Interviews during 2017-2019: on Families & Children
Joe Biden:
Invest $450 billion so people needing care can stay at home
Q: How would you provide support for the nation's army of unpaid family caregivers?BIDEN: COVID-19 proves how vital it is to give people who want to live at home a chance to stay there. I'm going to invest $450 billion so more Americans can choose
to live at home if they want to. We're going to give family caregivers, the really quiet heroes out there, the support they deserve. We're going to create a $5,000 tax credit for informal [family] caregivers.
Q: And for seniors?
BIDEN: Medicare is a lifeline for around 60 million Americans. Under the Affordable Care Act, we strengthened Medicare. We extended the life of the trust fund by bending the cost curve. We expanded free preventative services like mammograms and
colonoscopies, and we closed the doughnut hole so more seniors could afford their prescriptions. We've got to give Medicare the power, for example, to negotiate drug prices.
Source: AARP Survey on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Sep 28, 2020
Kanye West:
Asks staff to refrain from fornicating outside of marriage
West has made abortion a central component of his campaign, but told the paper he does not want to ban the practice, just prevent it. "You can't do that. I don't want to ban or stop or point fingers at anything." Instead he pledged "stipends for
families that need support, creating orphanages that are really high-level desirable for people to go to, and the redesign of communities and cities in general to be supporting of families," West told the paper when speaking by phone.
The rapper is so committed to reducing abortion rates that he asked his campaign staff to refrain from "fornicating" outside of marriage, people aiding his candidacy told the paper.
The rapper has a generally broad campaign platform, with more goals than specific policy initiatives. Police reform, reducing household and student loan debt and bringing prayer back into school are some of his initiatives.
Source: New York Post on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Sep 16, 2020
Kanye West:
The culture of humanity needs to be family
West, who is vehemently pro-life, stressed the importance of family. "Family is just the key to the world, period.
From our immediate family to our friends and family, our co-workers and family, our city and family, our state and family, our country and family, our world," the rap superstar said.
"The culture of humanity needs to be family," West continued, adding, "The design of our cities, the design of our schools, there's a lot of things designed for us to not promote family, they're designed to create separation."
Abortion has become a central component of West's campaign, and the artist continued to reference it throughout the interview.
Source: New York Post "Page Six" on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Sep 2, 2020
Kanye West:
Birthday Lake: mothers safely experience pregnancy & birth
The next day he was asked: "with any candidate for any office, I ask, "what is it you would actually do?" He sent a handwritten outline of his plan to build an idyllic "eco-village" called Birthday Lake, which he later tweeted.
Mothers could "safely experience pregnancy & birth" there, and children could be cared for afterward. He would not say if he envisioned the government building such places.
Source: New York Post "Page Six" on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Sep 2, 2020
Howie Hawkins:
Criminalize purchasers of sex, not the prostitutes
The Green Party calls for new U.S. legislation relating to prostitution modeled on the Swedish law passed in 1999 that has drastically reduced human trafficking and prostitution.
That law criminalizes the purchase of services from prostitutes, pimps and brothel keepers instead of criminalizing the prostitutes.
Source: Green Party Platform adopted by 2020 presidential hopeful
Jul 12, 2020
Don Blankenship:
Porn distorts sex created by God; enforce obscenity laws
Pornography, obscenity and sexually oriented businesses are a distortion of the true nature of sex created by God for the procreative union between one man and one woman in the holy bonds of matrimony. This results in emotional, physical,
spiritual and financial costs to individuals, families and communities. We call on our local, state and federal governments to uphold our First Amendment right to free speech by vigorously enforcing all laws against obscenity.
Source: Constitution Platform adopted by 2020 presidential hopeful
May 2, 2020
Don Blankenship:
Oppose adoption of children homosexual singles or couples
We recognize that parents have the fundamental right and responsibility to nurture, educate, and discipline their children. We oppose the assumption of any of these responsibilities by any governmental agency without the express delegation of the
parents or legal due process. We affirm the value of the father and the mother in the home and we oppose efforts to legalize adoption of children by homosexual singles or couples.
