FIX OUR DEMOCRACY

Why Alan Cares

2020 is a critical year for the United States. In addition to a presidential election, COVID-19 is exposing the country’s biggest vulnerabilities, from inequities in healthcare and the economy, to racial justice. Changing the status quo, however, requires a robust democratic system that allows for individual voters to have their voices heard and empowers them to drive the country in the direction they’d like to see it go. Voting and electoral politics are yet another area where the glaring need for reform has been highlighted by recent events. In many states, corruption and voter suppression efforts are in full effect. Polling location closures have led to excruciatingly long lines, hitting minority communities the hardest, absentee ballot voting is not being expanded uniformly and the President is instead pointing to unfounded concerns about voter fraud. Fixing our democracy, protecting voting rights and erasing the outsized influence of money in our politics are some of Alan’s top priorities.

As the son of immigrants, Alan was raised to believe that America is the greatest country in the world because of freedom, equality of opportunity, democracy and justice for All. He has spent his life empowering people to fully participate in our communities civic life and democracy. That is why he started City Year and other non profit organizations. Alan shares President Harry Truman’s belief that the highest office in our country is that of Citizen. He wrote his book Big Citizenship to explain that belief.

“Alan has always fought to protect and expand the voices of all people, and nowhere is this work more critical than in fixing our broken electoral process,” said Lawrence Lessig, Harvard professor and Democracy Reform thought leader. “He was among the first Congressional candidates in the country more than 10 years ago to refuse all money from corporate PACs and lobbyists, and is doing the same in this campaign. Alan’s leadership will deliver real change to fix our Democracy.”

Alan is inspired by the new energy and activism across the 4th district and our country. If he has the privilege of serving in Congress, he doesn’t want to go alone. He wants to bring the people with him and use their spirit, commitment and energy to bust open the doors of Congress, break the logjam and bring about transformational change. If elected, he will bring about fundamental democracy reform to once again make our democracy truly of, by and for the people.

The Facts

  • Seventy-two percent of voters favor Vote-by-Mail, including over 50% of Republicans, according to a Reuters poll
  • Lobbying spending in the U.S in 2019 was at $3.5 Billion, more than double what it was back in 2000.
  • Over the last decade of elections there was $4.5 billion in non-party outside spending, $1.2 billion given to candidates, parties and other groups by the top 10 donors, and $963 million in outside spending by groups that don’t disclose their funders

  • People of color in states with a history of voting discrimination had fewer places to vote in 2016.
  • One study found that Black and Hispanic voters were twice as likely, or more, to have experienced barriers to voting as white respondents
  • There are 11,862 Registered federal lobbyists, twenty two for each member of Congress.
  • In House elections over the last decade, over 90% of the races were won by the candidate who raised the most money

For more information on voter suppression, read this informative Atlantic article HERE

ALAN'S ACTION PLAN

Alan strongly supports H.R 1, the For the People Act, which enables public financing of campaigns, guarantees automatic voter registration and the expansion of early voting for every American, as well as the prohibition of partisan gerrymandering, the strengthening of ethics rules governing elections, the disclosure of Super PAC donors, the disclosure of 10 years of tax returns by all presidential candidates, limitations on foreign lobbying, and prohibits the use of taxpayer money by politicians to settle sexual harassment claims.

Alan will pursue Electoral Reform in Congress including a 21st Century Voting Rights Act, to reverse the Supreme Court decision in Texas which stripped people of their unabridged right to vote, deliver automatic voter registration, making voting easier, the elimination of the electoral college, outlawing voter suppression and outlawing gerrymandering. There is no reason why every citizen should not be registered to vote in 21st century America. Laws that deliberately seek to suppress voting have no place in our democracy, and lastly, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to vote, election day should be moved to the weekend.

Alan supports expanding Vote-by-Mail and advancing technology to support digital voting. This country has seen first hand during the COVID-19 pandemic that preventing the mail-in ballot can force millions of voters to make a choice between their health and their right to vote. Alan believes we must give everyone the chance to vote safely, and at their convenience.

Alan believes there must be 18 year term limits for the Supreme Court. When the rules were first created, the American lifespan was much, much shorter. Today, appointed judges may be sitting on the court for 50 or more years, influencing multiple generations of legal code. That is not what our founders intended.

Alan will also champion an American Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission funded with $50 million by Congress to take the extraordinary protest energy demanding racial justice from the street corners and neighborhoods, into a national institutional process to ensure we achieve transformational legal, policy and cultural change.

Alan will introduce legislation for Universal Voluntary National Service as a way to unleash the energy and idealism of young people to tackle pressing societal challenges, restore our sense of common purpose and show that we have more that unites us than divides us. National service will also give all young people a jumpstart on the American dream through life changing benefits in return for their service, including the elimination of a portion of student debt for every completed year of service, and complete debt forgiveness after 10 years for those who enter public service.