John On The Issues
We need to break the hyper-partisan fever that's gripped America and build a new kind of politics based on common facts, common ground and common sense problem solving. The policies I believe in are focused on how we can reunite as a nation while rebuilding the middle class right here on Long Island.
Abortion:
The decision to have an abortion should be between a woman, her doctor, and her God – not the government. But the fact is that young women today are growing up with fewer rights than their mothers did. Trump’s Supreme Court appointees took away the constitutional right to reproductive freedom after 50 years of Roe v Wade – and they lied to the American people about their determination to do it. Nick LaLota cheered the repeal of Roe and said he wants states to go further. Now, Donald Trump is saying that women should have their pregnancies tracked while states like Alabama are going after IVF, Florida has imposed a 6-week ban and the Republican Speaker of the House is an advocate for a national abortion ban. We need a Democratic congress to protect reproductive freedom.
Donald Trump and Washington Republicans raised our taxes – and they did it out of spite, as part of a political stunt so they could fund billions more in special tax breaks for big corporations and the super-rich. They used the tax code as a partisan weapon by capping the State and Local Tax Deduction, which targeted blue states (which generally give more tax dollars to the federal government than they get back). Long Island families have depended on the SALT deduction for decades. But Washington Republicans are never going to restore it because their party is just too invested in the partisan red-state/blue-state divide. But Democrats can and will restore the SALT deductions if we take back Congress. I’ll also fight to increase the Child Tax Credit to help working families and move more kids out of poverty. Together, that could put an extra $10,000 in hard-working families’ pockets here on Long Island.
Affordability and Taxes:
Climate Change:
In Suffolk County, the environment is the economy, and the economy is the environment: from farming and fishing to tourism and recreation. But as storm surges, erosion, and flooding become commonplace in nearly every coastal community on Long Island, we all need to confront the fact that climate change is real and impacting our community and our economy right now. Decades of climate change denial from the far-right has hurt our ability to deal with this problem. Now Washington Republicans keep trying to cut environmental defense funding. This shouldn’t be a partisan political issue. We need to come together —Democrats, Republicans, and Independents -- to solve this problem here on Long Island. We need to invest in climate change mitigation and water quality protection before more damage is done. To do that, I’ll aim to serve on the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee if elected to Congress. It should be tax deductible for families and businesses to make their properties more resilient. We need to invest in beach renourishment on a regular basis. And we need to develop the next generation of clean energy technology right here on Long Island.
Watch my CNN Reality Check: A Brief History of Climate Change Denial.
Crime:
We need to be tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. Public safety is a fundamental civil right: citizens have a right to expect safe, clean streets and criminals need to be held accountable for their actions. But we also have a right to expect a criminal justice system that is fair, where those few police officers who abuse their power aren’t above the law. We need to invest in community policing and other proven crime-fighting strategies to ensure that Suffolk remains one of the safest places to live and raise a family. But here’s the reality: violent crime spiked under Donald Trump and it has fallen under Joe Biden. Let’s build on the gains we’ve made by taking on illegal guns, drugs and gangs - and stand with law enforcement who put their lives on the line every day for all of us.
We need to strengthen the guardrails around our democracy. Congress needs to pass common sense reforms like the John Lewis Act, the Freedom to Vote Act and the Protecting Our Democracy Act – that all encourage greater participation in our democratic process We should support redistricting reform and ranked choice voting, lower obstacles to voter participation, adopt automatic voter registration for all eligible citizens and expand early voting, including mail-in voting, which has proven effective at increasing participation. We need to combat digital disinformation. We also need to reinvest in civic education to teach students about the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen in a self-governing society.
Defending Democracy:
America was founded on the ideals of liberty and equality for all. We have always struggled to live up to the full meaning of this creed, but every generation has made progress toward its fulfillment. Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. That is why I am a strong supporter of the NY Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The NY ERA is an amendment to the New York State Constitution that adds protections from discrimination against ethnicity, nation of origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity and guarantees reproductive freedom. When I get to Congress, I will also support the federal Equal Rights Amendment which provides an explicit guarantee of protection against discrimination on the basis of sex and would be the 28th Amendment to our constitution as well as the Equality Act, which would add protections for LGBTQ Americans under the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964. The effort to demonize people over our differences for political gain doesn’t reflect our nation’s true values. Fighting for equal rights upholds American values and I will always do that in Congress.
Equality and Dignity:
I agree with President Biden that the defining struggle of our times is between democracy and autocracy. America has a special responsibility to be a beacon of freedom and a bulwark of democracy – especially by strengthening multilateral institutions like NATO. We must uphold international law, defend liberal democracy and work to deter armed conflict. That’s why I’m a strong supporter of our allies Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. While we are a republic and not an empire, the United States should stand up to tyrants and terrorists – and unapologetically defend our legacy as a force for good in the world.
