United States Senate election in Virginia, 2018

Good Jobs and a Strong Economy
Tim grew up in a middle class family, working in his dad’s ironworking shop in Kansas City. He knows that our economy is strong when workers and families have access to good paying jobs, higher wages, and the skills to succeed and get ahead.

When Tim was Governor, Virginia was ranked the best state for business — and it’s because we invest in our people, value our diversity, and grow the talented and educated workforce that makes our economy thrive. Tim understands that, to bring more jobs to Virginia, we must have a skilled workforce. He cosponsored the Apprenticeship and Jobs Training Act to give businesses incentives to hire individuals in apprenticeship programs in high-demand fields such as health care, technology or manufacturing. He also introduced the bipartisan JOBS Act to help expand employment in high-demand fields by allowing individuals to use Pell Grants for job training programs.

Tim also wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and he sponsored the Raise the Wage Act to do just that. He will keep fighting to ensure that 41 million workers, including nearly 786,000 Virginians, can see higher pay by raising the minimum wage.

Health Care for All
Tim is fighting to expand health care for all Virginians.

When President Trump and Republicans in Congress tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Tim fought back — standing up for the tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Virginians who would have had their health care taken away. Since the ACA was signed into law, more than 400,000 Virginians have gained access to health insurance, and Tim will continue to oppose efforts to roll it back. He will never support eliminating protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and he will continue to ensure that plans provide “essential health benefits,” such as coverage for pregnancy, maternity, newborn care, mental health, and substance use disorders.

Tim also has a plan called Medicare X, which would give all Virginians access to a plan similar to Medicare. This public option would give more Virginians a real choice when it comes to health insurance, at a lower cost. He opposes cuts to Medicare and believes Virginia should expand Medicaid so hundreds of thousands more Virginians can get access to care. Refusing to expand Medicaid would cost Virginia tens of thousands of jobs and tens of millions of dollars. It’s a no-brainer, yet the leading Republican candidates for Senate vocally oppose it.

Tim will also continue to defend the Children’s Health Insurance Program. As Governor, Tim increased the number of children enrolled in CHIP, and more than 68,000 Virginia kids rely on this program for their health care. Earlier this year, after Republicans let CHIP funding lapse, Tim worked hard to help secure a six-year extension of the program.

Tim has also led efforts in the Senate to combat drug addiction, including the opioid and heroin epidemic that threatens Virginia and the rest of the country. He believes new treatments, including medical marijuana, can help address this crisis, and he has fought to expand federal funding for states, like Virginia, to dedicate new resources for drug treatment and prevention.

Civil Rights and Equal Justice
Equality is one of the foundational principles of America — that “all men are created equal” — and Tim has spent his life trying to even the playing field for all people. Tim began his career as a civil rights lawyer, defending people who’d faced racial discrimination from banks, landlords, real estate firms, and local governments. During his time as Governor, he promoted equal protection by banning discrimination against state employees on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation, veteran status or disability.

Tim knows that diversity and inclusion strengthen our communities. That’s why he has been outspoken in opposing President Trump’s agenda to ban Muslims from entering America, deport millions of people who only know America as home, and empower white nationalists who would take Virginia and America backwards. He knows that even though marriage equality is the law of the land, LGBTQ Americans still face many battles in the fight for equality: that’s why he’s fighting to pass workplace protections for LGBTQ citizens, so that no Virginian ever loses their job again because of their sexuality or sexual orientation. He’s been a proud champion of voting rights, sponsoring legislation to restore key provisions of the Voting Rights Act and working to expand early voting and access to the ballot box for all Virginians.

Tackling Gun Violence
Too many of our communities are plagued by gun violence. Tim believes weapons of war have no place on our streets or in our schools, and he proudly boasts an F-rating from the NRA.

Tim is a gun owner and supports the Second Amendment, but he also believes we must take concrete steps to reduce gun violence. He supports universal background checks, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and improving our mental health system. This is personal for Tim, too. He was governor when the shooting at Virginia Tech took place — and after the shooting, Tim brought Democrats and Republicans together to strengthen the background check system and improve mental health.

Tim authored the Responsible Transfer of Firearms Act, which would hold people responsible for selling or transferring a firearm to someone who is barred by federal law from possessing firearms, and he co-sponsored legislation that would close a loophole which currently allows gun sales to proceed if a background check is not completed after 72 hours.

