Howard Schultz in Survey of 2020 Presidential campaign websites
On Health Care:
Medicare-for-All: $32T cost is out of touch with reality
Bernie Sanders' Medicare for All proposal would strip health insurance coverage from more than 180 million Americans and cost taxpayers more than $32 trillion to implement.
With no way to pay for it, no chance of getting bipartisan support in Congress, and the potential for significant ramifications in treatment and innovation, this proposal confirms what we already knew:
Sanders and the far-left wing of the Democratic party are out of touch with reality. Being a leader requires making hard choices and being honest.
Bernie Sanders' plan does neither and only serves to advance a far-left agenda.
Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website HowardSchultz.com
Apr 10, 2019
On War & Peace:
Strengthen NATO alliance to fight Russian cyber-attacks
NATO is the strongest and most successful military and political alliance in the history of the world. It helped contain and defeat the Soviet Union. It came to the defense of the United States in the wake of the September 11th, 2001, attacks.
And it has led the international effort to secure and stabilize Afghanistan.But President Trump has questioned this essential alliance. He has criticized it, and he has weakened it. This is a fundamental misunderstanding of America's role in the
world. We must stand with our allies.
We must support the alliance's efforts to transition resources to the increasing threat from cyber attacks around the globe--most especially from Russia. NATO needs even more fortification to fight this growing
menace, which may soon become the gravest threat facing the American people.
As NATO looks ahead to its next 70 years, the United States must continue to be a leader for peace and security. And we must do so in concert with our allies.
Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website HowardSchultz.com
Apr 4, 2019
On Budget & Economy:
$22 trillion debt is immoral and reckless
For too long now, our government has been spending more than it takes in. This year, that figure--unbelievable--will be almost one trillion dollars. Yes, one trillion dollars. Our national debt--all of the money our federal government has spent, beyond
its means--is $22 trillion. It's immoral, it's reckless, and both parties are complicit. That's larger than the size of the entire U.S. economy. This is a moral abdication--because the burden of that debt is going to fall on the shoulders of your
generation. We already spend more on interest on the debt--this is an amazing number, $500 billion of interest expense every year--than we do on all federal programs to help the children of our country. It's insane. It's reckless. It's wrong. It's a
lack of leadership. It's a lack of responsibility. And once again, it's emblematic of how broken the system is and both parties are complicit. That figure is only going to increase in the years to come unless somebody decides to fix it.
Source: Miami Dade College speech:2020 Presidential Campaign website
Mar 13, 2019
On Corporations:
Achieve profit with humanity & pathway to middle class
I became the CEO of Starbucks when the company had just six stores. By the time I left last year, it had almost 30,000 stores in 77 countries--and over the years, Starbucks has provided a job for nearly 3 million people. Along the way,
I sought to build a different kind of American company: one that would achieve profit with humanity. We provided first jobs for tens of thousands of young people. We hired more than 20,000 veterans and military spouses.
We provided our front-line baristas a pathway to the middle class. We offered all of our employees, even part-timers, healthcare and stock ownership. At each juncture, people said that these kinds of investments shouldn't and couldn't be done
in a for-profit company. That it would not work. But we refused to listen to the skeptics. Instead, we put our people first and found a way to give them access to healthcare, ownership and education while building a profitable company.
Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website HowardSchultz.com
Mar 13, 2019
On Education:
First in family to attend college; offer same at Starbucks
I grew up poor, in the housing projects of Brooklyn, New York. No one in my family went to college before me. My parents didn't even finish high school.
My mother wanted more for me. She believed in the American Dream, and imprinted in me the belief that if I got an education and worked hard, I could create a better life for myself. In 1971, I enrolled in Northern Michigan University.
I paid for school with student loans. I worked two jobs. There were even times I had to sell my blood for some cash. Four years later, I became the first in my family to earn a college degree.
Today, all Starbucks employees can earn a four-year college degree, tuition free. The rising level of student debt is now at $1.5 trillion dollars.
Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website HowardSchultz.com
Mar 13, 2019
On Government Reform:
Political contributions unduly influence policy
When our political parties accept millions of dollars in contributions from lobbyists, Congress acts in the interest of lobbyists, not in the interest of the America people. Pharmaceutical and healthcare companies spent
$280 million last year alone to unduly influence elected officials and should we be surprised, at any level, that congress has not acted more vigorously to reduce the price of pharmaceutical drug products.
During the Great Recession, big banks and automakers, who have legions of lobbyists, got bailed out. American workers who lost their jobs did not.
