America Deserves Better

Bill Weld is an American lawyer and politician. He served as the US attorney for the District of Massachusetts under President Reagan and Governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997. He is running against his own party incumbent because he believes that the US is “facing the alarming and rapidly intensifying dysfunction of our current government.”

As president, he seeks to uphold the three tenets of good American governance- respect for the rule of law, responsible fiscal restraint, ensuring and protecting the individual liberties of all Americans, and hold those individuals responsible who abuse or neglect the public trust placed upon them.

Issues That Matter

Economy

Bill Weld has a positive track record of social issues such as abortion and LGBTQ rights. He has pushed forth health and treatment schemes for immigrants and refugees and helped to increase the number of H1B visas. He believes that there is no such thing as government money. Instead, he considers it taxpayer’s money. He helped to balance the Federal budget as states do. Weld prioritized zero-based budgeting and to cut spending and taxes. He insisted on reducing 20% waste in every federal agency as he was one of the most fiscally conservative governors. He has voted for minimum wage hikes as a governor.

Weld has already made significant changes like the abolishment of wasteful programs, support balanced budgets, and a balanced budget in the downturn after a boom decade of spending. So, as president Weld will:

• Intensify the importance of addressing job loss due to automation and helping workers develop skills for the future economy.
• Support increasing access to Medicaid. ( he worked to expand access to the program in Massachusetts).
• He has advocated for a lesser federal role in K-12, including eliminating the U.S. Department of Education. he has stated that displaced workers should have access to free in-state tuition for post-secondary training. 
• He thinks addiction should be treated as a health, as opposed to a criminal issue. He also believes in bail reform, funding for re-entry programs, and other criminal justice reforms beyond those established by the First Step Act.
• When Congress Republicans were proposing cuts to the Earned Income Tax Credit in 1996, he pressed for the state of Massachusetts to cover any difference.
• He is critical of Trump’s immigration policies, such as family separation, and wishes to change it.
• He endorses Steve Forbes’ plan to simplify the tax system to a 19 percent flat income tax rate and returns able to fit on a postcard.

Health Care

Weld told his insurance regulators that he wanted worker’s compensation rates frozen and changes made in the system that would get the problem under control. They responded, and so did the workers’ compensation insurance industry that they regulated, which ultimately resulted in a considerable change. During a speech, he stated, “As to health care, instead of arguing endlessly AND fruitlessly about whether the Affordable Care Act should be repealed because let’s face it, we do not have a consensus in Congress. There are various common-sense health care issues that could be addressed immediately, across party lines. Consumers should be permitted to set up personal health care savings accounts and to choose their health care provider. They should be free to buy pharmaceutical drugs across state lines and in other countries. Their choice, not the government’s.”

When it comes to healthcare, he is mainly concerned about what makes health care cheaper, more accessible, and of higher quality. He believes that there’s “too much government” involved in the Affordable Care Act. He supports expanding Medicaid access and wants people to be able to buy health insurance across state lines to help bring costs down. If elected president, here’s what the health care system look like under his leadership:

• He would improve the Affordable Care Act, not repeal it. As he has already added 20 million people to the rolls of the insured. 
• He would get some of the government directives out of the system. As the government is telling everybody what kind of plan they must have, and he wants that to be more up to individuals and doctors.
• Weld wants to make it possible to buy prescription drugs in Canada and buy health insurance across state lines.
• He supports increased Medicaid access. 
• Consumer choice instead of single-payer. 
• He advocates for relaxed the eligibility rules for care under Medicaid.
• cigarette-tax hike 

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is still a significant issue in American politics in the wake of Russian election interference. Weld’s campaign has made the following comments about the same.

