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As we approach the 2016 presidential election working families want to know about the issues at stake and where the candidates stand.
We've put together information* on leading declared and potential candidates and their positions on issues critical to AFT members and the communities they served Read and consider carefully. Then let us know who you think deserves the AFT's endorsement and support. Visit aft.org/election2016.
It's your union. It's your voice. You decide.
K-12 Education Higher Education
BIDEN Longtime supporter Led the Obama
of increased federal administration's
funding for critical $500 million
preK-12 education initiative to create
programs. and expand
innovative
A firm opponent of partnerships between
private school community colleges
vouchers. and businesses to
train workers with
the skills employers
need.
CLINTON Leader of "Too Small Has fought to expand
to Fail," an effort financial aid for
to improve the low-income college
health and well- students.
being of children
from birth to age 5.
Supports increased
Title 1 funding for
schools in need.
Opposes private
school vouchers.
O'MALLEY As governor, Increased state
invested record funding to allow
amounts in Maryland colleges
Maryland's public and universities to
schools. Under freeze tuition from
O'Malley, funding 2007-2011.
increased by 37
percent.
Opposes private
school vouchers.
SANDERS Signed the Fix Co-sponsored the
America's Schools Student Loan
Today (FAST) Act of Affordability Act,
2011. which extended the
reduced interest
Co-sponsored an rate for Stafford
amendment student loans.
v to the Elementary
and Secondary
Education Act for
increased funding.
BUSH As governor of Ended affirmative
Florida, signed action in Florida's
legislation to colleges and
evaluate students universities,
and teachers based leading to a sharp
on high-stakes drop in minority
tests, create for- higher education
profit charter and enrollment.
virtual schools, and
provide vouchers for
private and
religious schools.
Launched the
nation's first
statewide voucher
program.
CHRISTIE As governor of New Cut state funding to
Jersey, cut funding New Jersey colleges
in 201 1 budget, and universities.
which the state
Supreme Court ruled
violated the state
constitution.
CRUZ Supports turning Voted to cut Pell
federal education Grants that help
dollars into low-income students
vouchers that can be attend college.
used to fund private
schools.
JINDAL As governor of Proposed hundreds of
Louisiana, proposed millions of dollars
budget for 2015 in cuts to higher
that keeps state education, even
funding with no though public
increase in six colleges and
years. universities in
Louisiana already
Implemented a receive less money
private school was on a per-pupil basis
ruled than in any other
unconstitutional by state.
a Louisiana judge.
KASICH As governor of Ohio, Cut state support to
proposed a massive higher education by
expansion of the 6 percent.
state's voucher
program that would
have drained funds
from public schools
and used tax dollars
to fund private
schools.
PAUL Supports private Voted to cut Pell
school vouchers. Grants that help
Would abolish the low-income students
U.S. Department of attend college.
Education.
Sponsored federal
voucher legislation.
RUBIO Presided over a $2.3 Voted to cut Pell
billion cut to Grants that help
Florida education as low-income students
speaker of the attend college.
Florida House.
Supports federal
voucher legislation.
WALKER Supports the In 2015, slashed
expansion of voucher $300 million from
programs that drain Wisconsin's higher
funds from public education budgets.
schools and use
taxpayer dollars to
fund private
schools.
Affordable Care Act Labor/Jobs/ Economy
BIDEN Strongly supported Supports raising the
and advocated for minimum wage and is
the ACA: The ACA sharply critical of
gives "the American rising income
people more freedom inequality.
and control over
their healthcare
choices, improving
the quality of the
care that they
receive and reducing
cost, all by
building on the best
of our private
insurance system."
CLINTON Is committed to Favors raising the
preserving and minimum wage and is
improving the ACA. an avowed union
supporter. "When I'm
president, we're
going to stand up
for unions. We're
going to make sure
they can organize
for fair wages and
good working
conditions."
O'MALLEY Supports the ACA. Supports increasing
Maryland was one of the minimum wage.
the first states to
set up a health Supports
insurance exchange. strengthening
collective
bargaining rights.
In 2007, signed an
executive order to
grant collective
bargaining rights to
healthcare aides and
child care workers.
