Balanced Budget Amendment
| Democrats support the creation of an infrastructure bank that will leverage public and private resources to build infrastructure projects of national or regional significance, including in rail and transit, clean energy and water infrastructure, broadband, and affordable housing. Projects will be required to follow Buy America and Buy Clean provisions, pay Davis-Bacon prevailing wages, utilize project labor agreements, and ensure employers remain neutral in workers’ organizing efforts. |
Unity supports the passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment in the interests of the nation’s fiscal and economic health. Any short-term stimulative benefits gained by deficit spending are far outweighed by the long-term damage that spending inflicts on the economy. It’s time to stop spending our children’s inheritance, and it’s time for the state legislatures to apply to Congress for a new Constitutional Convention to pass this and other amendments, per Article V of the US Constitution.
The first steps by the government to deal with the financial crisis had been promising and necessary. In 2009, within six weeks of taking office and in the midst of a deepening recession, President Obama and the new Democratic Congress assembled a package of measures intended to boost the economy. The emergency measures culminated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which cost $831 billion, divided between new spending and tax cuts aimed at the middle class. This was a necessary investment in our economy, and even though not all of the money was well spent it was a classic case of ramping up investment at a time of national need.
Affirm the 2nd Amendment
Democrats believe that we can reduce gun violence while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners. We believe we should expand and strengthen background checks for those who want to purchase a firearm – because it shouldn’t be easier to get a gun than a driver’s license. We believe we should ensure that guns don’t fall into the hands of terrorists (whether they be domestic or foreign), domestic abusers, other violent criminals, or those who have shown signs of danger toward themselves or others. And we believe we should treat gun violence as the deadly public health crisis it is. Democrats support stricter background checks and assault weapon bans.
The Unity Party of America affirms the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
We uphold the right of individuals to keep and bear arms, a natural inalienable right that predates the Constitution and is secured by the Second Amendment. Lawful gun ownership enables Americans to exercise their God-given right of self-defense for the safety of their homes, their loved ones, and their communities. We condemn frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers and the current Administration’s illegal harassment of firearm dealers. We oppose federal licensing or registration of law-abiding gun owners, registration of ammunition, and restoration of the ill-fated Clinton gun ban. We call for a thorough investigation — by a new Republican administration — of the deadly “Fast and Furious” operation perpetrated by Department of Justice officials who approved and allowed illegal sales of guns to known violent criminals.
Affirm the 4th Amendment
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
The Unity Party of America affirms the 4th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects shall not be violated.
Affirming the Fourth Amendment “right of the people to be secure in their houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,” we call for strict limitations on the use of aerial surveillance on U.S. soil, with the exception of patrolling our national borders for illegal entry and activity. We oppose any attempts by government to require surveillance devices in our daily lives, including tracking devices in motor vehicles.
Eliminate the Federal Income Tax
Biden’s tax proposals for individuals
With Joe Biden getting elected, he has expressed support for major federal tax law changes. The Biden plan would raise the top individual rate on ordinary income and net short-term capital gains back to 39.6%, the top rate that was in effect before the TCJA lowered it to 37% (for 2018 through 2025). Biden has also promised not to increase taxes for those who make under $400,000. However, it’s unclear whether that limit refers to taxable income, gross income or adjusted gross income — or whether it would apply equally to singles, heads of households and married joint-filing couples.
Unity supports replacing federal income taxes with a revenue measure based on the carbon content of fossil fuels as a simple way of balancing the budget, combating Climate Change, and encouraging the development of alternative energy sources. A reduction in fossil fuel consumption would enhance American power abroad by making this nation less dependent on foreign sources of oil.
Trump’s tax proposals for individuals
The GOP-backed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was signed into law in December 2017. It included a number of temporary federal tax cuts and breaks for individuals and families for 2018 through 2025. President Trump has indicated support for preserving tax reforms under the TCJA — and possibly providing additional breaks for individuals and families.
The White House budget document for the government’s 2021 fiscal year (which starts on October 1, 2020) indicates support for extending these TCJA individual tax provisions beyond 2025:
The current federal income tax and estate tax regimes,
The expanded child and dependent tax credits (along with continued disallowance of dependent exemptions),
Increased standard deduction amounts (along with continued disallowance of personal exemptions),
More favorable alternative minimum tax (AMT) rules, and
Continued limitations on itemized deductions for home mortgage interest and state and local taxes (SALT).
Health Care Tax Deduction
Democrats have been fighting to secure universal health care for the American people for generations, and we are proud to be the party that passed Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.
