Andrew Yang on the issues, 2020

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Date: November 3, 2020
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Andrew Yang was a Democratic candidate for president of the United States in 2020. He filed to run for the office on November 6, 2017.

This page contains brief policy positions compiled from the candidate's official campaign website, editorials, speeches, and interviews.

For more specific policy areas and policy positions from other 2020 presidential candidates, click here.

Policy positions

Immigration

Andrew Yang's campaign website says, "Immigrants have been a source of hard work and innovation for America over the centuries. Without a doubt, the melting pot of our country has led to the most dynamic, most creative, and most successful nation in the history of the world. It’s also necessary to recognize that, as a nation, we need to maintain control of our immigration system. The current system we have in place, when it works, does a great job of ensuring that highly skilled, hard-working, and invested immigrants can come to this country and integrate, becoming new Americans who contribute greatly to our society."

Yang's website lists the following immigration proposals: "Secure the southern border and drastically decrease the number of illegal entries into the US. Provide a new tier of long-term permanent residency for anyone who has been here illegally for a substantial amount of time so that they can come out of the shadows, enter the formal economy, and become full members of the community. Invest heavily in an information campaign to inform immigrant communities of this new tier of residency, and deport any undocumented immigrant who doesn’t proactively enroll in the program." [source, as of 2019-08-28]

Healthcare

Andrew Yang's campaign website says, "We need to fix our broken healthcare system by tackling the root problems through a six-pronged approach: Control the cost of life-saving prescription drugs, through negotiating drug prices, using international reference pricing, forced licensing, public manufacturing facilities, and importation. Invest in technologies to finally make health services function efficiently and reduce waste by utilizing modernized services like telehealth and assistive technology, supported by measures such as multi-state licensing laws. Change the incentive structure by offering flexibility to providers, prioritizing patients over paperwork, and increasing the supply of practitioners. Shift our focus and educating ourselves in preventative care and end-of-life care options. Ensure crucial aspects of wellbeing, including mental health, care for people with disabilities, HIV/AIDs detection and treatment, reproductive health, maternal care, dental, and vision are addressed and integrated into comprehensive care for the 21st century. Diminish the influence of lobbyists and special interests in the healthcare industry that makes it nearly impossible to draft and pass meaningful healthcare reform." [source, as of 2019-12-16]

Energy and environmental issues

Andrew Yang's campaign website says, "Climate change is an existential threat to humanity and our way of life. It should be a top priority of the federal government to implement policies to control anthropogenic climate change while working with other governments to implement these policies throughout the world. It’s important to regulate fossil fuels, both to control climate change and to improve the health of the average American. Renewable energy must be invested in, not only as a means of moderating climate change but also to drive economic growth."

Yang's website lists the following proposals: "Invest heavily in carbon capture and geoengineering technologies designed to reverse the damage already done to the environment through a new Global Geoengineering Institute and invite international participation. Invest in any idea that has the potential to reverse the damage done to the environment, for example cloud-seeding technology to increase the atmosphere’s reflectivity. End the current tax benefits and cuts given to fossil fuel companies which give them an unwarranted competitive advantage over alternative energy sources. Institute a tax on emissions that will fund health care initiatives and research for respiratory diseases that are a direct result of these emissions. Empower and appoint an action-oriented leader of the EPA and direct the EPA to regulate carbon emissions. Direct the EPA to survey the states and private organizations to collate all programs designed to promote renewable energy adoption. Direct the EPA to coordinate with state and local governments to measure the impact of different policies on effecting positive impacts in the area of renewables adoption. Prioritize sustainable infrastructure and urban development to take advantage of new materials and designs." [source, as of 2019-08-28]

Trade

Andrew Yang's campaign website says, "We need to ensure that our trade deals with other countries match our values and environmental goals. We need to renegotiate our trade deals that protect the fossil fuel industry. Instead, our trade deals need to ensure that any goods manufactured using unsustainable methods are appropriately costed, and the fossil fuel industries don’t get unwarranted power in the deals. As President, I will: Ensure that any trade negotiation includes stringent environmental standards. Ensure that any trade deal doesn’t include carve-outs or exclusives for oil, gas, or coal. Renegotiate any trade deal that includes carve-outs for fossil fuel industries, including the ISDS exceptions in NAFTA/USMCA." [source, as of 2019-08-29]

Economy

Andrew Yang's campaign website says, "We need to make the markets serve us rather than the other way around. Profit-seeking companies are organized to maximize their bottom line at every turn which will naturally lead to extreme policies and outcomes. We need government leaders who are truly laser-focused on the public interest above all else and will lead companies to act accordingly."

His website continues, "As president, I will implement the Freedom Dividend, providing Universal Basic Income of $1,000/month to all American adults over the age of 18 so that we may all share in the prosperity we have contributed to and participate in the new economy. Change the way we measure the economy, from GDP and the stock market to a more inclusive set of measurements that ensures humans are thriving, not barely making it by. Rein in corporate excesses by appointing regulators who are paid a lot of money – competitive with senior jobs in the private sector – but then will be prohibited from going to private industry afterward. The government’s goal should be to drive individuals and organizations to find new ways to improve the standards of living of individuals and families on these dimensions." [source, as of 2019-08-29]

Education

Andrew Yang's campaign website says, "The purpose of education should be to enable a citizen to live a good positive, socially productive life independent of work and further education. We need to make school more relevant to our young people by teaching them things they might actually use every day."

