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Tulsi Gabbard

U.S. Representative, Hawaii

Website

 

Opportunity
Justice
Democracy

Opportunity

Racial Wealth Gap

Tulsi Gabbard addresses the racial wealth gap on her “American People & Nation Building” issue page. She supports increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour as outlined in her support of H.R. 582.

Affordable Housing

Tulsi Gabbard does not address affordable housing in her campaign platform, but she has supported it while in Congress. In Congress, she has:

  • “Supported federal funding for numerous programs that help state and local governments address housing issues including Section 8 Housing, Housing for the Elderly, Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant and Loan programs, HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, and the HOME Investment Partnership program. 

  • “Supported Low Income Housing Tax Credits. 

  • “Co-sponsored legislation to make permanent and expand the temporary minimum credit rate for the low-income housing tax credit program, as well as legislation to increase Low Income Housing Tax Credits for individuals who have experienced a Federally Declared Natural Disaster.”

Access to High Quality Education

Tulsi Gabbard addresses access to high quality education in her “Education & Teachers” plan. Her plan will “resolve student debt and guarantee college for all.”

While in Congress, she also supported “H.R. 1880, the College for All Act of 2017. This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a grant program eliminating tuition and required fees for all students at community colleges and two-year tribal colleges and universities, and for working- and middle-class students at four-year public institutions of higher education.”

Environmental Equity

Tulsi Gabbard addresses environmental equity in her “Environment & Protection” section. Her plan will:

  • Support H.R.5609, The Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act of 2018 amends Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act) to authorize the EPA to make grants for providing technical assistance for water and sanitation infrastructure and drinking water systems to rural and small municipalities and tribal governments. Additionally, the EPA must establish a grant program for repairing, replacing, or upgrading septic tanks and drainage fields.

Health Equity

Tulsi Gabbard addresses health equity in her Healthcare for All plan. Her plan will “ensure all Americans have an inclusive, affordable healthcare plan that will be there for them when they and their family most need it. I support a single-payer system that will allow individuals to access private insurance if they choose.”

Transportation Access

Tulsi Gabbard does not address transportation access in her campaign platform. On her congressional website, however, she notes:

  • “Infrastructure is the foundation that connects our nation’s businesses, communities and people. Our nation’s public infrastructure system not only ensures the continuous transportation of people, goods, and services, but it also protects the health, safety, and welfare of the public.”

Justice

Bail/Prison Reform 

Tulsi Gabbard’s campaign platform does not address bail/prison reform. However, she has made several public statements regarding our current criminal justice system:

  • “Criminal justice reform is a bipartisan issue. We can bring down costs and improve outcomes by implementing alternatives to incarceration.” 

  • “Our outdated policies on marijuana are turning everyday Americans into criminals, tearing apart families, and wasting huge amounts of taxpayer dollars to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate people for non-violent marijuana charges.”

  • “We must stand up against for-profit, private prisons and a criminal justice system that favors the rich and powerful and punishes the poor, locking up people who smoke marijuana and ignoring corps like Purdue Pharma responsible for thousands of opioid-related deaths.” 

  • “As president I’ll end the failed war on drugs, legalize marijuana, end cash bail, and ban private prisons and bring about real criminal justice reform.”

Re-Entry Services

Tulsi Gabbard’s campaign platform does not address re-entry services.

Ending Capital Punishment

Tulsi Gabbard is against re-instituting capital punishment. Gabbard expressed her views on Twitter: 

  • “Very good news! The execution of Rodney Reed has been delayed after new evidence drew attention to the case, underscoring the risk inherent in capital punishment of executing an innocent person. As president I’ll reform our criminal justice system and abolish the death penalty.” — 7:32 PM · Nov 15, 2019

Expanding Gun Safety Measures

Tulsi Gabbard’s campaign platform does not address expanding gun safety measures. However, she has made several public statements pertaining to gun safety and the second amendment:

  • “I love our freedom…The freedom that is enshrined in our Constitution and our Bill of Rights. The freedoms we fight to protect [including] the right to bear arms.”

  • “The time for action is now. We cannot allow partisan politics to get in the way of taking meaningful action in areas where both parties agree and that have the support of most Americans across this country. Here are a few examples: Both Democrats and Republicans support legislation I have co-sponsored to ban bump stocks. Both Democrats and Republicans support legislation to uphold Second Amendment rights and strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Now is the time for us to come together and to take meaningful action towards responsible, common sense gun safety reform.”

  • “We don’t have to wait for answers to these questions for Congress to pass legislation already supported by a majority of Americans, like universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole and reinstating a federal ban on military-style assault weapons.”

Improving Police-Community Relations 

Tulsi Gabbard’s campaign platform does not include a plan for improving police-community relations. However, she has publicly called for the demilitarization of police during her time in Congress:

  • “It is alarming to see small towns of America encroached upon with assault weapons, militarized vehicles, tear gas, and other military gear intended for use against enemy combatants, not against our own citizens. Our local police forces are meant to be serving and protecting the people in our local communities—not treating them as the enemy. Historically, Americans have joined law enforcement because of their desire to serve and protect their communities—not play soldiers. However, this could change with the increased militarization of our police.”

Democracy

Voting Rights

Tulsi Gabbard addresses voting rights in the “Elections” plan on her site by saying, “I will make it a priority to guarantee a government of, by, and for the people by strengthening campaign finance laws, protecting voting rights for every American, and ensuring our elections are protected against all forms of interference. My Securing America’s Elections Act ensures either a paper ballot or voter-verified paper backup, so no foreign countries or individuals can skew results.” 

Gabbard supports: 

  • “H.R.1 — “For the People Act of 2019 to expand voter registration and voting access, makes Election Day a federal holiday, and limits removing voters from voter rolls.”

Access to Voter Registration

Tulsi Gabbard addresses voter registration in her “Elections” plan. She supports:

  • “H.R.1 — “For the People Act of 2019 to expand voter registration and voting access, makes Election Day a federal holiday, and limits removing voters from voter rolls.”

Gerrymandering

Tulsi Gabbard addresses gerrymandering in “Elections” plan. She supports:

  • “H.R.1 — “For the People Act of 2019 to expand voter registration and voting access, makes Election Day a federal holiday, and limits removing voters from voter rolls.”

  • “H.R.51 — “Washington, D.C. Admission Act to provide for the admission of the State of Washington, D.C. into the Union.”

  • “H.R.712 — “John Tanner Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act to prevent gerrymandering”

Census 2020

Tulsi Gabbard’s campaign platform does not address the 2020 Census. However, she signed onto a letter:

  • “Urging Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to drop their appeal against the ruling that the citizenship question must be removed from the 2020 Census.”