Exclusive interview: Bonnie Watson Coleman on guaranteed income program, partisanship

On Wednesday, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12) visited the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy to deliver a lecture as part of the Gov. James J. Florio Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Public Policy Lecture series. 

Watson Coleman has been the congressional representative for New Jersey's 12th district since 2015, having previously served in the state's general assembly and held various roles in state government.

Watson Coleman arrives at Rutgers eight months before the November elections, where she will likely run as a Democratic incumbent, given her current lack of opposition in the party's primary.

The representative's lecture was preceded by introductory remarks from Stuart Shapiro, dean of the Bloustein School, and Carl Van Horn, a distinguished professor at the Bloustein School and director of the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development.

"She has been, no question, a pathbreaking person in our state," Van Horn said. "Throughout her career, she has advocated for all the things that I think many people in this room are here to hear about, which is helping families most in need to achieve a safer and more prosperous life."

After her introduction, Watson Coleman proceeded to discuss her experience in public service, specifically with regard to public benefits programs that provide relief to individuals living in poverty.

"(During the pandemic), we saw that the (U.S.) has the tools to take people out of poverty," she said. "We saw that … putting money directly in the hands of families and giving tax credit for childcare actually took people, families and children out of poverty. The only problem with this program is that while they were working during the pandemic … we weren't provided the opportunity to see it through."

Watson Coleman referenced legislative models that could serve as potential tools for poverty reduction, including a guaranteed jobs program, a corporate profit-sharing system and a guaranteed income program — the latter being outlined in a bill the representative had initially introduced during the pandemic.

Later, in an interview with The Daily Targum, Watson Coleman expanded on this piece of legislation, saying her bill would create a pilot program where funds, determined by an area's cost of living, would be given to individuals, who would then have the freedom to decide how to spend them.

The aim of this preliminary project would be to measure how individuals choose to spend their funds and how it impacts their local economy, providing the federal government with more information on the viability of guaranteed income programs.

In addition to her policy positions, Watson Coleman spoke to the Targum about her experience collaborating with her colleagues in the U.S. Congress, specifically how she reconciles her political stances with those of the representatives she works with. 

She told the Targum that there have been instances when she wished some of her Democratic Party colleagues would approach issues differently or when she has voted differently from her fellow party members.

For example, in 2019, Watson Coleman was 1 of 16 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives who voted against a bill opposing the Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement. Watson Coleman explained to the Targum that she voted this way as she was opposed to the idea of disallowing boycotts.

"Had it not been for the boycotts of the buses in Montgomery, we never would have had a chance to ride the buses. Had it not been for the boycotts that strengthened our unity in the Civil Rights Movement, we probably would have not attained the rights that we have," she said. "I principally do not support prohibiting boycotts, and that's basically what that was about."

Still, Watson Coleman said the strength of the Democratic Party lies in its commitment to common values like health care, education and diversity, even if individual members of the party may disagree on how these values can manifest themselves.

"I don't agree with everything that my party does or doesn't do, but I am in agreement with our core values and our willingness to put people over politics," she said.

Watson Coleman said that while she and her Democratic colleagues in the U.S. House are open to bipartisan collaboration, as demonstrated by their compromising during government shutdown deliberations, the body's Republican majority does not reciprocate this attitude.

She said Republicans in the U.S. House lack guiding principles that would help them better consider their positions on issues such as supporting Ukraine or providing humanitarian aid to areas including, but not limited to, Gaza.

"Because (the U.S. House's Republican majority) can't figure out what they should be doing on behalf of the constituents that elected them, they're just creating chaos," Watson Coleman said. "They're yielding to very conservative entities, they're submitting to what the former President (Donald J. Trump) is demanding of them, even recognizing that he's got 91 indictments against him because of his corruption."

Beyond politics at the federal level, Watson Coleman spoke to the Targum about issues within the state of New Jersey, namely a recent report that forecasted large budget deficits in coming years.

University President Jonathan Holloway, in his budget address to the University Senate on February 16, also referenced the precarious status of Rutgers' funding from the state government, as previously reported by the Targum.

"As we continue to reduce our deficit, I want to be quite honest in telling you that, as we develop the (2025 fiscal year) financial plan, the state budget, which accounts for one-fifth of our total revenues, is very concerning," he said in his speech. "You only need to read the headlines to know that state revenues are down and that we face an uncertain state budget environment."

Watson Coleman, whose district includes fellow public university The College of New Jersey, said while there have been certain state officials who have prioritized funding for colleges and universities, New Jersey has not provided consistent support for it.

"There is support for public higher education on the federal level, but the state of New Jersey has never done a good job of routinely and predictably supporting higher education," she said. "I don't know that it's true that New Jersey doesn't have the resources to support higher education on a more predictable and higher level — it's got to have the will."

Speaking more closely to campus issues, Watson Coleman explained to the Targum her co-sponsorship of a recent bill that aims to collect data on hate crimes on college campuses. 

She said current discourse on college campuses can sometimes become unhealthy, and leadership may be unequipped to facilitate spaces where productive conversations can occur.

Additionally, Watson Coleman said these conversations are occurring during a time in the U.S. when limitations on free speech are being tested — a challenge she hopes Americans can navigate.

"It is okay in the U.S. not to agree but to still be legitimate in what we believe and say," she said. "I'm just kind of praying that, in addition to what's happening around the world and in addition to what's happening with forces within our country that choose to divide us, all that is temporary. And we're getting through a period right now, and if we love our democracy enough, we'll figure out a way to get through it."