Supporting Veterans and Our Military
Virginia is home to every branch of the military and the largest naval station in the world. As the father of a Marine, Tim understands that military families, veterans, and service members in Virginia and across the globe face unique challenges. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Tim will continue fighting to ensure that we are maintaining our promise to them, that our military has the support and investments it needs to meet its mission, and that we are doing all we can to help veterans transition into civilian life.

The first bill Tim introduced in the Senate was the Troop Talent Act, which eases the transition of service members into the civilian workforce by helping them use the skills they developed in the military to obtain a workforce credential in order get a good job. There are more than 100,000 active duty and reserve members of the military in Virginia, and as co-chair of the Senate Military Family Caucus, Tim has authored bipartisan legislation to tackle military spouse unemployment and access to affordable child care for military families.

Tim believes our country must fulfill its sacred promise to care for those who have served in uniform. That’s why he introduced legislation to improve veterans’ access to quality health care in a timely manner and opposes measures to privatize the VA.

Women’s Equality
For too long, we have undervalued and marginalized women in our society. Tim understands that women in America face a complex set of barriers to achieving true equality and has been a lifelong fighter for advancing women’s equality. As Lieutenant Governor and Governor, Tim made it a priority to update Virginia’s laws on sexual violence and improve the treatment of survivors, and he’s continued to actively support these measures in the Senate.

Tim supports women’s constitutional rights to make their own health care decisions. He opposes efforts to restrict access to contraceptives and defund Planned Parenthood. He was an original co-sponsor of the Protecting Women’s Health from Corporate Interference Act, which would restore the contraceptive coverage requirement guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act.

He supports equal pay for equal work and co-sponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act to ensure men and women are paid equally for the same work. Tim has also passed legislation to help prevent sexual assault and harassment in our schools, colleges, and the military, and he co-sponsored the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

Strengthening Public Schools and Education
A good education is the foundation for a successful future, which is why Tim is a champion for our public schools. Tim and his wife Anne sent their three kids to Richmond public schools, so they know firsthand the concerns parents have about their children’s education and the power that good teachers have to change kids’ lives. Tim will fight efforts to divert public school funding to private schools, and he supports raising teacher pay and providing teachers with the tools and resources they need in the classroom.

As Mayor, Tim built four new schools in Richmond, the city’s first new schools in a generation, and increased education spending by 30 percent. As Governor, he worked with the legislature to expand the number of children enrolled in Pre-K by nearly 40 percent, a commitment to expanding and improving education that helped lead to Education Week naming Virginia the state where a child was most likely to have a successful life.

In the Senate, Tim is on the key committee dealing with education issues — the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee — where he has worked to ensure that students have the skills to be successful after high school. Tim believes in the power of career and technical education (CTE) to strengthen links between the classroom and the workplace and to help students gain the skills that will lead to productive, successful lives after graduation, which is why he introduced legislation to help schools recruit and train high-quality CTE teachers. Tim also introduced the PRE-K Act to help more states expand early childhood education, and he supports legislation to help students earn college credits in high school in order to cut the cost of earning a college degree.

Higher Education and Job Training
Tim is fighting to ease the crushing burden of student debt and make higher education and job training available to all Virginians. Tim believes that, if we can pass a $1.5 trillion tax cut for those at the very top, we can find a way to make college debt-free for students who need it — and he recently worked to pass his legislation to help forgive student loans for public service workers, such as teachers, soldiers, and social workers. He also co-sponsored the Fairness for Struggling Students Act, which would make it easier for students to get relief from their private loan debt through bankruptcy.

Ensuring that we have a skilled workforce will not only benefit students but drive new businesses and employers to Virginia. A longtime leader in promoting career and technical education, he is fighting for parity in how we view workforce programs and traditional four-year college, including by expanding Pell Grants to cover short-term job training programs. Tim also created the bipartisan Senate Career and Technical Education Caucus to help more Americans acquire the education and skills to help them find employment and enjoy successful careers, and he supports legislation to foster partnerships between community college and businesses to place more students in good jobs.

Keeping America Safe and Strengthening Diplomacy
Our country is safer when we are strong on the world stage, which is why Tim has consistently spoken out against the Trump administration’s reckless foreign policy and the dangerous actions he’s taken to erode U.S. leadership around the world. He is a leading voice in demanding that presidents — no matter their party — cannot unilaterally wage war without congressional approval.

