Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Reshma - Blueprint For New York
Reshma - Blueprint For New York
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CONTENTS
Reshma Saujani’s Plan for New York in Congress
11 IMMIGRATION
17 FINANCIAL REGULATION
22 EDUCATION
28 NATIONAL SECURITY
34 ENVIRONMENT
43 DIVERSE COMMUNITIES
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A MESSAGE FROM RESHMA
As you read this document, I hope you are inspired to join our efforts and get involved.
If you disagree with a policy position, I encourage you to send me a note online or come
to an event to share your perspective with me. In this district, which exemplifies the
dynamism and vibrancy of this nation, no voice should go unheard. As your
Congresswoman, I intend to be both a fierce advocate and an active listener.
After all, I believe this election is about the type of leader we want representing us in
Congress. This district’s constituency has grown more diverse and the challenges we
face as a country have become more complex. From fixing our broken immigration
system to enacting smart financial regulation, we need an advocate who intimately
understands the issues and will be a national voice for New York in Congress.
I believe my experiences and new ideas make me that new leader for New York.
Together, we can lead New York and America forward.
Sincerely,
Reshma Saujani
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“In its many incarnations over the past 400 years -
from Dutch colony to global financial capital - New
York City has always been a place of possibility,
innovation, and imagination. That's why, in the wake
of the Great Recession, our sustained economic
crisis calls for an audacious economic vision.
- Reshma Saujani
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RESHMA’S PLAN FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INNOVATION
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PROVIDE IMMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES AND BUSINESSESES
Today, unemployment is higher in New York City than anytime since 1993, and
underemployment nationwide is at a staggering 17 percent. I am running for Congress
because I believe that at this critical crossroads for our nation, I have the right ideas to
put us back on a track towards growth and prosperity in the next decade.
Help parents save for their children’s education and invest in America’s future:
We need to provide immediate assistance to help New York families save for their
children’s education, for the sake of our families and our national economic future. I
propose creating a new tax-deductible investment vehicle that enables parents to save
and promotes enrollment in science, technology, engineering, and math programs. If a
student enrolls in a technical degree program, each dollar used to pay for it from the
saved funds will be matched by the federal government through loan forgiveness.
Together, we will send our children to college and enable them to dream big and build
the future of America.
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SPUR INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
By pursuing an aggressive, active innovation strategy, New York City will become a hub
of entrepreneurship and new industry development. We must enact a smart Innovation
Strategy to become a global magnet for innovation to attract and retain the world’s best
talent in New York City.
Extend loan forgiveness for science and technology students who join start-ups
In a district home to some of the nation’s top academic and research facilities, we must
incentivize our best and brightest to do more than swap financial derivatives, and
instead build our nation’s future economy right here in New York City. I propose a
$15,000 student loan credit for math, science, or engineering students who go to work
for a clean-tech, bio-tech, or high-tech start-up in New York for at least 3 years.
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CREATE JOBS AND PROMOTE NEW YORK BUSINESSES ABROAD
New York City is not only an economic hub domestically, but a global economic center.
We must take the lead in creating the foundation of the new 21st century economy. We
must also make it easier for our businesses to reach every corner of the globe in order
to promote growth, new hires, and greater revenue for our city.
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“This city of immigrants is the most vibrant in
America, and arguably the most influential economy
in the world. I see it everyday in the faces of our
educators, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, artists, and
activists across New York's 14th District, from the
East Village and Upper East Side to Astoria.
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RESHMA’S PLAN FOR COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM
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ENACT COMPREHENSIVE VISA REFORM
Congress must work with the President to overhaul our immigration policies, which
have resulted in turning away the best and brightest from our borders, endangering our
security, and hurting our families.
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CREATE A PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP TO ADDRESS OUR FISCAL CRISIS
The economics of immigration reform are simple: moving illegal immigrants from our
under-the-table economy to our above-the-table economy is smart fiscal policy for the
nation.
Implement a guest worker program that helps businesses and protects US jobs
I propose we implement a guest worker program, which would add $792 billion to GDP
over the next ten years. In doing so, we must ensure that immigrant workers are paid a
fair wage – to prevent American wage depression – and prioritize targeted employment
areas in which there is a worker shortage.
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PROTECT OUR CITIZENS THROUGH SAFETY AND SECURITY PROGRAMS
We must make certain that immigration reform legislation is matched with restored
vigilance and increased counter-terrorism resources.
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STRENGTHEN OUR FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS
Immigration reform is central to our values of cultural diversity and inclusiveness. Our
reform efforts must therefore strengthen our families and neighborhoods, which add
tremendous value to our culture and economy.
Pass the DREAM Act to create a pathway for driven undocumented children
Today, 3.1 million American children have at least one parent who is in the US illegally.
When these parents are deported, either their families are torn apart or their children –
whom US taxpayers have heavily invested in through education and public services – are
taken back to their home country. I support the DREAM Act, which offers a citizenship
track to hard-working, undocumented children who graduate from US high schools and
pursue college or military service. We must create a pathway to citizenship for these
families without disrupting American children and jeopardizing their potential to
contribute to our country.
