Economy and Jobs

 
I see a world in which people are at their best when they’re free to pursue their dreams, to invent --- create --- invest --- labor --- and produce
 
America has the strongest economy in the world, and our economic potential is the envy of all. Yet we all have a sense that our economy is underperforming. The anti-business rhetoric, over-regulation, and tax policies of the Obama Administration have suppressed economic growth for years. It is time to revive our economic growth prospects to benefit all people.
 
We need to ensure that we continue to compete globally. But that is not accomplished by government programs. It’s accomplished by:
 
Advocating policies that support, not deter, businesses
Regulating sensibly
Reducing taxes.
Unleashing our entrepreneurs
Improving our educational system
Competing globally
And create jobs and make incomes rise again — for everyone.
Know this — slicing a small pie differently just makes someone else hungry.   We need to make more pies.
 
I see a world in which people are at their best when they’re free to pursue their dreams, to invent — create — invest — labor — and produce – these efforts make our individual and collective lives better. That freedom gives rise to our progress.   After all, everyone has something to add to our great country. Those efforts will further power our economic growth to provide opportunity for all.
 

Tax Reform

 
With unemployment low and the economy recovering, now is the time to ensure that we create a fairer tax system.
 
America must fundamentally revise its tax code to create jobs, encourage innovation, and compete globally. With unemployment low and the economy recovering, now is the time to ensure that we create a fairer tax system. I support lower rates across the board. I would support efforts to reform the payroll tax, as it impedes job creation and is disproportionately borne by lower wage workers. I oppose efforts to eliminate the deductibility of state and local taxes. I favor a lower corporate tax rate, as we must avoid incentives for companies to relocate overseas or employ elaborate tax-minimization strategies that create little genuine economic benefit.
 

Health Care

 
I favor a system that allows people to choose their doctors, that does not block pre-existing conditions, and that prevents free-riding by requiring all Americans to pay for insurance.
 
Our health care system produces amazing results for the American people, but it is in danger of being overwhelmed by regulation, whipsawed by changing reimbursement systems, and crushed by bureaucratic meddling. I do not favor Obamacare, as its effects have been to drive insurance premiums higher, deny Americans their freedom to keep their doctors, and created enormous costs and strains in the system. I favor a system that allows people to choose their doctors, that does not block pre-existing conditions, and that prevents free-riding by requiring all Americans to pay for insurance.
 
Senator Warren supports Bernie Sanders’s Medicare for All, which is basically nationalized, single-payer healthcare. I oppose Senator Sanders’s proposal because it would create a system that offers little hope of curbing cost, but guarantees taxes and premiums will increase by more than $1 trillion.
 
I favor tort reform so that doctors and hospitals can avoid practicing defensive medicine. I favor expanding subsidies for medical education, as we need to attract our best and brightest into an area that pays enormous dividends to society through a healthier population. We face a retirement wave of medical professionals in the coming years that must be addressed, and the best path is to encourage our talented students to pursue a noble career in medicine.
 

Criminal Justice

 
Police are our first line of defense against those who would commit crimes, and they are our last hope for ensuring social order.
 
Our police officers put their lives on the line daily for us, and I support them. While there have been abuses, and we must never let wrongdoing lurk behind a badge, we must also recognize the vast majority of our police officers undertake the thankless task of ensuring civil order in an increasingly fractious society. We cannot suggest they are, as Senator Warren has insinuated, as an “occupying army”. The police are our first line of defense against those who would commit crimes, and they are our last hope for ensuring social order.
 
We have made progress in criminal justice reform, and I favor efforts to reduce the rate of imprisonment, especially for non-violent crimes. We must also address the genuine unfairness that our approach to criminal justice has created. We have to heal the distrust and divide between the police and our communities. And we’ve locked up far too many for far too long, and they are released into a society ill-prepared for their return.   It’s an unconscionable waste of our youth.   If we don’t invest in education, mental health services, and job opportunities for those who need our help, then it’s an invitation to social disaster for all of us.
 

Immigration

 
We simply cannot welcome all who want to be here, and we need to put in place and enforce laws that are respected, not flouted.
 
