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Democratic2020 US SenateOregon

Jeff Merkley

American politician (born 1956).

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Jeff Merkley’s policies on economic issues

These issues below are sorted in descending order based on how important the average American voter ranked them on the quiz.

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the Economy  ›  Equal Pay

Should employers be required to pay men and women the same salary for the same job?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes

the Economy  ›  Inflation

Has the government done enough to lower inflation?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  Paid Sick Leave

Should businesses be required to provide paid leave for full-time employees during the birth of a child or sick family member?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes, but the federal government should sponsor this program instead of businesses

the Economy  ›  Corporate Tax

Should the U.S. raise or lower the tax rate for corporations?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseRaise

the Economy  ›  Government Spending

Should the government make cuts to public spending in order to reduce the national debt?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseNo, reduce military spending instead

the Economy  ›  Taxes

Should the U.S. raise taxes on the rich?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes

the Economy  ›  Minimum Wage

Should the government raise the federal minimum wage?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes

the Economy  ›  Welfare

Should there be fewer or more restrictions on current welfare benefits?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseFewer

the Economy  ›  Free Tax Filing

Should the IRS create a free electronic tax filing system?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Universal Basic Income

Do you support a universal basic income program?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes

the Economy  ›  Labor Unions

Do you believe labor unions help or hurt the economy?

JM>JM  Public statementsHelp

the Economy  ›  Capital Gains Tax

Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes

the Economy  ›  Economic Stimulus

Should the government use economic stimulus to aid the country during times of recession?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes

the Economy  ›  Overtime Pay

Should the government require businesses to pay salaried employees, making up to $46k/year, time-and-a-half for overtime hours?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes, and all employees should be paid time-and-a-half for overtime hours regardless of their pay scale

the Economy  ›  Corporate Mega Mergers

Should the government prevent “mega mergers” of corporations that could potentially control a large percentage of market share within its industry?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes, and the government should break up existing mega corporations

the Economy  ›  Welfare Drug Testing

Should welfare recipients be tested for drugs?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseNo

the Economy  ›  Tax-Free Social Security

Should Social Security benefits be tax-free?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Four-day Workweek

Should the United States transition to a four-day workweek?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Unrealized Gains Tax

Should the government tax unrealized gains?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Estate Tax

Should the current estate tax rate be decreased?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseNo, and increase it at a progressive rate

the Economy  ›  Tax-Free Tips

Should the government eliminate taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  CEO Pay Cap

Should the government enforce a cap on CEO pay relative to the pay of their employees?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Tech Monopolies

Should the government break up Amazon, Facebook and Google?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes

the Economy  ›  Domestic Jobs

Should the President offer tax breaks to individual companies to keep jobs in the U.S.?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseNo, but drastically increase taxes and import tariffs on outsourcing businesses

the Economy  ›  NAFTA

Should the U.S. continue to participate in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes, NAFTA helps lower the prices of consumer products

the Economy  ›  China Tariffs

Should the U.S. increase tariffs on imported products from China?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseNo

the Economy  ›  Offshore Banking

Should U.S. citizens be allowed to save or invest their money in offshore bank accounts?

  Party influenceNo

the Economy  ›  Federal Reserve

Should the Federal Reserve Bank be audited by Congress?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes, we deserve to know who the bank gives money to

the Economy  ›  Farm Subsidies

Should the government subsidize farmers?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes, but only small local farms instead of large corporations

the Economy  ›  Surcharge Ban

Should the government ban surcharges tacked onto concert tickets, cable bills, banking services, hotel bookings and other purchases?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Private Equity Compensation

Should the government increase taxes on private equity executives?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Presidential influence on interest rates

Should the President have a role in determining interest rates?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  Property Taxes

Would you favor an increased sales tax in order to reduce property taxes?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseNo, property taxes are the most reliable and consistent form of state revenue

the Economy  ›  Tariffs

Should the government add or increase tariffs on products imported into the country?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseNo, this will hurt our manufacturing businesses that rely on importing cheap resources to make their products

the Economy  ›  Government Pensions

Should pension payments be increased for retired government workers?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes, adjust them yearly for cost of living

the Economy  ›  Pension Reform

Should pension plans for federal, state, and local government workers be transitioned into privately managed accounts?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseNo, privately managed accounts will jeopardize the financial security of senior citizens

the Economy  ›  Bitcoin

Should the government classify Bitcoin as a legal currency?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  Gig Workers

Should gig workers such as Uber drivers be classified as employees?

  Party’s support baseYes

the Economy  ›  Online Sales Tax

Should an in-state sales tax apply to online purchases of in-state buyers from out-of-state sellers?

  Party’s support baseNo, customers should pay the sales tax from the seller’s state

the Economy  ›  Trans-Pacific Partnership

Do you support the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?

JM>JM  Jeff Merkley voterbaseYes, it will bring economic growth to all countries involved

the Economy  ›  Silicon Valley Bank Bailout

Should the government provide a bailout for Silicon Valley Bank?

  Party’s support baseNo

the Economy  ›  Cryptocurrency

Should the government classify cryptocurrencies as legal forms of payment?