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“Going forward, it's so important that we achieve
more than reasonable financial industry regulation.
We also need financial industry participation to
create new jobs in emerging industries.
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RESHMA’S PLAN FOR SMART FINANCIAL REGULATION
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ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE RECENT FINANCIAL CRISIS
Enacting comprehensive financial regulation starts with addressing the key underlying
causes of the recent financial crisis. Ultimately, we had a system that was rife with
conflicts of interests and a lack of transparency, and o f these issues must be addressed
to achieve real, sustainable reform.
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ENACT A SMART REGULATORY FRAMEWORK TO PROTECT CONSUMERS
This debate is about eliminating the bad lending practices, encouraged by loose
regulation, which together have conspired against the entire economy. It's about
creating a new regulatory framework that empowers Wall Street to generate growth
and jobs in New York City and across America.
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INCENTIVIZE LONG-TERM GROWTH IN EMERGING INDUSTRIES
For decades, the financial services community primarily played the role of chief lender
to America’s budding entrepreneurs and corporate innovators. Recently, the industry
has lost its way, investing in short-term risk instead of long-term growth. We need to
create the investment climate the gets Wall Street back to investing in the future of
America.
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“A strong economy in the 21st century starts with
strong schools. Period. And no investment offers a
bigger return than ensuring our children have the
education they need to succeed. I believe that
education reform is the key to long-term economic
success for New York City and for America.
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RESHMA’S PLAN FOR EDUCATION REFORM
The current political stalemate is denying New York critical education resources
The Department of Education has instituted the Race to the Top fund to invest in state
education systems that promote accountability, innovation, and education excellence.
New York failed to win $700 million in funds because of political stalemates over tired
battles. We need to try new ideas to bring all the parties together to jointly achieve our
common goal of providing greater opportunity for our children.
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ENABLE EDUCATORS TO SUCCEED WITH NEW TRAINING AND SUPPORT
Highly effective teachers and school leaders can make the most significant impact in a
child’s education experience. Teachers entered the noble profession because they care
about children and their futures. As we implement more systems of accountability, we
need to ensure we are enabling our educators to succeed by providing updated and
expanded opportunities for training, professional development, and new skill building.
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CREATE AN ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM WITH MULTIPLE INDICATORS
Our children deserve, and our nation’s future depends on, an education system that is
adequately preparing students to succeed in the 21st century global economy.
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PROMOTE INNOVATION AND EDUCATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Just as we teach students to never cease to be learners, our education system must
continue to experiment, innovate, and share best practices to improve the experience
for our students.
Increase the cap on charter schools in partnership with the education community
Charter schools play an important role in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship
necessary to advancing the new practices and thinking in education. While charter
schools alone are not the answer, they can be effective laboratories to determine what
works and facilitate best practice sharing with the broader community. We need to
break the political impasse over charter schools by ensuring adequate funding for all
schools, traditional and charter, and a spirit of collaboration, rather than competition,
between all educational institutions. I propose creating RAISE (The Readying All Schools
and Instructors Exchange), an online platform for educators to share new classroom
teaching methods, innovative lesson plans, and teacher-created resources to deliver the
best education to all our children.
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INVEST IN KIDS, PARENTS, AND COMMUNITIES
Legislation alone cannot educate our children. Parents and communities are the most
important influence in children’s lives and we need to ensure we are providing them the
resources to be healthy and safe.
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“A strong America requires both military and
economic might. The future of our national security
is inextricably linked with our efforts to get our
budgets back in the black, revitalize our economy,
manage our borders, and reduce our dependence on
foreign sources of energy. We also need more
networked cooperation with foreign intelligence
agencies to thwart terrorist plots and more spending
on high-tech port security.
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RESHMA’S PLAN FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
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EXPAND COUNTER-TERRORISM RESOURCES FOR NEW YORK
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STAUNCHLY SUPPORT OUR ALLIES AND ENHANCE GLOBAL SECURITY
We must continue to repair our global standing and strengthen our most important
alliances as we confront new threats. I will work to strengthen our partnerships and
intelligence coordination with crucial allies, such as Israel, and build new partnerships by
increasing our diplomatic corps. We must also work closely with our allies to secure all
nuclear materials throughout the world in order to prevent them from falling into the
hands of terrorists.
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CREATE A NEW WAY FORWARD ON AFGHANISTAN
We are faced with an intractable and complex conflict that has claimed far too many
lives and consumed far too many of our resources. We have suffered more casualties
this year than ever before in this war effort and we have spent more than $320 billion
on the Afghan war alone. Stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan is fundamentally
important to our national security. The United States should continue to relentlessly
target terrorist networks and prevent the return of Al-Qaeda safe havens in Afghanistan.
However, the time has come to re-focus our mission and reduce our troop levels
immediately.
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INCREASE OUR GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS
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“From our river bends to our public parks, the
beautiful American landscape and efforts to
conserve it for posterity have been both an
important inheritance and an obligation for every
generation of Americans.
