MATT'S PRIORITIES

RESTORE THE BALANCE.

We are too often represented by officials who are out of touch with our everyday needs.

While we struggle to afford a normal life and secure retirement, our representatives gain wealth through corporate donors, insider trading, and tax breaks normal people never see. Billionaires don’t know what we need, and our representatives aren’t willing to stand up for us.

Imagine if our elected officials wore the logos of their corporate and billionaire donors like NASCAR drivers; then the picture might become a bit more clear that our nation is being run by wealthy, corrupt agendas and not the voice of the people. This is no way to make progress on the issues that matter most to everyday citizens.

Matt believes it is time we clean this up, and he’s ready to stand firm on responsible, responsive government when he gets to DC.

FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE.

So many of our rights are under attack. We see it in New Hampshire, and we see it across our nation. Systems that should be helping us are only working for the elite few. DC and state leaders continue to hand over societal goods and community services to private, out of touch corporations. This has to end! 

Our state and nation are aging. We need stronger systems in place to support us all because everyone has a right to be healthy, safe, and fulfilled as they grow old. For that to happen, we need to improve healthcare, social security, the workforce of caregivers, public transit, and our environment. Matt knows the importance of social safety nets that actually promote wellbeing, transit that is accessible for all, and an environment that sustains life– human, animal, and plant. 

We also have to focus on improving access to education. Knowledge and opportunity shouldn’t be filtered through economic or social status, but billionaires and religious fanatics are trying to make it so. New Hampshire has already moved to a school voucher program. Many states across our nation are doing the same. And, in losing the fight for quality public education, we are losing a great equalizer for our nation. But Matt is prepared to protect the institution of public education for all Americans. 

This is about our future, but it is also about right now. It’s time we stop handing over pieces of our society to greedy corporations and start owning the power we all have to influence the progress of our nation. Matt is ready to stand with normal people and the rights we all have to these societal goods.

OUR JUSTICE. OUR RIGHTS.

If you call the United States home, you should have equitable access to opportunity and advancement.

We are a nation built by immigrants escaping religious and political persecution in their homelands and Black communities forced into slave labor. We are a nation that advanced through the years because oppressed communities raised their voices and challenged a system that would not turn in their favor otherwise.

Women, laborers, people with disabilities, racial minorities, the LGBTQ+ community have all fought hard to earn rights that should have always been deserved, should have always been self-evident, should have always been protected.

Matt will push forward a national conversation of honesty, justice and inclusion, and he will stand for legislation that codifies these rights for all Americans.

He is prepared to fight for all of our rights to equitable, liberated, and full lives, and as a representative of the people, he will elevate the demands of activists across our nation who know what their communities need and deserve. In Congress, Matt will work for justice for all and the rights of the many. 

GOVERNMENT

Since the COVID pandemic, we’ve seen an aggressive form of corporate profiteering drive inflation at an unsustainable speed. Yes, corporations have long taken advantage of disasters, wars, and panics to increase their profits, but since 2019 it has been blatant and unchecked like never before. In Matt’s plan to combat inflation and address corporate profiteering, our government must:

  • Penalize companies that engage in exploitative practices like price gouging, especially when Americans are in crisis
  • Implement policies that support wage increases, raise the minimum wage, and strengthen collective bargaining rights
  • Increase consumer choice and market competition by providing financial support for small businesses and preventing “buy and kill” acquisitions by mega corporations
  • Enhance antitrust laws that promote competition and prevent monopolistic practices that hurt consumers
  • Implement windfall profit taxes on companies that excessively profit during periods of economic crisis or inflation

Our nation’s current foreign policy relies on aggressive, unilateral action that treats global peace and security as pawns. But, as a global power, we have a responsibility to protect peace and human rights, back democratic movements, and call out authoritarian rule–even from allies. We have a responsibility to promote and practice fair trade, tackle the climate crisis, and encourage a path towards universal nuclear disarmament. For Matt, this includes:

  • Supporting democratic movements and assuring that our foreign aid promotes democratic governance and human rights protections
  • The immediate restoration of USAID funding
  • Prioritizing our engagement with the United Nations (UN) and NATO in pursuit of diplomatic solutions to conflicts, peace-building initiatives, and use of military power to protect, not to provoke
  • Promoting fair trade policies that benefit everyone and support economic development in impoverished regions
  • Combating the climate crisis by reducing carbon emissions, transitioning to renewable energy, and supporting climate resilience plans for vulnerable countries
  • Initiating nuclear disarmament talks with Russia, China, France, United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea, and near nuclear powers like South Africa and Iran. 

