Protecting the rights and freedoms of all people, regardless of their ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, or religion is non-negotiable.

As the parent of a trans son, the uncle of mixed-race nieces and nephews, and a friend to many religions, I am horrified at the current administration's treatment of minorities, marginalized communities, and non-Christians. Diversity has always made our nation stronger and should be encouraged. We must stop punishing people for who they love, how they look, what they believe, or how they feel.

• Introduce legislation to enshrine the rights of all ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, and gender identities to freely live their lives to the fullest.
• Introduce legislation that enhances the punishment for hate crimes.
• Introduce legislation that bans intrusive gender checks.

We must enshrine the right for a woman to make their own reproductive healthcare choices.

Roe v. Wade was settled law, until it wasn't. We can no longer trust the courts to rule according to the law and not their personal beliefs. Individual women are the only ones that should be making decisions about their bodies. We must enact legislation the guarantees women the right to reproductive healthcare that meets their needs.

• Introduce legislation to enshrine a woman's right to make their own reproductive healthcare choices.

Quality, affordable healthcare is a human right.

Healthcare costs are out of control and our profit-first system benefits nobody except the companies and their shareholders. We need to adopt a system where unexpected illnesses don't lead to bankruptcy or force people to skip necessary medical care because of the cost. When I am elected, I will work with my fellow progressives to reform our healthcare system to lower costs.

In addition to reducing costs, we also need to expand access to primary care in rural areas and after hours care in all areas. We need to incentivize medical professionals to serve where the need is the greatest. I believe we can do this by first committing to build hospitals, clinics, and urgent care facilities where we currently have none.

• Ensure any budgets passed include adequate funding to meet the healthcare needs of everyone living in the United State.
• Introduce legislation to adopt a single payer healthcare system, or similar system, that is designed to minimize out-of-pocket costs for services and prescriptions.
• Introduce legislation to create and implement a program that pays for tuition or training for doctors, nurses, and other medical and support staff in exchange for a commitment to serve in an at-need community or facility.

Millionaires, billionaires, and corporations must be made to pay a fair share.

Trickle down economics have been a complete failure. For decades we have been fed the lie that a lower tax rate on the wealthiest Americans and corporations would lead to opportunities for the rest of us. This has led to the rich continuing to get richer while the poor stay poor. We cannot continue to pretend that this system is fair and we must demand that the wealthy contribute fairly.

• Propose a new maximum tax rate of 45% for any individual earning more than $1 million per year/2$ million per family.
• Raise the maximum tax rate to 35% for any corporation earning over $5 million in gross profit.
• Close common tax loopholes like the carried interest loophole, 1031 exchange, and tax-loss harvesting.

Current campaign finance rules allow the rich and powerful to buy representation.

The Citizens United decision has been a disaster for America and must be overturned. Corporations and the ultra wealthy have been able to buy unfettered access and influence to politicians on both sides of the aisle resulting in a government run for their benefit and not for the benefit of the ordinary citizen.

• I pledge to never accept funds from corporations or Super PACs.
• I pledge to not accept meetings or money from lobbyists.
• Introduce legislation to require transparency in all campaign finances.

Nominations that require approval by the Senate should not be a reward for personal loyalty or campaign donations.

Judges should not be selected based on their ideology or personal beliefs, but on their commitment to upholding the law. Cabinet positions should be held by an expert in the field, not the top donors to your election campaign. We need to eliminate the practice of nominating the least qualified but most loyal or highest bidder.

• I pledge to vote 'No' to any nominee that is not considered qualified by experts in the field.
• I pledge to disrupt the nomination process for unqualified candidates using every procedural tactic possible.

America has gone from a global leader to a global outcast.

We were once the leader of the free world, but no longer. We are abandoning our traditional allies and embracing dictators. We are openly encouraging conflict and driving instability. We must renew our partnerships with our allies and begin encouraging global stability.

We need to end the genocide in Gaza immediately by refusing to provide Israel with offensive weaponry. The continued military actions have gone well beyond self defense and are now clearly meant to punish all Palestinians, the majority of which were not eligible to vote in the last parliamentary or presidential elections. Just as we must recognize the right of the Israeli people to exist, we must recognize the right of the Palestinian people to exist and must insist that the two groups begin negotiating for a way to coexist peacefully.

We must also renew our support for Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression. Allowing Ukraine to fall to the Russians, or negotiating a settlement that does not include the return of all Ukrainian territory is unacceptable. If we allow Russia to conquer Ukraine they will not stop. It will be the first domino on the path to another world war. Despite what Russian apologists will tell you, we are not shipping billions of dollars directly to Ukraine. In fact, around 70% of all aid has actually gone to American companies or to U.S. forces.

• Prohibit the sale of offensive weapons/systems to Israel until peace with Palestine has been achieved.
• Commit to military aid to Ukraine until Russia has been driven out of the country and peace has been achieved.
• Restore the friendships and partnerships with our international allies and ensure anyone undermining peace and stability is appropriately punished.

Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, SNAP, and other safety net programs are vital to millions of people.

Social safety net programs are not handouts. They are vital services that cater to the elderly, children, the working class, and families all across the country. Without these services children will go hungry, families will struggle to pay for basic healthcare, and the elderly will die from lack of care. We cannot allow this to happen in the wealthiest country on the planet.

• Ensure that any budget passed includes adequate funding for social safety net programs.
• Introduce legislation that sets a minimum acceptable funding level for social safety net programs.
• Introduce legislation ensuring any tax cuts for the 1% must be accompanied by increases in the social safety net budgets.

Social Security is not a handout or a privilege and should not be at the mercy of political whims.

Social Security is a program that we have been paying into every year that we've worked. Despite this being our money, for years Congress has been treating Social Security like a a child treats their piggy bank. Constantly borrowing and never paying it back.

• Introduce legislation to prohibit the government from using Social Security funds to pay for other projects.
• Introduce legislation to remove or increase the Social Security tax limit.

Anyone working full-time should be able to live off of a single paycheck.

America has ignored its workers for too long. We need to enact a set of progressive policies that ensure working Americans are not left behind again. Minimum wage is too low. Rents are rising too rapidly. Credit card and student loan interest rates are too high. The list goes on and on.

• Introduce legislation gradually increasing the minimum wage to $20 per hour over the next 4 years.
• Introduce legislation to cap credit card and student loan interest rates at no more than 10%.
• Introduce legislation that encourages states to construct more affordable housing.
• Introduce legislation punishing corporations for price gouging and excessive rent increases.
• Introduce legislation requiring colleges receiving federal funds to make, and keep, tuition affordable.

To ensure the future of humanity we must begin to seriously address climate change.

America is the number one consumer of fossil fuels. We must immediately reduce our consumption and encourage other industrialized nations to do the same. We have already blown past multiple deadlines to reverse the damage. Unless we want our species to die out, we must do as much as possible with the little time we have left.

• Demand the administration rejoin the Paris Agreement and begin negotiating additional agreements to combat climate change in developing nations.
• Introduce legislation creating and funding a 'moonshot' clean/renewable energy program.
• Introduce legislation to incentivize states to transition away from fossil fuels to clean fuel sources by providing funds to build new facilities and train their citizens to operate and maintain them.