Nicks Platform

Partisan gridlock and special interest corruption in Washington are standing in the way of our countrys
ability to address unsustainable trends with respect to our budget, our economy, and our environment. These
trends are compounding with time and are becoming more difficult to solve. As a result, for the first time
ever, most Americans now believe that their children will inherit a lower standard of living than the one we
enjoy today.
I'm running for Congress because I refuse to accept the inevitable outcome of the status quo: a country in
decline. I believe America deserves better, and with new leadership, America can do better. By finding
common ground across partisan and ideological lines, and by putting the public interest ahead of special
interests, I believe we can improve our own lives and those of generations to come.
Therefore, in addition to reforming our political process, my platform is focused on identifying the best ideas
from across the spectrum to advance fiscal responsibility, economic mobility and environmental
sustainability.
Fiscal Responsibility
America cannot be great if we are broke. Our countrys true indebtedness now exceeds $200 trillion, the sum
of todays debt and tomorrows unfunded liabilities. This sea of red ink represents the greatest threat to our
republic. If we remain on our current path, we will be unable to keep the promises we made in the past or
make necessary investments in our future.
To put our fiscal house in order, we must:
Restrain spending by reforming and strengthening social insurance programs such as Social
Security, Medicare and Medicaid;
Raise revenue through pro-growth tax reform that lowers marginal tax rates and closes loopholes
that disproportionately benefit the well off and well-connected;
Reinvest in our economy and increase our national competitiveness through early childhood and
higher education, critical infrastructure and high value R&D
Economic Mobility
The American Dream is based on the idea that, regardless of our background, we can rise up the economic
ladder through hard work and ingenuity. But, amid a backdrop of stagnant wages, rising costs of living, and
high unemployment, too few Americans are able to make good on this promise. Our economy is increasingly
benefiting those at the top, squeezing those in the middle and leaving far too many behind, as rates of child
and adult poverty persist. The solution will not simply be found in greater redistribution and social spending,
but rather in providing greater opportunity for all Americans to find prosperity atop a foundation of a strong
family, a good education and a well-paying job.
To improve opportunity and prosperity in our society, we must:
Incentivize employment by restructuring and strengthening the social safety net;
Improve education by closing the achievement gap and expanding access to pre-kindergarten and
higher education;
Increase social capital by supporting strong families and strong communities


Environmental Sustainability
We must be good stewards of our environment without compromising thoughtful economic development and
growth. This includes taking steps to mitigate the risk of climate change, which presents a range of threats to
our very way of life, by reducing carbon emissions. Sensible steps to address this issue are beneficial in their
own right by reducing our dependence on foreign-owned fossil fuels, increasing our energy security and
accelerating domestic economic growth in the clean energy sector.
To protect our environment and promote a 21st century energy policy, we must:
Strengthen energy security through a broad portfolio of low-carbon domestic options, including
natural gas and nuclear power;
Scale clean energy alternatives through a reformed system of competitive deployment incentives
and federal procurement;
Slow harmful emissions by establishing a revenue-neutral carbon price and eliminating all fossil
fuel subsidies
Political Reform
Our democracy is broken. Partisan and special interests have more influence than We, the people. Congress
is more partisan, more polarized and more dominated by money than at any other time in our recent history.
This must change in order for us to make progress on any issue we confront. A Stanford University's Larry
Diamond says, If you dont get governance right, it is very hard to get anything else right that government
needs to deal with."
In order to foster a more functional government, we must:
Fix our democracy through changes in the political process, including campaign finance reform,
open primaries, independent redistricting and Congressional reforms;
Forge a 21st Century governing philosophy that transcends rigid ideology by combining our
traditional values of limited government and personal responsibility with a new framework of
bottom-up, pragmatic problem-solving;
Formulate a national strategic plan developed by both parties, oriented to address our countrys
largest challenges, and containing clear outcomes, goals and performance metrics