Mark Pocan
DRunning, 2024 Wisconsin U.S. House District 2, General Election
Running, 2024 Wisconsin U.S. House District 2, Primary Election
Won the General, 2022 Wisconsin U.S. House District 2
Won the Primary, 2022 Wisconsin U.S. House District 2, Primary Election
Wisconsin U.S. House, District 2 (2012 - Present)
Senior Whip, House Democratic Caucus (? - Present)
To be claimed
Member, Animal Protection Caucus, present
Member, Cooperative Business Caucus, present
Member, Equality Caucus, present
Member, House Bike Caucus, present
Member, House Organic Caucus, present
Member, Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus, present
Member, Native American Caucus, present
Member, Primary Care Caucus, present
Member, Pro-Choice Caucus, present
Member, Public Education Caucus, present
Member, Rural Broadband Caucus, present
Member, Safe Climate Caucus, present
Member, Small Business Caucus, present
Member, Victims Rights Caucus, present
Former Member, Budget Committee, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Committee on Education and the Workforce, United States House of Representatives
Co-Chair, Congressional Progressive Caucus
Former Member, Oversight and Government Reform Committee, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies, United States House of Representatives
Member, Animal Protection Caucus, present
Member, Cooperative Business Caucus, present
Member, Equality Caucus, present
Member, House Bike Caucus, present
Member, House Organic Caucus, present
Member, Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus, present
Member, Native American Caucus, present
Member, Primary Care Caucus, present
Member, Pro-Choice Caucus, present
Member, Public Education Caucus, present
Member, Rural Broadband Caucus, present
Member, Safe Climate Caucus, present
Member, Small Business Caucus, present
Member, Victims Rights Caucus, present
Former Member, Budget Committee, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Committee on Education and the Workforce, United States House of Representatives
Co-Chair, Congressional Progressive Caucus
Former Member, Oversight and Government Reform Committee, United States House of Representatives
Member, Committee on Appropriations
Member, Education & Labor Committee
Member, Joint Economic Committee
Member, Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
Member, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Member, Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
Member, Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment
Member, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
— Awards:
Other awards Pocan has received include the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin Legislator of the year (2008), Wisconsin Library Association's Public Policy Award (2008), Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault Voices of Courage Public Policy Award (2008), Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Honor Roll (2008), Wisconsin Aids Fund award (2007), Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters Conservation Champion (2006), Wisconsin Counties Association Outstanding Legislator Award (2006 & 2008), Clean Wisconsin Clean 16 Award (2004, 2002 & 2000), ACLU Special Recognition Award (2001) and the Wisconsin Federation of Teachers State Employees Council Representative of the Year (2003 & 2002).
1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice
1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes
2. Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
- Yes
1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes
1. Do you support the protection of government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct?
- No
Do you support increasing defense spending?
- No
1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes
2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No
3. Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
- Yes
1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Yes
1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
- Yes
2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes
1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes
1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No
2. Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19?
- Yes
1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No
2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No
1. Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)?
- No
2. Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
- Yes
Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
- No
1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer
2. Abortions should always be legal.
- X
3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer
4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- No Answer
5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer
6. Prohibit public funding of abortions and to organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- No Answer
7. Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
- No Answer
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Education (Higher)
- Greatly Increase
2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase
3. Emergency preparedness
- Maintain Status
4. Environment
- Slightly Increase
5. Health care
- Slightly Increase
6. Law enforcement
- Maintain Status
7. Transportation and Highway infrastructure
- Slightly Decrease
8. Welfare
- Slightly Increase
9. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
10. Alcohol taxes
- No Answer
11. Capital gains taxes
- No Answer
12. Cigarette taxes
- No Answer
13. Corporate taxes
- No Answer
14. Gasoline taxes
- No Answer
15. Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
- No Answer
16. Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
- No Answer
17. Property taxes
- No Answer
18. Sales taxes
- No Answer
19. Vehicle taxes
- No Answer
20. Should the state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
- Yes
21. Should accounts such as a ?rainy day? fund be used to balance the state budget?
- No Answer
22. Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?