• Weld considers cybersecurity as an area of importance and says the United States must react against cyberattacks when necessary.
• He believes the United States is under “sustained cyberattack,” pledging to “harden” critical infrastructure like the U.S. electrical grid. 
• Weld warned against cyber “infiltration and sabotage” waged by rogue nations, pointing to Russia’s and China’s efforts to “own the world’s communications infrastructure.”
• He wants to penalize countries that launch cyberattacks on the United States, stating that “we need to disrupt the operations of these actors in every way we can within the limits of our free society.”
• He has repeatedly singled out North Korea as a country that undertakes cyberattacks “all the time.”
• Teach skillsets for tech jobs of the future.

Criminal Justice

Weld’s remarks on Criminal Justice during a recent debate shows that he’s had a change of heart. He said that he used to be a hard-boiled prosecutor, and it has to stop. Weld’s shift on drug crimes is in line with changes in public opinion on the issue. He said the context for his earlier tough-on-crime posture was the seven years he had just spent in the US Justice Department. As well as state guidelines in Massachusetts that often allowed defendants to go free after serving only a fraction of their original sentence. “There was no truth in advertising at all, so I was way up on my high horse about that,” Weld said. Furthermore, under Weld’s presidency:

• He will move on to bail reform.
• Weld will push forward funding for re-entry programs.
• He would bring in other criminal justice reforms.
• He will not treat addiction as a crime as it is a public health emergency, and those people do need help, not prison sentences.
• Weld will see to it that prison overcrowding will be dealt with. 
• He would make sure that people in custody receive adequate treatment and fundamental human rights, which includes a significant review of nutrition and sanitation standards, as well as guarantees that indiscretions by superiors are addressed strictly and promptly. 
• He will bring an end to mandatory minimum sentencing, which imposes a one-size-fits-all directive upon defendants. 
• Ban solitary confinement for juveniles as it is severely psychologically damaging to young undeveloped minds.
• He will bring about a reformation to legalize marijuana so that cannabis users won’t be exposed to other dangerous drugs.
• Encourage community policing through the Justice Department. 
• Establish a better justice system that reflects our constitutional values and protects our communities. 

Education

Weld said in an interview that more attention should be given to online education. While he was governor of Massachusetts, he signed the Education Reform Act aimed to raise accountability and standards in the public school system. Bill Weld favors more availability and options for education. He supports home-schooling, online education options, and charter schools. He suggested abolishing the Department of Education because he feels decisions should be made by the States, communities, and parents–not by the federal government. As president, he would:

• Eliminate The Education Department to reduce government size and reportedly replace it with more local oversight. 
• He wants to provide tuition-free community college for people who lose their jobs to automation and to allow students to refinance college loans.
• Bring to life his proposal to make in-state college tuition-free for displaced workers at two-year post-secondary schools as he believes that students should be able to refinance their college loans at a lower rate.
• He wants to leave the control of education up to states and parents. 
• He advocates for the states’ input on education, not one national standard. 
• Establish the 25 charter schools in Massachusetts. 
• Bring in government intervention in early childhood education. Weld said, “There’s a lot of research suggesting that the human brain, the human mind, is largely formed by age three as a result of what it receives during those early years.” 
• Encourage and fund teachers unions.

Immigration

Weld compares Trump’s proposals for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants to the practices of Nazi Germany. He supports a form of legal status for undocumented immigrants. He supports increased immigration, which he says provides the “human power” for agriculture and construction industries. He wishes to bring “more and longer” work visas and an expanded guest worker program. He opposes a path to citizenship for the country’s estimated eleven million undocumented residents, but he wouldn’t deport most undocumented immigrants. Weld criticizes the fact that international students have to return to their countries of origin after they have earned degrees at U.S. schools, saying, “We are educating our competition.” He criticizes Trump’s proposal to withdraw aid from the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, as reducing aid will result in more people there migrating. Weld compared Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the country to the policies of Nazi Germany. He argues that Trump’s immigration policies are racist, and he wishes to change that. As president:

• Weld wants to low and high-skilled immigration to the United States, which is an economic opportunity, and believes the current immigration policies are harsh and inhumane.
• He would end family separations at the border, a policy implemented under the Trump administration. 
• He wants to promote guest worker programs and not a path to citizenship. 
• More H-1B visas, he wants to keep more foreign grads & entrepreneurs. 
• The current system is “from the fact legalization” for 11 million. 
• Weld would create a simple path to citizenship for immigrants with no criminal record by giving temporary amnesty to immigrants in the U.S. who aren’t documented or haven’t come through proper channels.