We must find a consensus over immigration that recognizes the realities of our current situation, prepares us for future economic challenges, and lives up to the promise that America has long offered the world. We must reform our immigration system so that those who comply with our laws and seek entry legally are not disadvantaged versus those who enter our country illegally or who overstay their visas. We simply cannot open our borders to anyone who wants to be here, and we need to put in place and enforce laws that are respected, not flouted. But we have to accept that there are many here who, through no fault of their own, have been raised in our country, and we must accept them as our fellow Americans. I support sensible border security, increased interdiction and swift repatriation of those who arrive illegally. I oppose sanctuary cities and would vote to withhold federal aid to any city that seeks to defy federal law or actively oppose the efforts of federal officials to uphold the law.
 

Education

 
I will advocate for federal funds to be deployed to support educational opportunity and choice, because I believe all parents should have a choice as to where to send their children, not just the well-off.
 
As the son of two school teachers, I appreciate enormously those who go to work each day to help our children achieve their dreams through education. While education is primarily the responsibility of our cities and towns, the federal government plays a critical role in awarding grants and transferring funds to foster innovation and excellence. I will advocate for federal funds to be deployed to support educational opportunity and choice, because I believe all parents should have a choice as to where to send their children, not just the well-off. We must close failing schools and hold teachers and administrators accountable for reasonable and thoughtfully measured results. I support programs that recruit teachers as we need to bring more of our talented college graduates into today’s classroom. America’s educational system is its greatest strength — we must not let it falter.
 

Foreign Policy and Defense

 
I would advocate for our allies to bear more of our common burden, as it is foolish for us to defend those who are fully capable of defending themselves.
 
America retains the most powerful military in the world, and I am committed to ensuring our military leaders have the full range of weapons and personnel that is justified by the range of threats we face. But I would advocate for our allies to bear more of our common burden, as it is foolish for us to defend those who are fully capable of defending themselves.
 
I remain concerned about the dangerous inclinations of rogue states such as North Korea, Iran, and Syria. I would support efforts to work with our allies and others who are concerned to ensure that the ability of those who wish us harm is greatly curbed.
 
I stand with Israel, our one true friend in the Middle East. I favor continued military assistance to Israel to enhance and ensure its ability to defend itself, and I oppose efforts to isolate and harass Israel in forums such as the United Nations.
 
We must remain vigilant as the threat of global terrorism is ever-present. Those who wish us ill and carry evil in their hearts have not disappeared. We need to continue to take the battle to the enemy, as the more they remain on the defensive the less likely they are to successfully attack our homeland.
 

Environment

 
It is prudent that we study and implement ways to reduce our impact on the environment.
 
I recognize that our world is faced with fundamental challenges related to our impact on our natural environment. It is prudent that we study and implement ways to reduce our impact on the environment. I favor green technologies that are economically viable as a key part of future economic growth, and believe conservation of our natural resources is our duty to our children, grandchildren, and future descendants. I do not support subsidies of uneconomic technologies that lead to waste of taxpayers’ dollars. I would encourage careful development and deployment of our oil and gas resources, and I would encourage expanded research into next-generation nuclear power resources, as we need to be ready to deal with our energy needs without relying on potentially hostile foreign sources.
 

No Budget, No Pay

 
If lawmakers want to mortgage the stability of our economy and the welfare of millions for the sake of scoring a quick political point, they should be the first to feel the impact.
 
Career politicians have a stranglehold on Washington because of their own self-interests. I say we withhold pay from federal lawmakers who fail to do their jobs — including for any government shutdown caused by inaction or gridlock in Congress. If they don’t pass a budget, why should soldiers and seniors be at risk… and the lawmakers aren’t?
 
If lawmakers in Congress, like Senator Warren, cannot or will not do their jobs, they should not keep getting paid by the taxpayers. In the private sector, you don’t keep getting paid when you can’t or won’t fulfill your most basic job requirements, do you?
 
