the Environmental Protection Agency, where he started building a reputation as an advocate for clean energy and open space in the New Jersey state legislature. He has sponsored funding for offshore wind energy development and passed laws that ensure open space and conservation are well-funded. As a prime sponsor of the Global Warming Response Act in 2007, he has long understood the urgent nature of climate change. As your Congressman, Tom will be an ardent defender of the environment.

Environment

Malinowski strongly opposes subsidies "that artificially prop up fossil fuel industries, which hurt the environment and make no economic sense." He instead has worked with colleagues on the 100% Clean Economy Act (sets a goal for a 100% clean energy economy by 2050) and wants New Jersey to lead the clean energy future. Similarly, he supports the Paris Climate Change Agreement and wants the federal government to work together with the states to meet the provisions that it agreed to, to reduce carbon emissions.

The Newark/Elizabeth coast lies in New Jersey and tens of thousands of jobs depend on the free flow of international trade. In addition, free trade agreements open new markets for New Jersey businesses, and lower the cost of living for all New Jersey families by reducing the price of the consumer goods they buy every day. Thomas Kean supports the flow of international trade because our jobs depend on it.

Trade

Malinowski supports policies that are "fair to American workers and businesses" while also being tough on countries like China that violate international trade agreements. However, he doesn't agree with starting trade wars with allies, as it increases costs for American consumers while harming international relations and our allies.

Kean is known for standing up to high tax rates to ensure affordability. He has blocked billions of dollars in new taxes and wasteful spending. He was a leading driver of the 2% cap on municipal spending that helped stabilize property taxes. Fiscal responsibility will always be a priority for Kean.

Taxes

Malinowski supports the SALT deduction for middleclass Americans, but is against Republican tax cuts which "help the wealthiest and big corporations" at the expense of programs such as Social Security. In addition to this, he claims that the Republican tax law (2017) "will add $2 trillion to our national debt" and gives large corporations and wealthy Americans a tax break, rewarding investors but not employees. He says that he'll fight these cuts on behalf of middleclass families.

Kean is an advocate for quality healthcare. He has been a leader on this issue in the New Jersey Senate, serving on both the Health and the Commerce committees. While there, he worked with Republicans and Democrats alike to find solutions to lower the cost of prescription drugs, improve maternal healthcare and increase access to mental healthcare. He strives to be a big part in fixing our healthcare system.

Healthcare

Malinowski supports Medicare and the ability to buy into it, eventually becoming universal, and wants to see to it that the Republicans don't take away the Affordable Care Act and "tear health coverage away from millions of Americans." He says he'll fight to defend the ACA, lower drug prices, and push for a special enrollment period for greater access to health insurance and guarantee COVID-19 treatment.

Kean has been mostly against immigration since 2006. He had a campaign post against Bob Menendez about how it was wrong to allow "illegal aliens" to get Social Security among other claims. In a speech in May of 2017, Kean also took the stance that illegal immigrants would dishonor the legal immigrants. Kean also opposed an effort that condemned Donald Trump's efforts to exclude Muslims from entering America. Kean's voters, however, seem fine with whatever his stance is on immigration, since he suggested that anti-immigrant policies do not matter to his constituents.

Immigration

Malinowski believes that building a wall to prevent illegal immigration is "a harmful symbol of America shutting itself off from the world and a waste of money," in addition to the fact that it's fairly ineffective. He also claims that illegal immigration is more a result of people overstaying visas than crossing the border. Malinowski looks down on the Trump administration's handling of immigration, being an immigrant himself, with the separation of children from their parents and the deportation of DREAMers and DACA recipients. He would also like to see to it that migrant workers aren't abused on their work visas, benefiting, also, domestic workers in relation to wages.