As a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees — and the father of a Marine — Tim knows how important it is to minimize the risk of unnecessary war and maximize the chance that our nation will decisively win any war we must fight. That’s why he’s been an outspoken critic of President Trump’s efforts to undercut diplomacy around the world, and advocated for the U.S. to stand by our diplomatic deals and honor our commitments to the global community.

Fighting for Immigrant Communities
Tim believes that America is made stronger by its diversity, and that the promise of the American Dream is threatened by an anti-immigrant agenda led by the Trump administration. Tim believes we need comprehensive immigration reform and strongly supported legislation that passed the Senate in 2013 to create a path to citizenship and fund border security. During that debate, Tim proudly delivered the first-ever Senate floor speech in Spanish.

Tim has been an outspoken opponent of President Trump’s attempts to ban immigration from Muslim countries, harshly restrict legal immigration, and threaten TPS recipients and Dreamers with deportation. Tim firmly believes immigrants enrich our society and bring skills and talents that help ensure we remain competitive in a global economy. That’s why he is a strong supporter of the Dream Act and has been working with his colleagues to find a solution to protect Dreamers and TPS recipients from deportation.

Standing With Our Seniors
Seniors should not spend their later years worrying about their economic security or whether they will have access to good health care. Tim has consistently opposed measures to gut Social Security and remove Medicare funding.

On Medicare’s 49th anniversary, Tim spoke on the Senate floor about the importance of the program, calling it “one of the best programs that this nation has ever embraced.” He is also a sponsor of legislation to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for seniors by letting Medicare negotiate drug prices.

Tim supports increasing funding for Alzheimer’s research, introduced an Alzheimer’s caregivers bill, and opposes federal cuts to the Meals on Wheels program. He has also worked closely with Senator Mark Warner to provide funding for the building of additional senior facilities in Virginia.

Protecting Our Environment
Climate change imperils our planet’s future and threatens our economy. Tim believes that protecting our natural resources and environment are critical for our long-term health, safety and prosperity. That’s why he is fighting the Trump administration’s efforts to gut federal environmental protections, including for clean air and water, and speaking out against President Trump’s decision to abandon U.S. leadership by withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement.

Tim opposes offshore drilling in Virginia. He is fighting the Trump administration’s attempt to ignore the voices of Virginians by rushing through the process to open the waters of our coastlines to drilling. Tim has also been critical of how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast Pipelines and has called for FERC to rehear arguments and conduct another vote on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Tim will continue to fight the Trump administration’s decision to abandon the Clean Power Plan, a move that harms the transition toward clean and renewable energy. Virginia is uniquely threatened by sea level rise, which is why Tim has introduced legislation to make regions like Hampton Roads more resilient in the face of flooding and extreme weather events. He is also a longtime champion for restoring the Chesapeake Bay. ^[47]

I am running for U.S. Senate to retire Tim Kaine and support President Trump’s America First Agenda. Citizens across this country need a Senator who will fight for them and stand up to the Washington elites.

Washington D.C. needs to get out of the way so Virginia can bring jobs back to the Commonwealth and create a better business climate - especially for those struggling rural regions that need it the most. I will stand with our Law Enforcement, Veterans, and blue-collar workers, and I’ll never back down from my conservative principles of fighting illegal immigration, defending the Second Amendment, and protecting life.

I’m running to fight for you.

Bringing Back Jobs
As he has done on in Prince William County, Corey will aggressively pursue pro-business economic growth policies in Washington to continue the record breaking economic growth in America. Corey will focus on making the Trump tax cuts permanent and eliminating the Estate Tax and Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).

Corey will codify the efforts of the Trump Administration to permanently remove unnecessary and redundant federal regulations that kill jobs, including the Obama EPA’s destructive overregulation of the coal industry.

Finally, Corey will use his experience as an international trade attorney to renegotiate unfair trade agreements, bring back manufacturing jobs, and open up foreign markets to American products and agricultural produce.

Illegal Immigration
Rampant, unchecked illegal immigration threatens America's security, jobs, and tax dollars.

In Prince William County, Corey led the nation’s toughest crackdown on illegal immigration - resulting in over 7,500 criminal illegal aliens being turned over for deportation.

Corey will fight illegal immigration, amnesty, and ban sanctuary cities as boldly as he did in Prince William County. Every illegal immigrant arrested should be deported – no questions asked. Stewart will work side-by-side with the Trump Administration to make that happen. As U.S. Senator, Corey Stewart will oppose any form of amnesty, and he won’t back down to establishment pressure.