Yang's website lists the following education proposals: "Promote leaders in the Department of Education that promote life-skills education at least as much as higher education. Promote leaders in the DOE who envision trade skills as an educational path in secondary school. Increase funding to vocational programs within public schools. Direct the Dept. of Education to provide materials to all public schools about career paths that don’t require a college degree. Prioritize career paths that students express interest in rather than giving blanket advice that college is the right/only option. Begin a public education campaign championing vocational jobs and education. Work with states to fund their educational systems to improve teacher salaries and reduce layers of administration, leading to better educational outcomes. Direct the Department of Education to work with states to create a plan for universal pre-kindergarten education. Provide loan forgiveness for education majors who volunteer at places that provide pre-K education." [source, as of 2019-08-29]

Gun regulation

Andrew Yang's website says, "Most Americans agree on common-sense safety requirements and restrictions on firearms. As President, I will support sensible regulation of guns that allows their continued enjoyment by responsible gun owners in a framework that promotes the overall public safety."

Yang's website lists the following proposals: "Close the gun show and Charleston loopholes, requiring all gun sales and most transfers to have a background check run and completed. Implement a purchase limit (rate, not total) on all firearms. Implement a federal cooling-off period to decrease the incidence of suicide and impulsive crime. Promote a stringent licensing system, with a 5-year renewal requirement, for gun ownership. Create a clear definition of “assault weapon”, and prevent their manufacture and sale. Renew a ban on Large Capacity Ammo Feeding Devices (LCAFDs) and after-market non-standard large capacity magazines. Pass a federal gun transportation law that will require people to transport guns unloaded and locked in a storage safe. Increase liability for individuals who sell guns illegally that are used to commit a crime. Form a commission to study the development of 3D printing technology to see ways we can minimize the risk of this technology in perpetuating gun violence. Maintain current restrictions on and definitions of automatic weaponry. Create federal safety guidelines for gun manufacture and distribution, similar to federal car safety requirements, with strict penalties for the violation of these guidelines. Invest in personalized gun technology that makes it difficult or impossible for someone other than a gun’s owner to fire it, and ensure that they’re for sale on the marketplace. Implement a federal buyback program for anyone who wants to voluntarily give up their firearm." [source, as of 2019-08-29]

Criminal justice

Andrew Yang's website says, "Our rates of incarceration are 4 times higher than most other industrialized countries, and it’s a national disgrace. People on both sides of the aisle now recognize that our system is badly in need of reform. Our criminal justice system is particularly punitive toward blacks and other minorities. As President I will overhaul the treatment of drug offenses and reduce our rates of incarceration over time."

Yang's website lists the following proposals: "Work to end the use of private prison facilities for federal inmates. Shift drug policy away from punishment and towards treatment. Invest money to fund innovative prison programs that decrease recidivism and increase reintegration. Invest money to support businesses that hire felons who have served their prison term. Push to reconsider harsh felony laws that prevent those who have served their prison term from reintegrating into society. Identify non-violent drug offenders for probation and potential early release. Implement Universal Basic Income which will dramatically decrease incentives for criminality and improve the functioning of individuals and communities." [source, as of 2019-08-29]

Foreign policy

Andrew Yang's website says, "My first principles concerning foreign policy are restraint and judgment - we should be very judicious about projecting force and have clear goals that we know we can accomplish. We should treat our men and women in the armed services as the brave and self-sacrificing leaders that they are, both during and after their deployments. If I send young men and women into harm’s way, they will know that vital national interests are at stake and there is a clear plan for them to achieve their goal in a reasonable time frame."

Yang's website lists the following proposals: "Work with our allies to rebuild our stature in the world, and strengthen alliances such as NATO. Reinvest in diplomacy and bolster funding to the State Department. Work with allies to project our combined strength throughout the world, without engaging in activities that will cost American lives and money with no clear benefit to our long-term well-being. Sign a repeal to the AUMF, returning the authority to declare war to Congress, and refuse to engage in anything other than emergency military activity without the express consent of Congress. Regularly audit the Department of Defense. Focus our federal budget on fixing problems at home instead of spending trillions of dollars abroad." [source, as of 2019-08-29]

Impeachment

Andrew Yang tweeted, "Given the President’s latest actions I think impeachment is the right path forward. Asking foreign leaders for political help in return for aid and then suppressing your own agency’s inquiry is egregious. There have to be limits and Congress is right to act." [source, as of 2019-09-24]

Other policy positions

Click on any of the following links to read more policy positions from the 2020 presidential candidates.

Abortion

Criminal justice

Economy

Education

Energy and environmental issues

Foreign policy

Gun regulation

Healthcare

Immigration

Impeachment

Labor

Trade


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