People over politics.

Did you know that Delaware schools are among the worst in the country – ranked 48 out of 50 states?  And Delaware will be the worst state in the country in educational outcomes in less than three years at the rate it’s currently declining. That’s unacceptable.

Education affects nearly everything. Because we have poor schools, we have fewer new companies relocating to Delaware, meaning fewer new jobs.  Young adults are unable to find good-paying jobs, leading to hopelessness, addiction, and crime. The fact that none of the issues in our schools have been addressed at the federal or state level is a failure of leadership, plain and simple.

I believe that every child deserves a quality education regardless of their zip code or family’s income. We need to expand school choice so parents can send their kids to schools that make a difference – whether those schools are public, private, or parochial. We need to expand national testing so we can track the progress of individual students over time – and we should reward great teachers who improve student progress with bonuses. And we need to give at-risk kids extra support and help rather than passing them to the next grade and setting them up for failure in the future.

Like most of you, I believe that schools are for reading, writing, and math, not for culture wars. With so few proficient students, it’s time we got back to the basics.

We must allow Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, saving seniors money. I will lower the cost of health care by allowing insurance to be purchased from out-of-state providers that provide you with more choice and lower insurance costs. We will also offer longer patents to pharmaceutical companies that keep prescription drugs prices low. We will increase federal incentives to bring pharmaceutical drug jobs and manufacturing back to the U.S. and back to Delaware. Finally, we will drive medical reform to reduce the amount of unnecessary medical care and save the country at least 15% in medical costs.

Climate change is real, and it’s happening now. Record high heatwaves, wildfire smoke pollution, dangerous flooding, catastrophic storms, and more threaten our health and homes. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to start tackling this problem now.

We CAN achieve a sustainable, clean energy future without sacrificing consumer choice and our economic, energy, and national security. But to do so, we need leaders representing us in Washington who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work to enact responsible policies that don’t drive up costs for Delaware families. In the Senate, I will work to enact commonsense climate and energy solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, without charging consumers more or imposing radical mandates like some in Washington think is best. This country has already cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% since 1990. That’s a great start. We need to continue credits for clean energy technologies like solar. We need to tackle methane which is 120 times worse than carbon dioxide and far easier to reduce. And we need to make sure that the kind of vehicle you buy is your choice – not Dover’s or D.C.’s.

We also need to boost our domestic energy and electric vehicle production and infrastructure. We should not be relying on our adversaries for energy. Not to mention, increasing domestic energy production and manufacturing brings back good-paying jobs to Americans. It’s just common sense.

We need to pursue market-based solutions via tax credits and competition to lower the cost of energy and allow companies to pursue innovation so these industries can take off. The top-down approach of mandate after mandate leaves farmers, consumers, and others paying more. An all-of-the-above energy strategy that lets the market work will succeed quicker.

Local prosecutors too often are not aggressively prosecuting gun violence and violent crimes – and as a result we are all less safe. I will add federal resources to ensure that the most dangerous and violent criminals are prosecuted and imprisoned.  We also need to put drugs dealers behind bars – Delaware is 5th in opioid and fentanyl deaths in the U.S. I support immediate federal intervention to stop drug cartels and gang violence. When local government will not step up, we are left with no choice but for the federal government to step in.

After release, over 60% of prisoners in Delaware are back in prison within three years – only one state is worse. For non-violent criminals we need end-to-end support systems like in-prison vocational training programs and second chance arrest record removal so when they are released, they can get jobs and become productive members of society rather than committing more crimes. For violent criminals, we need to ensure the sentence matches the crime.

We need support for drug addiction and mental health services to reduce overdoses, homelessness, and random violence. For non-violent personal drug possession, we should give these prisoners a path back to society and make room for violent felons and drug dealers that are under-prosecuted at the federal and state level.

Inflation is affecting every American family, with many Delawareans being hit hardest. We need to get inflation under control and lower prices on consumers. I will pass the Hansen Tax and Price Reduction Act to reduce prices, lower taxes, and reduce interest rates while making government smarter and more efficient.

We need to eliminate government activities that provide no real value to you. We have over 400 government agencies, and we need to merge similar agencies to gain synergies and reduce costs. We need to reform the Federal Reserve to reduce interest rates. We will require balanced budgets and smarter government spending. We need to move towards a flatter, simpler tax system for small businesses and corporations – with exemptions for low-income families. All of this will stimulate our economy and create more and higher paying jobs and put money back in your pocket.

We must protect Social Security and ensure the program does not run short of money in 10 years as predicted. We need to add 401(k)+ benefit options for future retirees in addition to Social Security that could increase the average benefit from $24,000 to $100,000 a year while stimulating the economy and creating new jobs.

The Supreme Court returned abortion policy to the states and Delawareans have been clear where they stand. I oppose a national abortion ban and will not support any federal law that overrides Delaware law. Like most Americans, I support reasonable limits on late-term abortions and will always support exceptions for the terrible cases of rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother.

We must also do a better job supporting women through pregnancy and beyond. We can do this by ensuring that we have better adoption services, prenatal care, and a more cost-effective health care system.

Democracy around the world is under threat.

Russian has already taken Crimea, and it is trying to take all of Ukraine and wants to take even more. China has already taken most U.S. manufacturing jobs and they want more too. China and Russia now see the U.S. as timid and unsure.

But peace comes through strength and commitment.

We need to stop Russia from illegally seizing more territory and expanding into Europe. But we also need to make sure that any aid to Ukraine does not go into the pockets of corrupt officials.

We need to keep China from dominating the U.S. I support bringing key industries back to the U.S. like microchips, sensitive technologies, and pharmaceuticals. I support tougher rules to prevent China from stealing our technology and our private data. And I support more investment in smart and autonomous military technologies to defend this great nation against foreign threats.

Trust in government is at an all-time low, and for good reason. We have had one-party rule in Delaware since 2008. The establishment and career politicians are simply too entrenched. As a result, Delaware is ranked 48th out of 50 for government integrity, transparency, and accountability. Too often the government tries to tell you what to do and how to think. We must have smart government reform to drive accountability and efficiency. I will restore faith in our government through transparency and expanded federal agency disclosures – less secrets. We need the government to work for you, not against you behind closed doors.