The ‘Schumer Shutdown’ that occurred earlier this year was not an isolated political event but rather a symptom of the increasing polarization and extreme partisanship pushed by politicians like Senator Warren. In this case, Elizabeth Warren would rather jeopardize our soldiers and seniors than agree to fund the government. And why? Because the Democrats object to sensible immigration reform! They prefer open borders to a functioning government!
 
If lawmakers want to mortgage the stability of our economy and the welfare of millions for the sake of scoring a quick political point, they should be the first to feel the impact. I say, simply and directly — no budget, no pay.
 

Earmarks

 
We need to completely change the way business is done in Washington. A return to the days of pork-barrel spending would be a huge step backwards.
 
Recently, there has been talk that congressional leadership would allow earmarks to return to the budget process. Earmarks have all the hallmarks of why Washington is broken: Special interests… Paybacks to donors… Career politicians doling out goodies to the favored few.
 
Earmarks are a way for individual members of Congress to direct funds, or pass provisions, that typically favor a small group. It’s the classic avenue to buy off donors, and reward special interests – quietly insert special language in a bill to please a few. Leaders in Congress like earmarks because by granting them, they can secure cooperation of a fellow member for legislation that he or she might not otherwise support. OUR interests are being sacrificed for those of a few.
 
I urged Republicans in Congress to abandon plans to re-allow earmarks. Democrats historically were the main practitioners of this unsavory technique, and Republicans stopped it. But word was they might revive it. We don’t need more pork-barrel spending, by either party.
 
The use of earmarks to pass legislation in Washington was banned specifically because of the incredible waste and cronyism it invited. It brought us such infamous taxpayer-funded boondoggles as the ‘bridge-to-nowhere’– and should not be brought back.
 
We need to completely change the way business is done in Washington. A return to the days of pork-barrel spending would be a huge step backwards.
 

Veterans

 
My dad was a veteran, and like his fellow soldiers, he didn’t join the service to get health care. But like all veterans past and present, he deserved it.
 
We as Americans owe an enormous debt of gratitude toward those who serve in our Armed Forces. Our safety, and our way of life, are in their capable hands. I support the Administration’s efforts to provide sufficient resources to protect our country.
 
But it is when their service has ended that our veterans must turn to us, the American people, to live up to our promises to them when we sent them into harm’s way, or demanded sacrifices so that our Nation can be secure. In particular, our veterans deserve top-notch care for their medical needs. Some of those needs arose from injuries and wounds suffered in combat. And some arise as they do among all of us. But all of our veterans’ medical needs deserve attention. Yet it is well-known that the Department of Veterans Affairs has repeatedly failed to deliver the top-notch care our veterans deserve. Many doctors and nurses in the VA work under enormously difficult circumstances, and perform minor miracles — and some major ones — each day. But all too often our veterans’ care falls short.
 
The VA’s own inspector general in recent years has pointed out the systemic effort of VA administrators to hide the inordinate wait times being experienced by veterans. We found out that veterans died for want of prompt care. Let me be clear — No veteran should die because he or she has to wait for care. They didn’t hesitate to put their lives on the line for us. We can’t hesitate to be there for them in their hour of need.
 
I applaud the Trump Administration’s efforts to reform the VA. We need to devote more resources. We need to give veterans more choice of health care solutions. Most importantly, we need to listen to our veterans as to what their needs are and what their experiences are in receiving health care. And we need to respond.
 
The Trump Administration has made veterans’ care a priority. And one way it has done that is by insisting that underperforming employees can be terminated. The VA does not exist to serve its bureaucrats — it exists to serve our veterans. We must assess veterans’ satisfaction with health care and care about their concerns, just as they cared about our safety. If we need to spend more, we will, but let’s make sure we get the best care possible without bloated bureaucracies.
 
My dad was a veteran, and like his fellow soldiers, he didn’t join the service to get health care. But like all veterans past and present, he deserved it. To me, this is personal. No veteran should be deprived of high-quality health care. As a U.S. Senator, I will be a leading advocate for veterans’ health. It’s the least we can do.
 

Term Limits

 

Members of Congress should never forget they are there to serve the citizens that elected them — not to advance their own political careers.