- No Answer
23. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Wisconsin governors?
- No
2. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Wisconsin state senators and representatives?
- No
3. Individual
- Yes
4. PAC
- Yes
5. Corporate
- Yes
6. Political Parties
- Yes
7. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes
8. Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
- Yes
9. Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying and ensuring accuracy of votes?
- Yes
10. Do you support prohibiting media exit polling of voters until all polling locations in Wisconsin are closed?
- No
11. Should Wisconsin recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
- Yes
12. Should the Ethics and Elections Boards be merged to form a non-partisan Government Accountability Board?
- Yes
13. Should all voters be required to show valid photo identification on Election Day before voting?
- No Answer
14. Should Indian gaming compacts negotiated by the governor require legislative approval?
- No
15. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff.
- No Answer
2. Implement the death penalty in Wisconsin.
- No Answer
3. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- X
4. End parole for repeat violent offenders.
- No Answer
5. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- X
6. Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
- X
7. Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- No Answer
8. Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
- No Answer
9. Require that crimes based on race, ethnic background, religious belief, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation be prosecuted as hate crimes.
- No Answer
10. Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
- X
11. Strengthen sex-offender laws.
- No Answer
12. Support the restriction of the sale of products used to make methamphetamine (e.g. tablets containing pseudophedrine, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine).
- No Answer
13. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Support national standards and testing of public school students.
- No Answer
2. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- No Answer
3. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
- No Answer
4. Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
- X
5. Increase funds for hiring additional teachers.
- X
6. Support teacher testing and reward with merit pay.
- No Answer
7. Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools.
- No Answer
8. Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
- No Answer
9. Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
- X
10. Increase funding for Head Start programs.
- X
11. Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
- X
12. Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
- No Answer
13. Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
- No Answer
14. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Increase funding for state job-training programs that retrain displaced workers and teach skills needed in today?s job market.
- X
2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- No Answer
3. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
- No Answer
4. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- No Answer
5. Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- No Answer
6. Support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Wisconsin?s anti-discrimination laws.
- X
7. Increase the state minimum wage.
- X
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
9. Public employment
- No Answer
10. State college and university admissions
- Yes
11. State contracting
- Yes
1. Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
- X
2. Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and oil).
- No Answer
3. Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
- X
4. Increase funding for improvements to Wisconsin's power generating and transmission facilities.
- No Answer
5. Support funding for open space preservation.
- X
6. Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
- X
7. Require Wisconsin service stations to sell gasoline that contains 10 percent ethanol.
- No Answer
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer
2. Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer
3. Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer
4. Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
- No Answer
5. Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
- No Answer
6. Require a license for gun possession.
- No Answer
7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
- X
2. Transfer current Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
- No Answer
3. Limit the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- No Answer
4. Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
- X
5. Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- No Answer
6. Legalize physician assisted suicide in Wisconsin.
- X
7. Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
- X
8. Require companies with at least 10,000 employees to pay 80 percent of the employee premiums of health insurance.
- X
9. Continue to allow embryonic stem cell research in Wisconsin.
- X
10. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
- No Answer
2. Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- X
3. Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
- X
4. Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
- No Answer
5. Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to extend health and child care subsidies to the working poor.
- X
6. Support marriage promotion programs for welfare recipients.
- No Answer
7. Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
- No Answer
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
Please explain in a total of 75 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- No Answer
1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice
1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes
2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- Yes
1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes
1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes
2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No
1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Unknown Position
1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes
2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes
1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes
1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No
1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No
2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No
Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Yes
1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- No
2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- No
Latest Action: House - 06/20/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Tracker:Latest Action: House - 06/20/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Tracker:Latest Action: House - 06/20/2019 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Tracker:Thur EDT
Thur EDT
Thur 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM EDT