Had the ultra-wealthy been just a little more subtle, they might have gotten away with it. But as the saying goes, “You get greedy, you get caught.” Through Citizens United and other manipulations of our representatives, along with recent attempts to raise the national debt by $5.7 trillion—all while stripping the poor and middle class of basic needs like food and healthcare—they’ve shown they’ll chase every last dollar, even if it pushes our nation to the brink. The problem is not just that the rich are getting richer while the middle class withers, it’s that this is happening at an accelerated rate! We must fight back.

(RCV) helps minimize tribalism and reduces negative campaigning by encouraging candidates to appeal to a wider audience instead of focusing only on their base. By allowing voters to rank their preferences, RCV expands the field of options and gives third-party and independent candidates a fair chance without the risk of splitting the vote or acting as “spoilers.” This system makes elections more equitable by better reflecting voter preferences and ensuring winners have broad support.

The Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission has had devastating consequences for our country by allowing unlimited spending in political campaigns. This has transformed elections into billion-dollar spectacles dominated by wealthy donors and special interest groups. For example, spending in the 2024 U.S. elections reached an unprecedented $15.9 billion, more than double the cost of the 2016 elections. These astronomical sums could have been used to address pressing issues such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Instead, they fuel a political system that prioritizes the interests of the wealthy over the needs of everyday Americans. To restore fairness and trust in our democracy, we must work to get big money out of politics and ensure that elections reflect the will of the people, not the wealthiest few.

I grew up under a single mother working three jobs just to make ends meet. I know what it’s like to struggle. My wife and I are struggling now as well. Between my job as a 5th-grade teacher and hers as a housekeeper, we know the pain and stress of living paycheck to paycheck. Right now, the federal minimum wage still sits at $7.25/hr, while Virginia’s is $12.41. Yet, the minimum livable wage is $24/hr. The livable minimum wage is defined as the minimum income needed to cover housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and childcare without falling into poverty.

The U.S. spends $1.7 trillion annually on Medicare and Medicaid, accounting for 25% of the federal budget—our single largest expense. Meanwhile, with a national debt of $36.22 trillion, we’re paying $1.13 trillion in annual interest, a number that will only keep climbing unless we start balancing the budget. This is truly existential. Yet, healthcare is a human right, and I am committed to expanding it to all Americans. But not only can this be done without increasing government spending—it can be done while actually reducing it.

Every person in this country deserves the security and dignity that comes with owning a home. It’s about more than just four walls — it’s about having a place to build your future, raise your family, and be part of a community. Homeownership is the number one way Americans build equity and generational wealth, and it’s long been the foundation of a strong middle class. It gives people a real stake in their neighborhoods, making them more invested in the well-being of their communities. We must stand up to corporate greed that’s driving housing costs through the roof, while also implementing bold new policies to make homeownership achievable for working families once again.

Education is the cornerstone for building and sustaining a thriving middle class. I am now in my second year teaching in public schools. I work full time for a private company that provides teachers where there is a need. Although I’ve only been doing this for a couple of years, I make a point to talk to teachers and substitute teachers as much as possible, and am thus confident to make the following statement: The current state of public education is extremely challenging. Teaching in public schools has never been more difficult. Due to changes in family structures, the effects of technology, and shifts in societal values, teachers are reporting that students are significantly demonstrating disruptive behavior, inattention, and defiant behavior. Recent statistics show a significant decline in student learning, with test scores and academic performance consistently lower than in previous years. As a teacher myself, I witness this firsthand every day.

Policy wise, we must re-enter the Paris Agreement—its mission is to unite nations in limiting global warming to well below 2°C, with efforts to stay under 1.5°C, through nationally determined emissions reductions. As an individual, join the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) today to be part of a movement that protects our natural resources and ensures a livable world for future generations. The NRDC is a powerful environmental advocacy group dedicated to protecting the planet through science, law, and policy. With a focus on fighting climate change, preserving wildlife, and promoting clean energy, the NRDC works to create a healthier and more sustainable future for all.