 

Career politicians lead to gridlock and special interests. They need to raise money to get re-elected, and that puts them at the beck and call of unions, lobbyists, and corporations seeking hand-outs.
 
Yet politicians like Senator Warren refuse to change anything. She claims to support reform, but when it comes time to support real change, she turns turtle. Hides from her responsibility. Ignores what we need. Are you content with that? I’m not.
 
I pledge to support term limits if elected.
 
Where’s Elizabeth Warren on this? Silent. She continues to protect career politicians and support the broken status quo in Washington by refusing to endorse term limits for members of Congress. I say there are too many politicians in Congress whose top priority is getting re-elected, rather than doing what is right for the nation.
 
Members of Congress should never forget they are there to serve the citizens that elected them — not to advance their own political careers.
 
That is why I’ve taken a pledge to support a three-term limit for members of the U.S. House of Representatives and a two-term limit for U.S. Senators. If you can’t accomplish what the voters elected you to do in six or twelve years – you should get out of the way and allow a new generation of leaders to show the way.

Fishing

 
The brave men and women of the New England fishing industry deserve our support.
 
The fishing industry is the lifeblood of so many of our local economies and plays an important role in the economic well-being of our Commonwealth. Massachusetts’s $4 billion fishing industry supports over 80,000 jobs in the Commonwealth and has one of the highest economic impacts of any state’s fishing industries. We need to streamline regulations to improve U.S. competitiveness in the industry and work to improve safety conditions for one of the most important industries in America. The brave men and women of the New England fishing industry deserve our support. I’ll be an advocate for the fishing industry and ensuring that Massachusetts continues to thrive thanks to their tireless hours of hard work at sea.
 

Energy

 
We can't abandon fossil fuels but we must plan for tomorrow more aggressively than we have by expanding renewables and using energy more efficiently—It's in the best interest of ourselves, and children, and our planet.
 
I support continued measured development of our natural resources, an economically rational advancement of renewable sources, and a focus on conservation and efficiency. All of these energy solutions lead to energy independence from the Middle East and a genuine commitment to preserving the environment. We can’t abandon fossil fuels but we must plan for tomorrow more aggressively than we have by expanding renewables and using energy more efficiently—It’s in the best interest of ourselves, and children, and our planet.
 

Opioids

 
I support a solution that focuses on increasing public awareness and education, improves treatment and rehabilitation options, and assists law enforcement in keeping drugs like fentanyl out of our communities before they can inflict more harm.
 
It is a tragedy that so many of our family, friends, and neighbors are suffering from the horror that is addiction. I’ve experienced this pain in my extended family, and I’m committed to encouraging Congress to follow the lead of Charlie Baker and others to provide treatment and hope. The opioid epidemic is a symptom of a larger tragedy in our communities — the loss of hope and optimism amongst so many who have been left behind. I support a solution that focuses on increasing public awareness and education, improves treatment and rehabilitation options, and assists law enforcement in keeping drugs like fentanyl out of our communities before they can inflict more harm.
 

Seniors

 
We must keep the promises we have made to our retirees. Social Security and Medicare must be protected so that people relying on benefits receive them.
 
We must keep the promises we have made to our retirees. Social Security and Medicare must be protected so that people relying on benefits receive them. But career politicians in broken Washington have ignored shortfalls with these programs and have refused to act. By sticking with partisan ideas and refusing to come to the table, they have failed the people who need these programs the most.
 
We need sensible reforms to Social Security and Medicare that don’t cut benefits for retirees or anyone approaching retirement. We must find a way to work together on bipartisan solutions or we will see the consequences of Washington’s inaction and its inability to come together.
 

Second Amendment

 
I support commonsense laws that keep guns out of the hands of criminals while protecting our Second Amendment rights.
 
I support commonsense laws that keep guns out of the hands of criminals while protecting our Second Amendment rights. Americans have a right to defend themselves, and I’ll stand up to extremists who seek to turn law-abiding citizens into victims. I will also support laws that protect the rights of lawful gun owners while traveling, improve our background check system, and protect those who may be a danger to themselves.