Covid-19

This pandemic has changed our lives, but the federal government’s response has not matched the scope of this tremendous challenge. Below are a set of policy proposals aimed at ensuring that this nation adequately addresses the crisis at hand, and is better equipped to deal with future crises; followed by local community actions taken by this campaign and others to alleviate the burdens caused by this current crisis.

 Affordable Housing

Part of the American Dream has always been homeownership, but deregulation and conservative policies have widened the wealth gap, making that dream impossible for many. Now renting is out of reach for many as well. Housing is a human right which should be accessible and affordable to all, yet the developments under construction are all high-priced, luxury units that most of us have no chance of affording.

The bedrock of our community is its working people. In order to keep it that way we need to expand the supply of housing in a way that stabilizes prices and ensures that everyone can afford to shelter their family. We can accomplish this by incentivizing inclusionary zoning, offering working-class renters a tax rebate for their rent payments, and mandating that all new construction allocate units for mixed-income housing.

Combating Corruption

Dark money donors have an oversized role in our political life due in large part to the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court ruling. Meanwhile, corrupt politicians do the bidding of their corporate masters, and often end up working for the same industries they once regulated once they’re out of office. We must pass legislation to overturn Citizens United, and pass legislation to prevent politicians from benefiting from this pernicious form of legalized bribery.

Community Leadership

Hector wants our community to be proud of their representative. He is committed to being an active listener, a compassionate leader, and the principal advocate for justice and equality in the 8th district and beyond. The bedrock of this pride and action is stellar constituent services.

Congresspeople should be not just responsive, but proactive and compassionate, to the communities they represent. You should know your representative in Congress because they are actively seeking and listening to the thoughts and feedback of their constituents. If you have a question, know that you can call the office, get a reply within a day, and have your issues taken care of. If your group wants to bring a specific issue to our attention, know that our office will schedule a meeting with you and honor it. If you want to hold us personally accountable for our promises and actions, know that we will host monthly town halls where you can take us to task. If your concern is too personal to share in public, know that our office will be open to you.

Social Justice

Bold steps must be taken to ensure that prejudice has no place in our nation. This means ending policies that disproportionately impact people of color. This means treating members of the LGBTQ community with dignity and respect they deserve. This means protecting a woman’s right to choose, and ensuring equal pay for equal work. Congress must codify these values as part of an all-inclusive Equal Rights Amendment, guaranteeing the rights of people of color, LGBT folx, and women.

We must also end the injustice of Mass Incarceration. Policies like the racist War on Drugs, that criminalize communities of color, must be eliminated. We will achieve this by legalizing cannabis for adults and eliminating the private prison system that profits from the incarceration of people of color. This includes reforming our immigration system so people fleeing violence and seeking a brighter future don’t end up locked in cages in a private prison in Elizabeth by local governments, roped into being lackeys for ICE.

Economic Justice

Politicians tout low unemployment numbers and a high GDP, while millions of Americans are stuck in low-paying jobs with no benefits. Workers’ rights are being peeled back by corporations who find new ways to exploit people stuck in the 21st Century gig economy. We should not measure the economy by how many points were added a billionaire’s stock portfolio, but by how prosperous the average working person is.

We aim to give every person the opportunity to lead a fulfilling life by making the minimum wage a living wage, and pegging it to inflation so that our wage increases are not tied to the whims of Washington. The rights of workers, especially their right to organize, must be protected and expanded to meet the needs and realities of the 21st century economy. We must lift the crushing burden of student loan debt from young people who see the prospects of improving their lot in life diminished by the very education that once guaranteed a middle-class life. This dead weight on our economy can be lifted by forgiving some of the $1.6 trillion in outstanding student loan debt, and creating a federal program to refinance the rest at affordable rates. We must also make public colleges and universities tuition-free, so that no one fears a lifetime of debt for getting an education. Finally, we must commit to reinvesting in K-12 education, and giving our educators the tools and resources they need to provide a world-class education to everyone, regardless of their zip code.

A Green New Deal

The fossil fuel industry has known about the disastrous effects of carbon dioxide for decades, yet they funded corporate think-tanks to spread lies while they poisoned our air and water, endangering our survival as a species. We are in the middle of a mass extinction and a devastating catastrophe that will create unprecedented global unrest is nearly at our doorstep. Climate scientists warn that we must take swift action now, before the worst of the crisis becomes unavoidable. Bold steps must be taken to immediately end fossil fuel dependency in favor of renewable energy sources. The first step is to rescind fossil fuel subsidies, place a moratorium on new fossil fuel developments, massively expand public transportation, and commit to an energy storage moonshot that makes zero-carbon, renewable resources the bedrock of our energy production, all while creating millions of new good paying jobs in a green economy.

Medicare for All

In a modern society no one should fear bankruptcy because of an illness. The United States must join the rest of the civilized world by ensuring that every person can see a doctor when they need to, and that the medicine that keeps them alive is affordable. The pharmaceutical and insurance lobbies have fear-mongered for decades in order to keep their profits high, while they ration care and decide who lives and dies based on the ability to pay exorbitant prices.

We can start undoing this patently unjust system by removing the age limit on Medicare and expanding it to give quality, affordable healthcare to all Americans.