Andrew Yang (D)

Pro
Should Universal Background Checks for Gun Purchases Be Made Law?

"We need to license guns, implement universal background checks, and get assault weapons out of people's hands. We are the only country in the world with this level of gun violence. We can do much better."

Pro
Should the Federal Government Adopt Net Neutrality Rules?

"The repeal of net neutrality protections threatens the free internet for all Americans. It is imperative that we protect this technology so that all Americans can continue to enjoy unfettered and affordable access to the internet...

Whoever has the most money or clout is a terrible way to decide who gets the most bandwidth on the Internet. Net Neutrality has served us well and should continue to be the law. I will make it so as President."

Pro
Should Recreational Marijuana Be Legal Federally?

"I don't love marijuana. I'd rather people not use it heavily. But it's vastly safer than people becoming addicted to opiates like heroin. And our criminalization of it seems stupid and racist, particularly now that it's legal in some states. We should proceed with full legalization of marijuana and pardon those in jail for non-violent marijuana-related offenses. It's a safer, less addictive means to manage pain for many Americans... As President, I will... Support the full legalization of marijuana at the federal level and remove it from the controlled substances list."

Pro
Should the Federal Government Provide Universal Childcare?

"As a parent of two young children myself, I am so for universal childcare, and the science bears it out. The fact is, a lot of crucial brain activity happens in those early years - number of words read to the child, amount of stimulation they're getting - so we need to help parents earlier on. Universal childcare is a must."

Pro
Should Federal Taxes Be Increased?

"I would pass a value added tax that would generate $800 billion a year in new revenue, conservatively. And then I would be distributing all of that money back to the American people immediately in a way that would then make our people, families, communities, stronger, make our consumer economy stronger, and make it so that more Americans actually have a path forward. And a lot of that money just ends up absorbed right back into these businesses that are paying in. You can create a virtuous cycle very quickly...

So I would make our income taxes generally a bit, or a lot, more progressive than they are right now, because they’re anomalously low at the higher levels, relative to other developed countries."

Pro
Should the US Implement a Universal Basic Income (UBI)?

"In the next 12 years, 1 out of 3 American workers are at risk of losing their jobs to new technologies—and unlike with previous waves of automation, this time new jobs will not appear quickly enough in large enough numbers to make up for it. To avoid an unprecedented crisis, we’re going to have to find a new solution, unlike anything we’ve done before. It all begins with the Freedom Dividend, a universal basic income for all American adults, no strings attached – a foundation on which a stable, prosperous, and just society can be built...

Andrew Yang is running for president as a Democrat in 2020 to implement a guaranteed income. This form of basic income that he is proposing for the United States is a set of guaranteed payments of $1,000 per month, or $12,000 per year, to all U.S. citizens over the age of 18. Yes, that means you and everyone you know would get $1,000/month every month from the U.S. government, no questions asked...

Andrew proposes funding the Freedom Dividend by consolidating some welfare programs and implementing a Value Added Tax of 10 percent. Current welfare and social program beneficiaries would be given a choice between their current benefits or $1,000 cash unconditionally – most would prefer cash with no restriction."

Pro
Should the Federal Funding to Historically Black Universities and Colleges (HBCUs) Be Increased?

"HBCUs came into existence out of necessity as a result of racial discrimination that denied Black Americans access to higher education...

HBCUs fill an important gap that currently exists in our higher educational system. We need to ensure they have equitable funding and equal access to resources available to other higher education entities...

I’m for dramatically increasing the federal allotment to HBCUs. The problem with education right now is that it’s become a business. What happens is, schools end up benefiting by catering to the affluent. So, you have these HBCUs that have an incredible historical mission that’s shown to elevate hundreds of thousands of African Americans. But, because they don’t have these crazy endowments that some of the rich schools do, they’re struggling."

Pro
Should Student Loan Debt Be Forgiven?

"For those who are already getting crushed by student debt I would be for a debt-forgiveness-as-stimulus program. One proposal I'm championing - commit 10% of earnings for 10 years and you are debt free at the end. Then everyone would have a light at the end of the tunnel.

Forgiving student loans would be a great way to stimulate the economy. Young people should be buying cars and homes, starting businesses and families and moving society forward. Instead many are scrimping to service their debts."

Pro
Should Election Day Be a National Holiday?

"Everyone eligible to vote on election day should be free to do so. However, too many Americans are unable to take time off from work as they’re living paycheck-to-paycheck or are hourly workers who can't lose the time.

Election Day should be a federal holiday, but that doesn't go far enough as it doesn't ensure economic motivations won't keep people from voting. On top of making that day a holiday, we need to implement tax breaks for companies that pay their workers for the time taken off to vote."

Pro
Should Former Felons Be Allowed to Vote?

"America's criminal justice system should be built around the idea of rehabilitation whenever possible – that means during the incarceration period and after. By restoring full voting rights to felons during incarceration, who have not deprived someone else of their right to vote, and ex-felons who have completed the entirety of their sentence, we'll increase their engagement with society. This will improve their lives drastically, for obvious reasons. It will also make the rest of us safer, as some studies have shown that ex-felons who vote are half as likely to reoffend. By giving these individuals a larger stake in society, we make our entire country stronger."

Pro
Should 2020 Presidential Election Candidates Accept Support from Super PACs?

