"I am asking for your vote to become the Democratic nominee for President of the United States."
1. Healing Our Nation and Investing in America
Healing our nation will be my number one priority. As your President, I will work to restore confidence in our government by ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and invested in the American people.
I will direct my administration to conduct a comprehensive audit of federal spending to identify and eliminate waste, unnecessary expenditures, and inefficient programs. I will also work with Congress to establish impactful financial consequences for corporations that move American jobs overseas eliminating jobs for American workers. My administration will identify underused and non-essential federal office space and facilities, reducing unnecessary costs wherever possible. Additionally, my administration will promote the option of telework, where feasible, as a cost savings initiative.
The savings generated through these efforts will be reinvested where it can make a meaningful difference in the lives of Americans. My administration will work with Congress to strengthen Social Security, increase SNAP benefits to better reflect the actual cost of nutritious food, and provide meaningful tax relief for middle-class families.
We must also invest in the next generation of American workers. I will direct my administration to work with Congress to establish a federal education and workforce initiative that provides eligible high school graduates the opportunity to complete up to two years of community college or qualified trade-school education tuition-free.
We can reduce government waste while protecting our seniors, helping families afford food, strengthening the middle class, and preparing young Americans for good-paying careers.
Healing our nation begins by investing in its people. When America invests in all of US, we invest in the future of the United States.
4. Reproductive Freedom and Personal Choice
I am personally opposed to abortion, having gone through one myself as a young person. However, as your President, I must recognize that my personal beliefs should never dictate the deeply personal and often difficult decisions of another woman.
As your President, I will not support legislation that takes away a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body, her health, or her pregnancy. I believe the role of the President is to protect the rights and freedoms of all Americans—not impose one person’s beliefs upon an entire nation.
I will work with Congress to establish strong federal protections for reproductive freedom so that a woman’s fundamental rights do not depend on the state in which she lives or her ability to travel elsewhere for care. I will also support access to reproductive healthcare, contraception, medically necessary care, and accurate information so that women can make informed decisions in consultation with the people they trust.
These are deeply personal decisions. They belong to women, their families, and their medical providers—not politicians.
I may personally choose one path, but as your President, I will defend every woman’s right to make her own.
7. Gun Control Reform
As your President, I will respect and defend the constitutional right of law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms. I also believe that protecting constitutional rights and protecting our communities from gun violence are equally important.
Americans should be able to exercise their constitutional rights responsibly, while families should be able to send their children to school, attend church, go to work, shop, and gather in public places without living in fear of mass shootings and senseless violence.
As your President, I will direct my administration to work with Congress to pursue responsible gun-safety legislation that respects the rights of lawful gun owners while strengthening accountability for firearm manufacturers, sellers, purchasers, and owners where appropriate under the law.
I will support establishing a comprehensive registration and licensing framework for semi-automatic firearms. Such a framework would include appropriate criminal background checks and a lawful, evidence-based process for identifying individuals who present a serious risk of violence, while protecting due process, medical privacy, and the rights of responsible gun owners.
10. Confronting the U.S. Drug and Overdose Crisis
The United States is facing a devastating drug and overdose crisis. Too many Americans are losing their lives, too many communities are experiencing crimes associated with illegal drug activity, and too many families are being torn apart by addiction. We cannot accept this as normal.
As your President, I will direct my administration to work with Congress to expand access to detoxification and substance-use treatment services, including establishing federally supported options for individuals who cannot afford treatment. A person's ability to begin recovery should not depend solely on the amount of money in their bank account.
When someone makes the decision to seek help, we must be prepared to help them. My administration will work with states, health care providers, treatment facilities, and community organizations to identify and eliminate unnecessary barriers that cause individuals to wait days or weeks for detoxification and treatment services. In a drug crisis, a long waiting list can become a matter of life or death.
Prevention must be just as important as treatment. I will direct my administration to examine successful drug-prevention, treatment, harm-reduction, and recovery programs in other countries and determine which evidence-based practices could be responsibly adapted for use in the United States. America should be willing to learn from what works, regardless of where the solution originated.
We must also distinguish between people suffering from addiction and those who knowingly profit from manufacturing and distributing deadly illegal drugs. Addiction should be met with opportunities for treatment and recovery. Those who manufacture, traffic, and sell fentanyl and other dangerous illegal drugs must be held accountable.
As your President, I will direct my administration to work with Congress to strengthen our laws against large-scale illegal drug manufacturing and trafficking, particularly offenses involving fentanyl and other substances responsible for overdose deaths. I will support strong and proportionate penalties focused on major manufacturers, traffickers, distributors, and criminal organizations that knowingly profit from the sale of deadly drugs.