Source: Constitution Platform adopted by 2020 presidential hopeful
May 2, 2020
Pete Buttigieg:
Not going to take family values lectures from Rush Limbaugh
Q: Rush Limbaugh described you as a 37-year-old gay guy who loves to kiss his husband on the debate stage.
BUTTIGIEG: Well, I love my husband. I'm faithful to my husband. On stage, we usually just go for a hug, but I love him very much. And I'm not going to take lectures on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh.
Source: CNN "State of the Union" on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Feb 16, 2020
Kirsten Gillibrand:
Sexual assault and harassment must be treated seriously
We have to end sexual violence in this country, because it goes to a very simple question: do we value women? Unfortunately, there is a lot of evidence that we don't. We don't take sexual assault seriously on college campuses, or in the military.
We don't even take it seriously in places like Congress. We have to address sexual harassment and sexual assault head on. Make sure we work with law enforcement so that if a survivor does want to go to law enforcement, they're taken seriously.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Apr 9, 2019
Kirsten Gillibrand:
Shouldn't have to choose between caregiving and job
National paid leave is such an urgent issue. Less than 20% of Americans have access to paid leave. We are asking these families to choose between caring for their loved ones or putting food on the table, caring for their loved ones or not getting fired.
If we want our workers to be thriving, they need to be able to be the caregiver when they need to be and be able to keep their job and be able to have that income. That's why national paid leave makes sense, and I will make it a priority as president.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Apr 9, 2019
Kirsten Gillibrand:
Pro-vaccines, not sure if they should be Federally mandated
I haven't thought about whether I would make [vaccination] mandatory. I do believe that parents need more information about why vaccines are so essential. Parents need to know that their child could die of preventable diseases, that they could spread a
preventable disease and other children could die. It does save lives, and I will work as hard as I can to make sure that every parent knows that vaccines are absolutely necessary. It is a state-by-state issue, but I will think about federally mandating.
Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Apr 9, 2019
Bill Weld:
2000: Supported Family Leave Act, except paid leave
Weld has spoken about a commitment to advocating for LGBT people, people of color and women who experience domestic violence, but he has not talked much about pay equity. And though he wrote in a 2000 article that he thought it was "madness for the
Republicans during the first Bush administration to be opposed to the Family Leave Act," which guaranteed unpaid leave for medical & family reasons, he has not endorsed the idea of paid leave. As governor, he vetoed minimum wage increases.
Source: Abigail Abrams, Time magazine, on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Apr 2, 2019
Cory Booker:
Opposes family separation policy at southern border
- The New Jersey senator is also a vocal critic of Trump administration immigration policies that led to the separation of thousands of families at the Southern border.
- He was one of 11 senators, including 2020 presidential candidates Sens.
Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to request weekly updates from the administration about children who were separated from their families.
- Booker also co-sponsored the REUNITE Act, a bill to reunite separated families.
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He visited the border to see the impact of Trump's immigration policies, and later objected to the Pentagon sending troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in the run-up to the 2018 midterms."
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Unlike some Democrats, Booker has stopped short of calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and instead believes Congress should take a "serious look" at the agency.
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Feb 1, 2019
Kirsten Gillibrand:
Make childcare more affordable and accessible
Gillibrand wants to make childcare more accessible and more affordable. That includes encouraging more workplaces to host their own in-house childcare.
She plans to incentivize more at-work childcare by giving tax credits to companies.
Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls
Jan 16, 2019
Tulsi Gabbard:
2000: Don't let gay activists force their values on our kids
Listed among Gabbard's past work [in a 2002 candidate] profile by a Honolulu newspaper was her work at The Alliance for Traditional Marriage. A CNN KFile review of the organization's website uncovers the organization supported controversial gay
conversion therapy, which treats homosexuality as a mental illness that can be fixed. The practice is opposed by the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association and has been banned for use on minors in 14 states and D.C.,
including Hawaii in 2018. Tulsi Gabbard herself is quoted in a 2000 press release from The Alliance for Traditional Marriage. In it, she attacks gay rights activists who were opposed to her mother Carol's bid for the state's board of education. "This
war of deception and hatred against my mom is being waged by homosexual activists because they know, that if elected, she will not allow them to force their values down the throats of the children in our schools," Gabbard is quoted as saying.