"We all know we have a broken campaign finance system where there is a flood of money and it's overrun our policies, our politicians. I know very little about the Math PAC, genuinely. If it's the case that we have the rules that we have, and the people want to help support my message and my campaign, given the system we have right now, they're free to do so... I just hope that they are aligned with my vision for the country and they invest accordingly."

Pro
Should Fracking Be Allowed?

Pro
Should the US Adopt a Climate Change Plan such as the Green New Deal?

"Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Green New Deal, which accomplished exactly what it set out to achieve: sparking a national conversation about how we define the scope of the problem and the scope of the solution.

The backlash was immediate, and the argument against it was that it will cost us jobs, money, and growth. But I’m a numbers guy, and I looked at the math. This couldn’t be further from the truth...

The Green New Deal has done a great job in starting the conversation, and its goals of lowering emissions, converting to renewable energy, and creating good paying jobs are commendable. We need to strive for these goals and set up a realistic plan utilizing all options in order to get to a fully sustainable economy ahead of 2050."

Pro
Should the US Expand Its Use of Nuclear Power?

"To me, nuclear energy needs to be on the table in a transition to a more renewable economy, because our society consumes a great deal of energy.

And nuclear, right now, it gets a bad rap, in part because the technologies we're using are antiquated. And so, if you look up, we are working on these new generation nuclear reactors that use thorium, instead of uranium. And thorium is not natively fissile or radioactive, so the odds of a catastrophe dropped precipitously.

It's much, much safer to dispose of. It produces much more energy. So we need to upgrade the thorium-fueled reactors. And, to me, though, trying to get rid of all the nuclear power plants that produce 20 percent of the nation's energy is not going to help us accomplish our goals."

Pro
Should the US Rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement?

"We need to recommit to the Paris Agreement. But that's only a beginning. It's time that we retake our role as a world leader. After all, we're only 15% of global emissions. While that's disproportionate to our population, it also means that, even if we get to zero emissions tomorrow, the world will continue to warm.

Let's rebuild our alliances and use our industry and innovation to provide clean energy to the world, thus making new allies and rebuilding the liberal, democratic world order that has kept us safe for the past seventy years."

Pro
Should the Tariffs Imposed on China by President Trump Be Maintained?

Q: "We want to turn now to national security and the foreign policy issue that has such a direct impact here at home, the US relationship with China, trade and president Trump's tariffs... Would you repeal the tariffs on your first day in office. And if so, would you risk losing leverage in our trade relationship with China?"

Andrew Yang: "I would not repeal the tariffs on day one, but I would let the Chinese know that we need to hammer out a deal. Because right now the tariffs are pummeling producers and farmers in Iowa who have absolutely nothing to do with the imbalances that we have with China...

[W]e have to let the Chinese know that we recognize that President Trump has pursued an arbitrary and haphazard trade policy that has had victims on both sides. So no to repealing the tariffs immediately, but yes, to making sure we come to a deal that addresses the concerns of American companies and American producers."

Pro
Should the US Re-Enter a Nuclear Deal with Iran?

"I think it was a mistake that we withdrew from the agreement to try and have them tamp down their nuclear development in return for various economic considerations. I would rejoin that agreement, which is multilateral. There are other countries that are actually still in that agreement with Iran that have been waiting for us to rejoin."

Pro
Should Abortion Be Legal?

"The Alabama law banning and criminalizing abortion even in cases of rape or incest is a dramatic step in the wrong direction. Government should not be making decisions on behalf of women. I would protect women's right to choose...

I personally don't think male legislators should be weighing in on women's reproductive rights and freedoms. It should be up to women. I'm happy to let women decide for themselves."

Pro
Should the US Switch to a Medicare-for-All Healthcare System?

"Access to quality healthcare is one of the most important factors in overall well being, and yet America is one of the few industrialized nations not to provide healthcare for all of its citizens. Instead, we have a private healthcare system that leaves millions uninsured and bankrupts even some of those who do have health insurance...

This must change.

Through a Medicare for All system, we can ensure that all Americans receive the healthcare they deserve. Not only will this raise the quality of life for all Americans, but, by increasing access to preventive care, it will also bring overall healthcare costs down."

Pro
Should the Federal Government Intervene to Lower Prescription Drugs Costs?

"Prescription drugs in this country cost too much; individual drugs change prices at the whims of those running pharmaceutical companies. Brand name prescription drug prices have risen 76% over the past 6 years...

We have to give the federal government authority to negotiate drug prices and use standard international price reference points so pharmaceutical companies can no longer exploit our market and the American people.

If these companies are not willing to compromise, we need to ensure the U.S. government has the ability to force licenses for these drugs to companies who will."

Pro
Should the US Decriminalize Illegal Border Crossings?

"Putting border crossers into our criminal justice system costs us billions of dollars and swamps a system that is not designed for it. I would be for criminalizing those who make a business of trafficking people in, or repeat offenders or those who enter after deportation proceedings or conviction of a crime. But individuals or families who cross the border should be treated as civil offenders."

Pro
Should LGBTQ+ People Have Protection from Being Fired for Being LGBTQ+?

"Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes under the law, receiving all the federal protections afforded under the Constitution and law."

Pro
Should Transgender People Be Allowed to Serve in the US Military?

"Everyone would also be free to serve in the military during my administration. Many generals and admirals agree that the current administration’s ban on transgender military service harms combat effectiveness and compromises the military’s values. I would be honored and humbled to serve as Commander in Chief to any patriot who is willing to sacrifice everything in order to protect our country."