Paid Family & Medical Leave

This story about 2 moms fighting to make paid family leave a part of each candidate’s First 100 Days Platform will absolutely gut you.  (You can sign their petition here. )  Both moms lost their infant sons at daycare after returning to work while their sons were just weeks old.   In their story, they cite that 1 in 4 American moms have no choice but to return to work when their child is just 2 weeks old.  87% of parents have no access to paid leave through their employers.  It also cites a study that shows that each additional month a parent has paid leave, the infant mortality rate goes down 13%.  Americans have the highest infant mortality rate in the world.  Countries that enact paid family leave see infant mortality rates decrease.  They also see a decrease in high school dropout rates, a rise in college attendance, and higher incomes at age 30.  Babies whose mothers don’t have paid leave are less likely to nurse or be taken to the doctor.  When they become toddlers, they have more behavioral problems and score lower on cognitive tests.   

A couple of years ago, I saw some of my Facebook friends sharing a graphic outlining how maternity leave in the United States compared with maternity leave in other developed countries.  As most know, the United States it the only developed country in the world with no guaranteed paid leave.  What I specifically remember about it, though, is that it was my conservative friends sharing it.  Historically, this is not an issue that has progressed under conservative leadership.  In fact, it has been blocked.

If paid family leave is important to you, there is only one choice for president.

Clinton:  Clinton will guarantee up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for a new child or an aging parent.  She will also guarantee up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave to recover from illness or injury.  During this leave, she will ensure employees receive at least two-thirds of their wages.  She will do so without imposing additional costs on businesses, including small businesses.  Instead, it will be paid with through tax reform which I will discuss in a future post.

Experience:  As first Lady of the United States, she fought for the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ensuring that it was the first bill President Bill Clinton signed into law.   As U.S. Senator, she fought for paid leave and worked to expand FMLA for wounded soldiers and their families.   Paid leave was a part of her 2008 presidential run, as well.

Trump:  This is not a part of Trump’s platform.  When asked about paid family leave, he has said, “we have to keep our country very competitive, so you have to be careful.” What does that mean? Historically, republicans have ascribed to the philosophy held by Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. When asked if businesses should be required to provide this he said no, because private businesses should be able to decide what they offer in order to remain competitive.

National Security Part 3: Military

For this post, I’m going to start with some financial background.  First, let’s talk about the United States federal budget.  The budget begins with the President who proposes a budget to the Congress for the next fiscal year of October 1-September 30.  The budget is funded primarily through taxes.  In 2015, the government received about $3.25 trillion in revenue through taxes and spent about $3.7 trillion leaving a $440 billion dollar deficit.  The deficit has shrunk each year under Obama.

 

There are two types of budget expenditures: mandatory and discretionary.  Mandatory spending is required by law to those meeting eligibility requirements.  Mandatory spending accounted for 59.8% of spending in fiscal year 2015 including Healthcare (Medicare & Medicaid) at 25%, Social Security at 24%, and other mandatory programs (SNAP, unemployment insurance, etc.) at 13%.

Discretionary spending is reviewed annually as a part of the budget proposal process.  Defense or military comes out of the discretionary budget and in fiscal year 2015, the defense department accounted for 16% of the overall federal budget or about half of the discretionary budget.  The remaining 16% comes from non-defense discretionary spending which includes federal departments (like the Department of Education) and agencies (like the Environmental Protection Agency.)  To the left is a more detailed breakdown of discretionary spending.

So, let’s focus on the defense/military budget.  From this budget comes the salaries, training, and health care of our military personnel along with arms, equipment, and facilities for the 4 branches of the military: Army, Navy, Marine Corp, and Air Force.

The United States spends more on military than any other country in the world.  In 2015, the US accounted for 37% of the $1.6 trillion spent on military and defense worldwide.  Additionally, US military spending is the equivalent of the next 7 largest military budgets combined.  The US spends $2.77 to every $1 China spends on defense.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies released its Military Balance 2016 report in February of 2016 and noted that, “New technologies mean that the West in general and the United States in particular are losing their technological edge, the report found. Countries such as Russia and China have been showcasing new systems and technological advances that show the balance of power may be shifting.”

The Budget Control Act of 2011 brought about automatic budget sequestration or automatic spending cuts to last from 2013-2021 in the event that legislators can’t reach a budget agreement that reduces the deficit by a given amount.  The cuts apply to discretionary spending and hit all programs, including defense, equally.  The idea is that the across the board cuts will force legislators into making budget decisions to avoid the across-the-board blind cuts.