No wonder seventy-one percent--seventy-one percent--of Americans believe that our system of government--right now, seventy-one percent believe -- the system is rigged. And it is.
Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website HowardSchultz.com
Mar 13, 2019
On Government Reform:
Gerrymandered districts reflect will of political parties
An example of our broken political system is gerrymandering. When our parties draw voting districts to favor one side or the other, Congress reflects the will of the political parties, not the will of the people. That's not how it's supposed to be done.
If you're a Republican in a Democratic district or a Democrat in a solidly Republican district, or an Independent in any district, your voice and your vote is silenced, and it doesn't matter because it's been predetermined. That's not our democracy.
That's not how it should be. Our dysfunctional two-party system has also fueled political extremism on the far left and on the far right. These two extremes differ in nature, but their respective voices, while small in number, are loud and
getting louder. So loud, in fact, that they now represent a clear and present danger to our democracy and our free-enterprise system--two key pillars of American democracy and our American life.
Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website HowardSchultz.com
Mar 13, 2019
On Government Reform:
Reduce partisanship with 2/3 vote for Court nominations
I would not nominate a Supreme Court justice unless he or she could be confirmed by two-thirds--two-thirds--of the United States Senate. The Courts have become yet another battlefield in the ongoing war between Democratic and Republican leaders.
That's not how our democracy should work. These battles have undermined our faith in the rule of law and the impartiality of the entire judicial system. All of this has to change.
We need to restore faith and confidence of in our courts so that we can get back to believing that we're all equal--all of us--under the laws of this country. Taking politics out of the Supreme Court nomination process is a critical first step.
In fact, I challenge every single candidate running for president, from both parties, to make the same commitment, right now, that I'm making. Regarding two-thirds, and to honor that.
Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website HowardSchultz.com
Mar 13, 2019
On Government Reform:
Our government's dysfunction is great & we need to fix it
Over the past several weeks I've asked every group I've met, all over the country, a question I'd like to ask of you: Raise your hand if you think the government is working well for you, your family, and the American people. Just look around. We don't
have one hand up. This has been consistent throughout the country over the last five weeks. No hands go up. Well I'm here to say that I don't accept that and I believe that we as Americans deserve better. The system is broken, it's not serving us,
and we need to do something about it. The cost of our government's dysfunction is great and obviously it's impacting all of us. Our biggest problems are not being solved: Income inequality. A lack of opportunity in too many communities. The rising
cost of health care. A broken immigration system. Climate change. Schools that aren't preparing young people for jobs of the future. I believe strongly that this dysfunction should not stand. I know together we can solves these problems. We can.
Source: Miami Dade College speech:2020 Presidential Campaign website
Mar 13, 2019
On Immigration:
Immigrants exemplify the American dream
America's free-enterprise system has provided more opportunity and created more prosperity than any other economic model in the history of the world. It has encouraged and unleashed the creativity of the individual.
And it has birthed and scaled inventions that have enhanced and empowered humanity all over the world. Here in Miami, you understand that. This city, and all of south Florida, is the home of hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have fled
socialist revolutions that have destroyed free-enterprise systems and the rule of law. These immigrants, these extraordinary, wonderful people--from Cuba, from Venezuela, from Nicaragua, and other parts of Latin America--have embraced the
American way and found success while making tremendous contributions to their communities and our country.
In my view, and I think of the views of so many, this truly exemplifies the American dream.
Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website HowardSchultz.com
Mar 13, 2019
On Principles & Values:
Two massive failures: One of character; one of institutions
During the past few decades, there have been two mounting, massive failures in our country. One of character, and one of institutions. First, I want to speak of the failure of character.
When elected officials in D.C. stir up division rather than craft consensus, when they opt for revenge politics instead of problem solving, one party or the other may win the moment, but the American people lose the biggest battle of all:
and that is the battle of our national character. A lack of character at the highest levels of government is related to the second significant failure of our times, which is institutional: primarily our two-party system, which has devolved into a
self-interested duopoly, is not serving the American people. When our political parties accept millions of dollars in contributions from lobbyists, Congress acts in the interest of lobbyists, not in the interest of the America people.
Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website HowardSchultz.com
Mar 13, 2019
On Principles & Values:
Science is real, and so is religion and faith
The center is the heart of America. Let's be clear about what that heart is: America's heart is principled, it encompasses our core values, and it is our common ground.
