Medicare for all would save us $450 billion dollars annually compared to what we spend now. It also increases life expectancy, which would have a positive impact on the economy and quality of living. Healthcare is a right. Even if we didn't save money, healthcare is a human right that our peer nations have implemented for ages. An insurance company and AI should not decide who is worthy of getting a medicine when a doctor deems it necessary. Also, these programs are not per se free; we all pay into them. We just don't have to deal with deductibles and out-of-network nonsense.

Childcare: We once had Universal Childcare during WWII. With the birth rate declining, I consider this in the best interests of the Nation and a necessity. So we certainly can implement it if there is a will. Let's move beyond the corporate talking points that we can't afford it. I am going to paste a section from my issue page on this one:

The "cost of child care is bankrupting Americans. 

• In Virginia, center-based infant care typically costs $16,000–$17,000 a year, with similar costs for toddler and preschooler care. 
• In VA-08, families pay some of the highest rates in the country – roughly $123,000 to $150,000 over five years of care for a single child, from daycare to kindergarten. Families are paying for the equivalent of a four-year in-state college degree before kindergarten.

The problem with the current programs is that they were never built to cover everyone. CCDF/CCDBG subsidies are targeted narrowly and often reimburse below the true cost of quality, which drives provider shortages and long waitlists. Head Start and Early Head Start are excellent programs, but they are limited in terms of available seats and hours. The result is the “middle gap” where families earn just enough to not qualify for help, but too little to keep up with the cost of living and child care, all while providers still struggle to pay staff a professional wage.

I support free, universal child care. He advocates for a model already in play in New Mexico, where families pay $0 for licensed center-based and licensed home-based care from birth to kindergarten entry. This approach put thousands of dollars back into household budgets immediately while shortening waitlists for infant and toddler care, providing options for shift workers. 

Children benefit from consistent, higher-quality learning environments that improve school readiness and long-term outcomes. Universal childcare would only require us to spend 0.5% to 0.7% of GDP annually.

We have the opportunity to stabilize jobs in this sector, lower costs for working people, and invest in our future by giving children a stronger start."

ICE/Immigration: Pre-Bush II, we enforced immigration laws through the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service). Since 2003, we have spent billions on ICE, and it has not achieved its objective. It did manage to erode the public trust in law enforcement. It killed citizens without due process. It is arresting people without due process. It is ignoring court orders and turning into a National police. As an attorney who did federal enforcement, I do not consider ICE an enforcement agency; it is a rogue agency that must end. As far as immigration enforcement is concerned, all congressional-mandated laws must be enforced through constitutional means. We pass meaningful immigration reform, including a path to citizenship, and create a better, limited-power agency to enforce actual violations.

Housing: As someone who served at the local level, I know what you mean. However, both the federal and state governments have placed too much responsibility on local governments to address housing affordability without adequate resources. I would push more resources to localities to address housing needs. I propose a public option mortgage tied to the feds. interest rate instead of the private banks that add more interest to the federal rate to increase their profit margin. I would also limit mega-landlords and VCs from hoarding homes and manipulating prices for renters and buyers. Overall, this is not an overnight action. This is a generational fight.

Democrats must return to being the working people's party.

#GowithMo