Jan. 2, 2020 - Michael Bennet Unveils “The Real Deal,” New Comprehensive Agenda That Is Progressive, Paid For, and Widely Popular

Sen. Michael Bennet « The Real Deal

Bennet for America
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, January 2, 2020
CONTACT: Shannon Beckham

Michael Bennet Unveils “The Real Deal,” New Comprehensive Agenda That Is Progressive, Paid For, and Widely Popular Among the American People

MANCHESTER, NH — Michael Bennet today unveiled The Real Deal, his comprehensive vision to make lasting progress for families and workers across the country. The Real Deal is a political and policy blueprint designed to guide our country’s priorities for the next 20 years.

In contrast to the agendas of other candidates, The Real Deal is progressive, paid for, and widely popular among the American people. It represents a turning away from the politics of empty promises and can’t-do rhetoric, and instead imagines a world where we accomplish the 15 outlined policies and transform the lives of millions of Americans.

The Real Deal is an agenda that Democrats up and down the ballot—in blue, purple, and red states—can run on to defeat Donald Trump, take back the Senate, expand control in the House, and win statehouses across the country. It will not only galvanize the Democratic base, but also help win back some of the nine million people who voted twice for Barack Obama and then for Donald Trump.

The Real Deal would cost about $6 trillion over the next decade—less than one-fifth of the cost of Medicare for All alone.

“The choice we face in this primary is between unrealistic promises that will only breed further cynicism in our politics and building political momentum to achieve actual progress for people who need it. Instead of fighting a losing battle over the next 10 years for Medicare for All, for example, we should build a broad coalition to achieve The Real Deal,” Bennet said as part of a longer statement about the agenda.

Highlights of The Real Deal:

Rebuild the Middle Class and End Childhood Poverty

Support Families Raising Kids and Workers Trying to Make Ends Meet by Expanding the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit
Pass Paid Family and Medical Leave
Raise the Minimum Wage
Lower Costs and Cover Everyone with High-Quality Health Care
Tackle the Housing Affordability Crisis
Make a Secure Retirement More Attainable and Affordable

Expand Opportunity for All

Create Universal Preschool for 3- and 4-Year Olds
Invest in the 70% of Americans Who Don’t Graduate from College
Make College Affordable to Drive Upward Mobility
Pay Teachers Like Professionals

Tackle Generational Challenges

Tackle Climate Change and Drive the 21st Century Clean-Energy Economy
Rebuild America’s Infrastructure
Reform Our Broken Immigration System
Address Inequality by Making Sure Our Tax Code Requires Everyone Pay Their Fair Share
Reform Campaign Finance Laws and Our Broken Political System

Learn more about The Real Deal at MichaelBennet.com/RealDeal.

Bennet’s Full Statement on The Real Deal:

As we enter this election year, Democrats across the country have the opportunity to champion an agenda that is progressive, paid for, and popular among the majority of the American people. It’s The Real Deal, and it will make lasting progress for you and your family. This is the political and policy blueprint that should guide our priorities for the next 20 years.

For too many decades, we have failed to invest in our country and our kids’ futures. We have spent $5 trillion on tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and another $5.6 trillion fighting wars in the Middle East. Donald Trump has made matters worse. Average monthly job growth during Donald Trump’s first term continues to lag behind the job growth numbers of Obama’s second term. In addition, Trump passed a tax bill that benefited the wealthy and corporations and increased economic inequality.

We are not going to reverse these policy failures with empty promises of free stuff. Yet that is what many candidates have offered in this primary election—free health care, free college, medical debt forgiveness, and more. Few candidates have offered any plausible means of paying for these plans, and some have offered massive tax increases on working people and the middle class.

There is a better way. With The Real Deal, we can turn away from the politics of empty promises and can’t-do rhetoric. We can choose to invest in our country and our future. We can say to the people who I’ve met in town halls for the last 10 years: We hear you, and we are meeting you with real solutions to make a difference for your family.

The choice we face in this primary is between unrealistic promises that will only breed further cynicism in our politics and building political momentum to achieve actual progress for people who need it. Instead of fighting a losing battle over the next 10 years for Medicare for All, for example, we should build a broad coalition to achieve The Real Deal.

Our country would look very different if we passed The Real Deal: Every three- and four-year old would have access to preschool. Every family with kids would receive at least $3,000 a year, paid out monthly, to put toward rent, groceries, and child care. 40% of kids currently living in poverty no longer would be. Every worker would have paid family and medical leave. The 70% of Americans who graduate from high school but don’t earn a four-year degree would have the training and opportunities they need to earn a living wage, not just the minimum wage, in their local economy. Millions of people would have access to new jobs in clean energy and infrastructure. 11 million undocumented immigrants would have a pathway to citizenship and the chance to contribute even more meaningfully to our economy.

This is an agenda Democrats up and down the ballot—in blue, purple, and red states—can run on. It would profoundly improve the lives of millions of Americans. It is achievable and fiscally responsible. The Real Deal will not only galvanize the Democratic base, but it will also help us win back some of the nine million people who voted twice for Barack Obama and then for Donald Trump. These are policies that will unite us to make the strongest case possible to defeat Donald Trump, take back the Senate, expand control in the House, and win back statehouses all across the country.

We have an historic opportunity to reimagine a politics that finally makes lasting progress for you, your family, and millions of Americans. This is The Real Deal.