While the political jockeying gets more attention, candidates in the 2020 Democratic presidential race are advancing serious policy proposals. The Washington Times takes a weekly look at some of them that may have flown under the radar.
Sen. Bernard Sanders called for an overhaul of the media business Monday, vowing to crack down on big mergers and to curb the influence of tech giants Mr. Sanders says are siphoning advertising revenue from news organizations.
The Vermont senator praised the role of the press, but said journalists are facing increasing pressures from corporate-owned media overseers who are squeezing their work for profit and from brash politicians such as President Trump.
“At precisely the moment when we need more reporters covering the healthcare crisis, the climate emergency, and economic inequality, we have television pundits paid tens of millions of dollars to pontificate about frivolous political gossip, as local news outlets are eviscerated,” Mr. Sanders wrote in the Columbia Journalism Review.
He said he would take steps to block mergers of major media companies and require them to disclose whether their plans would involve significant layoffs of reporters. He also would give employees the opportunity to purchase outlets through stock before major deals are reached.
Mr. Sanders said he would appoint an attorney general and Federal Trade Commission members who would oppose companies such as Facebook and Google that try to use “their enormous market power to cannibalize, bilk, and defund news organizations.”
Mr. Sanders also would limit the number of local stations large broadcasting corporations can own in each market, saying the Trump administration has paved the way for media conglomerates to dominate both local newspapers and TV and radio stations.
“Walter Cronkite once said that ’journalism is what we need to make democracy work,’” Mr. Sanders wrote. “He was absolutely right, which is why today’s assault on journalism by Wall Street, billionaire businessmen, Silicon Valley, and Donald Trump presents a crisis — and why we must take concrete action.”
Harris on disabilities
Sen. Kamala D. Harris on Thursday announced a plan designed to ensure “full inclusion” for people with disabilities.
Ms. Harris’s campaign said she would flex the reach of the federal government by requiring entities that receive taxpayer money to win certification that their facilities comply with federal accessibility rules, or else risk losing the funds. She also said she would order the Education Department to better enforce civil rights laws for students with disabilities.
“When we ensure that every American with disabilities is able to fully participate in our schools, our workplaces, and all aspects of our communities, our country is stronger,” the California Democrat said.
She also would direct her agencies to update plans on how to prioritize hiring people with disabilities in her administration and take executive action to ensure that federally developed technology is fully accessible as required by law.
Her campaign said new “senior-level” positions in the White House would elevate disability issues in administrative policymaking.
Yang on climate change
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang on Monday released a $4.9 trillion plan to combat climate change that includes a carbon fee, a role for nuclear power, and more money to help people move to “higher ground,” echoing a warning he made during the last presidential debate.
Mr. Yang’s plan includes a carbon fee starting at $40 per ton that eventually ratchets up to $100 per ton, as well as a “border carbon adjustment” that imposes a separate fee on imports from countries that don’t have some kind of carbon tax.
Mr. Yang wants to reach net-zero emissions by 2049, and his plan said he would give annual reports during the State of the Union address on where things stand on benchmarks such as energy costs and environmental quality.
He would invest more money in research and development for nuclear fusion reactors and engage in a public campaign to boost the reputation of nuclear power, which produces no greenhouse gas emissions but many environmental activists argue should not be part of a long-term climate plan to transition away from energy sources such as coal.
Mr. Yang also would make up to $40 billion available in subsidies, grants and loans for people who want to elevate or relocate their homes, or move to higher ground, amid anticipated rises in sea levels.
“We’ve waited too long, so we need to act fast and recognize that all options need to be on the table in order to adapt to the changed world we live in, while mitigating behaviors that make it worse and reversing the damage we’ve already done,” he said.
Buttigieg on mental health
Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, released a plan last week intended to improve mental health care and fight opioid addiction, while putting mental illness on par with physical ailments.
His campaign said the plan would prevent 1 million “deaths of despair” from drugs, alcohol or suicide by 2028.
“For years, politicians in Washington have claimed to prioritize mental health care while slashing funding for treatment and ignoring America’s growing addiction and mental health crisis,” Mr. Buttigieg said. “That neglect must end. Our plan breaks down the barriers around mental health and builds up a sense of belonging that will help millions of suffering Americans heal.”
His plan would try to keep mentally ill people out of the criminal justice system and get them into treatment. He set a goal of reducing the number of people incarcerated in connection with mental illness or substance use issues by 75% over four years.
Mr. Buttigieg would penalize insurance companies that don’t cover mental illness and addiction treatment the same way they do for other chronic physical conditions, such as diabetes, by imposing fines and publicly identifying the plans that break the rules most often.
His policy also would provide grant money for communities most affected by mental illness and addiction and calls for universal access to medication to treat opioid use disorder, including medication-assisted treatment.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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