Finally, we must cease support to any nation that intentionally violates human rights. To address the situation in Gaza and the West Bank today, Matt understands we must: 

  • Demand an immediate ceasefire 
  • End the United States’ military and financial support of the Israeli Government so long as this conflict continues
  • End diplomatic support for the current Israeli government at the UN
  • Ask the UN to create and enforce a demilitarized zone (DMZ) between Gaza and Israel 
  • Divest from any business or organization which furthers illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank
  • Enforce the arrest warrants issued by the International Court of Justice for senior Israeli officials

The two parties running our government continue to fumble when it comes to our national debt. Republicans refuse to acknowledge tax increases as a viable solution, and Democrats tend to fall in line with establishment demands. But Matt believes we can make progress on this and we can do it through policies that promote economic justice, sustainable growth, and the well-being of all Americans. Matt’s plan helps our nation by demanding the elite few contribute their fair share. Here’s what that looks like:

  • Close tax loopholes used by mega corporations
  • End preferential tax treatment for the wealthy and corporations
  • Ensure that everyone pays their fair share, and that includes higher taxes for top income brackets and taxing capital gains at the same rate as ordinary income
  • Address the impact of corporate tax incentives on the job security of regular, middle class workers
  • End government contracts with corporations that have committed tax fraud or utilize offshore tax havens

Too often our representatives aren’t working for us; they are working for whoever signs the biggest campaign checks. Corporations and billionaires are buying influence and shaping our nation in the process. Whether it’s fossil fuel subsidies, protecting gun manufacturers from liability, or increasing military contracts instead of veteran benefits, our representatives’ corporate sponsors have a much larger say in policy than we do.

That’s not how Matt is running his campaign, and it’s not how he will ever lead in Congress. He knows it’s time to  get big money out of politics, empower small donors, and demand transparency in the process. He’s ready to change election financing by:

  • Implementing the Fair Elections Now Act which matches small donations and encourages candidates to rely on a broader base of supporters rather than a few wealthy donors 
  • Strengthening disclosure requirements for campaign contributions and expenditures so voters know who fund our leaders 
  • Restricting the activities of super PACs and independent expenditure groups that have an outsized influence on politics today
  • Enhancing the power and resources of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to enforce campaign finance laws and ensure compliance

OUR COMMUNITY

We all deserve a quality education, no matter zip code, income, or background. It’s time to push this agenda with force instead of standing by and watching as the far right diverts public funds to voucher programs and charter schools that leave low-income, rural, and racially diverse communities behind. Education can be the great equalizer, not a tool to enforce division and privilege. As our Congressperson, Matt is prepared to advocate for: 

  • Equitable distribution of funds across school districts so that resources are not unfairly concentrated
  • An end to voucher programs and charter school programs that drain resources for public schools 
  • Pay increases for teachers across the board that reflect experience, education, and expertise
  • Fully funded Pre-K programs nationwide
  • Free speech protections for school curriculum
  • The separation of church and state by keeping religion out of public schools
  • A move beyond teaching to the test–we know this does not encourage learning or creativity anyway and it restricts teachers in the process
  • An end to policies that enable the school-to-prison pipeline, such “zero tolerance” and use of law enforcement personnel as School Resource Officers
  • At least 2 years of fully funded higher education for high school graduates through the College for All Act
  • Investments in the education workforce

The US continues to have the highest rate of uninsured citizens amongst our global peers. We continue to pay more per capita for healthcare; while experiencing worse health outcomes. We continue to lead in healthcare-induced bankruptcies and continue to pay the most for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, emergency room visits, and diagnostic tests. Our healthcare system fails us, and our leaders act like there’s nothing they to do about it. 

The thing is, we already have a successful foundation for universal healthcare: Medicare. We could expand the system and join the rest of the developed world in offering universal health coverage to anyone who needs it. Matt’s goals for our healthcare are clear:

  • Universal, comprehensive coverage that includes primary care, mental health, dental, vision, and prescription medications
  • Eliminate medical debt
  • Expand healthcare facilities in underserved communities and regions
  • Enhance preventive care services and public health initiatives to reduce rates of chronic diseases and improve overall health outcomes
  • Expand access to mental health and substance abuse services
  • Develop technologies and therapies using public funded research and ensure public retention of these technologies
  • Incentivize workforce development of primary care providers including nurse practitioners and physician assistants

Housing is a human right. Everyone should have access to shelter, protection from the elements, a safe place to live life. In a nation as wealthy as ours, it is because of corrupt systems and deliberate policy decisions that we have a housing crisis, increasing experiences of homelessness, and tenant exploitation.    

In DC, Matt will work to create a housing system that is just, equitable, and sustainable for all. That includes: 

  • Expansion of affordable housing through increased funding for public housing, subsidies for low-income families, and incentives for developers to build affordable units
  • Implementing rent control measures to prevent exploitation and displacement of tenants
  • Strengthening tenant rights to protect against unfair evictions, exorbitant rent increases, and unsafe living conditions
  • Zoning laws that support a mix of housing types, including multi-family units, accessory dwelling units, and co-housing 
  • Investing in energy-efficient, environmentally sustainable housing which also reduced utility costs
  • Encouraging the development of community land trusts and cooperative housing models to sustain affordability and community control over housing resources
  • The assurance of fair housing laws, reparations for past injustices, and equitable access to housing resources

Today, the Federal government spends around $20 billion on subsidies for the fossil fuel industry; $16 billion on big agriculture–that’s not your local family farm; and $18 billion on transportation like heavy rail, air, and trucking. Federal tax dollars support the continuous pollution of communities and our environment. It’s privatized gains with a socialized cost, and the winners are the millionaire and billionaire polluters and the politicians they fund. 