Second Amendment
Our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms is under attack. That is unacceptable.

Corey will defend Americans' Second Amendment rights by fighting to remove any unconstitutional restrictions already in place and pro-actively ensuring this right is safely protected going forward.

Protecting Life
Corey is 100% pro-life, believing that every life is precious and needs to be protected from the moment of conception. This is not an issue to which Corey will only give lip service. He will work to defund Planned Parenthood and fight for tougher restrictions on abortion.

It is the duty of legislators to protect those who cannot protect themselves. He will not only defend the right to life but will fight for it.

Lower Taxes
Lowering taxes is the key to prosperity. America deserves to have the lowest tax bill of any nation on earth.

He’s done it before. Corey produced the largest tax cut in the Prince William County’s history and has kept residents’ tax bills 30% lower than surrounding counties, averaging $161 lower adjusted tax bills than they were 10 years ago.

Healthcare
Republicans have control of the U.S. Senate and they’ve broken their 8-year promise of repealing Obamacare in whole or in part. Corey will fight to repeal the whole bill and by replacing Tim Kaine, the U.S. Senate will have the one vote it needs for full repeal.

Obamacare is causing millions of Americans to lose their jobs, their doctors, their health insurance, and premiums are at a meteoric rise. Obamacare has failed. Corey will work to expand Health Savings Accounts, allow individuals to purchase insurance across state lines, and make healthcare more affordable, and free enterprise centered.

Support National Concealed Carry Reciprocity
Since the right to self-defense is God-given, Virginians should not have to ask permission to exercise that right. National Concealed Carry reciprocity legislation would make that a reality, and help protect against future attacks on the Second Amendment by liberals, the media, and the federal government.

Corey will support the passage and cosponsor S. 446 -- the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017.

Veterans
With over 800,000 veterans in the Commonwealth, Virginia is home to more veterans than all but a few states. Our veterans have fought to protect our homeland, so taking care of our veterans and their families will be priority number one for Corey.

Given the sacrifices our veterans make, the Veterans Administration can and should do as much as it can to make sure Virginia offers a place for them to land after they complete their service to our nation. Corey will be a steadfast fighter in every veteran’s corner.

Build The Wall
Corey will stand by President Trump and fight to fund and build the border wall. Corey will work to find necessary means to fund the border wall.

Education
Corey strongly believes parents need to be in charge of their education and will work to give them as many choices as possible including vouchers - that create competition that is good for all schools. He will work to remove D.C.’s bureaucracy from the equation, and return all purview over education back to Virginia

Relieving our Traffic & Improving our Roads
As the leader Virginia’s second largest locality, Corey led the largest local road building program in Virginia. He understands how critical road infrastructure is to the economy and to the quality of life in Virginia. As the home of many large military bases and other facilities, Virginia’s infrastructure is also critical to U.S. national security, and it is time for the Federal Government to step up and play a larger role.

As Senator, Corey will focus on securing Federal funding to relieve traffic congestion and improve access to Virginia’s economic hubs, including:

Widening I-81 to 6 lanes, without tolls; Widening I-95 between Occoquan and Fredericksburg; Building a second tunnel at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel (HRBT) crossing; and Building the Coalfields Expressway (Route 121).

Public Safety
Public Safety is government’s #1 responsibility, but too many politicians refuse to stand up for our law enforcement officials. Corey will have their backs. Our law enforcement officers should have the resources they need and the respect and pay they deserve.

Corey will put American families’ safety first, just as he has done in Prince William County. In Prince William, crime has been reduced to its lowest level in 24 years- with violent crime dropping by 48.7 %.

Energy
Corey will work to gain independence from foreign oil and foster the development of America’s natural resources including nuclear, solar, wind, and fossil fuels.

^[47]

Vote Libertarian Party
The Republican Party has officially abandoned any pretense of balancing the budget, or cutting spending. In this regard, they join their colleagues at the Democrat Party.

The Libertarian Party is the only party confronting the single biggest threat facing the US today: the national debt.

