Tom Steyer (D)

Actions speak louder than words

Tom Steyer is an American philanthropist, hedge fund manager,  liberal activist, and one of the most prominent fundraisers for the Democratic party.

Steyer is a billionaire with multiple philanthropic causes that translate into his political positions very well. Especially the “The 5 Rights” the rights that no one should be denied in America- “The right to health, The right to an equal vote, the right to clean air and clean water, the right to learn, the right to a living wage.” As president, he will seek to take money out of politics and conserve the environment for the current and future generations in America and the rest of the world.

Issues That Matter
Economy

Tom believes in giving the hold of responsibilities to the people itself. He is a firm believer of capitalism and says that it can offer various benefits. These benefits are freedom of choice, competition, innovation, and sustained economic growth. However, he states that unchecked capitalism has the potential to undermine democracy and cause harm to many people.

His economic policy reform include:

Under his People Over Profits Economic Agenda, he plans to-

  • Establish a national referendum process and Congressional term limits, repeal Citizens United, restructure the Federal Elections Commission and in turn make voting an easier process.
  • Encourage the growth and organizational strength of the public and private sector labor unions.
  • Expand the earned income tax credit, retirement security programs and pass a federal $15/ hour minimum wage.
  • Tom as a president would guarantee that Americans have 5 new constitutional rights- the right to healthcare, clean air, water, a liveable wage, an equal vote, and quality education.
  • To make the federal tax system more equitable, he will enact policies that will ensure that all corporations and all income classes pay their fair share.
  • He will allocate increased resources to public schools and social service programs and will invest in a multi-year effort to rebuild America’s infrastructure. This will expand business opportunities, create good-paying jobs.
  • He promises to grant two years of free college and student loans at lower interest rates. He also talks about passing the Student Borrowers Bill of Rights.
  • He will harness innovation, promote competition and negotiate trade agreements with major economic partners.
Health Care

Tom believes that every American has the Right to Healthcare, but the corporate stranglehold on it has kept Americans from accessing and affording the needful.

Healthcare in America costs everyone an average of $10,00/ year, which is more than in any other developed nation. These expensive aids thus leave more than 28 million Americans with no health insurance and unable to afford basic care.

  • He will thus create a competitive public option to bring down the costs, expand coverage, and deliver quality care to everyone, including the undocumented community.
  • Tom will focus on controlling costs and thus will encourage competition on cost and quality of care.
  • He will protect critical provisions of the ACA and reassure its commitment to providing for people younger than 26 and those living with pre-existing conditions. He will also offer a fully subsidized enrollment for nearly 5 million qualifying individuals.
  • He promises to focus on integrated care and improved digital medical record management.
  • His framework will provide access for reproductive health services- including abortion, and will also allocate additional resources to hospitals and invest in telemedicine.
  • He says that affordable healthcare isn’t a privilege just for the wealthy. It’s a right for all.
Cybersecurity

As security breaches are rising around the world, it stands as a major threat to the nation. 

  • In October 2019, Tom said that President Donald Trump was a disaster when it came to Russia attacking their democracy. 
  • He also believes that Facebook needs to commit more to protect user privacy and data. 
Criminal Justice

Tom says that a fair and just criminal system should focus on prevention and rehabilitation. He promises to reform the existing criminal justice system and would build one based on values of fairness, equality, opportunity, and second chances. 

  • He will create a bureau of Juvenile Justice and provide $600 million fund for counseling, diversion, and rehabilitation programs. He will establish a minimum age of 12 for young people to be adjudicated in juvenile court. 
  • He will invest $500 million in community policing and accountability. To enhance mental healthcare, he will establish a presidential task force to build partnerships between police and mental health professionals. 
  • He will rebuild the Department of Justice and will direct it to grant resources towards public safety, civil rights enforcement efforts, and reduce mass incarceration. 
  • He wishes to get rid of court fees and reduce fines. He will focus on the root causes of burning issues such as specialized drugs, mental health, domestic violence, and veteran courts.
  • Tom promises to end cash bail and will direct additional federal funding to states to establish non- discriminatory alternatives. 
  • He will end the disparity between crack and cocaine sentences, decriminalize opioid possession, and invest $75 billion to address the opioid crisis. 
  • Tom talks about expanding executive clemency and opportunities and parole review for fully rehabilitated inmates. 
  • He will focus on safety and rehabilitation, especially for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, tribal members, and specially-abled ones. He also will invest in reentry through the Second Chance Act Grant Program. 
Education

Tom has huge respect for teachers as they are the ones who prepare this generation for the future. 