America's heart is aspirational in its dreams, yet realistic in its plans. In
America's heart, common sense and reason prevail.
America's heart does not favor partisan ideas; it opts for the best solutions, no matter where they come from.
America's heart also embraces objective truth,--yes, truth!--and our truth informs our
problem solving.
In America's heart, science is real, and so is religion and faith.
In America's heart, all people are equal--no matter your gender, your race, your religion, your sexual orientation, or your station in life.
In America's heart,
we stand as we always have, with our allies around the world.
America's heart is compassion and humanity. In America's heart is not "We the faction" or "We the tribe." It is, and always has been, and needs to be again, "We the People".
Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website HowardSchultz.com
Mar 13, 2019
On Civil Rights:
Regardless of skin color, get every American represented
want to ask the audience a rhetorical question: does anyone in this audience really believe that our government is working well for the American people today? What should "of the people, by the people and for the people" mean as we head towards 2020?
Government of the people means government for all the people. Everybody. Every American. Every child. Regardless of the color of your skin, your religion, your ethnicity, your sexual orientation, or how much money you have.
Every American should be represented.Government for the people means exactly that. It means a government that prioritizes the security, the prosperity, and liberty of every American citizen.
It means no interest comes before the people's interest. Ladies and Gentlemen, that includes political parties. Government by the people means that citizens are in charge of politicians, not the other way around.
Source: Purdue Univ. speech on 2020 Presidential Campaign website
Feb 7, 2019
On Education:
3,000 people graduated college on Starbucks' tuition
To create more opportunity, the company developed a first of its kind program that allows employees a chance to get a college degree, tuition free.
By this spring, and I am so proud of this, about 3,000 people at the company will have graduated. Many, like me, are the first in their family to go to college.
My life experience is proof that the American Dream is, in fact, real. And that those who achieve it can pay it forward, and help others achieve it as well.
I've spent my life trying to make the opportunities that were available to me, education and good jobs, available to others.
Source: Purdue Univ. speech on 2020 Presidential Campaign website
Feb 7, 2019
On Gun Control:
False choice between gun ban and unlimited gun ownership
Today, believe it or not, a majority of teens worry they could get shot while they are in school. Now this is horrific. Unconscionable. A shameful statistic that none of us should find acceptable or accept. It is the highest responsibility of our
government to protect its citizens. economy But once again, the majority of the country, most Americans, want to see a solution to this. Some on the far Left want to ban guns altogether. The far Right has pushed back on even reasonable limitations on
gun ownership. I believe it's time to enact common-sense gun reforms that are supported by a clear majority of the American people. We must protect people's constitutional right to bear arms, and make it safer to do so, through universal and
enhanced background checks with no loopholes. If you are a criminal or mentally ill, you should not be able to obtain a gun. But most importantly, no parent should be afraid to take their kid to school because of fear of gun violence.
Source: Purdue Univ. speech on 2020 Presidential Campaign website
Feb 7, 2019
On Health Care:
False choice between socialized medicine & ObamaCare repeal
Today, millions of American people are living in fear of losing healthcare or going bankrupt if they get sick. The far Left has called for government-run healthcare, even eliminating the private health insurance market. The far Right has called
to repeal the Affordable Care Act for nearly a decade, with no clear replacement, which would leave people vulnerable, especially those with pre-existing conditions, and costs would absolutely skyrocket. Once again, neither is a viable solution.
What's the truth? The truth is that healthcare costs are the biggest driver of unaffordable care. Yet neither side, extreme left, extreme right has offered and developed any kind of credible plan to reduce costs by increasing competition.
Or requiring more transparency on prices from hospitals and drug companies. Or investing in preventive care. This is a problem that can be solved. We must bring down healthcare costs while increasing choice and access.
Source: Purdue Univ. speech on 2020 Presidential Campaign website
Feb 7, 2019
On Immigration:
Great-grandparents immigrated from Easter Europe in 1890s
Let me share with you my own personal story. My great grandfather Max arrived in the United States from Eastern Europe in 1892 with $10 in his pocket. He did not speak a word of English and made his living as a tailor. My other great grandfather
Morris was of Russian descent and came to America in the early 1890s. I was raised in a poor, working class family in Brooklyn, NY. We lived in public housing, better known in Canarsie as the "projects."
My father, a World War II veteran, did not finish high school, and spent his adult life as a laborer who had a series of unfortunate jobs, odd jobs that unfortunately didn't pay very well.The only thing I ever inherited was my mother's dream and
belief in the American Dream. Because of her, I became the first person in my family to go to and to graduate from college. I got my first job selling office equipment door-to-door, and always gave half of my paychecks to my parents.
