FREEDOM AGENDA | STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

We believe in freedom in all its forms. The freedom to do what we choose and the freedom from that which would harm us. We stand for freedom for every American.

We believe in the freedom to prosper and pursue our dreams, to worship as we choose, to speak our minds without fear of persecution, to respectfully participate in the civic dialogue of the nation, to vote and have that vote counted. We believe the right to personal privacy is intrinsic to the idea of American freedom: freedom for families to control their own lives, who to love, who to marry, reproductive freedom so the decision when or if to have a family is a personal choice.

And we believe in freedom from that which would harm us. From fear of crime, from hunger, from medical bills that would bankrupt our families, from government corruption, from discrimination, from environmental dangers and a climate crisis that threaten personal, family, and societal health. Freedom from government and corporate intrusion in our lives, and from authoritarianism wherever it comes from.

Freedom defines America.

We believe democracy is one of the great achievements of humanity, but it is fragile, and we must do all we can to preserve government of, by, and for the People. We fight to make sure every citizen has the right to vote and have that vote counted, to root out corruption from our electoral process, and to make sure every citizen is represented fairly.

We believe that those in government must work hard to restore transparency and accountability, fight corruption, end gerrymandering, enhance election security, and put a stop to the stranglehold special interests maintain over government.

We are a nation of laws, and those laws must apply equally to everyone. To the powerful as well as to those who would threaten ordinary Americans with violent crime; to those who riot in the streets and those who storm the Capitol. We must have a bipartisan agreement to pre-serve election integrity and trust.

No one, foreign or domestic, from any group, at any level of government, can ever be allowed to overrule the will of the American people.

We believe that American innovation, ingenuity, and capitalism have enabled the freedom to build prosperity. Throughout our history, people have come to America for the opportunity of upward mobility, to be free, and to build their American Dream. We are committed to keeping America in the lead.

We fight for the working people who make capitalism work. Every American, no matter where they come from or what they look like, who they worship or love, deserves a fair shot to go as far as their talents, aspirations, and hard work can take them.

We support business – especially small business. America must encourage and invest in innovation while balancing new innovations/future technologies and protecting Americans’ equal access to opportunity. The more Americans who get a fair shot – who are provided equal opportunity, education, and training to advance their careers, to own a home or a business – the more our nation will prosper.

In recent decades, special interests have pushed in the opposite direction, devaluing the contribution of workers, reducing competition and innovation, allowing industries to consolidate, and send jobs overseas. Monopolies exploit loopholes to take advantage of Americans.

In the process the American middle class – once the envy of the world – has been decimated. America does better when its workers do better. We must stop outsourcing American jobs, strengthen labor unions and workers’ ability to collectively bargain, and ensure that our workers are beneficiaries of a growing economy. It’s time to restore the dignity of work.

Capitalism works when there is a level playing field and equal access to opportunity so workers, entrepreneurs, and businesses large and small have the same chance to compete and succeed.

We believe Americans are a good and generous people who deserve to live in safe and strong communities. Every community should have the freedom of safety for children to grow up, for families to thrive, and for schools, businesses, and places of worship to work together to build a healthy society.

We believe it’s not enough just to invest in business; we must invest in people. To revive the middle class, American families need the tools to allow them to create their own opportunities: education, job training, childcare, family leave, affordable healthcare. We already know these investments repay themselves three and four times over. The more Americans who get a fair shot – who are provided equal opportunity, education, and training to advance their careers, to own a home or a business – the more our nation will prosper.

Likewise we must support our communities in regrowing bonds of trust and connection, so they can be a safe place for children to grow, and where families, schools, businesses, and houses of worship can work together to build a healthy society. Americans deserve to feel like they belong – and Democrats are committed to working toward this vision of our future.

We will continue to fund and respect the police while working to ensure accountability and that laws are enforced fairly. We will make crucial investments to address the root causes of crime, so our families can thrive in communities free from fear.

America’s greatest natural resource is her people. What has always made us exceptional is our belief that every individual deserves equal opportunity to succeed. And individuals thrive when their communities thrive.

We believe that every person should be judged by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin, who they love, or where they worship. We fight to march forward America’s freedoms and ongoing quest to live
up to its founding principle of life and liberty and know America’s failings never outweigh its promise.

We reject the idea that any person should be made to feel shame or discomfort about their own race or ethnicity, who they love, or where they worship. Regardless of whatever extent this happens in schools, corporations, or the media, it is emphatically not part of any policy sup-ported by Democrats.

America is the only country on earth founded on an idea. And we believe the story of America is our quest to make that idea – equality – a reality. Denying the uglier parts of our history like slavery, racism, or internment camps denies the heroism of the brave Americans who fought to right those wrongs. While the Founders of the United States were imperfect, their genius is reflected in our Constitution that binds us together and provides Citizens with the tools to create a more perfect Union. The ideal of Progress was built into this founding document and has been practiced from the very beginning of our great Nation.

We believe that our children should learn that America is a great country not because we have always lived up to our founding principles, but because we have never stopped trying to be better in pursuit of our freedoms. That work is ongoing and is the responsibility of every American citizen.

We believe America’s failings can never outweigh her promise and achievements.

We believe American ingenuity can lead the world in building an energy revolution that will bring security, prosperity, and millions of jobs; but we must unleash that potential before it is too late. The freedoms enabled by safe water, clean air, fresh food and livable ecosystems are beyond measure.

We believe America is at a crossroads; one path leads to climate disaster, the other to an energy revolution that will create millions of new jobs that can’t be sent overseas, permanent energy independence, and protection from the worst of climate chaos. And much more: it will cut the cost of living for every American, give our most marginalized communities a chance at prosperity, and by decentralizing energy creation make our nation more resilient against all natural disasters and foreign influence.

Disinformation about climate change – that it’s a hoax, that fighting it will kill jobs, that we will have to give up our cars and houses – has cost us decades. It’s time to make the investments necessary to guarantee our children and their children the freedom and prosperity earlier generations enjoyed, time to retrain the fossil fuel workers who helped build our nation’s greatness. It’s time for all hands on deck; all of our freedoms are at stake.

We believe that America should lead the world in creating an energy revolution.

We believe in unifying, commonsense reforms that are backed by a bipartisan majority of Americans. From stopping the chaos of gun violence to reforming marijuana laws, to lowering healthcare costs, we are committed to reforms that make every American more free.

We believe in unifying, commonsense reforms that are backed by a bipartisan majority of Americans. From ending the chaos of gun violence to modernizing marijuana laws, from lowering healthcare costs to a sound fiscal policy in government to lower debt and make smarter investments, we are committed to reforms that make everyone more free.

The chaos of gun violence, unjust marijuana enforcement laws, the crippling cost of health-care, and tax bailouts for the ultra-rich have restricted the freedom to life and opportunity for too many Americans.

We will work toward any solutions that protect every Americans’ freedom to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We believe in a vibrant and hopeful future where America leads the world as a shining beacon of freedom, a county that builds on its greatness by investing in the genius, common sense, and goodness of the American people.

We believe in a vibrant and hopeful future where America leads the world as a shining beacon of freedom, a county that can build on its greatness by investing in the genius, common sense, and goodness of the American people.

We see an America where nothing is impossible if we commit to solving the problem, where America builds upon generations of achievements to address the biggest challenges we face today.

We are committed to helping build an America where our new freedoms are enshrined in our laws, where commonsense and the common good, not special interests, guide our governing.

We can build a great future if we invest in the genius, common sense, and goodness of the American people.