[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”32472″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]CIR’s Presidential Advisory Committee includes over thirty members nationwide. We have reviewed the policy statements and voting records of the leading Presidential candidates on issues of critical importance to our members, such as healthcare and student debt. This analysis is not an endorsement, however, we encourage resident physicians to use it to start conversations with their colleagues and learn more about the political process. We have an open invitation to both the Biden and Sanders campaign to join our virtual town hall. Sign up to stay updated and RSVP  for the town hall on Thursday, March 19th at 8pm EST / 5pm PST.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”32382″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_border_circle_2″ border_color=”violet”][vc_custom_heading text=”Joe Biden” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:center|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_custom_heading text=”moderate” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:center|color:%23dd3333″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]

Former VP, Joe Biden’s rating is due to his weak positions on improving and expanding paid family leave, healthcare reform and climate change

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Senator Bernie Sanders’ rating reflects his commitment to expanding Medicare for all, defending unions, and adequately addressing climate change

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• Student Debt: elimination of all 1.6 trillion by federal or private lenders,  plans reform by making public colleges and trade schools tuition-free for families making under 125K
• Paid Family Leave: endorses 6 months of paid leave and full wage replacement for low income workers, supports FAMILY Act
• Healthcare: supports single payer health insurance and lead sponsor of Medicare for All
• Immigration: decriminalize all border crossings, moratorium on all deportations, end all construction of border wall, overturn Public Charge and reunite families, only candidate who supports abolishing ICE
• Climate Change: supports Green New Deal and eliminating all carbon emissions by 2050 and transitioning to 100% renewable energies in the US by 2030
• Labor Rights: joined UCLA resident walkout in 2019 and encapsulates plan to improve the labor movement in his Workplace Democracy Plan, he has been given labor’s top lifetime rating by the AFL-CIO (endorsements include: AFSCME Local 3299, UPTE-CWA, NNU, NUHW, NEA/SEIU Local 1984, Working Families Party & others)

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”32478″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_border_circle_2″ border_color=”violet”][vc_custom_heading text=”Donald Trump” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:center|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_custom_heading text=”weak policy” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:center|color:%23dd3333″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]

President Donald Trump’s rating reflects his weak stance on paid family leave, travel ban & anti-immigrant stances, and open attack on federal unions

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• Student Debt: no plan for debt cancellation, cancels one of the only forgiveness programs PSLF, eliminates subsidized federal student loans, eliminates public service loan forgiveness, expands eligibility for Pell Grants and discretionary funding for HBCU’s
• Paid Family Leave: budget includes 6 weeks of paid parental leave, only covers newborns or newly adopted children under aged six, does not cover care for sick family members, costs covered by allowing workers to borrow against future earnings
• Healthcare: no plan to replace the ACA, severe cuts to Medicaid and ACA subsidies in his most recent budget, Trump and administration have promised to repeal the ACA for 4 years
• Immigration: travel ban, supports ending chain migration, eliminating the Visa Lottery, and moving to a merit-based entry system, his administration is responsible for the child deaths by not allowing medical professionals into detention camps
• Climate Change: denies the reality of the climate crisis, withdrew the U.S from the Paris Climate Agreement
• Labor Rights: openly attacked federal unions, placed anti-union individuals to key labor positions, NLRB rule-making has decreased the pool of workers it can protect by redefining their status as students

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_custom_heading text=”Healthcare Access” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]The differences in most candidates’ healthcare plans boil down to supporting a single payer “Medicare for All” health care plan vs. supporting an expansion of the Affordable Care Act and a “public option.” In our evaluation of the plans, we find the Medicare for All policy best accomplishes the goals of our members by guaranteeing universal healthcare, reducing health insurance bureaucracy, and controlling healthcare spending.