America is facing a chronic disease epidemic, with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer rates significantly higher than in other developed nations. While lifestyle choices certainly play a role, the composition of our food supply—filled with harmful preservatives, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)—has created an environment where disease is not the exception, but the expected outcome. Unlike European nations, which ban over 1,300 chemicals in food production, the United States continues to permit these substances, allowing corporations, Big Food and Big Ag to determine what Americans consume with minimal oversight. This systemic failure is not incidental. It is by design—perpetuated by powerful interests that prioritize corporate profits over public health, and enabled by a regulatory structure that lacks the will, and perhaps the independence, to intervene.

The War on Drugs, launched by President Nixon in 1971, has been a monumental failure, costing American taxpayers $75 billion annually while failing to address the root causes of addiction. Despite these efforts, overdose deaths are at an all-time high, drug-related crime persists, and only 10% of illicit drugs are seized, leaving the black market largely intact. Instead of reducing drug use, the War on Drugs has fueled mass incarceration, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities and exacerbating poverty. With 70% of incarcerated individuals having drug-related offenses on their record, the United States now has the largest prison population per capita in the world. This punitive approach has done little to curb addiction and has perpetuated systemic inequities while ignoring more effective solutions.

The American criminal justice system urgently needs reform to address the deep racial and economic disparities that have led to the overrepresentation of black, brown, and low-income individuals behind bars. Decades of harsh sentencing laws—like mandatory minimums and "three strikes" policies—have disproportionately affected these communities, often locking people away for nonviolent offenses with little regard for rehabilitation or fairness. It's time to replace these outdated laws with smarter, more equitable sentencing practices that prioritize rehabilitation over excessive punishment. Likewise, the cash bail system punishes poverty by allowing wealthier defendants to walk free while those with fewer resources remain incarcerated pretrial, often losing jobs, housing, and custody of their children in the process. We need a justice system that upholds fairness, not one that criminalizes poverty that the system itself helps create.

The privatization of prisons has turned incarceration into a business, where profit is tied to keeping more people behind bars for longer periods of time. This creates a dangerous incentive to prioritize shareholder returns over rehabilitation, safety, or justice. Private prisons often cut corners on staffing, healthcare, and educational or reentry programs—leaving incarcerated individuals without the support they need to successfully reintegrate into society. As a result, people released from private facilities are more likely to return to prison, fueling higher recidivism rates and continued cycles of incarceration. We need to end the use of for-profit prisons and invest in a justice system that focuses on rehabilitation, fairness, and public safety—not corporate profit.

I fully support Bernie Sanders’ tax policies. No one has fought more for the middle and struggling class than Bernie. His policies are comprehensive, sound, and will restore the middle class. These taxes will ensure we can generate more growth and: Lower property and income taxes for most Americans. Eliminate medical debt. Protect and increase Social Security. Ensure healthcare for all. Ensure housing for all. Enact a new New Deal (infrastructure, jobs, support for small businesses, and mental healthcare for all). Ensure education for all. Ensure universal childcare/Pre-K.

The United States of America is the richest civilization in the history of the world. Yet, this immense wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, leaving millions struggling just to get by. The job market is set to worsen (in the near term) as AI and automation continue to replace human labor across industries. Having a job is essential not only for financial stability but also for a person’s sense of purpose, self-worth, and overall mental and emotional well-being, as it provides both structure and a means of contributing to society.

Access to abortion is not just a matter of personal choice—it’s a matter of constitutional rights and equal protection under the law. The principles of liberty, privacy, and bodily autonomy are embedded in our Constitution, and they apply equally to women. When Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, it affirmed that these rights include the ability to make decisions about reproductive health without government interference. Rolling back Roe wasn’t just a legal reversal—it was a direct attack on the idea that women are equal citizens under the law. We must fight to restore and protect these rights, ensuring that every person has the freedom and dignity to make decisions about their own body and future.

Trust me, I know it sounds absolutely insane that I would be using a platform for U.S. Congress to talk about aliens in a serious manner. But the fact that it sounds crazy doesn't make it untrue. It is true — and it's not only the most important issue of our time; it's the most important issue in the history of time. I know it's hard to believe that we could be the generation confronting this reality in a meaningful way, but all the evidence is pointing to exactly that.