2016 DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM AS APPROVED BY THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM COMMITTEE JULY 8-9, 2016 - ORLANDO, FL TABLE OF CONTENTS PREAMBLE ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Raise Incomes and Restore Economic Security for the Middle Class ....................................3 Raising Workers’ Wages ............................................................................................................................3 Protecting Workers’ Fundamental Rights...........................................................................................4 Supporting Working Families ..................................................................................................................4 Helping More Workers Share in Near-Record Corporate Profits ...............................................5 Expanding Access to Affordable Housing and Homeownership ...............................................5 Protecting and Expanding Social Security .........................................................................................5 Ensuring a Secure and Dignified Retirement ....................................................................................6 Revitalizing Our Nation’s Postal Service .............................................................................................6 Create Good-Paying Jobs .............................................................................................................7 Building 21st Century Infrastructure...................................................................................................... 7 Fostering a Manufacturing Renaissance .............................................................................................. 7 Creating Good-Paying Clean Energy Jobs .........................................................................................8 Pursuing Our Innovation Agenda: Science, Research, Education, and Technology ...........8 Supporting America’s Small Businesses ..............................................................................................9 Creating Jobs for America’s Young People .......................................................................................9 Fight for Economic Fairness and Against Inequality ............................................................... 9 Reining in Wall Street and Fixing our Financial System ..............................................................10 Promoting Competition by Stopping Corporate Concentration .............................................. 11 Making the Wealthy Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes ........................................................................ 11 Promoting Trade That is Fair and Benefits American Workers ................................................ 12 Bring Americans Together and Remove Barriers to Opportunities ...................................... 13 Ending Systemic Racism ......................................................................................................................... 13 Closing the Racial Wealth Gap .............................................................................................................. 13 Reforming our Criminal Justice System ............................................................................................ 13 Fixing our Broken Immigration System ............................................................................................. 15 Guaranteeing Civil Rights.................................................... ................. ...................................................16 Guaranteeing Women’s Rights ...............................................................................................................17 Guaranteeing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights .................................................17 Guaranteeing Rights for People with Disabilities ...........................................................................17 Respecting Faith and Service .................................................................................................................17 Investing in Rural America ...................................................................................................................... 18 Ending Poverty and Investing in Communities Left Behind ...................................................... 18 Building Strong Cities and Metro Areas ............................................................................................19 Promoting Arts and Culture ...................................................................................................................19 Honoring Indigenous Tribal Nations ...................................................................................................19 Fighting for the People of Puerto Rico .............................................................................................. 21 Honoring the People of the Territories .............................................................................................. 21 Protect Voting Rights, Fix Our Campaign Finance System, and Restore Our Democracy ........................................................................ 22 Protecting Voting Rights ........................................................................................................................ 22 Fixing Our Broken Campaign Finance System .............................................................................. 22 Appointing Judges .................................................................................................................................... 23 Securing Statehood for Washington, D.C ........................................................................................ 23 Strengthening Management of Federal Government.................................................................. 23 Combat Climate Change, Build a Clean Energy Economy, and Secure Environmental Justice ......................................................................... 24 Building a Clean Energy Economy ..................................................................................................... 24 Securing Environmental and Climate Justice ................................................................................. 26 Protecting Our Public Lands and Waters ........................................................................................ 26 Provide Quality and Affordable Education ..............................................................................27 Making Debt-Free College a Reality ...................................................................................................27 Providing Relief from Crushing Student Debt ............................................................................... 28 Supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions ............................................................................... 28 Cracking Down on Predatory For-Profit Schools ......................................................................... 28 Guaranteeing Universal Preschool and Good Schools for Every Child ................................ 29 Ensure the Health and Safety of All Americans ...................................................................... 30 Securing Universal Health Care ............................................................................................................ 31 Supporting Community Health Centers ............................................................................................ 31 Reducing Prescription Drug Costs ..................................................................................................... 32 Enabling Cutting-Edge Medical Research ....................................................................................... 32 Combating Drug and Alcohol Addiction .......................................................................................... 32 Treating Mental Health ............................................................................................................................. 33 Supporting Those Living with Autism and their Families .......................................................... 33 Securing Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice ..................................................................... 33 Ensuring Long-Term Care, Services, and Supports ......................................................................34 Protecting and Promoting Public Health .........................................................................................34 Ending Violence Against Women .......................................................................................................34 Preventing Gun Violence ........................................................................................................................ 35 Principled Leadership ................................................................................................................. 35 Support Our Troops and Keep Faith with Our Veteran ......................................................... 36 Defense Spending ..................................................................................................................................... 36 Veterans and Service Members 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