Source: 2020 Presidential Campaign website HowardSchultz.com
Feb 7, 2019
On Immigration:
False choice between mass deportation and abolishing ICE
What are the consequences of a hyper-partisan Washington? Let's start with immigration, which today is being used as a political weapon, instead of being addressed as a national security priority. On the far Left, there are calls to abolish ICE.
On the far Right, there are calls for mass deportation, and a policy of separating parents from children. These are both false choices. We can have strong borders, to protect us from terrorists and those who wish to do us harm, but we also can treat all
people with a deep sense humanity and dignity. We must enact the common-sense immigration reform that a majority of Americans already say they want: investments in border security, a path of legalization for unauthorized immigrants, citizenship for the
DREAMers, and a modernized immigration system that attracts and retains the best and the brightest people from all over the world, who will contribute positively to our economy and culture.
Source: Purdue Univ. speech on 2020 Presidential Campaign website
Feb 7, 2019
On Jobs:
Create company our parents had no chance to work for
My father did not finish high school, and spent his adult life as a laborer who had a series of unfortunate jobs, odd jobs that unfortunately didn't pay very well. One of the most vivid memories of my childhood is my father lying on the couch in a cast.
I was seven years old when I came home from school and saw my dad literally just laying on his back. He had a job at the time delivering cloth diapers, he fell on a patch of ice and broke his ankle.
Because of that accident, as a blue collar worker in the late 50's, he was fired from his job. He had no workers compensation. No savings. And no health insurance. And the image of my father, helpless on the couch,
has stayed with me, literally, my entire life.At Starbucks, I set out, in so many ways, to create the kind of company that my father never got a chance to work for. One that treated people with dignity and respect.
Source: Purdue Univ. speech on 2020 Presidential Campaign website
Feb 7, 2019
On Principles & Values:
Leadership brings talented people together to solve problems
For four decades I've [made opportunities available to employees] this as a business leader. Today, I'm humbly asking whether, or not, I can do this in another way: as a public servant.Through the years, I've learned a great deal about leadership:
What is leadership? Leadership is about having the humility to listen to different people and opinions. Leadership is about bringing talented, passionate people together to solve complex problems. Leadership is about making tough choices for unselfish
reasons. Leadership is also about personal accountability. And most importantly, Leadership is about earning people's trust.
This past year, I've traveled the country. I've heard and I've learned so many new things. Among them is that the American
people are longing for more honesty, authentic and real leadership in Washington, D.C., that's finally working for them. Our political class in Washington, D.C., is not solving the problems we need to solve.
Source: Purdue Univ. speech on 2020 Presidential Campaign website
Feb 7, 2019
On Tax Reform:
Tax cuts for the middle class; but wealthy pay more
Let's turn to our tax code. Today, our tax code is unfair and too complicated. Yet we have been living with it for so many years because the broken two-party system does not want to fix it, it's not in their interest.
The code is full of loopholes and carve outs bought and paid for by special interest groups. Who do those special interest groups work for? Our representatives.
We need to talk about reforming the tax code. Not with bumper-sticker slogans, but with tax cuts for the middle class and small businesses to spur hiring and economic growth. I myself should be paying higher taxes, and all wealthy Americans should have
to pay their fair share. I think we can all agree on that. Let's create the predictable, simple, and fair tax system America needs and deserves. And by the way, the people deserve to see the tax return of anybody who is running for president.
Source: Purdue Univ. speech on 2020 Presidential Campaign website
Feb 7, 2019
On Principles & Values:
Centrist independent outside of the two-party system
On January 27, 2019, Howard Schultz former CEO and Chairman of Starbucks, announced he is seriously thinking of running for president and, if he does, will do so as a centrist independent outside of the two-party system.Our team is supporting
Howard as he visits communities around the country to discuss his new book, From The Ground Up, shares the challenges his family faced, and listens to the stories of others who, like him, overcame much to achieve the American Dream.
We are at a pivotal moment in our country's history; America is divided like never before. It's time to ask whether the two-party system is capable of meeting the challenge before us. The pundits will say this can't be done, but the
American people will decide if that's the case. America's best chapters are ahead--it's time we start writing them.
Source: 2020 Presidential campaign website HowardSchultz.com
Jan 27, 2019
Page last updated: Dec 01, 2021