Law enforcement alone will not end this crisis, and treatment alone will not stop those who profit from it. America needs a strategy built around prevention, treatment, recovery, enforcement, and accountability.
We will fight the drugs that are destroying lives without giving up on the people whose lives can still be saved.
13. An Expedited Pathway to Citizenship for Dreamers and Their Families
America is a nation of laws, but we are also a nation that believes in fairness, opportunity, and recognizing the contributions of people who have built their lives alongside us.
As your President, I will support legislation establishing an expedited and earned pathway to U.S. citizenship for eligible Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients who have built their lives in this country and maintained a record free of serious criminal conduct.
These young people were brought to the United States as children. They did not make the decision to enter this country, and for many, America is the only home they have ever truly known.
Individuals who meet reasonable eligibility requirements, pass appropriate background and security checks, and demonstrate their commitment to this country deserve the opportunity to step out of immigration uncertainty and become full participants in the American future.
I will also direct my administration to work with Congress to establish a separate, fair, and responsible pathway to legal status and, where appropriate, eventual citizenship for qualifying parents of eligible DACA recipients. This will not be automatic citizenship. Applicants will be required to meet clearly established eligibility standards, undergo appropriate background and security checks, and comply with the requirements established under federal law.
Immigration reform does not have to be a choice between enforcing our laws and showing humanity. We are capable of doing both.
For Dreamers who grew up pledging allegiance to our flag and calling the United States of America home, it is time to provide an earned opportunity to officially call themselves Americans.
16. Creation of the "Past Presidents' Advisory Panel"
Former Presidents of the United States are a very small and unique group of Americans. Regardless of political party, each has experienced the extraordinary responsibility of leading our nation and possesses knowledge that can only come from having served in the Oval Office.
They have negotiated with allies and adversaries, worked with Congress, responded to national emergencies, engaged with world leaders, addressed the concerns of the American people, commanded our Armed Forces, and made difficult decisions with consequences extending far beyond their time in office. The lessons learned from those experiences should not automatically disappear when a presidency ends.
As your President, I will establish a Past Presidents' Advisory Panel, consisting of all living former Presidents who voluntarily choose to participate.
The panel will serve strictly in an advisory capacity to the sitting President. Former Presidents serving on the panel will have no decision-making authority, no governing authority, and no power to override or interfere with the constitutional responsibilities of the elected President. The responsibility for presidential decisions will remain with the person elected by the American people to serve as Commander in Chief and President of the United States.
When appropriate, I will seek the panel's perspectives on matters such as foreign relations, national security, economic and domestic challenges, relations with Congress, national emergencies, and other significant issues where their collective experience may provide valuable insight.
Participation will not require former Presidents to agree with one another—or with me. The purpose of the panel will be to provide perspective, institutional knowledge, and lessons learned from previous administrations. Different experiences and opposing viewpoints can be valuable when a President is confronted with decisions of national importance.
Every administration has successes, failures, challenges, and lessons. A wise President should be willing to learn from all of them.
The presidency should never be about believing one person has every answer. Leadership also means knowing when to listen.
They have sat behind the desk. They have carried the responsibility. Their experience can remain a resource for the United States long after their presidency ends.
Deirdre's Presidential Vision
(Scroll down to read all the 17 Vision Statements)
2. National Unity and Patriotism
True unity begins with a shared devotion to our country and a commitment to one another. As your President, I will direct my administration to champion initiatives and work with Congress on legislation that helps bridge our divisions, strengthens our communities, and renews a sense of national pride and common purpose.
Our American flag is a powerful symbol that we all share. The American Flag can unite all of US as Americans, but it should mean the same thing to everyone. For many, our flag represents freedom, courage, sacrifice, and opportunity. But I also recognize that for many Americans, it serves as a reminder of painful chapters in our nation’s history—including slavery, discrimination, and the displacement and mistreatment of Indigenous people. Never be afraid to acknowledge our country’s history, because understanding where we have been will help us build a better future.
As your President, I will work to strengthen a United States where every American can look at our flag and know that the freedoms and principles it represents belong to them, too. I will work with my administration on programs that offer ways to unite all of US under the symbol of our country. My administration will promote community gatherings and national initiatives that bring Americans together across backgrounds, beliefs, and differences. We may not always agree, but we can respect one another, listen to one another, and remember that what unites US as Americans is greater than what divides US.
The United States belongs to all of US. Our strength is found not in uniformity, but in unity—millions of individual voices working toward the promise of one nation and a better future.
United States = United US. You cannot have one without the other.
