ISSUES

Building an Economy of the Future

The jobs of today aren’t guaranteed to be here tomorrow. As a country, we must look forward. We must create well-paying jobs in emerging industries and in sectors proven to benefit local communities. As a tech executive and small business owner, I recognize that every issue is a jobs issue. An economy built on struggling, overworked and overstressed workers is not an economy that works for all of us. It cannot thrive. Together, we can strengthen the American Dream for all of our families and ensure no family has to choose between health care, childcare, housing or food.

We Must:

Introduce a comprehensive and innovative jobs plan.
Protect and promote home ownership.
Strengthen Social Security by lifting the cap on taxable income.
Offer universal quality early education and childcare programs.
Expand paid parental and sick leave for working Americans.
Raise the minimum wage and tie it to inflation.
Invest in low-income areas with interest-free loans for new business owners.

Preserving Our Health

I support universal health care such as Medicare-for-All. We must offer solutions for building toward it by expanding out the ACA to cover more people and reduce costs immediately, while creating a path toward a Medicare-for-All system.

Allow anyone to buy into Medicare immediately.
Automatically enroll newborns.
Strengthen pre-existing protections.
End Surprise Billing.
Expand coverage and resources around mental and behavioral health.
Establish an independent national health data repository sharing system across states to improve efficiency and quality of care.
Allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, medical devices and equipment while strengthening existing negotiation protections for other public programs.

Immigration Policies that Work

We can and we must have strong borders, but our approach must be compassionate and economically sound.

Unite families and bring diverse talent to our country.
Path to citizenship for Dreamers and qualifying immediate family members.
Protect migrant workers from labor exploitation and ensure that they are paying their fair share of taxes.

Public Education

Our community’s financial security depends on the education of our children. If we want to attract innovation and high-paying jobs to the Valley of the Sun, we must invest in our future talent.

Defend our public schools so our children have the skills to compete in the global economy.
Stand up for refinancing programs for outstanding college debt.
Work toward eliminating student debt and making public colleges and universities free and affordable for qualifying students.

Unrigging Elections

Our democracy can’t be for sale. I will fight to end corruption and corporate influence over politicians and our political system. I also will work to protect and expand voter rights and improve accessibility.

I support overturning Citizens United and eliminating super PACs.
I will work to ensure voting booths are secure from hacks by investing in encryption and blockchain technologies.
I will fight for a national automatic voter registration system.
I welcome term limits and town halls because I believe in representation.

Veterans

Our veterans have fought hard to keep our country safe. They’ve taken care of our families and sacrificed their own well-being for the sake of ours. Now, it’s imperative we take care of them.

Combine existing medical systems to increase efficiency and quality of care for all veterans.
Increase VA funding to hire doctors, open clinics and increase inspectors.
Improve veterans’ ability to choose their care.
Provide better mental health care, comprehensive reentry programs and affordable housing options.
Reunite undocumented veterans and spouses with their families.
Pursue soft power initiatives and technological advances that protect our brave young men and women.

Marijuana Reform

I believe we should end the federal prohibition of marijuana and allow states to decide for themselves how to best regulate its use and sale. States that have legalized and regulated have seen economic booms and reductions in crime.

Allow states to decide for themselves how to regulate the taxation and sale of recreational marijuana. The federal government should not interfere.
Legalize medical marijuana nationwide. No person should be denied the medicine they need because of outdated laws.
Permit legal marijuana businesses to utilize traditional financial tools and banks.

Gun Safety

We can and must be consistent with the Second Amendment and still protect our families from senseless violence. This protects responsible gun owners just as much as it does everyone. Let’s protect our rights by making sure they aren’t abused.

Implement background checks for every person and every transaction, no excuses.
End gun show loopholes for third-party sellers and loopholes online.
Expand gun safety training to keep families safe.
Fund mental care and behavioral health to curtail gun violence.
Enact a ban on acquiring assault weapons.
Establish a centralized federal database to collect all firearm sales and data for prevention and research purposes.

Renewables, Climate Change and Our Environment

We must recognize that the freedom to live in harmony is under threat from climate change, our scientists certainly have. Since our climate is rapidly changing and humans are the cause, we must take collective responsibility to preserve our environment for future generations. Climate change is one of the greatest national security threats of our time.

Defend marginalized communities who too often bear the brunt of environmental degradation.
Expand the use of and increase investments in renewable energy.
Implement a tax on carbon emissions.
End fracking and never put corporate profits ahead of our health, our state and our protected lands.
Lead a global effort to combat climate change and rejoin the Paris Agreement.

LGBTQ+

Who we love should never divide us. The government shouldn’t get to decide what we do with our families.
I support:

Upholding the constitutional rights of LGBTQ+ Americans with an Equality Amendment, passing the Equality Act.
Equal marriage rights including adoption, health care benefits, and hospital visitation.
Protections for transgender people from discrimination and violence.
Ensuring schools are safe for kids, no matter how they identify.
Banning conversion therapy.
Reversing the ban on transgender service members.
Welcoming and protecting refugees persecuted in their home countries for being LGBTQ+.

Disability Rights and Protections

Twenty-eight years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Americans with disabilities still struggle with accessibility to housing, transportation, employment, education and other public accommodations. Everyone, disabled or not, deserves access to these basic necessities.

I support:

Strengthening the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Policies that provide equal access, prohibit discrimination and encourage fair hiring.
Providing quality and affordable health care for those with disabilities.

The Digital Age and Internet Rights

Our government lacks the spirit of innovation. We are lagging behind, slow to adapt to and adopt modern technologies. If elected, I will:

Explore blockchain technologies to make our cities smarter, safer and more efficient while clarifying laws affecting the technology.
Expand public Wi-Fi. Information is the great equalizer and we must expand access to it.
Fight for Net Neutrality — I support a free and open internet.
Set aggressive and enforceable data security standards for public and private entities, offering users control and transparency over data collection and usage.

Criminal Justice Reform

As Americans, we must ensure our justice system works for all of us. It’s time to make reasonable changes that strengthen our justice system while keeping our communities, families and law enforcement safe.

Reform mandatory minimum sentencing for nonviolent offenders.
Eliminate private prisons over time and transition inmates into public prisons to ensure a justice system independent of financial incentives.
Prioritize rehabilitation, care and treatment for inmates with substance abuse and mental illness.
Reduce recidivism rates with educational and vocational opportunities.
Invest in training programs and body cameras for police departments.

Women’s Rights

We are the core of the family. The inequality women face and the weakening of women’s rights is a far-reaching economic issue that impacts us all. Women must be equal by every measure of the law with protections implemented where inequalities are rampant.

Mandate equal pay for equal work.
Protect a woman’s right to choose and make her own health care decisions.
Ensure access to contraceptives and science-based sex education.
End sex-based discrimination by passing the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
Protect women and families from domestic violence, sexual assault and gun violence by fighting for passage of the Violence Against Women Act.