Senator Jones says....
1. "I am proud of my service as U.S. Attorney, and am proud to have successfully taken on the Ku Klux Klan, terrorists like Eric Rudolph, and many others who sought to use fear, hatred, and violence to inhibit the rights of others." I believe that we are all created equal in the eyes of the Lord and the law. While we have made progress on civil rights as a nation, we cannot be complacent with continued threats to equality and justice. The racially motivated Charleston church massacre and Charlottesville are stark reminders of that continued threat. I believe that the United States of America is a land of laws, justice, freedom, equality, and opportunity.
I will take those values to Washington, and keep fighting for what’s right – whether it’s popular or not.
2. Millions of Americans have obtained health care through the Affordable Care Act. Reasonable people on both sides of the aisle know the law, which brought the level of uninsured Americans to a record low, needs improvement.
However, I am disturbed about repeated efforts to repeal the bill or weaken it, leaving as many as 32 million more Americans without insurance, driving up rates for others and likely leading to the closure of more rural health care facilities vital in many regions of Alabama. That is a nonstarter. As a senator, I would adamantly oppose any proposal that does not protect Alabamians from rising healthcare costs, higher premiums, and out-of-pocket expenses while ensuring those with preexisting conditions cannot be denied coverage or charged more.
3. The most productive, innovative people I know are entrepreneurs who have had the courage to turn an idea into a business that makes their community better and grows jobs. Small businesses are truly the backbone of the American economy.
4. People in Alabama should not have to work two or three jobs just to provide food, housing and other necessities for their families, often foregoing healthcare and other needs. I strongly support ensuring working Alabamians receive a living wage for their hard work. It is past time. They are then less reliant on the government and those dollars help lift the economy.
5. Equal Pay for Equal Work
Today’s champion for equal pay is Lilly Ledbetter and her battle for equality in Gadsden, Alabama. In the Senate, I will work to extend the spirit of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to make it mandatory that two people, doing the same job with the same qualifications, are paid equally – regardless of their gender.
6. State and local government spending on jails and prisons has risen at more than three times the spending on education in the last two and a half decades. We can do better. We must do better.
More spending on education could result in less spending on prisons.
While I sought harsh punishments for violent offenders as U.S. attorney, not all cases require severe sentences. My hands were tied by mandatory minimum sentences during my time with the Justice Department. Judges and prosecutors should be given flexibility and be empowered to decide the fate of those before them in the justice system.
ETC, ETC, ETC... not too "trumpesian to me"
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