The United States is the richest country in the world and yet most Americans can't even afford a $1,000 emergency expense. We have the most billionaires of any country but also the most medical bankruptcies. And while prices have increased by about 50% in the last 15 years, the federal minimum wage has stayed stagnant at a mere $7.25.

This is nonsense. We deserve better.

You should be able to comfortably afford housing, groceries, and healthcare each month with plenty of money left over. There's no reason you should have to take an Uber to the hospital to avoid an ambulance bill while Elon Musk hides away in his own personal compound. Our existence isn't merely a means of profit for the richest people in society. These ideas shouldn't be controversial and are at the very core of my campaign. We're often told that it's a lot more complicated than you think, but it doesn't have to be.

We need more people in Congress who see basic existence as a black-or-white issue. Taxing billionaires and corporations is not some woke crusade against merit. It's simply making them pay their fair share like the rest of us do. It's time to ditch indecision and greed so we can demand what the working class deserves: a life lived in pursuit of happiness, rather than constant fear of poverty.

We can fund crucial government programs and subsidize nonprofits through government grants by implementing a modest 2% wealth tax on Americans with net worths over $100 million. We can raise the minimum wage to $25 per hour with increases adjusted for inflation. We can guarantee paid family and medical leave, universal childcare, and so much more. Existence is a right, not a privilege and we can't let anyone tell us otherwise.