5. Economic Recovery and Immediate Relief for All of US
As your President, one of my administration’s highest priorities will be strengthening our economy and providing meaningful relief to Americans struggling with the cost of everyday necessities.
Within my first two months in office, I will call on Congress to pass an economic relief package providing direct stimulus payments to eligible lower- and middle-income Americans (depending on the state of the economy). My administration will work urgently with congressional leaders to ensure that assistance is targeted toward working families and individuals who need relief the most.
Energy prices affect nearly every part of our economy—from transportation and manufacturing to groceries and household expenses. As your President, I will use every responsible diplomatic avenue available to the United States to promote the safe and uninterrupted flow of international commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, including diplomatic engagement with Iran and coordination with our allies and international partners. American diplomacy should always seek to reduce tensions, protect our national interests, and prevent disruptions that increase costs for American families.
I will support Congress in providing legislative action to temporarily expand SNAP eligibility and ensure that Americans facing financial hardship have access to nutritious food (depending on the state of the economy). I will also support a permanent national increase in the SNAP allowance benefit per individual and utilization of the Low-Cost Food plan in determining SNAP allowance amounts.
My economic policy will begin with a simple principle: when Americans are struggling, their government should work for them. We will pursue immediate relief that helps all of US.
8. Health Care should be a Right and Not a Choice
Health care is not a luxury. Every American deserves access to quality, affordable health care without having to choose between receiving necessary treatment and meeting the basic needs of their family.
As your President, I will direct my administration to pursue solutions that reduce the cost of health care for individuals and families. I will direct my administration to examine prescription drug prices, medical costs, insurance expenses, and other barriers that make quality health care unaffordable for too many Americans. I will work with Congress to pass responsible legislation that lowers costs while protecting access to quality care.
No American should lose their life simply because they cannot afford lifesaving medication. As your President, I will support and sign legislation that provides essential lifesaving medications at no cost to individuals who cannot afford them.
My administration will also work with medical professionals, scientists, public health experts, parents, and other stakeholders to establish clear national recommendations for early-childhood immunizations. These recommendations will be based on credible medical evidence and regularly reviewed to reflect the best available scientific knowledge about preventing communicable diseases and protecting public health.
11. Mental Health Care When Americans Need It
No American struggling with their mental health should have to choose between suffering alone and receiving the help they need.
Access to help remains a serious problem. Too many Americans are willing to ask for help only to discover that they cannot afford it, their insurance does not adequately cover it, there are no providers available in their community, or they must wait weeks or months for an appointment.
Asking for help should never lead to a waiting list and a closed door.
As your President, I will direct my administration to develop a national strategy to expand timely and affordable access to mental health care. We will work with Congress, states, health care systems, insurers, mental health professionals, schools, veterans' organizations, and community providers to identify and remove the financial and administrative barriers that prevent Americans from receiving care.
My administration will also focus on strengthening America's mental health workforce and expanding access in rural and underserved communities. We will examine responsible ways to use telehealth, community mental health centers, crisis services, and other resources to reach Americans who might otherwise have nowhere to turn.
Suicide prevention will be an essential part of this effort. Every life we can save matters. My administration will examine successful suicide-prevention strategies and mental health programs in other countries and determine which evidence-based approaches can be adapted and implemented effectively in the United States.
Mental health care is health care. Seeking treatment is not a weakness, and financial hardship, geography, or an overwhelmed health care system should not determine whether someone receives help.
When an American has the courage to say, “I need help,” America should be prepared to answer, “Help is here.”
14. Honoring and Protecting America's Disabled Veterans
Disabled veterans are a testament to service, sacrifice, and an extraordinary willingness to give of themselves for our country.
Our disabled veterans deserve timely, accessible, and high-quality medical and mental health care for service-connected conditions resulting from combat, training, hazardous duty, and other circumstances of their military service.
Progress has been made in reducing veterans' claims-processing times and expanding access to medical care and services, but our work is not finished. We must continue improving the Department of Veterans Affairs, reducing unnecessary delays, strengthening mental health services, addressing gaps in care, and ensuring that veterans can receive the benefits they have earned without fighting through an unnecessarily complicated system.
I am deeply concerned by recent proposals that will reduce or weaken benefits and protections our disabled veterans rely upon. These men and women upheld their commitment to America. America must uphold its commitment to them.
As your President, I WILL NOT sign legislation that reduces the health care, disability compensation, essential services, prescription medication coverage, or educational benefits our disabled veterans have earned through their service.
My administration will work with Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans service organizations, caregivers, and veterans themselves to strengthen the system responsible for serving them. We will continue working to reduce claims backlogs, improve access to physical and mental health care, and ensure that veterans living with service-connected disabilities are treated with the dignity and respect their sacrifice deserves.
