Ben On The Issues
JOBS
The future of our district depends on a strong economy. Green jobs are a part of strengthening that economy, and they are not just the dream of the future; they are the reality of today. We must actively support ecological modernization through investment in emerging clean and sustainable industries. The green technology market will bring sustainable, well-paying jobs to our district, while actively reducing our ecological footprint.
- Enhance job opportunities for recent college graduates
- Work towards better job security and safety nets for middle-aged workers
- Invest in jobs that sustain the earth and utilize our region’s skilled workers by promoting the clean energy economy
- Invest in jobs that renew society, particularly through building a stronger infrastructure for the future and creating a high-speed light rail system across the Midwest
- Support small businesses so that they can once again be the backbone of our communities
FINANCIAL REFORM
The financial crisis of 2009 revealed a dark culture of greed and corruption throughout the banking and finance system. We must prevent these abuses from happening again.
- Safeguard rights and increase protections for consumers
- Recover the public cost of the financial bailout
- Manage risk in the financial sector by updating laws regulating banks and financial institutions
- Designate a central government entity responsible for enforcing financial regulations
- Increase transparency and mitigate the influence of lobbyists on government officials
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
For too long, the U.S. government has operated in a way that no American family could function, spending money it does not have without regard to how it might repay its debts. To secure a stable society for our children and grandchildren, we have the moral responsibility to abide by principles of sound fiscal responsibility.
- Balance the federal budget, ensuring that we have sufficient revenue to cover all necessary spending
- Reduce the national debt
- Ensure tax fairness and close loopholes
- Reform Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid so we can continue to fulfill our social contracts with our children and future generations
- Reduce salaries for congressional representatives at a time of economic distress
EDUCATION
The future of our nation will be determined by the quality of our children’s education. We must thoughtfully re-imagine a 21st century educational system, and be willing to experiment and innovate to reach the goal of having the world’s strongest public schools.
- Address funding inequities for schools so that all children—no matter where they live—can become assets to their communities through the privilege of education
- Increase support for teachers and administrators but hold them accountable, so that both educators and students can thrive within the education system
- Promote better incentives to attract the most effective teachers to under-resourced communities
- Strengthen schools’ capacity to train students in math, science, and other skills that will be most necessary in tomorrow’s job market
- Ease the access to, and affordability of, higher education, providing loan forgiveness so that citizens are enriched, and not handicapped, by education
IMMIGRATION
The United States is a nation of immigrants and hospitality, but it is also a nation of laws. These identities need not be in conflict. The hard work and ingenuity of those who seek opportunity and freedom in the United States can continue to strengthen our society and our economy.
- Preserve national security through tighter border control and verification of employment authorization
- Treat all immigrants (even undocumented ones) with dignity and fairness
- Streamline visa and naturalization processes to fill the demands of our market economy
- Provide refuge for those fleeing persecution
- Address the problem of millions of individuals living unlawfully in the shadows of our society
HEALTH REFORM
The current health care system is failing too many Americans and is in urgent need of comprehensive reform.
- Establish universal coverage for all citizens, benefiting both the millions of un-insured Americans along with those who already enjoy insurance, whose premium prices are affected by the medical costs of the uninsured
- Bend the cost curve in order to address the current threats to government health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and to the economy of the entire country
- Reform the insurance industry (by, for example, including more preventative care and removing disqualifications for pre-existing conditions) to ensure that an insurance company’s only paths to profit are quality coverage and quality customer care at competitive prices
- Implement sensible tort reform to bring down costs and protect medical professionals from unfair lawsuits
- Introduce insurance portability to allow individuals to keep their coverage throughout job and life transitions
VETERANS
We advocate the highest care for our soldiers abroad and for those who have returned home. This includes being more judicious before entering into future conflict, while fully supporting those who are serving and have served on behalf of our country.
- Improve re-entry programs to help soldiers transition back into civilian life
- Expand healthcare for veterans
- Provide better mental and emotional health services for veterans in need of these services
- Tackle the high rate of homelessness among veterans
- Improve opportunities and scholarships for veterans to pursue further education
DEFENSE & SECURITY
We believe that America’s security is going to depend more on the friends we make than on the armies we deploy. Nonetheless, a strong military and intelligence community is critical for guarding against terrorism.
- Set clear ethical standards for the military that define and rule out torture and limit the use of independent contractors
- Practice restraint in military spending by re-thinking deployments and unnecessary weapons programs
- Ensure that our military is always fully trained, supplied, and protected
- Continue to improve and streamline the Department of Homeland Security and other relevant agencies to guard against future intelligence failures
- Make serious progress towards nuclear disarmament in the U.S. and globally
FOREIGN RELATIONS
In the words of President Truman, “the responsibility of the great states is to serve and not to dominate the world.” We should use our prominence on the world stage to lead by example, support our global neighbors, and champion peace and justice.
- Promote human rights and religious freedoms for oppressed people
- Provide courageous leadership on global issues like climate change
- Reconcile with the Muslim world and adopt a balanced approach to the Middle East crisis
- Improve and enforce standards of trade in order to benefit U.S. workers and ensure fair wages and good working conditions for citizens of other countries
- Increase support for sustainable development in the global south
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
In order for our nation to have a strong economy, stable government, healthy communities, and holistic lives, we must take seriously the way we interact with and utilize the natural world. And as a district rich in natural beauty and resources, our community has the opportunity to lead the nation in preserving, nurturing, and enjoying the environment.
- Lead the world in creating innovative solutions to climate change, prioritize the mitigation and eventual reversal of climate change, and adapt to the consequences that we as a global community already face
- Preserve and enrich biodiversity and open space
- Pursue environmental justice in our cities and communities to ensure that the world we leave to future generations is a world in which they will be able to flourish.
- Create opportunities and access for everyone to spend more time in the natural world, especially children
- Reduce our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels through vigorous investment in alternative, sustainable energy sources
CIVIL RIGHTS
The United States has a heritage of being both a global leader in civil rights and a stubborn perpetrator of civil abuses. Building on the successes of past social movements, we can continue working together for a more just and perfected union.
- Guarantee equal rights and protection under the law for the LGBT community
- Provide fair wages for women and minorities
- Ensure the rights of workers to organize without placing unfair burdens on business owners
- Protect the separation of church and state and safeguard the rights of religious institutions
- Respect individuals’ right to privacy and seek to provide a balance between liberty and security
ABORTION/LIFE
So much of the debate between those who are “pro-choice” and “pro-life” is polarizing and unhelpful to the practical realities we face as a nation. We oppose aborting unborn babies except in extenuating cases, such as in rape or incest, and when the life of a mother or baby is at risk. At the same time, our efforts must be focused, not on fighting an unproductive battle to overturn Roe v. Wade, but on partnering together to practically reduce the demand for abortions and the occurrence of unwanted pregnancies.
- Empower women with fair wages, access to healthcare and childcare, and generous maternity leave
- Improve sex education, covering both abstinence and contraceptive learning at home and in school
- Streamline adoption processes to make alternatives to abortion smoother and more affordable for expectant mothers
- Actively combat the pandemic of domestic violence in our nation
- Be consistently pro-life by also opposing the death penalty and unnecessary wars, and working to protect the environment, reduce poverty, and improve health care