SANDERS Introduced the Supports raising the
American Health minimum wage. Is
also a strong
Security Act, which supporter of
would guarantee expanded collective
healthcare as a bargaining rights
human right and for public
provide every U.S. employees.
citizen and
permanent resident
with healthcare
coverage and
services through a
state-administered,
single-payer
program.
BUSH Does not support the Has voiced
ACA and calls it opposition to
"flawed to the minimum wage
core." increases. Wants to
weaken collective
bargaining rights
for teachers and
other public
employees, and
supports laws that
undermine the
strength of public
and private sector
unions.
CHRISTIE Opposed the ACA, Opposed raising the
calling it a "failed minimum wage.
federal program."
Was a vocal
supporter of Scott
Walker's attacks in
Wisconsin on public
employee rights.
CRUZ Opposed the ACA. Opposed attempts to
raise the minimum
wage.
JINDAL Opposed the ACA. Opposes recent
attempts to raise
the minimum wage.
Supports legislation
that would wipe out
payroll deductions
for union members
and silence the
voice of teachers
and other public
employees.
KASICH Opposed the ACA. Through state Senate
Bill 5, attempted to
wipe out workplace
rights for teachers,
frefghters and other
public employees.
His efforts were
defeated by popular
referendum.
PAUL Opposes the ACA and Says we should
has voted to repeal abolish the minimum
it. wage. Opposes
collective
bargaining rights,
and supports
legislation intended
to hinder the
effectiveness of
unions.
RUBIO Opposed the ACA. Opposes increasing
the minimum wage and
doesn't think that
the minimum wage law
works.
As speaker of the
Florida House,
sponsored a bill
attacking union
rights.
WALKER Opposed the ACA. In 2011, pushed
legislation that
stripped public
employees of
collective
bargaining rights;
in 2015, supported
and signed a so-
called right-to-
work bill in
Wisconsin designed
to hinder and harass
private sector
unions.
Retirement Security Immigration
BIDEN Opposes privatizing Supports
Social Security, comprehensive
cutting benefits and immigration
raising the reform with a
retirement age. pathway to
citizenship.
Supports the DREAM
Act.
CLINTON Opposes cutting Supports
Social Security comprehensive
benefits, immigration
privatizing the reform with a
program and raising pathway to
the retirement citizenship.
age.
Supports the DREAM
Act.
O'MALLEY Opposes privatizing Supports
Social Security and comprehensive
instead supports immigration
expanding the reform with a
benefit. pathway
to citizenship.
Championed a
version of the DREAM
Act for Maryland's
public colleges and
universities.
SANDERS Promotes Supports
strengthening the comprehensive
social safety net by immigration reform
expanding Social with a pathway to
Security, Medicare, citizenship.
Medicaid and
nutrition programs. Supports the DREAM
Act.
BUSH Advocates for Opposes the Obama
privatization of administration's
Social Security and executive order
raising the protecting
retirement age for undocumented
Social Security. children (DACA and
DAPA).
Supports the DREAM
Act.
CHRISTIE Signed legislation Opposes the Obama
that slashed administration's
pensions by $1.5 executive order
billion, which the protecting
courts ruled was in undocumented
violation of state children (DACA
law. and DAPA).
CRUZ Supports raising the Opposes the Obama
retirement age for administration's
Social Security, executive order
reducing the growth protecting undocu-
rate of Social mented children
Security benefits (DACA and DAPA).
and privatizing
Social Security.
JINDAL Tried to eliminate Opposes the Obama
defined benefit administration's
pensions for public executive order
protecting
employees. undocumented
children
(DACA and DAPA).
KASICH Supported Opposes the Obama
legislation that cut administration's
state funding for executive order
employee pensions. protecting undocu-
mented children
(DACA and DAPA).
PAUL Would raise the Opposes the Obama
retirement age for administration's
Social Security, and executive order
supports what would protecting undocu-
be the largest cuts mented children
to Social Security (DACA and DAPA).
in U.S. history.
RUBIO Supports raising the Opposes the Obama
retirement age for administration's
Social Security. executive order
protecting undocu-
mented children
(DACA and DAPA).
WALKER As governor, slashed Opposes the Obama
state contributions administration's
to employee executive order
pensions. protecting undocu-
mented children
(DACA and DAPA).
* Sources and citations are available in the online version at
aft.org/election2016.
([dagger]) This chart reflects a brief snapshot of the candidates'
positions.