As North Carolina’s U.S. Senator, I put North Carolina first in every vote I take and every bill I introduce. I don’t care if it’s a Republican idea or a Democratic idea; I only care if it’s good for North Carolina.
As I have traveled to all 100 counties in our great state, the thing I hear most from North Carolinians is concern for jobs and the economy. I am committed to creating an economy that works for everyone in our state, because your ability to succeed shouldn’t depend on the size of your bank account.
Unfortunately, too many North Carolinians are working harder only to fall further behind. That’s why I support increasing the minimum wage, which would mean a raise for 1.1 million workers in North Carolina, allowing more working families to get ahead, not just get by.
And for women and families, earning equal pay for equal work would make a real difference, which is why I am working to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. Women in North Carolina still earn an average of 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. With more women becoming their family’s primary breadwinner or significant income contributor, every penny matters for their bottom lines. Money lost in paychecks today is money that could be spent on a down payment for a home, put away for their child’s college education or invested in a secure retirement.
These are only pieces of the larger economic puzzle, though. To preserve the American Dream for future generations, we must ensure every child has access to a quality education. In North Carolina, from Smart Start on up to our community college and university system, public education has long been a source of pride. It is the great equalizer. When other states have fallen behind, it is investments in education that have set us apart.
As a member of the Senate committee on education, I am working to pass a long overdue education reform bill, which includes my bills to bring more 21st century technology into our classrooms and turn around our lowest performing schools. We can’t expect our students to thrive in “dropout factories.” They deserve better.
We have to make college more affordable. College loan debt has surpassed credit card debt and causes graduates to delay buying a home or starting a family. I worked to make sure student loan interest rates didn’t double, and I’ve voted to let graduates refinance their loans at lower interest rates. There are some graduates paying double-digit interest rates on their student debt when they could get a 30-year fixed rate mortgage for under 5 percent.
We also have to protect our seniors. I have supported the Medicare Protection Act, and I have repeatedly voted against the Ryan budget that would turn Medicare into a voucher system just to give tax breaks to the wealthy.
In North Carolina, we are the most military friendly state in the nation, and as a member of a proud military family myself I want to ensure our state remains a welcome place for our service members, veterans and their families. That’s why I’ll continue working to reduce the VA claims backlog, end unacceptably long wait times for care and build an economy that works for our veterans.
These are my priorities because these are North Carolina’s priorities. I am proud that the non-partisan National Journal named me the most moderate senator, not too far left, not too far right – just like North Carolina.
As we say in our state’s toast, North Carolina is “Where the weak grow strong, and the strong grow great.” I believe that more than anything, this idea – the weak growing strong and the strong growing great – is on the line right now, and I am committed to making sure everyone has an opportunity to grow both strong and great.
