Table of Contents About the Guide .......................................................................................................................... 3 THE ISSUES Civil Rights and Civil Liberties .................................................................................4 Climate Change/Environment ................................................................................. 7 Criminal Justice Reform .............................................................................................. 9 Economy/Jobs .................................................................................................................11 Education ...........................................................................................................................13 Foreign Policy .................................................................................................................15 Gun Reform ......................................................................................................................18 Healthcare ....................................................................................................................... 20 Immigration .....................................................................................................................22 Engagement with American Muslims ................................................................24 About MPAC ................................................................................................................................26 ABOUT THE GUIDE We created this voter guide to give you the information and insight you need to make an informed vote in the presidential primaries. We surveyed American Muslims to As Muslims, we are called to identify the top issues that influence work for the betterment of all. your voting decision. This guide includes Participating in this election as insights on where each candidate educated and empowered voters is stands on those issues. Issues and an important step in that direction. candidates are in alphabetical order. NOTE: MPAC is non-partisan and does We offer the following not endorse candidates. As the election recommendations for all cycle progresses, we will continue to American Muslims to amplify our make edits to this guide and release collective civic participation: additional resources to assist you in casting an informed and principled vote. 1. Every eligible person should register to vote. A person who is not registered to vote is politically non-existent and has no voice. 2. Cast your vote based on your conscience, shaped by the principles of Islam, to support what is best for all people. 3. Expose and speak out against prejudice and hate. Such attitudes are increasing during this election season. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties In the post-war era, civil rights and civil privacy, as was the case during the Bush liberties protections were codified under administration’s disastrous War on Terror. inter- and supranational institutional frameworks, such as that embodied in the In our current moment, the potential threats United Nations Universal Declaration of to privacy are exacerbated by technology Human Rights, passed in 19481. Since then, companies who make billions of dollars civil rights and civil liberties considerations off of surveillance data collection, and a have been anchored to individual citizenship, government system which has not taken as well as to the legitimacy of nation-states the threat to privacy, voter protection, and established humanitarian institutions. or authoritarianism seriously enough. However, this status quo has come under This political situation is a direct threat threat in our contemporary political to the establishment of civil rights and moment, one characterized by emergent civil liberties protections. Each candidate right-wing nationalism, isolationism, is running a campaign which, in some and the spectre of threats to national way or another, addresses this political security. In the past, such conditions have situation. The following will be a report streamlined government infringements on on how each proposes to do so. 4 Former Vice President Joe Biden Americans who have had their vote taken away by a felony conviction.” He has also committed to allowing Biden has proposed to bring previously disempowered “every post office to offer basic and affordable banking communities into the fold of civil and human rights services,” a proposal aimed at “[ending] lending through targeted plans to address the needs of women2 discrimination once and for all.” Regarding the rights of and the elderly3. Highlights from his plans to address women, Sen. Sanders has committed to the Paycheck violence against women include Biden’s promise to build Fairness Act, which stipulates equal pay for equal work, on the Violence Against Women Act, expand access protecting Roe v. Wade, and to enforcing and funding to housing assistance, which would make life safer for Title IX and Title X in order to guard against harassment, assault victims, and reparative cash payments to assault discrimination, and violence in education institutions as survivors. Highlights from his plans to care for America’s well as to provide for women’s health needs. For Native elderly population include repealing an existing law Americans, Sen. Sanders has committed to “moving which bars Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices [the U.S.] away from a relationship of paternalism and with drug manufacturers and distributors, limits on drug control toward one of deference and support.” For price increases, protecting and expanding on both the the disabled community, Sen. Sanders has proposed Affordable Care Act and Social Security, and providing guaranteeing to all the right to home- and community- financial assistance for older workers who want to based healthcare services “without waitlists, asset keep working. Regarding civil liberties questions, VP or income restrictions,” expanding Social Security Biden wants to pass a constitutional amendment to Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security repeal Citizens United and require political candidates Income programs (SSI), providing at least 50% of the for public office to fund their campaigns strictly with funding for disabled students mandated under the public dollars, in addition to other moves to democratize Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the American electoral and political process. He rejecting proposals to cede control of disability and does not mention protections against unlawful or aging healthcare services to for-profit managed care overreaching surveillance on his campaign website. organizations, among other things. For Sen. Sanders’ In fact, VP Biden has a spotty record on exactly that, campaign commitments to Medicare For All, College having passed several4 bills5 which streamlined law For All, a federal jobs guarantee, universal broadband enforcement’s ability to surveil private citizens. access11, and ‘Equal Pay for Equal Work’12, are effectively premised on what he calls a “21st Century Economic Bill Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Rights,” which guarantees to all “the basic necessities Gabbard has taken a stance on increasing equal rights of life … regardless of Americans’ income, race, religion, for the LGBTQ community6, stating that it’s “long gender, country of origin or sexual orientation.” overdue that we extend civil rights protections to On the question of civil liberties, Sen. Sanders was the LGBTQ community and ensure equal treatment the was the first 2020 candidate in the Democratic for all Americans under the law” and has supported primary field13 to call for a ban on controversial facial pro-LGBTQ legislation during her time in Congress. recognition technology14, which advocates warn may be the latest surveillance instrument, and has criticized current surveillance and data collection practices as Senator Bernie Sanders constituting an “Orwellian surveillance system.” Sanders proposed to bring previously disempowered communities into the fold of civil and human rights through targeted plans for Racial Justice7, Women’s Rights8, Rights for Tribal Nations9, and Disability Rights10. On the question of racial justice, Sen. Sanders is the only presidential candidate to commit to ensuring the right to vote for all those currently incarcerated, which directly gives a voice “to the 1 in 13 African- 5 ISSUE FOOTNOTES 1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights 2. The Biden plan to end violence against women joebiden.com/vawa 3. The Biden plan for older Americans joebiden.com/older-americans 4. Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_ Assistance_for_Law_Enforcement_Act 5. Omnibus Counterterrorism Act of 1995 wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnibus_ Counterterrorism_Act_of_1995 6. Human Rights & Equality for all tulsi2020.com/issues/human-rights-equality-all 7. Racial Justice berniesanders.com/issues/racial-justice 8. Fight for Women’s Rights berniesanders.com/issues/womens-rights 9. Empowering Tribal Nations berniesanders.com/issues/empowering-tribal-nations 10. Fighting for Disability Rights berniesanders.com/issues/fighting-for-disability-rights 11. High-Speed Internet for All berniesanders.com/issues/high-speed-internet-all 12. Fight for Women’s Rights berniesanders.com/issues/womens-rights 13. Bernie Sanders wants to ban police use of facial recognition tech vox.com/recode/2019/8/19/20812594/bernie- sanders-ban-facial-recognition-tech-police