VOTE411 Voter Guide

The U.S. is in the midst of an affordability crisis that the Republicans are gleefully fomenting, and the Democrats have been helpless to address. While our leaders are betraying and neglecting us, the working class continues to bear the brunt of decades of atrocious economic policy. We need members of the working class to step up and say enough is enough!

We must take on the billionaire class so that we can end the concentration of wealth into the hands of the few. If we do this we can bring the country back from the brink. Income inequality, lack of access to healthcare, and the housing crisis are three grave challenges we must face down and only Joshua Bristol has the passion needed to do so.

I will tax the billionaires, and propose new anti trust regulations to break up their corporations. I will work to have Medicare for All passed so that we get access to the healthcare we all need. I will seek to implement a rent freeze, and funding for social housing so we can have homes.

The federal government should provide an even playing field for people that would like to run for office. We must get money out of politics and close the revolving door. We also must clamp down on bribery. To this end I would like to see federal funding for certain candidates for office and then ban many forms of campaign fundraising.

It would also be a good idea to develop a federal matching program for fundraising like New York state has, so that candidates can spend less time fundraising, and more time focusing on the issues that matter to us all so much.

Mine is a grassroots funded campaign that has only raised an extremely small sum for campaigning, and has taken nothing from corporations or pacs, a far cry from the larger fundraising apparatus of the other candidates. By keeping money in the pockets of my supporters, I am working to change campaign finance and allow for people to take care of their families in these trying times.

This ruling sets a dangerous precedent and severely weakens the Voting Rights Act, a hard fought and landmark piece of legislation. Basically now states will be able to discriminate against people of color by gerrymandering their districts. Furthermore, it will be much harder to get these districts redrawn, as it will need to be proven that the discrimination is intentional.

The Voting Rights Act will need to be strengthened with additional provisions. This is short term. Long term, the makeup of the Supreme Court itself must be reexamined, as the Court has been heavily stacked by partisan Justices.

Blue states should do what they can to draw their own maps to counteract the many redistricting plans of the red states, although that in itself threatens principles of democracy.

One of the centerpieces of my candidacy is a Green New Deal. Climate change is real and it will only get worse. Coastal states like New York will face unique challenges, but even states in the interior will not be safe from storms, desertification, flooding, temperature swings, water insecurity, and much more.

The U.S. government must take this seriously and move drastically to curb fossil fuel emissions. We can't wait on this, and most estimates indicate that it is already too late to prevent warming. We need to invest in solar, wind, geothermal, and other technologies so that we can quickly and agilely move away from fossil fuels. We also need to stop drilling and fracking to preserve our wild spaces, watersheds, and ecosystems.

I am pledged to take no money from the fossil fuel industry, one that has caused so much misery, and will continue to do so unless we act decisively.

The U.S. should set a moral example for others on the world stage. We need to become a signatory of the International Criminal Court, enforce its rulings, and abide by them responsibly. We are entering a multipolar world and the days when our country could flout international law are over.

The UN should be supported, but as a body it has a lot of work to do, especially concerning the Palestinian right of statehood. I would see it strengthened in authority, although veto powers must be addressed to prevent gridlock, and to prevent large countries from overruling the rest of the world.

I support NATO and believe that we should work with our European allies towards peaceful solutions to global issues. The EU has a legacy of colonialism that continues to oppress many countries across the globe, and I would not see NATO be party to this. However, it is important to maintain for the continued stability of our European partners, especially in light of the war in Ukraine.

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Building trust in government: elected officials should work for American voters, not for themselves or special interests. I propose to: (a) overturn Citizens United; (b) eliminate corporate PACs; (c) shut the revolving door between government/lobbying; (d) ban congressional stock trading; and (e) impose congressional term limits. To ensure every voice is heard, let’s make it easier to vote, combat voter suppression, and bring DC statehood.

Tackling the affordability crisis: accessible, affordable, high-quality housing, education, groceries, public transit, etc. should be nonnegotiable. I’d lower costs through rapid building expansion, tariff elimination, and structural reform, while increasing incomes via higher federal minimum wage and a Jobs of National Priority program.

Universal health care: every American deserves fairly priced health care that includes dental/vision, mental health treatment, and prenatal/reproductive care. My Health Care Bill of Rights guarantees that and more

Americans’ trust in government is at an all-time low. One poll found that 80 percent of people thought big donors had too much influence over Congress.

Ideally there would be a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United, which would allow federal/state governments to regulate and limit campaign contributions/expenditures.

Congress already can, and should, ban large political contributions from government contractors. It can, and should, end dark money groups by requiring all groups spending money on federal campaigns to disclose their major donors.

A congressional stock trading ban would improve public confidence in the motives of legislators.

A stronger ethics watchdog is needed to ensure consistent enforcement of campaign finance rules and the imposition of meaningful penalties for ignoring them.

In the interim, individual legislators should set an example by refusing support from corporate PACs, super PACs, and dark money groups. (See Political Integrity Pledge).

Let me be unequivocal: the Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais was wrong.

Gutting Section 2 of the Civil Rights Act imperils minority communities across the country by allowing states to use partisan gerrymandering as cover for blatant racial discrimination.

Unfortunately we must once again fight back against an abhorrent ruling of the current court.

Congress can restore key voting rights protections by passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.

Increasing voter participation - including by removing barriers to voting in minority communities - can help ensure legislators are held to account and motivate them to pursue fair electoral maps.

Broader usage of independent commissions to avoid partisan gerrymandering will now also be a critical path to avoiding “partisan” gerrymandering that is actually racial disenfranchisement; legislators should push for these in additional states (in 2022, this process was used by four states).

Investing in clean energy both helps protect the planet from the existential threat of climate change and helps protect Americans from rapidly increasing utility bills. An obvious win-win.

Specific policies the federal government should pursue include:

- A carbon tax and/or cap-and-trade program - Federal clean energy standards - Tax credits for climate friendly energy sources & ending fossil fuel subsidies - Grants for low-income/rural clean energy adoption - Investment in clean energy R&D programs - e.g., nuclear energy, carbon capture, geoengineering - Incentivizing reforestation - Promoting ecologically-friendly land use - Funding proactive adaptation and resilience plans to reduce the impact of climate-related events - Additional international agreements to coordinate climate change mitigation.

Climate change is a threat to everyone but minority/low-income communities face particular financial peril making this an issue of not just health and well-being, but also of equity.

As the grandson of four Holocaust survivors, my family is keenly aware of what happens when the United States abrogates its responsibilities on the global stage.

With great wealth and power comes great responsibility. The US is morally obligated to work for the betterment of the world’s people; our commitment to humankind cannot end at our borders.

It is also unequivocally in the best interest of the US to strengthen global institutions. From preventing global conflicts in which soldiers would perish to tackling international criminal syndicates bringing drugs and violence to our communities and sustaining global commerce that contributes to our financial wellbeing, investments in multilateral organizations today prevent much more costly repercussions in future.

Many pressing issues - from climate change to advances in AI - require international collaboration and coordination best achieved through global forums.

I thus support continued US involvement in organizations like the UN.