Veterans' benefits are not charity. They are part of the commitment our nation makes to the men and women we ask to defend it.
They honored their commitment to America.
As your President, I will fight to ensure America honors its commitment to them.
17. Creation of the "Presidential Citizens' Advisory Panel"
Too often, the hopes, concerns, and dreams of the American people go unheard by elected officials and even by the President of the United States. Government should never become so distant from the people that their voices are heard only during an election.
As your President, I will establish a Presidential Citizens' Advisory Panel made up of everyday Americans from across our country. This panel will meet with me directly and regularly so that I can hear firsthand about the challenges Americans face in their homes,
workplaces, schools, and communities.
The panel will include Americans from a broad range of backgrounds and life experiences, including minimum-wage earners, working- and middle-class families, SNAP recipients, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, advocates for people experiencing homelessness, foster care advocates, formerly incarcerated individuals who have successfully returned to their communities, farmers, teachers, law enforcement officers, senior citizens, and others whose voices are too often absent from the rooms where national decisions are made.
Members will not be chosen because of political influence, wealth, party affiliation, or connections in Washington. They will be chosen because their experiences can help the President better understand the realities facing the American people.
This panel will serve in an advisory capacity and will not replace Congress, federal agencies, state and local governments, or the constitutional responsibilities of the President. Its purpose will be simple but important: to bring the voices of ordinary Americans directly to the White House.
Through this panel, I will work to ensure that my administration never loses sight of the people we were elected to serve. Policy decisions made in Washington have real consequences for families and communities across this nation, and the people living with those consequences deserve a seat at the table.
As your President, I will listen—not only to elected officials, political advisers, corporations, and experts, but also to the American people themselves.
The White House belongs to the people. Their voices should be heard inside it.
3. Slowing Environmental Changes
As your President, I will direct my administration to pursue innovative and responsible solutions that protect our environment, improve ecological health, and expand clean and sustainable energy for generations to come.
America has the ingenuity, resources, and talent to lead the world in developing the next generation of energy technology. My administration will support research and investment in renewable energy, advanced nuclear technology, energy storage, a modernized electrical grid, cleaner transportation, and other emerging technologies that can strengthen our economy while protecting our natural resources.
We will also develop a responsible long-term strategy to reduce our nation’s dependence on oil and natural gas without jeopardizing American jobs, affordable energy, or our national security. This transition must be practical, balanced, and driven by American innovation—not by leaving workers or communities behind.
As your President, I will direct federal agencies to establish, consistent with existing law, a temporary review period for certain major new data-center projects requiring significant federal approval, federal land, federal financial assistance, or other federal action.
During the federal review period, I will direct the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, Department of Commerce, and other appropriate agencies to examine the cumulative effects of large-scale data-center development on the environment, natural resources, and costs to the taxpayer.
As your President, I will ask governors, state legislatures, utility regulators, and local governments to participate in the national review.
6. Secure Borders, Fair Laws, and Humane Immigration Enforcement
The United States has both the right and the responsibility to secure its borders and enforce its immigration laws. We also have a responsibility to administer those laws efficiently, fairly, and HUMANELY. Border security and human dignity are not opposing principles. America can—and must—uphold both.
As your President, I will direct my administration to conduct a comprehensive review of our immigration system, including the operations and procedures of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). We will identify unnecessary delays, administrative backlogs, outdated procedures, and other obstacles that prevent immigration cases from being resolved in a timely manner. My administration will pursue reforms that reduce processing times while maintaining appropriate security screening, due process, and the integrity of our immigration system.
As your President, I will also order a comprehensive internal review of past and current U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, policies, and detention practices. Allegations of misconduct, abuse, or violations of civil or human rights WILL BE taken seriously and appropriately investigated. Those entrusted with enforcing our laws WILL BE accountable to them.
For individuals held in federal immigration custody, I will direct my administration to review detention procedures and cases to ensure that people are processed appropriately and are not subjected to unnecessary or prolonged detention. Immigration cases should be decided based on the facts, the law, and the due-process protections afforded under our legal system.
I will ensure that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and facilities have the personnel, training, technology, medical resources, and equipment necessary to safely and humanely apprehend, process, temporarily detain, and, when legally required, facilitate the removal of individuals who are not authorized to remain in the United States.
Securing our borders is also about saving lives. My administration will identify and strengthen vulnerable areas routinely exploited for unlawful entry, human smuggling, and trafficking. I will work with Congress to secure the resources necessary to improve security at these locations, disrupt criminal organizations that profit from human suffering, and reduce the risk of injury and death to migrants attempting dangerous crossings.