Military

Weld has advocated for a more modest defense budget and a reduction in U.S. military entanglements around the world while maintaining U.S. military superiority. He argues that it is “tremendously important” for the United States to have “demonstrated military supremacy in both air and naval power” to influence world events. However, he has opposed military interventions in Iraq and everywhere else. He says that the United States “must carefully conserve our strength, using force only where it is necessary.” Weld pointed out, pulling back on overseas troop commitments can lead to savings and that the Pentagon has too many bases. He stated the missions without specific congressional approval are assignments of war-making powers to Congress. Weld refers to nuclear proliferation as the world’s number one security threat. He condemns Trump’s suggestions that allies like Japan and South Korea develop their own nuclear weapons.

• During his first year as president, he would withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan. 
• He wants to take on ISIS with FBI task forces, like we took on the Mafia. 
• He pledges to pardon Snowden; no one was harmed by what he released. 
• Phase down our nuclear stockpile. 
• He wants to deal with ISIS as a gigantic organized crime family. 
• Nuclear proliferation is the number one threat to world security. 
• Maintain strong defense but cut military 20%.

Gun Control

Weld does not agree with President Trump’s idea to arm teachers with guns. He thinks legally-acquired rifles in the hands of private citizens are “a bulwark against government oppression.” However, he thinks there should be red flag laws to keep guns out of the hands of people with mental illness. He also wants waiting periods when it comes to gun purchases and a ban on handgun sales to people under the age of 21. He has made his views clear by stating the red flag laws would be a giant step toward preventing mass shootings.

As president, he would:

• Prioritize and file legislation to cut spending.
• His proposed legislation would limit the number of handguns an individual could buy and would impose harsh penalties for illegal gun sales and gun-related crimes. 
• He believes that 2nd Amendment rights are individual rights.
• As a lifelong hunter, he supports the Second Amendment “in its entirety.”

Foreign Policy

In Weld’s editorial titled “Reclaiming Republican Foreign Policy,” he presents a view far removed from the argument for non-intervention expected from a libertarian. He doesn’t aim at altogether terminating the intervention overseas, including war, sanctions, and covert “regime change” operations, that has been the United States government’s pursuit for decades. Instead, he promises to make sure that intervention continues. According to Weld, the problem is lack of response. Weld says that the U.S. needs a “flexible approach” on North Korea, which sounds promising. He referred to President Trump’s decision this week to withdraw American troops from the border between Syria and Turkey a “betrayal” of the Kurdish forces that have fought ISIS alongside U.S. troops.

• Weld would improve U.S.-China relations, calling it “the most important bilateral relationship in the world as we intersect on many plans to try to make foreign policy on tariffs and threats and sanctions.
• Propagate democracy, the rule of law, and prosperity in Africa: On security matters, he would like to continue to help Africa fight terrorists.
• Wants to engage in multi-party talks to resolve the Venezuelan situation.
• The priority isn’t a “no-fly zone” but to stop killing in Aleppo: His priority now is to prevent the slaughter of innocents in Aleppo.
• No more alliances for intelligence: We have to do it ourselves!
• Focus on nuclear proliferation & the Sunni-Shia schism.
• 1994: Supported $25 Mexico bailout: Congress did not pass the bill, so they provided the money to Mexico out of the Exchange Stabilization Fund.
• His administration will encourage Iran to disarm through diplomatic channels.
• He will not intervene in China’s domestic affairs but will not hesitate to defend our rights and discharge our responsibilities in the region.

