TQ believes when a house is in crisis, we should first assess the severity and priority of the challenges we are facing as a nation. Therefore, he proposes to focus on the following issues:
Immigration Reform
The situation of 11 million illegal immigrants must be resolved with a fair and effective solution that is beneficial to all stakeholders. TQ’s proposal will guarantee that there will be no deportation nor family separation against those illegal immigrants. First, it is inhumane. Second, we simply do not have the resources – police force and money – to carry out such tasks. TQ’s proposal shall allow those who wish with good faith to stay in the United States the opportunity to stay and apply for temporary work authorization while waiting for their status adjustment through due process of law to become legal immigrants, U.S. permanent residents, and eventually a pathway to citizenship. To ensure fairness to those who have come to the U.S. legally, the status adjustment process may include a monetary penalty or some similar measures to ensure that there must be consequences for unlawful actions. With a temporary status permit, they will be authorized to work legally and will pay income tax like any other Americans. This proposal shall allow the U.S. government to collect tax revenue to pay for their dependents’ benefits, help secure the border, and deploy more personnel to more quickly process the immigration application backlog. Such a solution will benefit the illegal immigrants and their dependents, the legal immigrants, and the U.S. government.
Education Reform
Investing in education is critical to building America’s future and ensuring our competitiveness in the world. Therefore, we must invest smartly and fairly in the education of young Americans. Financial aid should be awarded based on academic performance. This merit-based approach will encourage students to excel in their pursuit of higher education. This is principally different compared to calls for granting college tuition free for all. We should provide equal opportunity to education for all instead of handing out money to all. Similar assistance should be available for those who wish to acquire vocational training to become skilled workers such as electricians, plumbers and welders.
Health Care Reform
For the last two election cycles, there have been calls to repeal the Affordable Care Act as well as calls for a universal health care system. The irony is that most, if not all, of the sitting Senators have never lived in such a health care system. One side praises it while the other side demonizes it. One thing that both sides have in common: they only know it on paper. Having lived in such a system for more than a decade, TQ can intelligently present the true aspects – negative and positive – of a universal health care system in comparison with our current Affordable Care Act and let the American people know the true cost and the true quality of care so that they can make an informed decision for their preferred health care model.
Foreign Policy
America needs a robust and coherent foreign policy to ensure our standing as a leader on the world stage and to maintain the America-led liberal international order of free trade that has seen the world economy thriving for the last 70 years. However, America’s adversaries do not sit idle. They have been actively seeking to displace America’s leadership. Therefore, we must form long lasting strategic partnership with nations that share our democratic values and do not let our guards down when dealing with nations that seek to undermine those values. We must include our core values in all trade deals and negotiations, especially with economic partners who do not share our values. If we do not affirm a robust foreign policy then soon other nations will take the lead and challenge America’s supremacy. That will spell the end of the American era.