Showing Up for Us

INFRASTRUCTURE

Georgia's roads and bridges are in need of major repairs, especially in rural areas like ours. It’s past time we bring our infrastructure to modern standards. Rev. Butler will advocate for:

Federal funds to rebuild Georgia's crumbling roads and bridges.
Incentives to build grocery stores and increase access to basic food and nutrition for our families
Reduce traffic by improving and expanding public highways & roads.
Create public work projects to build public parks, trails and recreational areas that protect the environment for generations to come.
Invest in rural broadband internet expansions to connect Georgians throughout the entire state.
Increase funding for local project developments in historically underserved areas and communities of color.
Invest in clean energy and transportation, like the proposed high-speed rail line to connect Metro Atlanta and South Georgia.

VOTING RIGHTS & ELECTIONS

Our Democracy is in a fragile state right now, and Georgia is at the center of it. The answer is not to restrict the vote, but to broaden it, and make sure everyone is safely involved in the process. A target of partisan voter roll purges and attacks himself, Rev. Butler will continue to defend our democracy, and ensure a fair process, free of partisan interference, by advocating to:

Make Election Day a federal holiday.
Restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act/John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Continue to advocate for expanded Vote-By-Mail options, and appointed non-partisan districting commissions here in Georgia and across the country.
Call for a congressional investigation into mass voter roll challenges and purges that deny our sacred right to vote per the Voting Rights Act, and National Voter Registration Act.
Instead of partisan voter roll challenges, we should increase training and resources for state election officials and volunteers. This will protect our elections and ensure an even playing field and a healthy voting process.
Expand in-person Early Vote and no-fault Absentee Ballot options.
Promote automatic voter registration at the state level.
Advocating for resources to protect the security of elections.
Protect and fund the United States Postal Service as a critical rural voting institution.
Hold social media platforms responsible for misinformation.
Protect America's cyber security infrastructure.

CIVIL RIGHTS

America is a land of rights, and Rev. Butler is a strong defender of the freedoms we exercise everyday. Those rights need to be protected and expanded, so we continue to live in a land where all are free to live as they choose, in fairness. Rev. Butler will fight to:

Encourage and defend peaceful protest, not rioting or terror.
Protect and cherish religious liberties.
Uphold the second amendment, while eliminating criminal loopholes that make us unsafe.
Abolish private prisons
Decriminalize Marijuana use and possession.
Reform the bail system and end mass incarceration.
Expunge records of those arrested but not convicted of a crime.
Ensure returning citizens can reenter society with access to adequate resources and support to reduce recidivism.
End qualified immunity for police and make police misconduct records public.

Our Ability to Make a Living and a Life

WORKER PROTECTIONS & WAGES

Everyone working a full-time job should have enough money to support themselves. But we’ve strayed far from that simple idea. Rev. Butler believes in the dignity and worth of work, and how hard it’s been for families just struggling to get by. As a pastor, food bank director and volunteer leader, Rev. Butler has been on the front lines of the economic crisis workers are facing. As congressman, he will fight to get workers:

A living wage and overtime protection, so wage theft is a thing of the past.
Pay equity for all Georgians.
Increased retirement benefit programs.
Bring back the Child Tax Credit, a vital lifeline for so many families on the brink of poverty.
Reform our social programs like food stamps and social security which cut off early and keep families in a cycle of poverty.
First-time homebuyer subsidies so young Georgians can one day own a home.
Rebuilt and strengthened labor unions, which help fight for workers everywhere.
The repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act, which limits the power of workers and unions to push for better working conditions in states like Georgia.
Punish companies that ship American jobs overseas.

SMALL BUISNESSES & FIGHTING
CORPORATE GREED

A small business owner himself, Rev. Butler knows the challenges facing entrepreneurs in the 8th district. Small businesses need support and room to grow, but undue regulations and large corporations take undue power away from everyday people. American citizens continue to be taken advantage of by insurance companies, financial institutions, and big tech, which Washington politicians struggle to understand. Rev Butler will push Congress to:

Fight unnecessary regulations on small businesses and give them the same chances and opportunities big businesses enjoy.
Secure public investment in community workforce training, apprenticeship programs and support for small businesses.
Help small business owners, especially entrepreneurs of color and women, attain capital and support.
Subsidize small businesses who would not be able to afford an increased minimum wage, so workers make a living wage without harming local businesses.
Mandate oversight into credit bureaus, and ensure Georgians have access to fair rates.
Revoke tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs, and support and promote Made-in-America incentives.
Protect Americans from predatory financial and insurance companies, who sell sham coverage and dupe consumers.
Dismantle and break-up monopolies that destroy competition.
Pass laws against price-gouging, which is crushing American consumers.
Pass strong privacy laws to protect Americans from the sale of their personal information to companies via social media, especially foreign companies.

FARMERS

The Georgia Agriculture industry is at the core of our state's success, and is an integral part of life here in the 8th district. It is past time that our farmers and producers receive the support they deserve. Rev. Butler’s focus will be towards:

Expanding access to markets for Georgia-grown products.
Support our farmers in adopting more sustainable and regenerative practices, protecting them for generations to come.
Providing financial and informative support to farmers and suppliers.
Extend support to farmers converting to environmentally-friendly products and practices.
Ensure and increase assistance from USDA, FEMA and other agencies tasked with protecting producers devastated by natural disasters and other threats.
Rejecting unfair international trade policies that harm Georgia farmers.
Give farmers a larger seat at the table and ensure they are involved in the policy-making process.

