Johnny Olszewski

Liberal

Democrat

House Representative

Maryland - District 2

Current Position: US House Representative MD-2

Running For: House Representative - District 2

Policy Positions

For expanding affordable housing; signed executive order requiring developers receiving county financial support to dedicate at least 20% of units to affordable housing, supported ban on source-of-income discrimination by landlords, supports tax incentives for first-time homebuyers and converting vacant buildings into affordable homes
For protecting and expanding Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and SNAP; opposes Republican budget cuts to these programs
For fully funding the Department of Veterans Affairs, expanding VA medical care, protecting veteran benefits, and opposing rollbacks to PACT Act coverage for veterans exposed to toxic substances
Against tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, citing increased costs for families and construction materials

For raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour
For workers' rights including paid sick leave, prevailing wages for county workers, and collective bargaining rights; supports legislation to revoke Trump's executive order removing collective bargaining rights from certain federal workers

For expanding healthcare access; supports extending Affordable Care Act tax credits, prescription drug price negotiations within Medicare, capping out-of-pocket costs, and price transparency; opposes Trump administration cuts to medical research and vaccine programs

Against opposition to school vouchers and private school diversion of taxpayer funds; opposes Trump administration policies diverting taxpayer dollars to private schools and dismantling the Department of Education

For renewable energy and climate action; supports aggressive science-driven climate policies, large-scale investments in solar, wind, and other clean energy; set a goal of 100% renewable energy for Baltimore County government operations by 2026; opposes Trump administration's dismantling of environmental protections
Against plastic bag use; signed legislation banning plastic bags at large retailers and imposing a fee on paper bags

For abortion rights; condemned Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturning Roe v. Wade, supports codifying Roe v. Wade at the federal level, stated Baltimore County officials would not cooperate with prosecuting people who cross state lines to receive an abortion, supports safeguarding reproductive healthcare; previously voted in 2014 to eliminate taxpayer funding of third-trimester abortions and in 2010 avoided labeling himself pro-choice or pro-life
For same-sex marriage; voted for Maryland's Civil Marriage Protection Act in 2012

For public campaign finance systems; supported and helped establish a public campaign finance system for Baltimore County elections and supported expanding it to congressional campaigns
Against Trump administration's firing and reclassification of federal workers; supports requiring DOGE to comply with FOIA requests
For 18-year term limits for U.S. Supreme Court Justices
For expanding voting rights and protecting judicial independence; supports banning stock trading by Members of Congress

Against the Kayla Hamilton Act requiring extensive background checks for unaccompanied immigrant children
For aid to Ukraine in the Russo-Ukrainian War; argues withholding support would encourage Putin to invade other countries
For Israel's right to exist and defend itself and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; supports rebuilding Gaza and helping displaced Palestinians; voted against sanctioning the International Criminal Court over arrest warrants for Israeli leaders but signed letter calling on ICC to rescind warrants
Against Trump administration's shutdown of USAID; participated in protests against freezing foreign aid
Against U.S. military strikes on Iran without congressional authorization; co-sponsored the Iran War Powers Resolution; condemned Trump's bypassing of Congress's authority to declare war
For lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria following the fall of Assad's government
Against U.S. military strikes in Venezuela and the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro without congressional authorization; calls for congressional oversight

For gun control measures; supports federal legislation to ban assault weapon sales, introduced legislation requiring federally licensed firearms dealers to secure weapons in inventory; previously voted against assault weapons ban in 2013 and received NRA 'A' rating in 2014, but later called that vote a 'mistake'
For police reform; introduced and passed legislation banning police chokeholds, providing additional protections to police whistleblowers, and requiring officers to intervene when colleagues use excessive force
Against the Laken Riley Act, saying it would 'endanger harmless children and divert billions of dollars away from securing the border and efforts to target dangerous criminals'
Against deploying National Guard for municipal policing in Baltimore; signed letter to Trump urging reconsideration