So, why vote for a candidate running as a Libertarian? Here is what we believe:

• The fundamental unit of society is the individual. Because individuals are moral agents, they have the right to be secure in their life, liberty and property. These rights are not granted by government or by society.
• Individual rights. Each individual is endowed by their Creator with individual rights, right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
• Rule of Law. Libertarianism is not libertinism. Without virtue, this Republic will not flourish, and government will not be limited. We propose a society of liberty under law, in which individuals are free to pursue their own lives so long as they respect the equal rights of others.
• Limited Government. The role of government is to protect our rights (life, liberty, property). That’s it. Government is a dangerous institution, as Lord Acton once said, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
• Free Markets. To survive and flourish, individuals need freedom to pursue economic activity; countries are less free where economic opportunity does not exist.
• Peace. Libertarians put a premium on peace, and we denounce the constant wars, and warfare state.

Restore Fiscal Responsibility
In order for the Republic to survive, we must cut government spending now. The biggest consequence of our massive federal government spending today is the federal debt. As of February 2018, the USA is $21 trillion in debt. That number more than quadruples to $120 trillion when you include unfunded liabilities.

By enacting spending freezes, privatizing multiple agencies, repealing multiple job-killing regulations, we can restore our liberty. Additionally, we must strengthen Social Security (via private accounts), Medicare and Medicaid, which represent 60% of total spending. All three programs will run out of money in 2035, 2029, and 2028 respectively.

We must stop borrowing over $1.5 trillion a year to fund useless, wasteful, and unconstitutional programs and departments.

Enacting spending freeze at Department of Defense, Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Justice, Dept. of Homeland Security, Dept. of State.

Privatize Energy, HUD, Commerce, Interior, and Education Departments; Postal Service and Amtrak.

Defund Public Broadcasting, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Planned Parenthood.

Repeal ObamaCare, Dodd-Frank, federal minimum wage, National Labor Relations Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Davis-Bacon Act.

Tax Reform
At one time, American workers kept 100% of their paychecks. But in 1913 the US Congress amended the Constitution in order to bypass the original intent of the Founding Fathers and levy a direct tax on American citizens.

As Senator, I will support the following initiatives. This list is not comprehensive, as there are many other tax cutting/elimination measures I support, like ending the death tax.

• End automatic federal tax withholding; have taxpayers write a check to the federal government every pay period. This will show all taxpayers how much we are paying for government.
• Support Fair Tax. Fair Tax eliminates the 16th Amendment, and replaces the personal federal income tax with a sales tax.
• Eliminate the Federal Income Tax outright and replace it with nothing. This action would give every American a 7-10% pay raise across the board and force massive cuts to federal government spending.
• Call for “Tax Freedom Day” holiday; This is the day taxpayers stop paying federal, state and local taxes. The average taxpayer paid all of his/her income earned from January 1 through April 18, 2017 to the federal, state and local government–this represents more than housing, food and clothing combined.

Monetary Reform
The goods and services that you could buy for $1 in 1913 (the year the Federal Reserve was created) would cost you $24.50 today.

Another way to look at this is this: the government and its banking cartel have together stolen $.95 of every dollar that you have earned as they have pursued a relentless inflationary policy. The devaluing of the dollar represents a massive Inflation Tax on the American people.

As Senator, I would submit a bill to audit with an eye towards phasing out the Federal Reserve, and stabilizing both the U.S. Dollar and the economy. In fact, it is the failure of centralized banking that has given rise to libertarian cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Individuals are choosing to trust other individuals rather than a centralized entity with the power to manipulate currency at will. Additionally, cryptocurrencies have a ceiling or maximum amount that can be made or distributed, thus causing them to keep their value, unlike the dollar.

Choose Life
As a high school student in Hampton, I was convinced of the pro-life position by Jesse Jackson and Al Gore before they exchanged their beliefs for PAC contributions from Planned Parenthood. I believe we must defund Planned Parenthood.

Our Declaration of Independence states that every individual has rights to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” – and the right to life is the first right individuals share. While life begins at conception, it certainly doesn’t end there. I will personally work with highly successful non-profit charitable organizations such as maternity homes, adoption agencies, pregnancy centers, suicide prevention centers and hotlines to help grow their presence in local communities.

Additionally, I will call for an end to the federal government’s War on Drugs that is a major contributing factor to gun related homicide in urban areas, as well as the ongoing War on Terror that is responsible for killing an estimated 210,000 (2015 stats) innocent civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001.

Indeed, two of our Libertarian mottos are “Don’t tread on anyone” and “Do no harm,” and I intend to uphold these values as your Senator in Washington, D.C.