Physician’s groups are increasingly realizing the importance of Medicare for All; the American College of Physicians just recently endorsed Medicare for All as the most viable method to achieve a more functional and equitable health care system.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_custom_heading text=”Climate Change” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Recent national polls have shown that climate change ranks as one of the two top most important policy issues facing American voters along with healthcare. In reviewing the climate proposals from all Democratic candidates, we believe Bernie Sanders has the most comprehensive and progressive plan for addressing climate change with his Green New Deal. The resolution calls for transitioning 100% of all power demands in the US to clean, renewable, zero-emission energy sources by 2030.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_custom_heading text=”Student Debt” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]The student debt crisis and college affordability has become a top issue in the 2020 election. More than 45 million Americans owe more than 1.6 trillion dollars in outstanding student loan debt, exceeding both credit card and auto debt. More than half of Americans say that student loan debt is “a major problem.” Student debt has also been an issue of increasing concern among resident physicians, and in numerous surveys, CIR members continue to cite student debt as an issue worth advocating for.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_custom_heading text=”Paid Family Leave” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]We feel strongly that the FAMILY Act is an affordable option that will improve the standard of living for all people working this country and lighten the burden of healthcare costs by allowing time for caring for the sick. FAMILY Act includes paid leave for: men and women, the birth or adoption of a child, serious medical conditions of the employee, caregiving for a child, parent, spouse, or domestic partners in the case of a serious medical condition, and for caregiving for a spouse or child with a military-related injury. Bernie Sanders is the only candidate that supports the FAMILY Act.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_custom_heading text=”Immigration” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Our position on the Public Charge is that it is designed to stoke fear and confusion among immigrant communities. The Muslim ban enacted by the Trump administration had devastating results for one of our members, Dr. Kamal Fadlalla and his patients, as he was unable to return to the U.S.  As CIR leaders, we support providing a path to citizenship for all immigrants and ensuring that access to quality healthcare is a reality for everyone, regardless of where they come from or how much money they make. Across the country, our members have organized and rallied to shut down detention camps holding children and families in unsanitary, inhumane conditions, and continue to call for transparency and accountability for the treatment of detainees.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_custom_heading text=”Labor Rights” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]The labor movement is vital for our democracy, ensuring fairness at work and addressing economic inequality, matters that affect our members as well as our patients. Central to our goal as a union is increasing membership and our ability to expand nationwide, including to bargain on behalf of the resident workforce as a whole. Bernie Sanders’s Workplace Democracy Plan sets the standard this election, not only by making it easier for us to form unions (he pledges to double union membership by the end of his first term), but also by improving the capacity of our unions to win great contracts through labor actions and industry-wide bargaining. Bernie Sanders has the most number of union endorsements.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Disclaimer: this work has been presented by CIR’s Presidential Advisory Committee and powered by COPE. Union dues are not used for political contributions. Sources for candidate platforms can be found here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][toggle_content title=”COPE Committee Members”] Amelia Breyre, Highland Hospital
Amy Plascencia, National Vice President, CIR
Andreas Mitchell, UCSF Medical Center
Andrew Hyatt, Cambridge Health Alliance
Aneesh Nandam, UCSF Medical Center
Anna Yap, UCLA Medical Center
BJ lee, Coney Island Hospital
Brandon Newsome, Boston Medical Center
Chidiebere Ugwu, Woodhull Hospital
Chris Vo, LAC+USC Medical Center
Christina Gomez-Juge, NY Methodist
Collin Lueck, LAC+USC Medical Center
Dani Baurer, UCSF Medical Center
Diana Lee, LAC+USC Medical Center
Fenilkumar Kotadiya, Bronx Care Hospital
Florence Doo, Mount Sinai Morningside
Greg Gabrellas, UCLA Medical Center
Harry Sutton, Jacobi Medical Center
Jared Smith, Bronx Care Hospital
Jessica Edwards, President, CIR
Keri Shalvoy, Bellevue Hospital Center
Leo Eisenstein, Bellevue Hospital Center
Leslie Suen, UCSF Medical Center
Lily Ostrer, Jackson Memorial Hospital
Linda Alvarez, Secretary-Treasurer, CIR
Lorenzo Gonzales, Harbor UCLA Medical Center
Mark Kelly, UCLA Medical Center
Michael Del Vall, Jacobi Medical Center
Mike Gallagher, Rutgers NJMS
Mike Snavely, UCSF Medical Center
Peter Cooch, UCSF Medical Center
Pramma Elayaperumal, Woodhull Hospital
Thomas Plate, Jackson Memorial Hospital
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