It is widely agreed upon that the sequestration poses a great risk to our national defense.  The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 increased the discretionary funding spending cap for 2016 & 2017.  And, the President’s budget for fiscal year 2017 provides “both funding stability and protection from the damage of sequestration in FY 2016 and FY 2017” according to the Department of Defense.  These are temporary solutions, but the threat of sequestration and to our national defense loom.

Here is where our candidates stand on military and defense.

Clinton:  Clinton calls the FY2017 budget deal a “promising first step in providing government agencies with much needed fiscal stability. But we must go further by ending the sequester for both defense and nondefense spending in a balanced way.”  She wants to invest in innovation and capabilities that help us prepare for 21st century threats.  She wants to create a defense budget that will prioritize defense reform initiatives by curbing runaway costs in areas like health care.  She also has a comprehensive plan to take care of veterans and military families that I will cover in a future post.

Experience:  Clinton was a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Trump:  I will quote Trump’s entire 23 second video from his website on Military.  “I’m going to make our military so big, so powerful, so strong, that nobody, absolutely nobody, is going to mess with us.  We’re going to take care of our vets and we’re going to get rid of ISIS.  We’re going to get rid of ‘em fast.”  That’s the extent of his military platform as found on his website.  Like Clinton, he does have a more extensive plan for veterans which I will address in a future post.

To view National Security Part 1: Strength, Allies, Diplomacy, click here.

To view National Security Part 2: Terrorism & ISIS, click here.

National Security Part 2: Terrorism & ISIS

So, let’s just jump right in.  Let’s talk about ISIS.  ISIS stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.  At times you will hear it referred to as ISIL, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which is more inclusive of the countries in the eastern Mediterranean, including Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel, among others.  The group adheres to an ultraconservative, extreme fundamentalist version of Sunni Islam and enforces adherence to its extremist interpretation of sharia law which violates human rights by justifying acts of war and terror and harsh punishment for crimes.  It has named Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as its caliph, or direct successor of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.  The group started referring to itself as the Islamic State in June 2014 when it proclaimed itself to be a worldwide caliphate, or area surrounding a caliph.  Caliphates claim worldwide political, military, and religious authority over Muslims worldwide.  It currently holds territory in Iraq and Syria and its population is estimated to be anywhere from 2.8 million to 5.3 million to 6 million to 8 million.  Affiliates of ISIL control portions of Libya, Nigeria, Afghanistan and other territories in Southern Asia and Northern Africa.  

The group actually dates back to the late 90’s under the name Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad and under the leadership of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.  They ultimately pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda (the group that claimed responsibility for the September 11th attacks) with al-Zarqawi becoming the 1st Emir of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.  The group participated in the Iraqi insurgency following the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States.  There, it joined with other Sunni insurgent groups forming the Islamic State of Iraq in October 2006 (al-Zarqawi was killed in a targeted killing by the U.S. in June of 2006).  By August 2011, al-Baghdadi was the leader of ISI and sent a delegation in a mission to Syria following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War where they ultimately established a large presence.  Al-Qaeda cut all ties with ISIL in February 2014.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi calls for a holy war, or jihad, against all those who do not ascribe to Sunni Islam.  A Reuters article from June 2015 named his message as this: “Where Iraq's rulers could not prevent the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that delivered the country into the hands of Shi'ites, and were unwilling to mount a jihad against Alawite minority rule in Syria, much less deliver Jerusalem from Israel, Islamic State will now lead the way.”  The jihadists believe that they are on a divine mission to redeem their fallen Arab world.  al-Baghdadi stepped in to claim loyalists of Saddam Hussein and Islamist extremists born of the Iraq War.

Much like it is difficult to determine the number of people living in ISIL territories, it is also difficult to determine how many ISIL fighters there are.  That same Reuters article cited above had ISIL claiming 40,000 fighters in June of 2015, a ten fold increase to the 4,000 fighters identified just a year prior at the beginning of its rise.  Kurdish leaders claimed ISIL had 200,000 fighters as of September of 2014.  It’s a number that is definitely hard to pin down.  Many current sources report the numbers are on the decline with recent numbers estimating around 12,000.  ISIL’s loss of territories and troops is encouraging them to spread their terror to other countries which is why we have seen a rise in terror attacks outside of Iraq and Syria.

