“Bob Harvie’s New Fair Deal for Working Families”
Restoring the Promise of American Dream in the 21st Century
President Harry Truman said that “every American has the right to expect a fair deal from their government.” I spent 26 years as a public school Social Studies teacher at Bucks County Technical High School teaching the next generation about our American story and the promise of the American Dream.
The idea is that if you work hard and play by the rules, you and your family can earn a ticket to the middle class, you can set your kids on a path to their own prosperity, and you can retire with dignity. That was the deal my parents and grandparents got.
But somewhere along the way that deal became further and further out of reach.
Even as a proud Democrat, the fault lies with both parties. I’m angry at my party for leaving behind the people we are supposed to be fighting for. But we cannot wait around for somebody else to come in and fix our problems, we have to lead from the bottom up, make our voices heard, and drive that vision forward.
It has gotten too hard to get ahead, or even just to make ends meet. I see it with my own kids who are 28 and 24. I see it for those same kids I taught where the average first time homebuyer is 40 and crushing debt is delaying the start of their adult lives. For many parents, childcare costs are totally out of control and rising costs across the board are putting the squeeze on every aspect of their lives. Retirement is now something that sparks worry rather than a well deserved reward for a life’s worth of hard work.
We’re seeing the American Dream fade. Our next generation is losing faith in our country and their collective futures. That scares me. Americans are famous for our optimism. We used to own the future because we believed that we could achieve anything. It is what drove the creation of so many new industries here at home, it fuels our incredible ability to innovate, and it is what has always made us a ‘City Upon a Hill’ for so many around the world. Over the past few decades however, that optimism has been replaced by cynicism. We have less faith in our shared ideals, we feel more divided, and those who lead us repeatedly break our trust.
Throughout American history, it is everyday citizens who time and time again stood up for what is right. And when our country and leaders have gone astray, it is the American people who have always gotten us back on track. Today, we find ourselves in one of those moments again.
Washington politicians like Brian Fitzpatrick have become more interested in serving themselves and the corporate interests that fund their campaigns than serving the communities they represent, and it is leading to bad policies that are making our lives harder and more expensive. Our members of Congress have become experts at creating problems and then pretending to fix them.
Something has to change.
We must tackle corruption in Washington and hold greedy corporations accountable to the working class of this country. I have decided to take a page from our history books and stand up. Solving problems is what led me to run for township supervisor, it’s what motivated me to run for County Commissioner, and now it is what has motivated me to run for Congress.
Our country is heading in the wrong direction and the path to getting back on track begins with cleaning up the corruption in Washington. It won’t be easy, but it is imperative if we want to return to the promise that has been our foundation.
Below are policies that I pledge to propose during my first term. Working families are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for a fair shot: the chance to earn a good living, afford a home, raise a family, retire with dignity, and leave their children better off. That is the American Dream. A New Fair Deal for Working Families is my commitment to restoring it.
Bob Harvie’s New Fair Deal for Working Families: 12 Priorities
1. Healthcare that puts patients over profits:
Healthcare should be a right, not a privilege. We have the best healthcare professionals in the world – but only if you can afford it. That’s a problem. That’s not good enough. No one should delay seeing a doctor because they’re worried about the bill. No family should go bankrupt because someone gets sick. America leads the world in medical innovation, yet too many people still struggle to afford the care they need. Every American deserves the security of knowing they’ll receive quality care when they need it. Millions of Americans rely on Affordable Care Act premium tax credits to keep their health insurance within reach. I’ll fight to permanently restore and expand those tax credits so families don’t wake up to hundreds of dollars in higher monthly premiums simply because Congress failed to act. I believe we need to lower the age that Americans can buy into Medicare from 65 to 55. Unlike Brian Fitzpatrick, who voted against lowering the cost of prescription medications for seniors, I’ll expand Medicare’s authority to negotiate prescription drug prices, cap insulin costs, and take on pharmaceutical companies that put profits ahead of patients.
2. A Tax Cut for Our Middle Class:
Working families shouldn’t pay a higher effective tax rate than multinational corporations. We need a tax system that is built on fairness. I’ll fight for a middle class tax cut while ensuring large corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share so middle class Americans get a much needed tax cut.
