Tom Steyer in USA Today
On Corporations:
Unchecked capitalism has failed us
I'm a progressive and a capitalist, but unchecked capitalism has failed us. We must end the corporate corruption and unchecked capitalism that has hijacked our democracy, and finally reverse the Republican policies that have allowed big corporations to
write their own rules that reward shareholders at the expense of American workers. I've developed a clear vision for a strong, fair and just economy not by nationalizing industries but rather by fixing what is broken with our capitalist system.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Crime:
Focus on white supremacist violence as domestic terrorism
Extremism has been present in America for decades and sadly is on the rise because we have a racist white nationalist in the White House. Donald
Trump's rhetoric has radicalized his base and inspired a wave of violence. As president, I will direct more resources to monitor, investigate, and prosecute incidents of white supremacist violence and those who incite them as acts of domestic terrorism.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Education:
I will tackle the student debt crisis head on
The student debt crisis has been driven largely by predatory actors in the largely unregulated student loan industry. We must make higher education affordable and available to everyone. I will tackle the student debt crisis head-on by forgiving certain
types of student loan debt, reforming the public service student loan forgiveness program, making the refinancing of student loans easier, cracking down on predatory student loan servicers, and expanding access to educational benefits.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Education:
Supports two years free tuition to community colleges
I support providing two-years of free tuition to community colleges.
Every American should have the right to a free, quality, public education from universal pre-kindergarten through higher education, including workforce and technical training.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Energy & Oil:
On Day 1: declare climate crisis a national emergency
On Day 1, I will declare the climate crisis a national emergency. In addition to taking bold executive actions, I will challenge Congress to pass vital legislation to enact a Green New Deal and provide additional funding to protect the country against
climate and weather-related natural disasters. My Justice-Centered Climate Plan will eliminate fossil fuel pollution from all sectors to achieve a 100% clean energy economy and net-zero global warming pollution by no later than 2045.
I will ensure that protecting the climate is central to our diplomacy and trade policies. We can and will work with our partner nations to advance a global consensus. I will recommit to the Paris Climate Agreement and ratify the
Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol. I'll join the international Powering Past Coal Alliance, work to end global financing for coal-fired power plants and create a green screen for our foreign aid and investments.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Energy & Oil:
End subsidies & tax breaks for fossil fuels
We must break the corporate stranglehold in Washington to solve our climate crisis. I would end all government giveaways to polluters including direct subsidies, tax breaks, lax and under-enforced environmental and worker protections,
and the subsidization of fossil fuel production on public lands. In addition to issuing no new fossil fuel leases on federal lands, I will end subsidies for ongoing fossil fuel operations.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Environment:
Nuclear energy is risky & not cost competitive
Nuclear energy is risky and not cost competitive. It has suffered from massive cost overruns and has required massive government bailouts. We should certainly not have any new power plants at this time.
There are three key aspects to nuclear energy we should be concerned with: waste disposal, safety, and cost. Renewable energy like wind and solar are the least costly forms of energy to produce.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Government Reform:
The right to vote is gateway to inclusive democracy
There is not equal access to our right to vote. State and federal lawmakers have been working overtime to disenfranchise students, veterans, low-income people, seniors, people of color and the disabled for years. For the past ten years,
I've been working to increase participation in our democracy through voter registration and grassroots organizing. The right to vote is the gateway to a fair and inclusive democracy. Without it, American democracy does not truly exist.
Calling out "voter fraud" is an old Republican tactic used to suppress the votes of students, veterans, low-income people, seniors, and people of color. The only ones responsible for creating this breakdown in civil society, are those state
legislatures passing voter ID laws, and carrying out voter purges. A healthy democracy depends on the broadest participation possible, one that is of, by and for the people.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Gun Control:
I will declare gun violence a public health epidemic
I will declare gun violence a public health epidemic and dedicate time and resources to develop a cure. America's children are suffering from the threat of mass killings and fear of active shooters. Communities suffer from gun violence in many forms:
homicides, domestic violence, suicides, and police brutality. The American people agree on how we should solve this problem. They want Washington to act, have pleaded with their representatives and have begged them to do something -
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Health Care:
Supports public option; allow private insurance
I have proposed providing a public option that uses the negotiating power of the government to dramatically lower costs, including for prescription drugs and premiums. With this option, we can provide quality medical care to millions more families
and individuals while allowing Americans to keep their employer-based health care if they want to do so. A public option will expand coverage.
Rampant excesses of the pharmaceutical industry have put many life saving medications out of reach for America's patients.
We must utilize the power of the federal government to negotiate lower prices for patients and break the corporate stranglehold that the pharmaceutical companies have on our health care system.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Health Care:
More funding is needed for mental health care
More funding is needed for mental health care. There is a mental health crisis in America; among comparable countries, the U.S. has the highest rate of death from mental health and substance use disorders. As president, mental health would be included
in my universal health care plan. The Right to Health, including mental health, would be a top priority for my administration. We would make certain there was adequate funding of at least current levels for mental health services.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Immigration:
Decriminalize unauthorized border crossings
We don't have to trade border security for compassion -- it's un-American and ineffective. We can have a secure border that is still open for commerce, travel, and legal immigrants.
I support decriminalizing unauthorized border crossings. These matters are better handled through civil proceedings.
Ours is a nation of immigrants. This is a nation that leads with compassion and offers opportunity to those willing to do the hard work to build a better America. For America to flourish, this has to be a place where immigrants can flourish too,
which is why I support the DREAM Act, a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in America today, would overhaul ICE, and would update our asylum policies to match our values.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Tax Reform:
Repeal Trump tax cuts; close corporate tax loopholes
It is time for companies and the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. We can begin to do this by repealing the Trump tax cuts that went primarily to the wealthy and corporations, and by instituting a wealth tax --
1% on those whose net worth is above $32 million. Undoing years of Republican giveaways to corporations and the wealthy also means closing corporate tax loopholes across the board, and ending subsidies in large, successful industries.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Technology:
We need to hit reset button on how we think about technology
We don't want to let internet service providers dictate which website you can visit or be able to charge you different rates for different content. We certainly don't want to have technology companies destroy competitors and stifle choice, innovation,
and competition because of their size. We need to hit the reset button on how we think about technology and how we protect the rights of individual Americans. We should aggressively regulate these companies.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On War & Peace:
Diplomatic measures must always be the first choice
The best way to keep us safe is to show our allies and adversaries that a steady hand and cool temper is commanding the United States armed forces, and that our country has no intention of attacking others first. We must continue to work with our
partners and adversaries to curtail the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and reduce existing stockpiles. Diplomatic measures through multilateral or bilateral channels must always be the first choice.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Welfare & Poverty:
Our affordable housing situation is a crisis
Our affordable housing situation is a crisis and directly lowers the quality of life for working Americans. There are a number of situations that offer opportunities for local communities to create more affordable housing, like underutilized
commercial properties, infill developments, more mixed-use buildings, which would make it easier to convert surplus state-owned property to affordable housing and tighten the rules on housing speculators.
Source: USA Today on 2019 Democratic primary
Nov 7, 2019
On Tax Reform:
Implement 1 percent annual wealth tax on America's richest
Along with filling in the holes of our Swiss cheese tax code, Congress should institute a new type of tax altogether: a 1 percent annual wealth tax on the top .1 percent of Americans. Here's what that would look like. If you are worth more
than $20 million, you'll pay a single penny on every dollar you have above that level. No deductions, no exemptions, no loopholes at all. Every .1 percenter pays.
Source: Steyer Op-Ed in USA Today by 2020 presidential hopefuls
Oct 22, 2016
Page last updated: Sep 23, 2022