11 KEY CAMPAIGN ISSUES FAITHFUL TO WORKING TEXANS

Texas desperately needs to expand Medicaid to close the health insurance coverage gap, joining the 40 states that have already done so.

The federal funds for Medicaid expansion have already been set aside. The only reason it hasn't happened yet is corporate-backed politicians in Texas who choose to play political games. The reality is that Medicaid expansion can and should get done immediately.

If expanded, over a million more Texans would then qualify for health insurance through Medicaid (1).

Medicaid expansion would benefit Texans from walks of life. In particular, it would close the coverage gap for the working poor who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford their own health insurance (2). 

As a pediatrician, I am 100% pro-family. Anyone claiming to be pro-family must, like me, actively fight for Medicaid expansion by consistently voicing public scrutiny towards the cowardly Texas politicians who oppose it.

School vouchers would further strain our thinly stretched public school budgets by giving away tax dollars to already well-funded private schools.

The simple truth is that private schools do not operate with the same level of accountability to the public interest as public schools. For example, they are allowed to reject enrollment for students with disabilities, which remained true in last year's voucher bill that had almost passed into law in Texas.

While I respect the independence and unique missions of private schools, I oppose this misdirection of public funds to private institutions, which would ultimately undermine public school systems across Texas.

I defend the freedom of individuals to make their own healthcare decisions, including the right to terminate a pregnancy up to 22 weeks gestation. I support exceptions after 22 weeks only in cases of rape, incest, pregnant minors, and life-threatening situations.

In Texas, we are rapidly headed down a dark road in restricting the family planning choices that women are allowed to make. Denying mothers this critical care results in significantly increased risk of permanent infertility.

As a pediatrician, I've seen how important that access to family planning can be, not just to mothers, but to families overall which includes children. Easy access to these services empowers parents to have kids only when they are emotionally and financially ready, which sets children up for healthier, happier lives.

Medicare Advantage health insurance plans bring huge profits to corporate insurance executives at the expense of our cherished senior citizens. This hits close to home for me with my own parents now being seniors themselves.

Corporations frequently overcharge Medicare Advantage enrollees through deceptive billing tactics like “over-coding,” while also readily denying coverage to vulnerable, sick patients. These practices lack medical justification and must be stopped to protect Texan seniors.

I'm a diehard advocate for fiscally responsible government spending.

Deciding on how to spend tax dollars obtained through the labor of others is a serious and sacred duty.

Therefore, I oppose the $140 million in the Texas state budget each year (3) that goes to medically unethical, unregulated scam clinics known as crisis pregnancy centers. I strive to root out this and similar bloat from the budget, because working Texans deserve to see observable benefits from the taxes they pay.

I propose that borrowers who meet their student loan obligations for the first 11 months of the year receive forgiveness for their December loan payment—a "Christmas gift" from the state of Texas rewarding timely loan payments.

Though more can still be done, this policy would offer much-needed relief to the millions of Texans burdened by student loan debt as well as incentivize responsible borrowing and payment practices. 

“Worker wage theft” refers to the various ways employees can be coerced into doing unpaid work, including encroaching on their off-the-clock hours or breaktime. Another form of wage theft involves being paid below the minimum wage, which alone robs each affected worker in Texas an average of $4,000 per year (4).

Worker wage theft actually costs Americans more than all other types of theft combined. Combatting it requires major reforms in pay transparency and reporting systems.

It is clear that green energy will shape the future considering how renewables like wind and solar are quickly becoming cheaper and easier to produce (5). 

As other countries like China currently lead the race in renewable energy, I envision for America to not only catch up but to overtake the rest of the world.

It is urgent for American leaders to make the appropriate domestic investments to ensure that the global hubs of green energy industries get situated here at home rather than abroad.