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 the candidates’ ideas that may have flown under the radar.
Sen. Michael Bennet on Thursday rolled out a plan designed to curb the influence of money in politics and bolster voting rights, saying the system itself will have to change in order to make headway on issues like climate change and tax reforms.
The Colorado Democrat wants to overturn a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that opened the door for corporations and unions to spend unlimited sums of money on advocacy. That ruling, the Citizens United decision, has been a top target for Democrats since it was ruled.
Mr. Bennet also would impose a lifetime ban on members of Congress from ever becoming lobbyists — a proposal that’s recently drawn bipartisan interest on Capitol Hill — and would create new disclosure requirements for political groups.
As for elections, he would expand early voting and automatic registration, and voiced support for “ranked choice,” where voters can give their order of preference of candidates. The votes are retabulated based on those rankings if a candidate doesn’t win a majority of votes.
Many of his proposals are part of House Democrats’ agenda this year — but they’re unlikely to clear the Senate or be signed by President Trump.
“I think it takes a president to push this stuff,” Mr. Bennet said. “A lot of this will take Congress’s participation, but I think that if we were putting this on the floor for a vote today — if you could do it in a world where you didn’t have [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell in your way — you could pass it.”
Booker on executive clemency
Sen. Cory A. Booker on Thursday said if he’s elected president he would immediately start the clemency process for thousands of nonviolent federal drug offenders, in what his campaign billed as “the most sweeping clemency initiative in more than 150 years.”
“When it comes to restoring justice, we can’t be timid,” the New Jersey Democrat said. “Granting clemency won’t repair all the damage that has been done by the War on Drugs and our broken criminal justice system, but it will help our country confront this injustice and begin to heal.”
His plan calls for immediate clemency consideration for people serving time for primarily marijuana-related offenses, people whose sentences would have been cut under newly reduced minimum sentencing rules, and people incarcerated for “excessive sentences” because of disparities in how crack and powder cocaine are treated.
The campaign estimated that at least 17,000 people and perhaps as many as 20,000 would be “immediately” eligible for clemency.
Mr. Booker’s plan would also create an “executive clemency panel” at the White House, and calls for a federal council to make recommendations to help people granted clemency find jobs and other benefits.
Castro on housing
Julian Castro, a former secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama, rolled out a multipart proposal this week to boost the supply of affordable housing.
Mr. Castro called it a “human right,” but said it is out of reach for many poor people, who either can’t afford the options they have, or who get turned out onto the streets.
“I understand the challenges that Americans face in housing — from rising rents, to gentrification, to housing discrimination, to homelessness,” he said. “We need a president who will match the urgency of this issue with concrete, bold plans.”
Mr. Castro’s plan would expand a federal housing voucher program to cover more families and provide a refundable tax credit designed to prevent people from spending more than 30% of their income on rent — a proposal similar to what other contenders, including Mr. Booker and Sen. Kamala D. Harris have suggested as well.
He would also take steps to ban discrimination in housing based on factors like income and criminal history.
Swalwell on gun control
Rep. Eric Swalwell on Monday filled in more details on his gun-control agenda, laying out plans for a ban on new purchases and buybacks of military-style semiautomatic rifles, and stricter limits on gun ownership.
He said civilians should be prohibited from possessing “assault” weapons, with exceptions for shooting ranges and hunting clubs. And he called for an Australian-style buyback to entice people to give up their weapons. Those caught breaking the new law would be criminally prosecuted.
He also would create a federal licensing program for gun owners that would require them to complete a training program before obtaining a gun and would create a national firearm registry. Both measures have been staunchly opposed by gun-rights supporters such as the National Rifle Association.
“We’re not just here to stand up to the NRA — many of us have been doing that for years. We’re here to beat the NRA,” Mr. Swalwell said in an appearance near the gun-rights group’s headquarters in Northern Virginia.
Under his plans, potential gun buyers would have to obtain liability insurance.
He would also limit ammunition sales for individual buyers to 200 rounds per 30-day period, and ban people from “hoarding” ammunition in quantities that exceed 200 rounds per caliber or gauge.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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