We WILL protect our borders, uphold our laws, preserve due process, and treat EVERY human being with dignity.
A strong America protects its borders. A just America protects human dignity. We can do both.
9. Preparing for an Aging America
America is growing older. We must begin preparing today for the housing, health care, transportation, financial security, and community needs of tomorrow.
As your President, I will direct my administration to develop a comprehensive national strategy for an aging America. Rather than waiting until our infrastructure and care systems are overwhelmed, my administration will work with Congress, states, local communities, the private sector, health care professionals, senior advocates, caregivers, and families to prepare for the changing needs of our population.
Our strategy will address affordable and accessible senior housing, assisted-living and nursing facilities, active-adult communities, home- and community-based services, accessible transportation, and other essential infrastructure that allows older Americans to remain healthy, independent, connected, and active for as long as possible.
We must also protect the financial security of our seniors. As your President, I will work with Congress to strengthen and preserve Social Security for today's retirees and future generations. Americans who have spent a lifetime working and contributing to this country deserve the security and dignity of knowing that the benefits they earned will be there when they need them.
Our seniors spent their lives helping build America. America must be prepared to be there for them.
12. Equal Rights and Equal Protection Under the Law
Every American is entitled to equal protection under the law. LGBTQ+ Americans are citizens of the United States, and they deserve the same rights, freedoms, opportunities, and protections afforded to every other American.
As your President, I will stand firmly against violence, intimidation, and crimes motivated by hatred. I will direct my administration to vigorously enforce existing federal hate-crime laws and work with Congress to examine legislation that strengthens our ability to investigate, prosecute, and appropriately punish hate crimes while preserving constitutional protections and due process.
No American who is qualified, capable, and willing to serve our country should be denied that opportunity solely because they are transgender. My administration will ensure that transgender Americans are permitted to serve openly in the United States Armed Forces under fair, consistent, and mission-focused military standards.
I will also direct the appropriate departments to review the cases of transgender service members who were involuntarily separated from military service because of policies targeting their transgender status. My administration will establish lawful procedures for eligible former service members to seek reinstatement, correction of military records, restoration of benefits, and, where authorized by law, appropriate back pay.
Marriage equality must also remain protected in America. I will defend the right of two consenting adults to marry regardless of sexual orientation and work with Congress to preserve strong Americans do not have to share the same beliefs, lifestyles, backgrounds, or experiences to recognize a fundamental American principle: the Constitution and our laws must protect all of US equally.
As your President, I will never ask LGBTQ+ Americans to accept fewer rights because of who they are or whom they love.
Equal citizenship means equal rights, equal protection, equal opportunity, and equal dignity under the law for all of US.
15. Safe Communities, Accountable Policing, and Stronger Neighborhoods
Across the United States, there are communities where law enforcement agencies have faced serious allegations and documented instances of racial profiling, abuse of authority, excessive force, corruption, murder, police brutality, and other violations of the law and public trust. These failures cannot be ignored. A badge must never place anyone above the law.
At the same time, the misconduct of some should not be used to condemn the many ethical, dedicated, and hardworking law enforcement officers who serve our communities honorably every day. Police officers perform an extraordinarily difficult job, often placing themselves in dangerous and unpredictable situations to protect people they may never know.
As your President, I will support good police officers, demand accountability from those who violate the public trust, and reject the idea that America must choose between the two.
I DO NOT support defunding the police. I believe our communities need well-trained, properly equipped, professionally supported, and accountable law enforcement agencies. However, public safety cannot be achieved through policing alone.
I will direct my administration to work with Congress, state and local governments, and community leaders to expand federal investment in neighborhoods experiencing persistently high levels of violent crime. These investments will focus on affordable housing, quality education, accessible health care, youth programs, workforce development, and other community resources that can address some of the conditions that contribute to crime and instability.
My administration will also work with law enforcement agencies, emergency services, mental health professionals, and community leaders to develop and expand protocols for responding to calls involving mental health crises. When circumstances permit, trained mental health professionals should be incorporated into the response so that police officers are not expected to serve as the nation's default mental health system.
We will encourage better training, stronger professional standards, transparency, and meaningful accountability for officers who violate the law or abuse their authority while ensuring that officers who serve honorably have the resources, training, and support necessary to do their jobs safely and effectively.
This is not about being pro-police or anti-police. It is about being pro-safety, pro-accountability, and pro-community.
We can support the officers who honor the badge, hold accountable those who dishonor it, and invest in communities so that every American has the opportunity to live in a safe and thriving neighborhood.