3. Overturn Citizens United and Ban Corporate PAC Contributions:
Washington should answer to voters, not corporations. The Citizens United decision flooded our elections with unlimited special interest money, giving billionaires and corporate PACs more influence than working families. I have pledged not to take a dime of corporate PAC money. Brian Fitzpatrick has taken $4.5 million from corporate PACs. That money is not free. In Congress I’ll fight to overturn Citizens United and permanently ban corporate PAC contributions because the voice of Americans shouldn’t be drowned out by a corporate check.
4. Roll Back Tariffs, Raise the Minimum Wage:
Families shouldn’t pay more at the checkout line because of Washington’s bad trade policies. I will fight to roll back Trump’s tariffs that unnecessarily increase the cost of food and household essentials for American consumers while supporting smart trade policies that strengthen American manufacturing and agriculture. For too long, the minimum wage in this country has remained stagnant. I believe we need to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
5. Ban Congressional Stock Trading:
Members of Congress should never be in a position to profit from insider information unavailable to the public or from votes they cast. Public service should never become a pathway to personal enrichment. I’ll support a complete ban on congressional stock trading because Americans deserve to know their representatives are working for them, not their investment portfolios. I also believe that individual stock trading should be banned for federal judges, members of the Executive Branch, anyone who needs Senate confirmation for their job and members of their immediate family.
6. Immediately Release the Epstein Files:
The American people deserve the truth. If there are individuals who committed crimes or abused their positions of power, they should be held fully accountable regardless of their wealth, political party, or status. Everyone is equal under the law, there is no more core American value. Brian Fitzpatrick has voted to block the release of the Epstein Files and continues to do nothing about releasing them. It is because he has become another product of Washington who has simply lost touch.Restoring trust in our institutions begins with transparency and ensuring that justice applies equally to everyone. Congressman Fitzpatrick has tragically failed here, I will not.
7. Enact a lifetime lobbying ban for former Members of Congress:
Serving in Congress should be the highest form of public service, not a stepping stone to a lucrative lobbying career. Too often, lawmakers spend years building relationships that later become million-dollar lobbying contracts. We need a lifetime ban on former Members of Congress lobbying the federal government to break the revolving door between elected office and special interests.
8. Enact Congressional Age Limits – 80 years old:
America benefits from experience, but public office should never become a lifetime entitlement. I support establishing an age limit of 80 for Members of Congress because healthy democracies depend on new ideas, fresh leadership, and regular opportunities for the next generation to serve. No one should hold public office indefinitely.
9. Ban Partisan Gerrymandering:
Politicians shouldn’t get to pick their voters, voters should pick their politicians. Partisan gerrymandering has made our politics more extreme by creating safe districts where politicians fear primary opponents more than the people they represent. I support independent redistricting commissions that create fair maps and more competitive elections.
10. Ban AI Price Manipulation. Crack Down on Groceries and Goods Price Gouging:
New technology should help consumers—not exploit them. Increasingly, corporations are using artificial intelligence and personal data to adjust prices and maximize profits. We must hold corporations who are taking advantage of working class Americans accountable. I will ban AI-driven surveillance pricing on essential goods like groceries and strengthen federal enforcement against corporate price gouging so families know they’re paying a fair price.
11. Reign in Data Center Overdevelopment:
People in our community are increasingly concerned about data center overdevelopment and Brian Fitzpatrick is doing nothing about it. Working families should not be paying for special treatment for data centers. All data centers should be under strict regulations to ensure that our environment is protected, our water is clean, they’re built with local labor, and that they create their own power so ratepayers aren’t paying a dime more in utility costs. If they can’t meet these regulations, they can’t be built here.
12. Invest in Clean Energy and 21st Century Infrastructure:
This isn’t just about protecting our planet, it’s also about lowering energy costs, creating good-paying union jobs, and ensuring America leads the global economy instead of falling behind. As a teacher and Bucks County Commissioner, I’ve seen that smart investments in modern infrastructure strengthen our communities and leave the next generation better off. That’s why I’ll fight to expand clean energy, modernize our electric grid, and build resilient roads, bridges, and public transit systems that keep our economy moving. In addition, we need to rapidly build homes for our younger generation to start their lives and build for our older generations who want to retire comfortably. Brian Fitzpatrick voted for Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which slashed clean energy incentives, including critical solar tax credits that were helping families lower their utility bills, businesses invest in American-made energy, and workers secure thousands of good-paying jobs. We should be investing in America’s future, not turning our backs on one of the fastest-growing industries in the world.