Our representatives enabled and perpetuated the climate crisis, but they could be a part of the solution now. The laws which allow huge companies to pollute and profit could change. And Matt is ready to make it happen. In DC, he will try to make polluters pay instead of profit, and he will promote climate action that is just, sustainable, and accountable to local communities. Here’s what that looks like:

  • Requiring companies to disclose pollution levels and environmental practices
  • Implementing appropriate and equitable penalties for pollution 
  • Providing incentives for companies that adopt sustainable practices such as tax breaks, accelerated depreciation, and low interest government loans
  • Holding boards and executives accountable, legally and financially, for the actions of their corporations 
  • Requiring corporations–not the public–to clean up their operation sites, such as mines, oil rigs, and chemical plants 

JUSTICE FOR ALL

Civil rights ensure we are protected against discrimination  and harm from our governments, federal, state, and local. They are rights for which many fought hard. Yet, the extremists in power–and those funding them– are pushing back on civil rights, including the foundational pillars of anti-discrimination and justice.  In Congress, Matt will work against the discriminatory agendas work for the protection and advancement of civil rights. His priorities are to:

  • Pass legislation that protects against discrimination in voting rights
  • Incentivize automatic voter registration 
  • Decriminalize non-violent drug related crimes
  • Enact stronger supports for citizens who experience police violence, including federal investigation of credible claims and creating a public database for officers fired with cause
  • Support legislation that ensures protections and equal treatment in places of work and education for racial minorities, women,  folks with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community, the previously incarcerated, and other groups who face challenges to their rights

Mega corporations and the uber-wealthy have been consistently chipping away at the middle and working classes for decades. Our productivity goes up every year, but salaries stay the same or shrink, while the surplus value of our labor goes to executives and shareholders. In Congress, Matt will work towards economic justice through:

  • Guaranteed living wages for all workers. That means increasing the federal minimum wage, which should have happened way before now anyway!
  • Equitable wealth distribution measures such as increasing taxes for the most profitable companies and the wealthiest 5%
  • Federal funding opportunities for minority-owned small businesses
  • Low interest loans for education and training in STEAM, public service, and healthcare

We have to address the deep-rooted history of racial discrimination and its enduring impact on our nation. We need an open dialog about injustice so that we can implement policies that address historical wrongs, and provide some kind of reparations to affected communities. Matt’s commitment to racial justice in Congress means:

  • Prioritizing representation across sectors and spaces that reflects the diversity of our nation, particularly in positions of power and education settings 
  • An end to gerrymandering and a push for broad redistricting to address the systemic oppression of countless communities 
  • Criminal justice reform that addresses disparities in policing, sentencing, and incarceration
  • Education curricula that teaches the contributions of all groups and peoples foundational in the formation of this nation, as well as those harmed in its rise

Women’s rights are under threat and on the ballot in every election cycle. The overturning of Roe v. Wade should have been a wake up call to liberals, progressives, and even libertarians, yet here we are. Right here in New Hampshire, our Legislature considered, but narrowly rejected, a 15-week abortion ban which would have further restricted the existing 24-week ban. We cannot allow women in our nation to enjoy fewer freedoms rights based on crossing a state line.  Women must have the right to choose, and it must be protected federally. 

Matt is fully committed to progressing women’s rights and will promote and support legislation that guarantees:

  • Women are treated equally and without discrimination in all areas, including education, employment, healthcare, and legal rights
  • Comprehensive healthcare, including reproductive health, access to abortion care, and holistic perinatal services 
  • Protection from gender-based violence, regardless of the perpetrator, along with the right to be free from physical, emotional, and verbal violence, in public and private spheres
  • Participation in political processes which currently means standing strongly against the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act proposed in Congress
  • Protections for economic independence, including equal pay, access to financial resources, paid parental leave, and opportunities for entrepreneurship

We have to ensure equal rights and protections for the LGBTQ+ community at a federal level. Our leaders allowed systemic discrimination and hatred to disenfranchise the LGBTQ+ community. But, it is fair time that we move towards inclusion, safety, and affirmation. Matt’s priorities for LGBTQ+ rights in DC will be to: 

  • Strengthen laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
  • Include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories under hate crime legislation
  • Protect and enforce rights to marriage, adoption, and parental recognition for same-sex couples and LGBTQ+ folks
  • Outlaw the practice of so-called “conversion therapy” for minors
  • Ensure that public and private health care systems provide non-discriminatory, affirming, and inclusive care 
  • Explicitly protect LGBTQ+ students in school settings
  • Require training to reduce anti-LGBTQ+ bias in law enforcement officers
  • Use diplomatic and humanitarian tools to promote LGBTQ+ rights abroad and oppose laws that criminalize LGBTQ+ identities
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