Over 60 countries are waging war against ISIL including the U.S. using primarily airstrikes with a small number of troops on the ground that are there for support of rebel forces only and prohibited under the rules of engagement from conducting offensive military action against ISIL.  Islamic State is without a doubt a terrorist organization.  It is largely known for its beheadings, destruction of churches and mosques, and ethnic cleansing through terrorist attacks and suicide bombings in Iraq & Syria and around the world.  It is overwhelmingly condemned by Islamic religious leaders.

Since June 2014, it has claimed or inspired over 70 terrorist attacks in 20 countries outside of Iraq and Syria killing at least 1,200 and injuring over 1,700.  Iraq and Syria have experienced the worst of it with on-going violence and terrorism in the region.  Attacks claiming the lives of over 100 outside of Iraq and Syria include

• March 2015:  Suicide bombings of two Shi’a mosques in Sana’a, Yemen killing 142 and injuring 351.
• October 2015:  Suicide bombings of protesters at a peace rally in Ankara, Turkey killing 102 and injuring over 400.
• October 2015:  Metrojet Flight 9268 en route from Egypt to St. Petersburg, Russia bombed killing all 224 people on board.
• November 2015:  Perpetrators coordinate shootings, suicide bombings, grenades, and hostage taking in Paris, France killing 130 and injuring 368.

The United States has had 4 attacks said to be inspired by ISIL.  None of the attacks were coordinated by ISIL itself.  All were said to be “lone wolf” terrorist attacks by American-born citizens.

• On October 23, 2014, American-born, recent convert to Islam, Zale H. Thompson, attacked 4 NYPD officers in Queens with a hatchet.  It was classified as an act of terrorism.  Two officers were injured and the suspect was shot dead.  While not specifically tied to ISIL, he had visited hundreds of websites of terrorist organizations, one of which being ISIL.
• On May 3, 2015, 2 American-born men, Elton Simpson & Nadir Soofi, shot at officers at the entrance to an exhibit featuring cartoon images of the prophet Muhammad at the Curtis Caldwell Center in Garland, Texas.  A security officer was shot in the ankle and the perpetrators were killed by the SWAT team.  Prior to the attack, they pledged allegiance to ISIL on Twitter.
• On December 2, 2015, a married couple, American-born, Syed Rizwan Farook, & Pakistani-born lawful permanent resident of the U.S., Tashfeen Malik, opened fire on a Department of Public Health staff holiday party for which Farook worked in San Bernadino, California killing 14 and injuring 22.  While not directed or a part of any terrorist network, they were inspired by foreign terrorist groups and Malik swore allegiance to al-Baghdadi on Facebook prior to the attack.  It was the deadliest attack to be classified as a terrorist attack since September 11th until the Orlando nightclub shooting.
• On June 12, 2016, American born, Omar Mateen, killed 49 people and injured 53 at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.  It is the deadliest mass shooting and the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in United States history.  Mateen swore allegiance to ISIL and al-Baghdadi in a 911 call although the CIA has found no links between Mateen and ISIL.  Witnesses and acquaintances have claimed that Mateen was a patron of the nightclub and a gay man himself, but the FBI has found no evidence to confirm that.

With a deeper understanding of ISIL, how do the candidates propose we stop them and other terrorist networks?  And, how do we stop the lone wolf terrorists not connected to global networks directly?

Clinton:  Clinton wants to take out ISIL’s stronghold in Iraq & Syria by intensifying the air strikes, by stepping up support for Arab and Kurdish forces, and pursuing a diplomatic strategy working to resolve the civil war in Syria and the conflict between the Sunnis and Shi’ites in Iraq, both of which contributed to the rise of ISIL.  All of these efforts rely heavily on our allies and the coalition we are a part of for success.  She wants to continue working with our allies to dismantle additional terror networks.  As jihadists are primarily targeting Europe and have been unsuccessful at entering the US, this means working with European intelligence agencies to go after those who help forge documents for jihadists enabling them to travel undetected.  It also means working with tech companies to fight jihadist propaganda on-line, intercept ISIL communications, and tracking and analyzing social media posts to stop attacks.