Electoral Reforms

During a speech in 2019 at Tufts University, Weld suggested that Trump might not even appear on the 2020 ballot. Weld hinted that choosing a secret vote about impeachment is a convenient option for the Senate. He also said that he supports the impeachment of President Donald Trump. As president, he would do the below stated to make necessary changes in the electoral:

• Everyone’s Vote will be counted equally.
•  Independent redistricting commissions will be established.
•  Allocate Electoral College votes proportionally.
•  Federal regulations on voter purging.
• Restoring the Voting Rights Act.
• End felon disenfranchisement after their sentence (possibly allowing certain felons to vote while incarcerated).

Cannabis Legalization

Weld publicly announced that he supports legalizing cannabis by decriminalizing drug use and retroactively reducing sentences for those already serving time. Federal action on cannabis-related issues seems completely unnecessary and unacceptable to him. Actions are taken by Weld while attempting to legalize marijuana:

• Onboard of cannabis company; supported medical marijuana. 
• Accept the benefits of cannabis and allow veterans and senior citizens to use it. 
• Force strict rules on opioid prescriptions to keep them away from being misused. 
• He claims that 100 million Americans who’ve smoked dope are not criminals. 
• He favors medical marijuana and needle-exchange programs. 
• He Favors “clean” needle giveaways to drug addicts. 

Climate Energy

Weld has criticized the climate change proposals put forth by 2020 Democratic presidential contenders without mentioning any names, arguing that a carbon tax is a much more feasible and economical alternative to address the crisis. He thinks climate change is a foreign priority. As governor, he supported hybrid electric cars and natural gas and deregulated the electric industry, setting a model for other US states to introduce competition and market mechanisms. 

Changes he wishes to make during his presidency:

• He wants to re-join the Paris climate accords and adopt percentages that are consonant with our responsibility. 
• He will not favor a carbon tax. 
• Weld Supports Investment in Wind, Solar, and Nuclear Power to Combat Climate Change.
• Weld had pushed for more clean air initiatives and new investment in power sources such as wind, solar, and nuclear power.

Trade Agriculture

Weld said that the United States has the highest rate of productivity as we are the most technologically advanced country in the world. He added that free trade is going to produce high wage jobs in the United States. Weld understands that the relationship with China will be a complex one as the US and China are the two biggest trade-related countries in the world market. 

As president, he would:

• Re-join TPP in a heartbeat: beachhead against China. 
• Return to free trade; tariffs counterproductive. 
• Tariffs in the 1920s croaked the world economy. 
• Despite being Libertarian VP, Weld is interested in free trade. 
• He wants to get the wage level up in the US.

Social & Religious Issues

Weld believes that drug use should not be a criminal offense. He has also called for federal decriminalization of marijuana and the lowering of the drinking age. 

His opinions about social issues:

• Weld does not agree with the government having the right to ban abortion. 
• He believes that gay couples have the same adoption rights as straight couples as long as they pass the same background checks.
• He supports the legalization of same-sex marriage.
• He disagrees with funding Planned Parenthood or with giving funds to any organization for the same reason.
• He wants to allow women to serve in combat roles as long as they can pass the same physical tests as men do.

Under Weld’s presidency:

• He will remove anti-abortion language from the GOP platform. 
• Support abortion rights; moderate stance on social issues. 
• Pro-choice stance means ineligible for the ambassadorship. 
• He wants to restrict banning on partial-birth abortion. 
• He will support a woman’s right to choose as an individual freedom. 
• He wishes to establish state pro-choice laws in case Roe gets overturned.

Taxation

Weld appreciates tax cuts, but he does not appreciate the current president’s decisions for the same. He is a traditional conservative when it comes to the economy, prioritizing cutting spending and cutting taxes. He supports repealing the federal death tax and reducing the capital gains tax rate to 10% as these taxes do not raise significant revenue. 

Weld feels a need to restructure the entire tax system as he doesn’t want to choose between confiscatory taxation and deficit-creating tax cuts for the super-rich.

As president Weld plans to:

• Cut capital gains tax; look at flat tax on income. 
• Release his returns. 
• Cut taxes without abolishing the IRS. 
• Rollback more than $2 billion in recent tax increases.