Unity supports a full tax deduction for the health care costs of all Americans forced to pay for their own health coverage.
The Republican Party believes in a patient-centered health care system, which is based in free markets, fostering competition and driving health care costs down. They believe that a health care system that is run by the government will reduce both the efficiency and the standard of care, as well as compromise the patient-physician relationship, and increase waiting periods within the health care system, as evidenced by government-centered health care systems throughout the world.
Social Security Tithe Pool
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Unity supports the replacement of federal payroll taxes with a “tithe pool” of less than 10% of earned income. At the end of every fiscal year, the pool of revenues collected that year would be apportioned to guarantee Social Security benefits, Medicare, and other entitlement programs for the following calendar year.
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Supporting our Military
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Unity supports our military service members, both active duty and retired, the many brave men and women who have honorably defended our great nation. Unity supports all efforts to get our military better healthcare and retirement benefits as well as making it easier for all veterans to get access to the benefits they need, no question asked.
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Free and Fair Trade
Democrats will pursue a trade policy that puts workers first. We will negotiate strong and enforceable standards for labor, human rights, and the environment in the core text of our trade deals. Future trade agreements should build on the pro-labor provisions added to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) by Democratic members of Congress. If companies shut down their operations here and outsource jobs, we’ll claw back any public investments or benefits they received from taxpayers.
Unity supports global free trade in the interest of long-term economic development, so long as provisions are made for a Global Minimum Wage to protect workers both here and abroad, and for carbon tariffs to fight Climate Change and protect American manufacturers.
The US must promote open markets and expand free trade. Not only does trade grow the American economy, but it spreads global freedom.
Trade plays an important role in our economy, supporting roughly 40 million jobs in the US and providing immeasurable benefits to American consumers by lowering prices and improving our standard of living. We must continue to open new markets for our businesses and build the capacity of tomorrow’s trade partners. For that reason, the US must do more to support trade agreements with clear benefits, including job growth, to our economy.
Congressional Term Limits
No reference or care for this found on party platform but usually opposes term limits. President Biden spent 36 years in the U.S. Senate and has always opposed term limits. In 1996, he put his opposition on the record by voting against a bill, sponsored by Sen. Fred Thompson, which would have moved term limits forward.
Unity supports limiting US Senators to two six-year terms in office, and limiting US Representatives to four three-year terms in office, with one-third of US House seats to be up for election every year.
No reference or care for this found on party platform but usually opposes term limits. President Trump is a term limits supporter, having first come out for the idea in October 2016. Trump specifically endorsed the U.S. Term Limits (USTL) Amendment of three House terms, two Senate terms and no longer limit. Since becoming president, Trump hasn’t discussed the topic very often. Apart from convening a single meeting on term limits in April 2018 and sending a supportive tweet about it, Trump hasn’t been proactive.
Judicial Term Limits
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Unity supports limiting US Senators to two six-year terms in office, and limiting US Representatives to four three-year terms in office, with one-third of US House seats to be up for election every year.
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Enhance Electoral Security
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
In this age of hackers and other criminals willing to do anything to advance their own agenda and subvert American democracy, Unity supports the requirement that all individual votes in Federal elections, whether they be cast electronically or by other means, be recorded with paper receipts.
Honest elections are the foundation of representative government. We pledge to protect the voting rights of every citizen, as well as their rights of conscience when they are harassed or denied a job because of their contributions to a candidate or a cause. We support state efforts to ensure ballot access for the elderly, the handicapped, military personnel, and all legitimate voters. We urge state and local officials to take all appropriate steps to allow voters to cast their ballots in a timely manner. We are concerned, however, that some voting procedures may be open to abuse. For this reason, we support legislation to require proof of citizenship when registering to vote and secure photo ID when voting. We strongly oppose litigation against states exercising their sovereign authority to enact such laws. In addition, to guarantee that everyone’s vote is counted, we urge that electronic voting systems have a voter-verified paper audit trail. We urge every state to join the Interstate Voter Registration Cross Check Program to keep voter rolls accurate and to prevent people from voting in more than one state in the same election. To guard against foreign involvement in our elections, we call for vigilance regarding online credit card contributions to candidates and campaigns.
Judges, not Gerrymandering
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Unity supports outlawing the drawing of legislative districts along partisan lines, and supports the appointment of panels of retired judges to draw the boundaries of legislative districts.