Money Equals Freedom
One of my campaign slogans is, Money Equals Freedom. This is a basic truth, and forgotten by the advocates of Big Government. The average American taxpayer works from Jan. 1 through April 18 just to pay their share of local, state and federal taxes. That’s right, you’re giving 25% of your income to the government. That’s why I am an advocate of a new holiday, Tax Freedom Day, celebrating the day when American taxpayers can keep their own money.

Think about this: if we could end the IRS (by repealing the federal income tax and abolishing the 16th Amendment) the average taxpayer would receive a $12,000 pay increase. What would you do with an additional $12,000…every year?

My Republican opponent raised taxes 6 times. My democrat opponent is advocating for free college, free healthcare and a higher minimum wage mandated from Washington. How will two political parties pay for all of the free stuff? By taking more of your money, and making you less free, and more dependent on them!

I say it’s time for Americans to keep 100% of their property (income) and let Washington figure out how to pay for all of their free stuff.

I believe that you can spend your money better than the politicians in Washington can.

Choose Peace
What is the cost of freedom?

The recent and ongoing “War on Terror” in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last 15 years cost $17,500 for every US citizen. For a family of seven, the cost of freedom is $122,500. For the entire country, the “cost of freedom” is estimated at $5.6 trillion and still counting. Is it worth it to you, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer?

Was it worth it for the 6,251 US families who lost loved ones serving overseas? Is it worth killing 215,000 innocent civilians in the Middle East? Should our military men and women be stationed in over 120 countries, including Niger, Diego Garcia, Iceland and Syria?

I believe that it is time to restore “defense” to the Defense Department. This would reduce our standing army as well as our military budget, which is currently larger than the military budgets of China, Russia, the U.K., France, Japan, and Germany combined.

As Senator I would call for a Virginia Peace Plan modeled after Virginia President George Washington who sought to avoid foreign entanglements. I would advocate for an immediate Peace Accord with North Korea (and finally end the 67-year Korean War) and call for the immediate removal of all 28,000 U.S. troops from Korea and 50,000 troops from Japan.

I will introduce legislation to end highly expensive forward-facing military bases (like those in S. Korea and Japan) in favor of a military that respects the borders and sovereignty of other nations, and that relies upon ships, subs, missiles, and aircraft as the primary means to defend the USA.

Immigration Reform
My maternal great grandparents immigrated from Poland and Czechoslovakia (then Austria-Hungary) in the early 1900’s. Both came through Ellis Island, NY. They were lucky, because in 1920 the US Government implemented immigration policies in order to keep Italians and Jews from immigrating to the US. Those racist laws were eliminated in 1965, but immigrating to the US is no easy feat, which is one reason why so many people come to the US illegally.

There are essentially two ways to immigrate to the US: family-based immigrants (who are sponsored by relatives who previously immigrated) and employment-based immigrants (who are sponsored by an employer). Both are subject to two caps. The category cap sets the maximum number of annual admissions in those categories at 366,000 (226,000 for the family-sponsored and 140,000 for the employment-sponsored).

Given that the US Government makes the process to immigrate to the US extremely difficult, I am in favor of broad reforms to the current broken system.

Broadly:

• I oppose the building of a $70 billion border wall because it will not work. 70% of illegal immigrants come to the USA via International air travel and overstay visas.
• I support e-verify of legal status at employer workplace.
• I support changing the law on chain migration, as 70% of all immigrants to the USA are relatives.
• I support merit based immigration base on skills and America’s labor needs. The majority of Hispanics agree with this.
• I support a pathway to legal residency.
• I support renewal work permits, as this would raise salaries of immigrants so they don’t undercut US salaries.
• I support tighter border security, and the rule of law.
• I recognize that immigrants from Latin and South America are more law abiding than US Citizens, contrary to what many politicians assert.

America’s free markets, rule of law, property rights, and standard of living are admired the world over, so it should surprise no one that so many wish to immigrate to the United States.

Ultimately, I will work towards reforming the immigration system in a fair and equitable way, that is consistent with our history as a nation—that of a shining city on a hill.

Immigration Reform
My maternal great grandparents immigrated from Poland and Czechoslovakia (then Austria-Hungary) in the early 1900’s. Both came through Ellis Island, NY. They were lucky, because in 1920 the US Government implemented immigration policies in order to keep Italians and Jews from immigrating to the US. Those racist laws were eliminated in 1965, but immigrating to the US is no easy feat, which is one reason why so many people come to the US illegally.

