Issues

End The Genocide in Palestine

Since October 7th, 2023 we have been watching a genocide unfold, perpetrated by Israel and supported by US arms and funds. We demand an immediate arms embargo, an end to the apartheid state, and safe aid distribution for Palestinians.

• Arms Embargo

• End the occupation and apartheid

• Right of return for Palestinians

• Human rights and liberation

• Ceasefire Now

• Divest from Israel

• Trials for war criminals in the US and Israel

Statements from 2024 Campaign:

11/2023 Ceasefire NOW: More deaths will not bring peace to the Middle East

12/2023: Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza, Now!

1/2024: Dougherty Denounces Rep. Panetta for Dismissing ICJ Genocide Case

Healthcare, Not Bankruptcy

Americans currently owe at least $220 Billion in medical debt and is the number one cause of bankruptcy in America. Every individual deserves access to high-quality, comprehensive healthcare, with decisions driven by patient needs rather than profit. Full stop. A Medicare for All system would eliminate the unnecessary costs associated with the insurance industry, reduce overall care expenses and increase quality of care.

Healthcare should be as accessible as roads, libraries, and schools—a basic societal need. Private insurance lacks real value; it creates inefficiencies and increases costs. A single-payer system is not only more fair, but would decrease healthcare expenditures by around $650 billion per year. [CBO.gov]

With a unified healthcare plan, everyone, regardless of income, can access necessary care, ensuring that wealth disparities do not determine access to essential services. Moreover, private insurance often confines individuals to their jobs, limiting their ability to pursue better opportunities.

• Implement a Medicare for All system to eliminate insurance industry costs.

• Lower the cost of care and prevent medical debt.

• Expand coverage to include vision and dental.

• Cancel existing medical debt

Defend Immigrant Rights

Build a humane and effective immigration system by addressing the root causes that force people to flee their homes. Respecting the sovereignty of other nations, ending the failed war on drugs, and tackling the climate crisis will create stability abroad and reduce the need for people to seek refuge at our borders.

• End worker exploitation

• Enhance workplace protections and community-based solutions

• Address the root causes of migration

• Prevent family separation

• Restorative justice and rehabilitation

• Abolish ICE: dismantle the unjust detention and deportation of vulnerable individuals.

• Create pathways to citizenship

• Close private detention centers punitive enforcement measures.

Housing For People, Not Profit

Housing is a basic human right and should not be used to generate more wealth for Wall Street. The purpose of the housing sector should be to provide quality, affordable, safe housing for all. Housing costs are soaring, leaving average Americans unable to afford rent or own a home.

• Establish a robust social housing program with income-based rent.

• Implement a corporate excess profits tax on investment properties.

• Create public banking options for affordable loans.

• Utilize community land trusts to manage affordable housing and defend tenants' rights through rent control.

• Reallocate military spending to community programs for fair housing solutions.

2025: Housing for All in California’s District 19- Virtual Town Hall

Safe Renewable Energy

Transition away from fossil fuels through safe, renewable energy to prevent further damage to the environment, while also reducing our collective energy consumption.

• Prioritize long-term environmental health over short-term profits.

• Transition to renewable energy to combat climate change.

• Keep remaining fossil fuels in the ground.

• Nationalize the fossil fuel industry.

• Reduce reliance on extractive industries including lithium mining.

• Invest in electric public transportation.

• Ban private jets.

• Investment in renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydroelectric) to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

• Create jobs in emerging industries related to renewable energy.
  

12/2024 Statement: Panetta’s Dirty Donors: High Emissions, Low Accountability

End Pesticide Abuse

Our current industrial food system is a massive source of emissions and toxic chemicals, harming the very communities it feeds. We need to invest in organic and regenerative farming to create safer, healthier, and more affordable food. We should protect the health of people who work to harvest our produce and who are exposed to harmful pesticides and unsafe and unfair labor practices

• Shift subsidies from agribusiness and conventional monocrop farming to regenerative and organic practices.

• Uplift organic and regenerative farming practices

• Subsidize the cost of transitioning fields to organic.

• Implement strict regulations on pesticide use to protect ecosystems and communities.

• Invest in regenerative farming practices and organic alternatives.

• Reduce reliance on harmful pesticides for healthier food systems.

• Prevent long-term health issues associated with chemical exposure.

2025: The Fight Against Pesticides Virtual Town Hall

Create a democratic economy/Tax the 1%

Wealth and income inequality is at an all time high in the US and globally. True democracy requires that ordinary people, not a handful of elites, control the economy. We must democratize our economy with increased union membership, co-ops, and worker-appointed corporate boards. Through higher tax rates on the wealthiest one percent we can reduce inequality and poverty, and fund a better future for all.

• Congress must support unions unequivocally and must never interfere in contract negotiations or strikes, unless requested by the union.

• End the transfer of wealth from the working and middle class to the wealthy.

• Tax the wealthiest 1% to generate critical revenue for education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

• Implement fair tax policies to hold the richest accountable.

• Address income inequality and invest in programs that uplift marginalized communities.

• Strengthen the social safety net and foster economic growth.

• Create a more just society where opportunities are accessible to all.

• Create a democratic economy / Taxing the 1%

Lineage-Based Reparations

Coming Soon.

2025: Lineage-Based Reparations Virtual Town Hall

Education, Not Debt

Education benefits the whole society. By making educational opportunities freely available to all from birth through PhD, we strengthen our communities, our economy, and our democracy.

• Universal childcare.

• Prioritize affordable tuition and accessible student resources.

• Invest in scholarships, grants, and community college programs.

• Create an educational landscape where degrees are attainable for all.

• Foster a more equitable society and a skilled workforce ready for future challenges.