  • He plans to forgive student loans through an expansion of the public servant student loan forgiveness program. 
  • He will offer a free, universal pre- K to make sure all the 3 and 4-year-olds get enrolled in a high-quality preschool. 
  • To fight with the racial discrimination in education, Tom will triple Title 1 funding to low-income students. He aims to invest $100 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade school facilities. 
  • Tom will launch the Every Child Reads Initiative to extend new resources to help every student read by the end of third grade. 
  • He will avail low- and middle-income students access to free or low-cost SAT and ACF prep courses, assistance in filing financial aid forms, and career counselors to advise on selecting schools. 
  • To tackle the problem of fake news he plans to invest in developing a media literacy curriculum for educators to help students differentiate between fact, opinion, and fake news. 
  • He wants to provide funding to double the number of mental health professionals on campus. 
Immigration

Tom has a successful track record of supporting immigrants. He has helped establish a legal network helping over 1,600 immigrants and refugees. He also helped recruit 7,100 volunteer lawyers, interpreters, and mental health professionals. 

  • Tom will use executive action to reinstate and extend the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and enact Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). 
  • He plans to end the racist Muslim travel ban. 
  • His administration will focus on establishing a fair and inclusive path to citizenship for immigrants. 
  • He wants to work to curb family separation and incarceration, honor the Flores Agreement to restrict the detention of minors, stop shackling pregnant women. He will also abolish private prisons and detention centers. 
  • He aims to improve the visa system by streamlining the H-1B visa application process, which in turn will lead to an increase in the number of visas available. 
  • Tom promises to help people around the world recover from disasters by providing funds, equipment, and support.  
  • He will ensure that new American citizens have access to an equal vote. 
Military

Being the Commander in Chief, Tom knows that his job to keep America safe is the most significant one. 

  • He will ensure that the military is the best-trained and best-equipped force in the world. 
  • He also respects the huge responsibility of America’s global leadership, of holding the nuclear codes, and that of commanding America’s armed forces.
Gun Control

Tom believes that factors like corruption, lack of common-sense gun reforms, absence of strong background checks before buying, and selling of guns are responsible for gun violence. He will work firmly to tackle these issues. 

  • He will declare gun violence as a public health epidemic. He will create a new Office of Gun Violence Prevention to coordinate among all levels of government and will increase funding to save the lives of people. 
  • He will also establish a system wherein there will be a requirement of license for all gun ownership. 
  • He plans to work closely with organizations such as the March for Our Lives Safety Corps, to fund state & groups for discouraging such practices. 
  • His federal investments will also ensure that victims and individuals have access to mental health care, trauma care, drug treatment, and violence prevention programs. 
  • Tom also supported the cause against gun violence named Moms Demand Action and signed the March for Our Lives pledge. 
Foreign Policy

Tom strongly criticizes Trump’s policies that overlook significant relations. His policies include:

  • He wants to work closely with America’s traditional allies in a multilateral way and will work to eradicate the gap between potential trade and the contemporary vacuum. 
  • He will reinvigorate the State Department and respect the skills/ expertise of career diplomats along with the intelligence community. 
  • He aims to choose wise diplomatic steps and will help other countries end reliance on fossil fuels and build a clean energy future. 
  • As president Tom will immediately work to rebuild the global alliances into a coalition to aid in solving serious, urgent challenges. 
  • He plans to negotiate trade agreements with not only huge nations but with labor and environmental groups. 
Electoral

The Russian interference in the 2016 US election is exemplary in showing the vulnerability of the process. Experts claim that such attacks may again take place in the future if such serious issues are not addressed and taken action upon. 

  • Tom thus supports the idea of a just and fair voting system. He said that he would work with Congress to make sure that all paperless voting machines are phased out. 
  • He plans to introduce a voting system that will leave a verified paper trail. 
Cannabis & Marijuana

Tom addresses the issue of opioid overdoses as the “most heartbreaking experiences that America’s had.” Marijuana has been classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance since 1970, posing it to be the most dangerous drug along with LSD and heroin. However, there is strong support these days, backing its legalization. 

  • He will treat this as a health crisis. 
  • He will deploy resources to help people who seek medication for this. 
  • Tom backs the statement that says criminal penalties for marijuana possession have created far more harm than would have come from treating it more like any other drug element. 
  • He has also suggested a national referendum to allow voters to decide if marijuana should be legalized. 
Climate and Energy

Tom’s topmost priority is the issue of climate change. He talks about declaring it as a national emergency and working on switching to cleaner energy sources. 

  • He supports the Green New Deal framework proposed by many Democrats, and if Congress fails to enact it, he will use the emergency powers to implement climate policies. 
  • His plan included a carbon-neutral economy by 2045. He will invest a total of $2 trillion in federal funding over a decade into transportation systems and clean energy. 
  • He will invest $50 billion to help workers in fossil fuel industries to switch to new careers along with giving them healthcare and other benefits. 
  • He will eliminate all federal subsidies for fossil fuels. He will also introduce fresh air- and water- quality regulations. 
  • He promises to rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate. 
  • He will opt for wind and solar powers over nuclear power, saying that the latter lacks waste-storage options and is not price competitive.
Trade Agriculture

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Social & Religious Issues

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Taxation

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