Economic prosperity comes from the bottom up and the middle out, not from the top down.
Hardworking Americans have had to endure one of the worst recessions in the history of our nation. While the economy is recovering, the recovery has yet to reach the door steps of those who need it most. The Republican and Tea Party response has been to cut programs that help middle and working class families. The reality is, economic prosperity comes from the bottom up.
I have been lucky in my life to have had opportunity. I grew up in hut in India. My family had very little money. I know what poverty feels like. As an aspiring graduate student, I came to America with only a few dollars in my pocket. This country took me in and provided me with the opportunity to get a quality education from a public university and launch a career. I have fought to make sure that working and middle class folks have the same opportunities that I have had.
We need to invest in a strong working and middle class.
Prosperity doesn’t come from giving the wealthy tax breaks, it comes from giving middle and working class folks the resources they need to succeed.
We need to invest more in educational opportunities. I will fight:
- For universal pre-kindergarten
- To keep teachers on the job
- To provide funding after school programs
- To make higher education affordable
- To develop high quality two year college programs that will train our workforce for 21st Century jobs
We need to restore unemployment insurance and food assistance.
The Republican-led Congress has made the decision to kick folks who are looking for work while they are down. We need to not only restore unemployment insurance, but also invest in programs that will help folks find well-paying jobs.
The myth that those who need food assistance are lazy is dangerous and needs to be stopped. There are children starving while their parents are out working multiple jobs. I will fight to restore funding to SNAP.
Healthcare that works for everyone.
President Obama and Democrats have taken great strides to expand access to affordable health coverage. Republicans have voted countless times to repeal Obamacare. We cannot let that happen. I will fight to make sure all Americans have access to quality healthcare. Hardworking families shouldn’t have to make the choice between putting food on the table and getting healthcare.
I also believe that our work isn’t done. Obamacare is a good first step in the right direction, but we can do more. We need to explore developing a single-payer healthcare system, where all Americans will be guaranteed a basic level of care regardless of income.
Strengthen Social Security and Medicare.
Republicans in Congress think we need to cut benefits to keep Social Security and Medicare alive. They are wrong. The answer to keeping Social Security solvent and strong is simple: raise the Payroll Tax Cap on those making over $250,000. All we are asking is that the wealthy pay their fair share.