What Does Ritchie Torres Believe?
On Palestine/Israel:
“Yes I am a Zionist. It is not a mark of shame, it’s a badge of honor” @ ACJ, 14:13, June 2024
“Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas in the wake of October 7th just like the United States had a right to defend itself against al Quaeda in the wake of 9/11.” @ ACJ, 7:12, June 2024
“If you are holding hostages captive in your home, you are not a civilian and a journalist, you are a combatant and a terrorist” @ ACJ, 9:44, June 2024
“I have a message not only for the media, but for the international criminal court and the international court of justice and the United Nations. There is no moral equivalence between Hamas and Israel. When you draw false equivalents between Hamas and Israel, when you blur the line between accidents and war crimes, when you blur the line between tragedies and atrocities, you are politicizing international law, you are weaponizing it, and you are ultimately destroying it.” @ ACJ, 10:42, June 2024
“What we've seen in a post October 7th world is not only the destruction of law, but also language. The word genocide no longer carries the moral weight it once commanded. Antisemitism poisons everything it touches, including language and law.” @ ACJ, 11:38, June 2024
On healthcare:
“Ritchie supports Medicare for All and he believes it’s a moral imperative that we address the failings of our health care system.” @ Torres.nyc
On student loan debt:
“Ritchie believes in fixing our education system to make it more equitable and cancelling student debt.” @ Torres.nyc
On abortion:
“Access to a safe and legal abortion is vital health care, and Ritchie remains committed to fighting for reproductive justice and the right to choose as essential elements of gender equality. Forty-three percent of adults in NY-15 rely on Medicaid for health insurance, meaning that they are ineligible for abortion coverage due to federal law. This is why we must repeal the Hyde Amendment, which disproportionately harms Black and Brown women and transgender and non-binary individuals.” @ Torres.nyc
On immigration:
“After years of Donald Trump’s racist and xenophobic immigration policy, Ritchie is ready to fight for an agenda that lifts up the millions of immigrants who come to our country seeking a better life and to build up our nation. Not only do we need a pathway to citizenship for the millions of undocumented individuals, but Ritchie also believes we must make our health care, educational, and vocational programs more inclusive because too often these programs discriminate based on immigration status.” @ Torres.nyc
On the environment:
“The Green New Deal is not only an agenda for environmental justice, but it is also one for economic justice and racial justice” @ Torres.nyc
On LGTBQ issues:
“Ritchie looks forward to co-sponsoring and voting for the Equality Act, which would ban various forms of discrimination that LGBTQ+ Americans still face today.” @ Torres.nyc
On the ‘far left’ and sensitivity culture:
“Donald Trump has no greater friend than the far left, which has managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Jews from the Democratic Party with absurdities like “Defund the Police” or “From the River to the Sea” or “Latinx.”” @ Twitter, November 2024
Headline: “Elite Schools Will Provide Counselors for Students Distressed by Election.” Tweet: “Teaching students to be psychologically fragile means setting them up to fail in life.” @ Twitter, November 2024
Miscellaneous:
“Ritchie believes we must end the criminalization of homelessness and eradicate the stigma that’s too often attached to housing insecurity” @ Torres.nyc
“There is no issue that Ritchie is more passionate about than expanding the Child Tax Credit” @ Torres.nyc
“Ritchie supports investing more in federal rental assistance programs, such as the Section 8 program, and capping rent at 30% of a renter’s income.” @ Torres.nyc
“Ultimately, Ritchie believes statehood is the best answer to the issues Puerto Rico faces.” @ Torres.nyc