While, coordinated attacks by global terrorist groups have been unsuccessful since September 11, 2011, Clinton also acknowledges the threat of lone wolf terrorism in the US and has specific policy proposals aimed at stopping such attacks.  This means supporting first responders, law enforcement, and intelligence officers with tools, resources, intelligence, and training to prevent attacks before they happen.  She proposes launching an intelligence surge, and allowing the FBI to stop gun sales to suspected terrorists, expanding background checks for gun sales, and keeping military-style assault weapons off the streets.

Trump:  Trump’s most current ISIS policy seems to come from a foreign policy speech given in Ohio in mid-August.  In it he says, “My administration will aggressively pursue joint and coalition military operations to crush and destroy ISIS, international cooperation to cut off their funding, expanded intelligence-sharing, and cyber-warfare to disrupt and disable a their propaganda and recruiting.”  In that speech, he also proposed his “extreme vetting” proposal by saying,”The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today. I call it extreme vetting. I call it extreme, extreme vetting.”

To view National Security Part 1: Strength, Allies, Diplomacy, click here.
To view National Security Part 3: Military, click here.

National Security Part 1: Strength, Allies, Diplomacy

Well, this is often what it all comes down to for most people, right?  Who is going to actually keep our nation safe and secure?  Who will help us sleep at night and guard us from the terrors of the world?  Given that this is such a big issue, I am going to divide it into three parts and release it as three separate posts.  This post will focus on “Strength as a Nation, Standing with our Allies, and Diplomacy with our Rivals.”  Part 2 will focus on “Combating Terrorism and Keeping the Homeland Safe.”  Part 3 will focus on “Military & Defense.”

Strength as a Nation

First and foremost, we have to be a strong and prosperous nation or there isn’t much to protect.  This means having a strong infrastructure, a strong education system, and leading in innovation.  Ultimately, those things lead to a strong economy.  Here is a brief review of where Clinton & Trump stand as it relates to the economy, education, infrastructure, jobs, and manufacturing.

Economy	Clinton has been called the most fiscally conservative candidate with a net impact of close to zero for all her proposals. Clinton vows to raise the minimum wage, support Obama’s overtime rules, fight for equal pay, paid leave, and affordable childcare.  Clinton pledges tax cuts for profit-sharing businesses, closing corporate tax loopholes, and investment in infrastructure, clean energy, and scientific/medical research.	Trump says he will eliminate the federal debt with no official plan of how.  In reality, it has been projected that his massive tax cuts and proposals that he also doesn’t explain how to fund will result in an addition of 12.1 trillion dollars of debt by 2026 which is 129% of the GDP.
Early Childhood Education	Clinton plans to double investment in Early Head Start programs, and access to high quality preschool for every 4 year old in America.	Trump proposes absolutely nothing for early childhood education.
K-12 Education	Clinton believes in preparing, supporting, and paying every teacher like the future is in their hands.  She pledges funding for computer science instruction, rebuilding crumbling schools, and dismantling the school to prison pipeline.	Trump is committed to an end to Common Core.
Infrastructure	Clinton has a $275 billion dollar, 5 year plan to rebuild America’s infrastructure including repairing and expanding roads & bridges, expanding public transit, connecting all families to the internet by 2020, bringing free WiFi to public buildings and transportation, modernizing air travel, levees, dams, and wastewater systems.	Trump has no official plan other than a potentially trillion dollar plan creating 13 million jobs which he likens to FDR’s New Deal.
Jobs	Clinton’s policy proposals are predicted to create 10.4 million new jobs (3.2 million more than expected under current law) and GDP growth of 2.7% (up from 2.3% that is currently forecasted).  These predictions come from Moody’s Analytics, an independent third party source.	Moody’s predicts that Trump’s policy proposals will result in the loss of 3.5 million jobs, dropping home prices, a rise in unemployment to 7%, at least 10 trillion added to the national debt over the next decade, and a recession lasting longer than The Great Recession.
Manufacturing	Clinton proposes a $10 billion dollar investment in manufacturing, “Make It in America” partnerships, tax incentives to encourage investment in communities hit hard by manufacturing job losses, incentives to bring jobs back to the U.S., and increased apprenticeships and training programs to fill the skill gap.	Trump is notorious for manufacturing abroad, but threatens to impose tariffs and taxes on companies that do the same.

Standing with our Allies

The importance of having strong allies globally can not be underestimated.  The United States has formal diplomatic relationships with most nations with the exception of Bhutan, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Taiwan.  Yes, that means that the United States has at least some sort of diplomacy (however strained) with nations such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Egypt.