GREEN ECONOMY & THE ENVIRONMENT

Earth is the only home we know, we must take every step necessary to protect it. It’s Hail-Mary time, and we can’t afford to mess up. Clean energy is not only a moral winner but the next big economic boom. Rev. Butler believes in creating the next generation of jobs that will ensure a clean and healthy environment for everyone. In Congress, Rev. Butler will lead District 8 to:

Create environmentally-friendly jobs throughout Middle and South Georgia.
Make fossil fuel workers top priority in clean energy job selection and retraining, in addition to communities traditionally harmed by the effects of fossil fuels.
Push for investment in resources, infrastructure, and education in communities of color to benefit in energy cost savings.
Protect the EPA and standards for clean air and water.
Set goals for carbon reduction and robust climate standards for newly manufactured cars and infrastructure.
Hold polluters and utility companies accountable for the damage they cause everyday.
Encourage investment in clean energy and commit to transitioning to a clean economy by 2050.
Ensure Georgian’s are protected from natural disasters by properly funding organizations like FEMA to make sure they are equipped to deal with our changing climate.

EDUCATION

From parents and teachers at the Pre-K to 12th grade level, to our state’s largest colleges and universities – our investment in education should match its immense importance. Rev. Butler believes in the transformative power of education, and how critical Georgia’s teachers and school officials are to the day-to-day life of every family. Our investments in education should match that importance. Rev. Butler will champion changes which:

Raise teacher pay and provide resources for schools.
Restore tax provisions for educators purchases of supplies and classroom goods.
Make grants available to non-profit after-school programs and activities for working parents.
Promote equitable funding for Pre-K and K-12 schools.
Close the "Zip-Code Gap" and ensure funding is not linked to property tax, which creates huge differences in education outcomes.
Increase funding and support Civics & STEM programs.
Strengthen nutritional programs in schools and ensure every K-12 student receives a nutritious free lunch.
Make all public community institutions tuition-free.
Support vocational, trade, and apprenticeship education.
Fully fund Pell Grants which reduce higher education costs.
Support further student loan forgiveness programs so the next generation is not crushed by debt.

HOUSING

Housing prices are crushing Georgians, making it impossible for working families and young people to own a home. Right here in the 8th district, Valdosta has seen the highest sales price increase of any metro in the state, skyrocketing nearly 70% since last year alone. Rev. Butler will fight to:

Make it illegal for massive corporations like Blackrock to purchase and inflate prices on homes.
Promote continuous permanent and transitional housing solutions to ensure nobody goes without a roof over their head.
Expand benefits and access to first-time homebuyer programs across the country, especially in rural areas like ours.
Promote federal subsidies for building with multi-use zoning and density in rural areas, ensuring everyone has access to home ownership, while preserving our lifestyle and environment.
Increase funding and access to affordable housing in rural areas with Housing Choice Vouchers, (Section 8).
Fight greedy banks to protect Georgians from foreclosures and predatory home loans.
Incentivise multi-generational housing so we can afford to take in our grandparents, grand kids, nieces and nephews when families need to come together.

Our Health and Safety

HEALTHCARE

Georgia’s healthcare system is broken. Too many of us don’t have insurance, can’t easily drive to a doctor or hospital, and emergency response times are unacceptable. Rev. Butler knows that medical expenses are the quickest way to bankruptcy for so many Georgians. Rural areas like ours have been left behind, from mental health services to hospitals – this has to change. Rev. Butler knows firsthand the panicked drive to the hospital to save a family member, only for the closest care to be an hour away. He will advocate for:

Guaranteed primary, dental, vision, and mental health services are available.
Defend protections for pre-existing conditions.
Fight medical malpractice that fuels the opioid and crack epidemic.
Encourage increased funding of rural hospitals and care centers.
Increase funding to maternal care centers in rural areas.
Guarantee paid medical and parental leave at the workplace.

A Medicaid expansion to bring relief to families that need it.
Strengthening and Protecting the Affordable Care Act.
Protect Medicare from slashing Washington politicians.
Provide equal funding and access to women’s healthcare.
Protect reproductive and prenatal healthcare and abortion access.
Expand access to vital LGBTQ+ healthcare

A strong Public Option for health insurance, allowing Georgians to buy-in to Medicare.
Allowing Georgians to make their own health decisions, detached from their employer.
Expanding federal negotiations to lower prescription drug prices.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Rev. Butler has served in corrections, and knows how important it is that our peace officers keep the public’s trust. We deserve law enforcement that is well-trained and accountable to the public that they serve. That takes funding, and that takes accountability. Our law enforcement agencies have to earn that trust, which takes transparency. Rev. Butler will push to:

Responsibly fund police departments while increasing accountability and responsibility.
Increase funding to support our local and state law enforcement with bias and crisis training.
Create a national database of police misconduct, so repeat offenders don’t just move jurisdictions and escape punishment in another department.
Reduce senseless gun violence by closing background check loopholes and creating a national gun violence registry so abusers cannot re-offend.
Promote common sense gun legislation, including; Ethan's Law, universal background checks, and ending gun-show loopholes.
A new assault-style weapons ban.
Integrate social workers and officers with backgrounds in psychology into law enforcement offices, protecting both law enforcement and those they interact with.
Encourage mandatory rehabilitation for battles of addiction.
Champion laws that attack the root cause of crime – poverty.

PROTECTING SENIORS & VETERANS

Georgia's Seniors & Veterans deserve a representative that truly cares about their well-being. Both seniors and veterans have specific, medical and institutional needs that our government has consistently struggled to administer. Rev. Butler will

advocate for our veterans at the VA and beyond, while fighting for senior benefits by:

Improving the issues of care and extended wait times within the VA.
Investing in mental health programs for discharged Veterans.
Creating and extending veteran programs into rural communities like the 8th District.
Invest and support veteran-lead businesses and organizations.
Invest in immediate housing for homeless veterans.
Protecting and raising social security benefits for Georgia seniors.
Lowering the insurance cost deduction for seniors on social security.
Increasing standards and decreasing costs for senior living