Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives - Tennessee 4th Congressional District in 2020 Tennessee General Election.
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Get StartedIncrease economic and educational benefits for military spouses and children. We must create more flexible service options to better facilitate modern families. We must also expand employment support and training initiatives while in service and during the transition to civilian life. And finally, we must increase the quality of military schools throughout the globe. Learn more
Improve and strengthen the Post-9/11 GI Bill. We must further expand tax credits for veterans’ employment and increase veteran entrepreneurship programs, and create new pathways for veterans to enter growing career fields—particularly in digital technology and cybersecurity. Learn more
Build a 21st-century Department of Veterans Affairs to deliver world-class care. It's unacceptable that veterans have to wait weeks, months, and sometimes years to see a doctor or to process disability claims and appeals. I will oppose efforts to privatize the VA, but I will work to ensure veterans have access to a full range of world-class health care services no matter where they live. Learn more
Implement a bold plan to prevent and treat addiction, assist those in recovery, and end this opioid and substance addiction crisis once and for all. I'll work with the President to increase his current $4.3 billion opioid epidemic investment and leverage the extra investment to ensure every community has a full array of prevention tools in place and everyone—not just first responders and hospitals—has access to free Naloxone, the anti-overdose drug, that can save lives in emergencies. Learn more
Cut red tape, provide tax relief, and expand access to capital for companies and small businesses that relocate and invest in rural areas throughout the state. We will work with business owners throughout the region to identify which regulations to cut, focusing on those that slow digital and physical infrastructure development. Learn more
Rebuild rural schools. The majority of our district's sixteen counties have school buildings that suffer from a crumbling infrastructure. The federal government should provide grants to rebuild and modernize these structures. Learn more
Invest in second language acquisition, international education opportunities, and coding classes. The students who can begin learning a second language, experience other cultures, and be proficient in emerging technologies will be well-placed in tomorrow's economy. Therefore, I will work to increase funding for Peace Corps and Fulbright and to create parallel opportunities for our nation's high schoolers, particularly those in rural areas. Learn more
Provide teachers with better and more consistent professional development opportunities and support at every level of their job. The demands on teachers stretch well beyond the classroom, so we must create a support structure that does as well. Along with more training opportunities, we must provide more funding for teacher's assistants, counselors, and safety personnel. Learn more
Elevate and modernize the teaching profession in Tennessee life. In a rapidly changing global economy, the demands on Tennessee teachers are higher than ever before. So we must provide our teachers with pay that reflects the dignity and importance of their work. And the days of teachers buying their own supplies must end immediately. We don't make soldiers pay for their uniforms, so we shouldn't make our teachers pay for their pencils. Learn more
The American health care system has a bias towards urban communities that's unworkable in rural Tennessee, where access to health care services is both unaffordable and inaccessible. I will work to increase grants and investments in rural healthcare centers, make telehealth appointments Medicare and Medicaid eligible, and offer tax breaks and incentives for primary and specialty care providers working in rural and underserved areas. Finally, I'll work to triple the size of the National Health Service Corps, which are the #1 healthcare providers in many areas of rural Tennessee. Learn more
Expand Medicaid and lower the Medicare age. I'll work with Tennessee's next governor and the federal government to do whatever it takes to expand Medicaid in our state and will work in a bipartisan way to decrease the Medicare-eligible age to 50, which will save the average Tennessean thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket costs near their retirement. This will be the first step towards a single payer universal system. Learn more
Launch the biggest investment in the Tennessee infrastructure since the interstate highway system in the 1950s. While that program focused on connecting cities, this one will focus on connecting rural communities with each other and the wider transportation network. Tennessee's roads and bridges used to be the envy of the nation. They will soon be again. Learn more
Repurpose the Tennessee Valley Authority to give world-class broadband access to every rural community in the state. Like the TVA lit up the sky, jumpstarted our economy, and drastically reduced poverty during the 20th century, the new TVA will ensure rural Tennesseans and their small businesses have the tools to thrive in today's economy. Learn more
Increase the minimum wage. The 70,000 Tennesseans in our district who have a $7.25 per hour minimum wage haven't received a pay raise in over a decade. During the campaign, the President said the minimum wage should at least be $10 per hour. He's absolutely right, but we should work towards $15 per hour. Learn more
Ensure equal pay for women and paid parental and sick leave for all. Women and mothers are increasingly becoming the cornerstone of Tennessee's economy. To defend women's paychecks is to defend Tennessee families. I will work to pass legislation to give women the tools they need to fight discrimination and harassment in the workforce. I will also work to pass paid parental and sick leave. No woman or man should have to choose between keeping their job or caring for either a new baby or an ailing family member. Learn more
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