The strongest alliances come from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also sometimes called the North Atlantic Alliance.  NATO forms a military alliance between 28 nations primarily in Europe and North America.  The organization stems from the North Atlantic Treaty signed on April 4, 1949.  Nations that are a part of NATO agree to a collective defense should one nation be attacked by a non-NATO nation.  The pledge has been invoked only one time:  NATO vowed to come to the defense of the United States after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

NATO has long been considered the central element in deterring attacks in Europe, especially on smaller countries.  Additionally, its alliance provides peace keeping, deters nuclear weapon usage, and advocates for human rights.

The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan research center that public opinion and attitudes.  One of its sects tracks global attitudes toward the United States.  According to the Pew Research Center, “During the Bush era, opposition to U.S. foreign policy and rising anti-Americanism were widespread in many regions of the world, but Obama’s election in November 2008 led to a significant improvement in America’s global image.”

So, where do the presidential candidates stand with our allies and global attitudes?

Clinton:  Clinton has a proven track record in strengthening the essential partnerships of the United States from the Middle East and Asia to Europe and the Americas.  She calls NATO “one of the best investments that America has ever made.”  She will invest in partnerships with Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Pew reported the following on August 16, 2016, “Of the two principal presidential candidates, Clinton is the better known outside the United States. Having served as US secretary of state from 2009 to early 2013, Clinton enjoys the confidence of many in both Europe and Asia to do the right thing in world affairs, according to a recent survey of 15 nations by the Pew Research Center.”

Trump:  Trump views NATO on the basis of economic benefit only.  He breaks rank from every Republican candidate before him by not automatically vowing to defend NATO allies if attacked.  When asked if he would defend U.S. allies from Russian invasion, he says he would have to look at the country’s contributions to the alliance before offering defense.  He has drawn a hard “America First” stance has earned him the title of the “first isolationist candidate” since World War II.  Pulling back from America’s allies will undoubtedly give rise to anti-American sentiment.  This is already starting to show as Pew reports on global attitudes: “ratings for Donald Trump are overwhelmingly negative. A median of just 9% trust the wealthy real estate developer to do the right thing in world affairs; 85% lack confidence in him.”

Diplomacy with our Rivals

Diplomacy requires patience, persistence, and long-term planning, but it is often the only way to avoid conflict.  There is ample evidence that diplomacy in foreign policy yields more long term gains than force.

Here is where the candidates stand in experience and intention with foreign policy diplomacy.

Clinton: Clinton has a wise but firm approach to diplomacy in order to prevent conflict.  As Secretary of State, Clinton dispatched senior aides for secret talks that ultimately led to international negotiations with Iran.  She convinced China and Russia to join the international coalition to put crippling sanctions on Iran that ultimately led them to the negotiation table effectively blocking their pathway to a nuclear weapon.  As president, she will vigorously enforce the nuclear agreement with Iran.  Clinton has also worked with leaders of Russia and China and the rest of the UN Security Council to impose nuclear sanctions against North Korea.

Clinton supports Obama’s initiatives to build stronger ties and diplomatic relations with Cuba.  She urges Congress to lift the embargo on Cuba while continuing to press for reforms there.

Clinton will stand up to Vladimir Putin along with our European allies to push back on Russian aggression on Europe.  She will hold China accountable in violations in cyberspace, on currency, human rights, trade, territorial disputes, and climate change.

Additionally, Clinton has extensive experience in foreign policy as Secretary of State where she championed the rights of women and girls around the world, negotiated a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, stood up for LGBT rights, renewed American diplomacy with Asia, took on HIV/AIDS globally, stood up to sex trafficking of women and children, and intervened in Saudi Arabia to stop child marriages. These are just a few of her extensive accomplishments while visiting 112 countries to restore America’s reputation around the world.  All this and more took place while she was overseeing 60,000+ people at 275 posts around the world.

Trump:  Trump recently attempted diplomacy for the first time by visiting Mexico’s President Nieto.  So, there’s that.

Aside from that, it is overwhelmingly clear that Trump values authoritarianism and has praised authoritarian and totalitarian rule in Russia, China, North Korea, and Turkey.  

To view National Security Part 2: Terrorism & ISIS, click here.
To view National Security Part 3: Military, click here.