Source: Andrew Kaczynski, CNN.com, on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Jan 13, 2019
Bill de Blasio:
Signs legislation protecting against sexual harassment
"Society has been stacked in favor of men for far too long, leading many to believe they can harass women without fear of punishment," said Mayor de Blasio. "New York City will not allow that continue. We are taking action to protect workers against
sexual harassment and saying loudly & clearly that anyone who harasses a co-worker will face justice." "When women step forward with a grievance, it is the employer's responsibility to listen and take appropriate action," said First Lady Chirlane McCray.
Source: NYC.gov mayoral press release for 2020 presidential hopefuls
May 9, 2018
Marco Rubio:
Increased child tax credit plus paid family leave
Mr Rubio suggests his new programme will involve more interventions such as the increased child tax credit he inserted into the tax reform passed last year, and a provision for paid family leave he is working on now. He mulls the need for more public
spending on technological research and for education reform, to prioritise vocational skills. He advocates a more flexible benefit system, to help the retraining of disrupted workers.From the lips of an orthodox Republican leader, these modest
measures imply a serious reconsideration of the pre-eminent conservative ideals of a minimal government role in the economy.
"If we basically say everyone is on their own and the market's going to take care of it, we will rip the country apart,
because millions of good hardworking people lack the means to adapt." Economic liberty is the freedom to enjoy "the dignity of work", says Mr Rubio. "There needs to be a conservative movement that addresses these realities."
Source: The Economist on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Apr 26, 2018
Tom Steyer:
Republicans have traded their family values for power
For all their talk of "family values," establishment Republicans have shown they only truly value one thing: power. And they will do anything to maintain their grip on it. Why else would Mitch McConnell refuse to hold a hearing for Supreme Court
nominee Merrick Garland? Why else would state legislators sell their soul and pass laws designed to stop African American voter participation? The GOP has abandoned its moral compass, and it's up to us to do what's right. We have to raise our voices.
Source: Facebook posting by Tom Steyer, 2020 presidential hopeful
Feb 26, 2018
Ben Sasse:
Wrote book about middle class:"The Vanishing American Adult"
Sasse was the leader of the anti-Trump movement as a freshman senator and was the individual who many suggested run as a third-party or independent in 2016. Sasse [positions himself for a] run for president against Trump from the GOP side because he is
a great voice of reason for the GOP and is someone that truly believes in country over party. Given that much of the American electorate is sick and tired of political parties, Sasse could be an incredible relief. He could be a breath of fresh air for a
very tense and divided American electorate. Sasse recently released a book about the middle class and how the American adult is vanishing. His presidential focus would be on the nation's largest demographic and how it become self-reliant. Senator
Sasse running for president could be the best thing that happens to this country. The ultimate question for Sasse is: will Americans embrace the country over party mentality he exudes in a time where division runs rampant?
Source: Evonews.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Jul 17, 2017
Mike Pence:
Does not eat or drink with women other than his wife
After Karen Pence's profile was published, a peculiar nugget from Mike Pence's life about him not eating or drinking with other women resulted in a debate over whether Pence's practice was rooted in loyalty to his marriage or just plain ol' misogyny.
There has been considerable curiosity about Pence's practice and the Billy Graham Rule.The idea of not eating or drinking with a woman other than your wife entered political consciousness when the evangelical pastor Billy Graham factored it into the
"Modesto Manifesto" written in 1948 after a bunch of evangelistic meetings in Modesto, California.
Pence practicing his own version of the Billy Graham Rule is disturbing because it demonstrates allegiance to several outdated and dangerous ideas
about women and self-control. Pence's practice raises another issue: How does he function as the vice president? One of the fundamental responsibilities of his job includes close and constant contact with colleagues, regardless of their gender.
Source: Bustle.com on 2020 presidential hopefuls
Mar 31, 2017
Page last updated: Nov 01, 2021