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Put Campaign Finance on Solid Foundation
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Unity declares that all Federal political contributions, whether they be spent directly or indirectly on campaigns for Federal office, should be reported on a timely basis in terms of individual source and should be limited to no more than the current limit of $2,700 per individual donor, adjusted for inflation going forward; if corporations are real people and money is speech, corporations should be held to the same standards as real people and money still can’t be tossed onto the roaring bonfire of corruption threatening the very structures at the heart of American democracy.
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Resign to Run
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
To give the American Taxpayer relief from subsidizing the careers of incumbent officeholders, elected Federal officials seeking office higher than the one they currently hold should resign immediately upon filing for a primary election; the timing of such resignations would allow for the holding of replacement elections in a seamless and efficient manner.
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
The American Space Program
Democrats support the funding and expansion of NASA the the American Space Program.
Unity supports a focused, efficient and aggressive US space program which leads the world. An American space program that sets the pace will not only inspire Humankind, but will lead to many short and long-term benefits for our nation. Space exploration and the eventual building of colonies on the moon, Mars and planets beyond will provide us with the ‘life jacket’ Humankind might need.
Republicans support the funding and expansion of NASA the the American Space Program.
Call for DC Statehood
Restoring our democracy also means passing statehood for the District of Columbia, so that the American citizens who reside in the nation’s capital have full and equal congressional rights as well as the right to have the laws and budget of their local government respected without Congressional interference.
Taxation without Representation for Hundreds of Thousands of American Citizens in the US Capital is symbolic of the dysfunction of the two-party duopoly; the Unity Party supports DC Statehood with appropriate provisions for Federal property.
Statehood for the District can be advanced only by a constitutional amendment. Any other approach would be invalid. A statehood amendment was soundly rejected by the states when last proposed in 1976 and should not be revived.”
In fact, the DC Voting Rights Amendment, which was sent to the states following passage in Congress in 1978, would have provided for full Congressional representation, but not statehood. Beyond its opposition to statehood, the 2016 Republican Party platform appeared to reject any other efforts to reform the District’s political status
Self-Determination of All Peoples
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Unity supports the right of self-determination for all Peoples, including their right to establish new States within the United States of America as appropriate.
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Approval Voting
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Unity proposes the adoption of Approval Voting, defined as allowing voters to vote for more than one option with the winning option having the broadest possible support, as the official voting method for all votes from internal party votes to state and national votes.
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Student Loan Freedom
We will make public colleges and universities tuition-free for students whose families earn less than $125,000–roughly 80 percent of the American people. We will double the maximum Pell Grant award for low-income students. Democrats support making community colleges and trade schools tuition-free for all students, including Dreamers.
Unity supports the free market, supports the freedom to get a good education, and therefore supports the Federal government guaranteeing extremely low interest rates on current and future Student Loans, with no profiteering.
College costs are on an unsustainable trajectory, rising year by year far ahead of overall inflation. Nationwide, student loan debt now exceeds credit card debt, roughly $23,300 for each of the 35,000,000 debtors, taking years to pay off.
Federal student aid is on an unsustainable path, and efforts should be taken to provide families with greater transparency and the information they need to make prudent choices about a student’s future: completion rates, repayment rates, future earnings, and other factors that may affect their decisions. The federal government should not be in the business of originating student loans; however, it should serve as an insurance guarantor for the private sector as they offer loans to students. Private sector participation in student financing should be welcomed. Any regulation that drives tuition costs higher must be reevaluated to balance its worth against its negative impact on students and their parents.
Support for the First Amendment Right to Assemble
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search. Both parties seem to have situational support or rejection regarding the Right to Assemble.
In the spirit of the First Amendment right “of the people peaceably to assemble,” Unity supports the Right of Ballot Access for all Political Parties as well as the Right of Collective Bargaining for all Unions.
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search. Both parties seem to have situational support or rejection regarding the Right to Assemble.
Better Voting for Public Elections
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Unity supports the exploration of more sophisticated, more representative voting methods.
Approval voting, range voting, or STAR voting are better methods for electing single member executive offices such as President, governors, and mayors.
Legislative offices should be elected by proportional representation. This includes Congress, state legislatures, boards, and councils.
