Since our last issue of In Union, we have witnessed significant events that have impacted our country. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing you with comprehensive, fact-based information on the issues you care about most. Over the next several months, we will continue to cover the records of our political leaders and their positions on the issues that affect working people, empowering you with the knowledge to make an informed decision in this next election.
In this edition, we want to introduce you to two key figures in the presidential election and provide you with information on their backgrounds: Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic nominee for President, and U.S. Senator JD Vance, recently selected as Donald Trump’s running mate for Vice President. We will cover their biographies in this issue and the upcoming newsletters and provide information on their records on critical issues like healthcare, Social Security, workers’ rights, and the economy.
Sincerely,
The In Union Team
P.S. Your feedback and suggestions are invaluable to us! Your questions and ideas for future newsletters are crucial in shaping our content. Please visit us at www.inunionusa.com and let your voice be heard. We look forward to hearing from you and incorporating your thoughts into our future issues.
ORKINGPEOPLEPENNSYLVANIA
Kamala Harris’s record on business: Fighting banks, backing unions
NBC News, 7/22/2024
JD Vance’s populist persona leaves pro-worker groups skeptical CNN, 7/17/2024
GET TO KNOW VICE PRESIDENT
After researching Vice President Kamala Harris, we’ve highlighted some of her key accomplishments during her career of public service in California, the U.S. Senate, and the White House. Kamala Harris’s dedication to fighting for fair prices and affordable healthcare demonstrates her unwavering support for working-class families. Her track record shows that she stands up to powerful interests to protect the economic well-being of everyday people.
IN THE U.S. SENATE
AS AN ATTORNEY GENERAL AND PROSECUTOR
As a district attorney, Harris prioritized prosecuting child sexual assault cases and focused on securing convictions to keep dangerous criminals off the streets. Under her leadership, felony conviction rates rose from 52% to 71%, and gun crime convictions soared to 92% in her first five years. As California’s Attorney General, she stood up for everyday people against powerful interests.
y Recovered Pension Funds: Harris fought to recover over $900 million in missing pension funds that state workers had earned, ensuring that workers received what they were rightfully owed.
y Protected Students and Veterans: She won a $1.1 billion judgment for students and veterans exploited by predatory for-profit colleges that misled them.
y Held the Big Banks Accountable: Harris took on some of the largest banks in America and secured a $20 billion settlement for Californians whose homes had been illegally foreclosed on, helping families stay in their homes.
Sources: CBS Sacramento, 11/19/2013; The Sacramento Bee, 2/3/2015; The Sacramento Bee, 10/7/2014; Los Angeles Times, 3/23/2016; KQED, 5/27/2016; NBC, 7/24/2024
As a United States Senator, Kamala Harris was a leading voice for working people, consistently fighting against corporate greed and championing efforts to rebuild the middle class.
y Holding Big Pharma Accountable: Harris introduced legislation to impose penalties on pharmaceutical companies for unfair price hikes, standing up against those who exploit consumers for profit.
y Championing Workers’ Rights: Harris strongly supported the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, a bill to reform our broken labor laws, and introduced the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights to guarantee domestic workers protections against harassment and discrimination, meal breaks, a guaranteed minimum wage, and overtime pay.
y Protecting National Security: Serving on the Select Committee on Intelligence, Harris worked across party lines to keep Americans safe from foreign threats, demonstrating her commitment to national security.
Sources: East County Today, 2/7/2019; NPR, 8/12/2020; CWA, 8/13/2020
PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS
IN THE WHITE HOUSE
As Vice President, Harris has been dedicated to reducing healthcare costs, protecting retirement benefits, championing workers’ rights, and providing student debt relief, continuing her fight for the working class.
y Reducing Prescription Drug Costs: Harris took on pharmaceutical companies to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors, cut prescription drug prices, and improve maternal health by expanding postpartum care through Medicaid.
y Protecting Pensions: She cast decisive tie-breaking votes on historic legislation, including a critical decision that saved the pensions of 1 million American workers, ensuring they receive the retirement benefits they earned over a lifetime of hard work.
y Investing in America: Harris played a critical role in historic investments that are rebuilding our infrastructure, bringing manufacturing back to America, and restoring good-paying union jobs.
Sources: Tucson.com, 8/29/2023; Reuters, 12/5/2023; AP News, 6/21/2024; U.S. Senate, S. Con. Res. 5, 2/5/2021; AP News, 2/7/2022; AP News, 5/22/2024; KFF, 8/1/2024
MEET U.S. SENATOR JD VANCE
JD Vance is a United States Senator from Ohio and Donald Trump’s choice for VP. Through our research, we found that his actions and affiliations reveal a pattern of prioritizing corporate and wealthy interests over the needs and rights of working-class Americans.
y Anti-Worker Voting Record: Vance’s voting record in the Senate has been decidedly anti-worker. He opposed the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which would increase penalties for corporations that retaliate against workers seeking better pay and conditions. The AFL-CIO rates him a lifetime 0% in voting with working people, calling him a “worker’s nightmare.”
y Corporate Ties and Wealthy Backers: After graduating from Yale Law School, Vance made millions working for anti-union billionaire Peter Thiel’s investment firm in San Francisco.
y Opposition to Healthcare Protections: Vance has threatened to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would strip millions of their health insurance. He also opposed legislation designed to lower prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients.
y Favoring the Wealthy over Working Families: Vance opposed raising taxes on the ultra-wealthy, as well as legislation that decreased out-of-pocket drug costs. His economic policies favor income tax cuts for the wealthy.
In Union is supported by union members, such as nurses, teachers, home care workers, steelworkers, auto workers, and union retirees. We provide straightforward, fact-based information to more than two million people who trust us to be unbiased on topics like the economy and healthcare. In Union doesn’t endorse, lobby, or take contributions from politicians or candidates—and we don’t contribute to them. Instead, we examine the records to help hold politicians accountable, tackle issues important to working-class families, and provide money-saving tips. In Union does the research and always provides sources, but you decide. For more information and a complete list of our funders, visit www.inunionusa.com.
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The costs of healthcare and prescription drugs impact Pennsylvania’s working families every day. In the next issue, we’ll examine the records and positions of the two candidates for U.S. Senate, Senator Bob Casey and Dave McCormick, to determine how their proposals and policies would affect our wallets and our quality of life.
