If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you’re probably aware that one of the (many) bones of contention we have with the DCCC, is over platforms. They urge their candidates to hide their positions, either not including issues pages on their websites at all or, if they must, to avoid all controversial topics. Their strive for bland reiterations of mom-and-apple pie, bio-oriented statements. But that helps explain why the DCCC has lost dozens and dozens of seats over the last decade and why they can only win races in wave elections when the voters are fed up with the Republicans and see the Democrats as the lesser of 2 evils. Voters want to know what a candidate intends to do for them, not about a package of misleading biography and identity bullshit.When we consider endorsing candidates we make it clear that mouthing good positions on important issues isn’t enough; we want to see them in writing on candidate websites. One of the best of all has been Randy Bryce’s statement of positions. He’s the opposite of the DCCC. And this week he released another page of issues, this one his immigration platform, Fighting For All, something which is probably giving the DCCC big wigs heartburn.
• Pass a ‘clean’ DREAM Act.There is bipartisan agreement that Dreamers, immigrants who were brought to this country as children and who have no serious criminal record, should have a path to citizenship. Despite promising repeatedly to help Dreamers, Speaker Ryan has refused to introduce any such bill for a vote. The overwhelming majority of Americans support a path to citizenship for these young people and, as a Congressman, Randy would support a clean DREAM Act.• Pass DAPA.Randy supports granting employment visas and permanent protections from deportation to the parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. DAPA, or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, was a program created by then-President Obama in 2014. It soon got tangled in the courts and was later rescinded by the Trump administration. Randy believes DAPA is based in human compassion, economic sense, and family values: it is cruel to separate American children from hard-working parents without criminal backgrounds, and policy research estimates that DAPA, if passed, could raise $16.7 billion in payroll taxes and create over 15,000 jobs annually.• Oppose cuts to legal immigration.Wisconsin’s dairy farms and other industries rely on immigration in order to meet their labor needs, and welcoming immigrants is a key part of our nation’s identity. As a Congressman, Randy would oppose the President’s attempts to dramatically cut legal immigration or the number of refugees our country accepts through the RAISE Act or any other legislation.• End private prisons.Immigration and Customs Enforcements gives more than $2 billion to for-profit, private prison operators every year. These corporations are notorious for poor working conditions and low wages for staff, and dangerous conditions for inmates. Profiting from incarceration also incentivizes keeping people in prison, which is costly to the taxpayer. Randy would fight to end government contracts with private prisons that have put profits over people.• Oppose addition of Census question on citizenship.The Constitution makes clear it is the census’ duty to include all residents, regardless of citizenship status, in its national survey. A decline in immigrant responses would likely cost states billions in federal funding, making needed resources more scarce for all of those states’ residents. According to the last census in 2010, about five percent of Wisconsin residents identified as immigrants — nearly double what it was in 1990. Randy will do everything possible to ensure that Wisconsin’s population is portrayed accurately in the 2020 survey.• Don’t ask local law enforcement to do ICE’s job.Attorney General Sessions has attempted to place new burdens on local law enforcement regarding their cooperation with ICE. Many police chiefs are reluctant to take on these additional responsibilities because it will hurt police-community trust and, consequently, weaken public safety. If victims and witnesses are unwilling to report crimes for fear of deportation, then dangerous criminals don’t get put behind bars. Studies suggest that localities where ICE and local law enforcement keep their responsibilities separate are actually safer, and, as a result, the Major Cities Chiefs Association has condemned the Attorney General’s actions. Despite this opposition from law enforcement, the Trump administration has threatened to remove critical, unrelated federal funding from local communities if their local law enforcement agency does not comply with ICE’s mandates. As a Congressman, Randy would oppose any efforts to defund so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions.• Abolish ICE.Immigration and Customs Enforcement was created just 15 years ago, and it is now time to rethink whether it is achieving its intended purpose. Rather than deporting immigrants who pose a risk to the nation’s security, ICE has grown power hungry, sucking up more and more federal resources and directing them towards the deportation of children and families, who are otherwise completely law-abiding. In 2017, the detention of immigrants with no criminal records more than doubled. Accordingly, Randy believes that ICE should be abolished, and Congress should explore which existing agency could best house immigration and customs enforcement, so that only those who pose a true threat to our country’s security face deportation.• Oppose the travel ban.Trump’s latest travel restrictions on eight countries of which six are Muslim-majority-- Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Somalia, Venezuela, and Yemen-- is rooted in fear, not facts. Numerous foreign policy and defense experts have criticized the ban for doing little to increase national security-- with many noting it may have the opposite effect. Furthermore, since these immigration bans were first enacted in 2017, they have stranded refugees fleeing humanitarian crises, stripped American citizens and lawful residents from being visited by loved ones, and threatened the U.S. economy and tourism industry. Randy believes that this kind of immigration policy, over-simplified and without nuance, does little to protect our country and only serves to create further division.Other candidates struggling to raise grassroots money should contemplate Bryce’s campaign strategy. As we reported earlier, Bryce has raised $4.75 in small donor contributions-- $2.1 this cycle alone. Following the DCCC’s advise is a road to nowhere. Voters and contributors want to know what candidates stand for and what they plan to do in Congress. Randy’s issues pages are a model for other candidates.
Earlier, when he released his women’s platform, it ws built around, affordable and accessible health care services for all women. It included strong support and advocating for “policies that ensure people of all genders identities and expressions-- including trans men and non-binary identified individuals and others-- have full and equal access to comprehensive, culturally and technically competent reproductive healthcare. Randy will also advocate and support policies that protect transgender and non-binary people from discrimination in healthcare; that ensures access to all medically-necessary transition-related healthcare regardless of their gender presentation; oppose any federal rules that prohibit third party insurers from exempting transition-related services from plans; support clear and financially appropriate Medicare coverage for transition related healthcare; ensure that all people-- regardless of incarceration status-- have access to medically necessary care; will work overall to improve the quality and competence of medical care for trans and non-binary people. In addition, Randy recognizes the disproportionate rates of HIV and AIDS faces by trans communities-- in particular trans women of color-- and he will work with community members and other experts and stakeholders to expand affordable and culturally competent access to PREP and Pep; as well as access to affordable and comprehensive care for those living with HIV.” DCCC wants bland and uncontroversial websites? This isn’t what they’ll find in Bryce’s campaign. Other points supporting women in combat in the military and ending violence against women and transgender people, as well as the more of less standard Democratic Party positions about passing paid medical and family leave, equal pay for equal work, accountability for lawmakers guilty of sexual harassment, and, of course, Choice.And when he announced his environmental/climate platform, Bill McKibben was so excited that this was his tweeted response!It highlights a Green New Deal, ending fossil fuel subsidies, no fossil fuel money, and 100% renewables by 2050. This is the platform of a strong leader, not just some careerist desperate to get into Congress to go along to get along and feather his nest. Believe me, this is not the kind of videos the DCCC wants too see Democratic candidates pushing on their websites:If you want to contribute to Randy’s campaign, you can do it right here. He isn’t taking money from corporate sources or from any of the bad guys’ lobbyists. He’s couting on regular Americans who want a champion for regular people-- like himself-- to allow him to compete with the most special interest congressman in the country, Paul Ryan.