  Party’s support baseNo, classify cryptocurrencies as highly regulated securities

the Economy  ›  Stock Buybacks

Should the government tax stock buybacks?

  Party’s support baseYes

Popular conversations

Join in on the post popular conversations.

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2 days2D

CEO Shooting Suspect Had Manifesto That Criticized Healthcare Companies

A man is being held for questioning in connection with last week’s killing of a health insurance executive in Midtown Manhattan, the police said.The man being questioned was identified as Luigi Mangione, 26, the police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, said at a news briefing. He was identified in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa., after an employee recognized him and called the authorities at about 9:15 a.m. on Monday.Mr. Mangione was carrying identification with his name on it, along with fake I.D., according to law enforcement officials.Mr. Mangione showed the police the same fake New Jersey identification that the man believed to be the gunman presented when he checked into a hostel on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Nov. 24, a senior law enforcement official saidWhen Mr. Mangione was approached in Altoona, he had a gun, a silencer and other false identification cards similar to those they believe the killer used in New York, according to one of the law enforcement officials and a person briefed on the investigation. The gun was described as possibly being a so-called ghost gun, assembled from parts purchased online.Mr. Mangione was also carrying a handwritten manifesto that criticized health care companies for putting profits above care, according to two law enforcement officials.Mr. Mangione is in custody on local charges, the official said, possibly related to presenting the fake identification to the police. He has not been arrested or charged in connection with the killing.New York police investigators are traveling to Altoona, in western Pennsylvania, about 280 miles from the city, according to one of the law enforcement officials.

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Active 55mins ago

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2wks2W

Kamala Harris is considering running for president again in 2028

Kamala Harris has been lying low since her defeat in the presidential race, unwinding with family and senior aides in Hawaii before heading back to the nation’s capital.But privately, the vice president has been instructing advisers and allies to keep her options open — whether for a possible 2028 presidential run, or even to run for governor in her home state of California in two years. As Harris has repeated in phone calls, “I am staying in the fight.”She is expected to explore those and other possible paths forward with family members over the winter holiday season, according to five people in the Harris inner circle, who were granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics. Her deliberations follow an extraordinary four months in which Harris went from President Joe Biden’s running mate to the top of the ticket, reenergizing Democrats before ultimately crashing on election night.“She doesn’t have to decide if she wants to run for something again in the next six months,” said one former Harris campaign aide. “The natural thing to do would be to set up some type of entity that would give her the opportunity to travel and give speeches and preserve her political relationships.”“She doesn’t have to decide if she wants to run for something again in the next six months,” said one former Harris campaign aide. “The natural thing to do would be to set up some type of entity that would give her the opportunity to travel and give speeches and preserve her political relationships.”Harris concedes: 'We must accept the results of this election'SharePlay VideoMost immediately, Harris and her advisers are working to define how and when she will speak out against Donald Trump and reassert her own role in the Democratic Party. Closing out her term as vice president, she’s set to preside over certifying the November election she lost to Trump, and then appear at the once-and-future president’s inauguration on Jan. 20.“There will be a desire to hear her voice, and there won’t be a vacuum for long,” a person close to Harris said.At the same time, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, will have a long checklist to plow through before they leave the Naval Observatory for good.They have to decide whether they’ll take up permanent residence at their home in Los Angeles, or establish a base elsewhere. No matter where Harris and her family live, some around her have expressed concerns about safety, as her Secret Service protection expires six months after stepping away.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…16hrs16H

Israel Sinks Syria's Navy

Israel said Tuesday that it had destroyed Syria’s navy in overnight airstrikes, as it continued to pound targets in Syria despite warnings that its operations there could ignite new conflict and jeopardize the transition of power to an interim government.Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said that the Israeli military had “destroyed Syria’s navy overnight, and with great success.” His remarks appeared to confirm Israel’s responsibility for the destruction documented in the Syrian port city of Latakia, where photos showed the smoldering remains of ships sunk at their dock.Mr. Katz said that Israel’s military “has been operating in Syria in recent days to hit and destroy strategic capabilities that pose a threat to Israel,” although he did not indicate what new or immediate risk Syria’s navy presented to Israel, which has the most powerful military in the Middle East.Israeli warplanes have conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, according to war monitors. Israel has characterized its operations as defensive, saying its military was striking suspected chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria to prevent them from falling “into the hands of extremists.”“From here, I warn the rebel leaders in Syria: Those who follow Assad’s path will end like Assad,” Mr. Katz said.As the Assad government fell to the rebels over the weekend, Israeli ground forces advanced beyond the demilitarized zone on the Israel-Syria border, marking their first overt entry into Syrian territory in more than 50 years. An Israeli military spokesman on Tuesday denied reports that the military was advancing on Damascus. The spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said the military was inside a buffer zone between Israel and Syria and at other points “in order to protect the Israeli border.”Earlier Tuesday, Geir Pedersen, the United Nations special envoy for Syria, called on Israel to halt its “very troubling” military operations there, and said de-escalation was needed. “We are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory. This needs to stop,” Mr. Pedersen told reporters in Geneva.

▲  159 replies