Priorities
Equal Treatment of Women
John is determined to fight for a tougher equal pay for equal work law in Virginia. John was raised by a single mother and is the proud father of two daughters and two granddaughters. He knows women are still not treated equally and are often disrespected. As our Senator, he will work to enforce current equal pay laws and strengthen these laws by making penalties tougher. John will always fight for what is right.
John also believes women should be respected and able to make their own healthcare decisions. He voted against defunding Planned Parenthood and against closing health clinics. He has always and will always support a woman’s right to choose and guaranteed access to birth control. John is endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia and Planned Parenthood Virginia.
Healthcare
John thinks everyone should be able to see a doctor. John has always supported expanding access to healthcare. That way, more people can get the care they need, including veterans and families who are working two or three jobs. John knows there are thousands of people in our area without health insurance. These are our neighbors, our colleagues, and our friends. And John knows it’s not right. He knows if more people get insurance, more people can get treatment and support. If more people see a doctor, they will spend less time in the emergency room or hospital. That will lower your premiums and save your family thousands of dollars. John has helped cut millions of dollars in waste from state government, which helps us focus on our priorities and values.
In 2018, John fulfilled his campaign promise of expanding access to quality, affordable health care with the passage of Medicaid expansion. This critical legislation brought health care to an estimated 400,000 people.
John is also passionate about increasing awareness and resources to fight the opioid epidemic. During his time in the General Assembly, John has worked tirelessly to equip more citizens and health care professionals with the life-saving drug Narcan (naloxone).
In memory of John’s son, Josh, John will continue to push for:
- Affordable health care for every Virginian
- Funding for women’s health care providers (like Planned Parenthood) and access to reproductive healthcare for all Virginia women
- Lower prescription drug costs
- Funding for naloxone and other life-saving opioid addiction treatments
Our Environment
John is proud to have earned the support of the Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters in all of his campaigns and during his time in the Virginia House of Delegates. John knows that the future of Virginia energy is green and has pledged not to accept campaign contributions from publicly regulated utility corporations in his race for State Senate.
In the Senate, John will advocate for:
- Tax credits for green energy technology
- Cleanup for environmentally protected areas
- Creating high paying jobs for more Virginians with a clean energy economy
John is endorsed by Clean Virginia, Virginia League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club, Virginia Chapter.
Fair Elections
John knows that our democracy works best when everyone participates, which is why he will always oppose policies that discourage people from making their voices heard. In 2019, John helped pass no-excuse early voting, to ensure more people have the ability to participate in the political process.
Recently, the Supreme Court of the United States found Virginia’s electoral maps to be unconstitutional on the basis of racial Gerrymandering. This was a big step towards fair elections in Virginia, but the fight is not over.
In the Senate, John will work to:
- Pass legislation that makes voting easier, not harder
- A constitutional amendment to ensure new districts are drawn fairly, not to favor any individual or party
- Stop the undue influence of money in politics through campaign finance reform
John is endorsed by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.
Transportation
Northern Virginians are subject to some of the most expensive transportation costs in the country under the current toll structure. Increased access to reliable and affordable transportation will allow more Loudoun and Prince William County families to thrive in our community.
John believes a possible permanent solution is buying back the road from its current corporate owners. This corporation continues to raise our tolls to increase their profits. If the state buys it back, this could bring real relief to our families at no cost to taxpayers. This means paying less for your daily commute.
To improve transportation in Virginia’s 13th District, John Bell will always fight for:
- Distance-based pricing on current toll roads
- A public buy-back of privately owned toll roads
- Pre-negotiated caps on toll increases
Gun Violence Prevention
During his time on the Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee, John has seen hundreds of pieces of gun violence prevention legislation die at the hands of partisan politics. John knows that gun violence is an epidemic, and that the time to stop it is now.
In the Senate, John will continue to fight for:
- Universal background checks for all gun sales and closing the “gun show loophole”
- Keeping guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and high risk individuals
- Research to study the underlying causes of gun violence to prevent further tragedy
John is endorsed by Brady PAC, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Everytown, Moms Demand Action and Giffords PAC.
Education
Education is more than a talking point for John. With five children and three school-age grandchildren of his own, John knows firsthand how important it is for our children to get a quality education. He believes every child deserves access to good public schools, and will work to put resources in our classrooms where they can do the most good. John believes a good education at an early age is the foundation of a good future, and he won’t stop until every school in our area has full-day kindergarten. John knows we send more tax dollars to Richmond than any other region, but our schools still don’t have the funding they need to fully support our students. John will work to bring more of our money back to Northern Virginia so our children can experience the world-class education they deserve.
John was the first person in his family to graduate from a four-year college. He served in the U.S. Air Force while attending college at night. It wasn’t easy, but the GI Bill helped him achieve his dream in return for his service. This experience has inspired John to make it easier for more people to go to college. That’s why he is working to find a state solution to the college debt crisis by forgiving some student loan debt in exchange for community service. Too many students are being crushed under the weight of student loans, and John is committed to finding workable solutions.
In the Senate, John will fight for:
- Universal Pre-K for every child
- Our share of funding for Loudoun and Prince William schools
- More STEAM education
- Increasing the staff to student ratio
- Teacher pay raises
- College affordability
John is endorsed by the Loudoun Education Association and the Virginia Education Association.