There are essentially two ways to immigrate to the US: family-based immigrants (who are sponsored by relatives who previously immigrated) and employment-based immigrants (who are sponsored by an employer). Both are subject to two caps. The category cap sets the maximum number of annual admissions in those categories at 366,000 (226,000 for the family-sponsored and 140,000 for the employment-sponsored).

Given that the US Government makes the process to immigrate to the US extremely difficult, I am in favor of broad reforms to the current broken system.

Broadly:

• I oppose the building of a $70 billion border wall because it will not work. 70% of illegal immigrants come to the USA via International air travel and overstay visas.
• I support e-verify of legal status at employer workplace.
• I support changing the law on chain migration, as 70% of all immigrants to the USA are relatives.
• I support merit based immigration base on skills and America’s labor needs. The majority of Hispanics agree with this.
• I support a pathway to legal residency.
• I support renewal work permits, as this would raise salaries of immigrants so they don’t undercut US salaries.
• I support tighter border security, and the rule of law.
• I recognize that immigrants from Latin and South America are more law abiding than US Citizens, contrary to what many politicians assert.

America’s free markets, rule of law, property rights, and standard of living are admired the world over, so it should surprise no one that so many wish to immigrate to the United States.

Ultimately, I will work towards reforming the immigration system in a fair and equitable way, that is consistent with our history as a nation—that of a shining city on a hill.

Civil Liberties
Criminal Justice Reform/War on Drugs

In 1974, President Richard Nixon started a war, a War on Drugs. And we know the drug war has created staggering racial disparities.

• African Americans and Latinos use and sell drugs at similar rates to white people. But they’re disproportionately targeted for arrest and punished more harshly. The result?

The Federal Bureau of Prisons is operating at nearly 140% capacity, costing $7 billion a year. Half the people locked up are there for nothing more than a drug law violation. 2/3 women are there for nonviolent drug offenses. Most are mothers.

When the Drug Enforcement Agency started it had 1,500 employees. Today there are nearly 10,000. Their budget grew from $75 million to more than $2 billion. And guess what? The War on Drugs is a colossal failure. There are more people dying from drugs today than ever before, and drugs are easier to get. My campaign will call for eliminating the Drug Enforcement Agency and ending the War on Drugs.

Don’t Spy On Me/Fourth Amendment

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall be issued, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or things to be seized. ~ 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ~

The 4th Amendment is critically important. Today, many federal government agencies routinely ignore it and have no qualms about spying on American citizens. Examples abound: the IRS targeting Tea Party organizations, the FBI illegally spying upon political opponents, and the revelations of NSA spying on Americans.

All of these actions represent an unConstitutional violation of our liberties. These agencies should be investigated and held responsible for their actions.

Gun Rights/Second Amendment

The Founding Fathers established the Second Amendment to preserve our liberties against tyrannical government. And while I personally conceal and carry and am a Life Member of the NRA, I have concerns, but they are not “bump stocks” and AR15s.

For voters concerned about gun violence, I too share this concern. Of the 38,000 gun related deaths in 2016, 25,000+ are suicides by mostly white men, age 25-65. Black on black violence contributes to an additional 8,000 gun related deaths annually. Combined, these statistics represent over 87% of the gun related deaths in America.

If we desire to reduce gun violence in America, we must address medical depression and we must end the failed War on Drugs policy that is a cause of violence in urban areas. As Senator, I will call for an end to the War on Drugs, and the elimination of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). This will help drive down black on black violence, and ultimately save lives. Regarding depression and other causes of suicide, this is an area that is best left to families, specialized non-profit organizations and the medical profession to treat.

Social Security Reform
In 1960, the Supreme Court ruled (Fleming v. Nestor), that US workers have no legally binding contractual rights to their Social Security benefits, and that those benefits can be cut or even eliminated at any time.

According to the latest projections by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Social Security benefits must be cut 21% in the year 2034 if nothing is done to fix the system.

Options include: raise taxes, cut benefits, or get a higher rate of return through private capital investment.

I will work to restore Social Security by allowing individuals to privately invest in private retirement accounts, while maintaining benefits to today’s retirees. Allow younger workers to privately invest a portion of Social Security taxes in individual accounts will not only increase retirement security, but it will create a system that treats women, minorities, and young people more fairly. ^[47]