Interviews during 2018-2020: on Jobs


Tom Steyer: Supports right to a living wage

Steyer supports raising the minimum wage, and lists "the right to a living wage" as one of the "5 Rights" all Americans should have. He previously put money toward a carbon tax proposal in the state of Oregon, but has said that talking about "jobs and health" is a more effective way of getting voters to take interest in climate issues.
Source: PBS News Hour 2019 coverage of 2020 Democratic primary Jul 10, 2019

Pete Buttigieg: Government must be pro-active with changing economy

We've been restoring manufacturing jobs, but we're realistic about the fact that with automation it's not going to look like the old economy. The economy is changing. The pace of change is accelerating. We've got to master those changes in order to make them work for us. Everything from making sure everybody has health care, to increasing the minimum wage, to delivering portable benefits so that when you get disrupted from your job, it's not such a disruption in the rest of your life.
Source: Fox News Sunday 2019 interviews for 2020 Democratic primary Mar 19, 2019

Tim Ryan: Progressive goals should be sold as job creation

Democrats can sell progressive goals, from universal health care to criminal-justice reform, if they simply root their arguments in jobs and the economy, he argues. Ryan says that Democrats should package Medicare for all as a "jobs program" that would reduce costs and create jobs for medical professionals. He thinks the Green New Deal could be sold as a boon to job creation. (Although opposed to the resolution's federal jobs guarantee, he thinks it could drive employment in the private sector.)
Source: The Atlantic, "Rust Belt Yogi" on 2020 Democratic primary Mar 15, 2019

Marianne Williamson: Supports $15 minimum wage & Green New Deal

Economy: Williamson supports the institution of a $15 minimum wage. She also supports the Green New Deal, an economic stimulus bill that calls for radical environmental and economic policies.
Source: Townhall.com: 2020 Democratic primary "Candidate profiles" Mar 5, 2019

Joe Biden: We need "moral capitalism" and corporate responsibility

Biden pointed out that the gap between the wealth of the top one percent and the rest of America is bigger than any time since before 1920. "There's no excuse for this," Biden said. "What happened to a moral responsibility, a moral capitalism?" Biden talked about workers signing contracts with companies that required workers to not discuss their pay. "What possible reason for that can be other than suppressing wages? Give me an explanation," Biden said.
Source: The Daily Pennsylvanian on 2020 Democratic primary hopefuls Feb 19, 2019

Julian Castro: Opposed unionizing city employees

Castro promised not to use the mayor's office to empower unions. While Castro backed the right of non-uniformed city employees to "meet and confer" with the city manager, something unanimously approved by a 2008 council vote, he stressed that "it's non-binding; it's not collective bargaining," and opposed granting such rights to civilian city employees. Nonetheless, he received the endorsements of several local unions, including the San Antonio Police Officers Association.
Source: Jacobin Magazine on 2020 Democratic primary contenders Feb 15, 2019

Pete Buttigieg: Unions good for US workers, but not NAFTA

The Democrat thinks NAFTA caused irreplaceable job losses across the industrial Midwest. He is a strong supporter of labor and union groups, and says Democrats must work harder to advocate for working people and help them achieve economic stability.
Source: PBS Newshour on 2020 Democratic primary Feb 15, 2019

Julian Castro: Minimum wage should be a living wage

It is a shame today that we have not seen a minimum wage increase in almost a decade. It's different than it used to be, right? You used to be able to work 40 hours, even on minimum wage, and be able to provide for your family. Today that's not true. And we need to get back to a place in this 21st Century where that is true. The economy works for everybody.
Source: ABC This Week 2019 interviews for 2020 Democratic primary Jan 6, 2019

  • The above quotations are from Interviews during 2018-2020, interviewing Democratic presidential hopefuls for 2020.
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  • Click here for more quotes by Joe Biden on Jobs.
  • Click here for more quotes by Cory Booker on Jobs.
2020 Presidential contenders on Jobs:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Dec 01, 2021