Foreign Policy:
Gun Safety and Violence Prevention:
How many more horrific mass shootings does America need to endure? Nobody needs a weapon of war for hunting, sport or self-defense. We need common sense measures like violent history checks before all gun purchases, restoring the assault weapons ban and stopping the spread of untraceable “ghost” guns. We need to work with law enforcement to get illegal guns off our streets. I’m honored to have the support of Huntington’s Michael and Linda Beigel Schulman. Their son, Scott was a hero of Parkland, and it is up to us to carry on his legacy by passing gun safety and violence prevention measures in Congress. This is compassionate common sense and consistent with the Second Amendment.
Watch my CNN Reality Check: Guns Now Leading Cause of Death for U.S. Kids
Health Care:
Health care needs to be more affordable and accessible. No family should live in fear of being bankrupted by a serious illness or injury – and it's unacceptable that America pays more in health care than any other industrialized nation and yet has worse outcomes. While I don’t believe that government controlled single payer healthcare is practical in the United States, I support the creation of a public health care option because it is the fastest way to get more folks covered. We should be focused on creating more choices and reducing costs. The good things in our system - like an emphasis on quality and innovation at the highest levels - need to be encouraged. I believe government has a role to play in addressing high prices for essential medicines like the Biden administration's actions on reducing the price of insulin from $400 to $35 a month which we should expand to every American. But I also believe government needs to address cost drivers like the third-party payer problem. We are entering an era of extraordinary biomedical advances and we need to promote payment policies that improve outcomes and reduce unnecessary costs.
It's not a coincidence that the middle of our politics has been hollowed out at the same time that the middle of our economy has been hollowed out. America needs a strong middle class where families who work hard and play by the rules can rise up the ladder of success to achieve their American dream. The middle class built Long Island – and Unions, the GI Bill and community colleges built the middle class. That’s why I’ll work with Unions and businesses to deliver good jobs with fair wages to Suffolk County. We need to ensure that Long Island is getting its fair share of the bipartisan infrastructure investment to repair our roads and bridges and increase the quality of transportation – including electrification and high-speed rail. Biden’s CHIPs and Science Act promises to deliver new businesses and industry to Long Island, so we can be a leader in innovation again, building on the foundation of Brookhaven National Labs and Stony Brook University. And we need to build new housing that preserves the historic character of our communities while ensuring that essential workers like teachers and nurses and first responders can live in the communities in which they serve. I believe that every economic question in Congress should be seen through the lens of whether it strengthens the middle class and restores faith in the American Dream. That’s what I’ll focus on when Democrats take back control of Congress.
Rebuild the Middle Class:
After a lifetime of work and contributing to the system, Americans deserve a secure retirement. Social Security and Medicare are earned benefits – not “entitlements,” and as two of the most successful programs in the country's history, we must protect and improve upon them to ensure they remain solvent. I believe that Medicare should continue to negotiate the price of pharmaceuticals so that seniors can afford the drugs they depend on. I will fight any attempts to privatize Social Security or Medicare.
Senior Citizens:
We live in a time of great technological change, from AI to biotech to crypto-currency. The US must remain a leader in innovation to preserve the strength of our economy, national security and global competitiveness. In all cases, we need clear rules of the road that protect our citizens, increase freedom, promote prosperity, and defend democracy. That’s why I support the establishment of a national AI strategy, a national digital privacy standard, and social media reforms to protect children’s mental health as well as to combat digital disinformation. The lack of clear regulations has also been deeply counterproductive to the growing digital currency industry and a disservice to consumers. The lack of leadership risks undercutting American dominance in this industry. When elected to Congress, I will strongly support legislation like the Financial Innovation and Technology of the 21st Century Act and encourage the creation of a broad bipartisan coalition on the need for clear, fair, and future-focused regulation for cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. This will be an important part of the future and the United States needs to be a leader and not a follower in change.
Technology and Blockchain Innovation:
Freedom isn’t free. No one has sacrificed more to keep our country safe than veterans and their families – and their courage and sacrifice must always be honored. With the historic passage of the PACT Act, veterans can finally access the care they need and deserve from exposure to Agent Orange, burn pits, and other toxic exposures. When elected to Congress, I will work to ensure that every veteran in Suffolk County knows that these new benefits are available. I will also prioritize access to mental health services. Roughly 17 veterans die by suicide each day - which is more than 1.5 times the national average. This is unacceptable. With the Northport VA Medical Center right here in NY-01, there is no excuse: our veterans should always have the finest care.