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Climate Change
Democrats believe there is a better way. We can and must build a thriving, equitable, and globally competitive clean energy economy that puts workers and communities first and leaves no one behind. We will help rebuild our economy from the COVID-19 pandemic and President Trump’s recession by mobilizing historic, transformative public and private investments to launch a clean energy revolution. We applaud the organizing efforts of young people, union workers, and communities of color to mobilize voters and make the climate crisis a top priority. As Democrats, we believe the scientists: the window for unprecedented and necessary action is closing, and closing fast. Democrats reject the false choice between growing our economy and combating climate change; we can and must do both at the same time. We will use federal resources and authorities across all agencies to deploy proven clean energy solutions; create millions of family-supporting and union jobs; upgrade and make resilient our energy, water, wastewater, and transportation infrastructure; and develop and manufacture next-generation technologies to address the climate crisis right here in the United States. And we will do all this with an eye to equity, access, benefits, and ownership opportunities for frontline communities—because Democrats believe we must embed environmental justice, economic justice, and climate justice at the heart of our policy and governing agenda.
The phrase “global warming” in “IV. Eliminate the Federal Income Tax” and “VIII. Free and Fair Trade” is hereby replaced with “climate change”.
Conservation is inherent in conservatism. As the pioneer of environmentalism a century ago, the Republican Party reaffirms the moral obligation to be good stewards of the God-given natural beauty and resources of our country. We believe that people are the most valuable resources and that human health and safety are the proper measurements of a policy’s success. We assert that private ownership has been the best guarantee of conscientious stewardship, while some of the worst instances of degradation have occurred under government control. Poverty, not wealth, is the gravest threat to the environment, while steady economic growth brings the technological advances which make environmental progress possible.
The environment is too important to be left to radical environmentalists. They are using yesterday’s tools to control a future they do not comprehend. The environmental establishment has become a self-serving elite, stuck in the mindset of the 1970s, subordinating the public’s consensus to the goals of the Democratic Party. Their approach is based on shoddy science, scare tactics, and centralized command-and-control regulation. Over the last eight years, the Administration has triggered an avalanche of regulation that wreaks havoc across our economy and yields minimal environmental benefits.
Renewable Energy
To reach net-zero emissions as rapidly as possible, Democrats commit to eliminating carbon pollution from power plants by 2035 through technology-neutral standards for clean energy and energy efficiency. We will dramatically expand solar and wind energy deployment through community-based and utility-scale systems, including in rural areas. Within five years, we will install 500 million solar panels, including eight million solar roofs and community solar energy systems, and 60,000 wind turbines, and turn American ingenuity into American jobs by leveraging federal policy to manufacture renewable energy solutions in America. Recognizing the urgent need to decarbonize the power sector, our technology-neutral approach is inclusive of all zero-carbon technologies, including hydroelectric power, geothermal, existing and advanced nuclear, and carbon capture and storage.
Democrats believe that any clean energy infrastructure project financed with federal support, including through the tax code, should come with robust wage and labor requirements. We will build a modern electric grid by investing in interstate transmission projects and advanced, 21st century grid technologies to power communities with clean electricity, including federal support to build sustainable and resilient energy grids in rural America and in Tribal areas lacking energy infrastructure. We will reduce methane pollution through strong federal standards and targeted support for repairing and replacing aging distribution systems, which will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, including for the same pipefitters, insulators, and other workers who built the systems in the first place and who know best how to protect our communities from methane pollution.
Unity supports research on creative applications of sustainable and renewable energy sources.
Our country has greater energy resources than any other place on earth. Our engineers and miners, the men and women whose labor taps the forces of nature, are the best in the world. Together, the people of America’s energy sector provide us with power that is clean, affordable, secure, and abundant. Their work can guarantee the nation’s energy security for centuries to come if, instead of erecting roadblocks, government facilitates the creation of an all-of-the-above energy strategy.
Planning for our energy future requires us to first determine what resources we have in reserve. Thirty years ago, the world’s estimated reserves of oil were 645 billion barrels. Today, that figure is 1.65 trillion barrels. The more we know what we will have in the future, the better we can decide how to use it. That is why we support the opening of public lands and the outer continental shelf to exploration and responsible production, even if these resources will not be immediately developed. Because we believe states can best promote economic growth while protecting the environment, Congress should give authority to state regulators to manage energy resources on federally controlled public lands within their respective borders.
Congressional Term Limits
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Amendment IX to the Constitution of the Unity Party of America, “Term Limits”, shall be retitled to “Congressional Term Limits” and shall be amended to read, “Unity supports limiting US Senators to two six-year terms in office, and limiting US Representatives to four three-year terms in office, with one-third of US House seats to be up for election every year.”
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Arts and Humanities for All
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Unity supports the Arts and Humanities for All.
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
Respect for Underprivileged & Underrepresented Communities
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The Unity Party of America will work to Unite America by empowering underprivileged and underrepresented communities.
No reference or care for this found on party platform at time of search.