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RESHMA’S PLAN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
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PROMOTE PUBLIC PARKS AND OPEN SPACES
We need to develop more open community spaces in New York and around the country.
New York is home to one of the most recognizable parks in the world: Central Park. And
last year saw the opening of the creative High Line Park on the Lower West Side, which
is inspiring city planners around the world. But New York’s East Side has been sorely
neglected in the city beautification efforts, and I support more open community spaces
where our children can play in the District.
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LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR A 21st CENTURY CLEAN INFRASTRUCTURE
Currently, the state of our national infrastructure is deplorable, and New York’s
infrastructure is in a state of general disrepair. 46% of New York’s major roads are in
poor or mediocre state, and 45% of New York’s major urban highways are congested –
both conditions increase carbon emissions and pollutants released. We need to spur a
new national effort to scale New York’s leadership in mass transit, while investing in
new infrastructure projects like high-speed rail.
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SPUR CLEAN ENERGY INNOVATION
Spurring clean and renewable energy innovation is critical for our environment, our
national security, and our global economic competitiveness. This past year, China led
the G-20 in clean energy investing while rapidly expanding new battery production and
high-speed rail networks. However, I strongly believe in the entrepreneurial spirit and
ingenuity of the American workforce to spur innovations in clean energy and
technology. I will fight for smart public policy to ensure American remains a global
leader in emerging industries.
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“Health care is more than a service, it is a
fundamental right of all Americans. I strongly
support the passage of the recent health care reform
law. The law eliminates insurance company
discrimination, introduces competitive exchanges,
and provides greater Medicare oversight.
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RESHMA’S PLAN FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM
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DRIVE REDUCTIONS IN HEALTH CARE COSTS
While the recent health care reform law made significant strides in reining in health care
costs, much more must be done to ensure we bend the long-term cost curve in health
care. One sixth of the US GDP is presently devoted to health care spending, often due to
hidden fees or wasteful services. We must reject the false choice of coverage vs. cost
containment – our country needs health reform that does both – and that’s exactly
what I’ll fight for in Congress
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REIN IN SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS
Small businesses are not only the engine of American innovation and entrepreneurship,
they represent the major employer of most Americans. Ensuring that small businesses
have the support and resources to provide quality health insurance to their employees
is critical for our country. Though there were important support measures in the recent
health care reform law, we must immediately expand and accelerate implementation of
those provisions.
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“New York is one of the most ethnically, culturally,
and economically diverse cities in the world. The
term “melting pot” was first used to describe the
vibrant immigrant neighborhoods of the Lower East
Side that came here through Ellis Island seeking a
better future for their families.
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RESHMA’S PLAN FOR DIVERSITY
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PROVIDE NEW LEADERSHIP TO EMPOWER WOMEN
If elected, I will be the youngest woman in Congress. I will fight for issues facing women
today, including support for working women, access to health care, and protection of
reproductive rights. I respect the strong women who opened doors for me to obtain
higher education and succeed as a working woman and I want to ensure that we expand
those opportunities for all women.
We must demand immediate progress on LGBT rights. Year after year, progressive
politicians have pledged support for LGBT issues but many proposals have yet to
translate into action. I believe LGBT rights is one of the most important civil rights
movements for our generation and it must stop being a back seat or a bargaining chip
issue for progressives. I will fight for the rights that all Americans deserve.
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ENSURE PROPER CARE AND SUPPORT FOR SENIORS
I want to make sure that our parents, grandparents, and all seniors can enjoy a healthy
retirement and it is now harder than ever before for Americans to achieve this basic
goal, even for those who have worked their entire lives, as my parents have. As a
member of Congress I will fight to give our seniors the care they deserve.
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PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF ALL MINORITY COMMUNITIES
New York’s vibrant ethnic neighborhoods and America’s diverse culture are among our
greatest assets. Each community contributes its unique character to the broader
American story. However, many minority communities still face challenges in securing
the opportunities that should be available to all Americans. New York is one of the most
ethnically diverse and culturally dynamics centers of the world. In Congress, I will work
with every community to ensure all our voices are heard.
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“Americans make extraordinary investments in our
great country and we need must ensure that our
government is fully accountable to its taxpayers. Far
too often, the influence of lobbyist and special
interests drown out the voices of the American
people.
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RESHMA’S PLAN FOR CURBING SPECIAL INTEREST INFLUENCE
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ADVOCATE FOR SMART CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
Overturn the effects of the recent Citizens United Supreme Court decision
We must immediately act to overturn the disastrous effects of the recent Supreme
Court ruling the Citizens United case. It is unacceptable for corporations to be able to
endless fund political campaigns at the expense of the voices of the American people. In
Congress, I will work to introduce legislation that curbs those effects and is not subject
to the same loopholes that it is fighting to prevent.
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INCREASE TRANSPARENCY IN CONGRESS
Special interests not only influence campaigns and elections, their lobbying waters down
legislation and compromises the proposals of members of Congress. Among all the
challenges our nation faces, removing the influence of special interests is among the
most important action to ensure we can make progress on every issue.
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