Working Families Affordability Plan

Western District Congressional Candidate Monica Tranel’s top priority in Congress is to address inflation and the affordability crisis faced by Montana’s middle-class and working families. Monica Tranel is the only candidate with a plan and the experience to get it done. Monica is an attorney, a two-time Olympian, and a mother of three daughters. Monica is running for Congress to represent working Montanans. In Congress, Monica will aggressively fight inflation, invest in the middle-class instead of tax giveaways to the super rich, and she’ll take on corporate monopolies that are squeezing out Main Street businesses, ranchers, landowners, and Montana’s middle class. To tackle the affordability crisis and rein in inflation Monica Tranel is proposing a 4-point working families affordability plan that will: 1. Challenge Corporate Monopolies and Market Manipulation - Corporate consolidation, from meatpacking to baby formula to oil and gas, has allowed corporations to squelch competition and manipulate the market. Congress needs to hold monopolies accountable and level the playing field for Montanans. ◆ Work for the people: Today’s economy is based on rugged free market capitalism for working families, but generous corporate socialism for the wealthy. Congress needs to work for us again by taking on bad actors who abuse their power. Tranel beat monopolistic Northwestern Energy when they tried to pass excess costs onto consumers, saving Montana ratepayers millions. She beat them again when a pre-approval statute only benefiting the utility was deemed unconstitutional. Tranel has already saved Montanans millions, and she’ll continue to do so. The FAIR Act is common sense legislation that levels the playing field for consumers and holds corporations accountable. ◆ Hold corporate meatpackers and other monopolies accountable: Having grown up on a ranch, Monica knows how the meatpacking industry has taken our beef operators to the cleaners. Corporate consolidation and unfair trade deals are also hurting other sectors of Montana’s economy. Monica has fought on behalf of all Montanans – ranchers, landowners, small businesses, and workers – and won. She’ll do the same in Congress and would work to pass the bipartisan Meat Packing Special Investigator and the Cattle Price Discovery & Transparency Acts. Not only is this good for our economy, but helps restore our Montana way of life. 2. Build It Here, Increase Middle-Class and Worker Wages, and Address Affordability - Inflation has outpaced middle-class wage growth. Western Montana is facing some of the highest and fastest-growing housing prices in the country. Hardworking teachers, police officers, firefighters, nurses, and carpenters are being priced out of living and working in our communities. ◆ American and Montana made - U.S. corporations need to invest in America and Montana, rebuilding domestic manufacturing and providing good-paying jobs. Let’s invest in new technology and new energy to lead the world. Montana’s world-class workforce, small businesses, and innovators are ready to lead our nation’s manufacturing resurgence. ◆ Increase wages: Last year marked the sixth consecutive year of record compensation for CEOs, while wages for their workers increased by just 3.1 percent, failing to keep pace with inflation. Congress should pass the PRO Act, the most important labor law in a generation, to protect the right of workers to organize and negotiate for livable wages. ◆ Address lack of affordable housing: Many Montanans are being priced out of their homes and communities. Congress must prevent private equity and hedge fund corporations from manipulating our housing market. Congress can use legislation to address predatory entities who rent out second homes and push hard working locals out of their own communities. ◆ Negotiate lower prescription drug and healthcare prices: Americans and Montanans pay the highest prices for prescription drugs and healthcare in the world. Giving Medicare, Indian Health Services, the VA hospital, state and local governments, and others the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices will ensure our seniors and veterans aren’t being gouged by pharmaceutical companies. 3. End Handouts and Rein In Federal Spending - Trillions of dollars printed by the Federal Reserve and the bailouts passed by Congress in response to the pandemic largely ended up in the pockets of powerful corporations and the wealthiest individuals who used it to increase profits for shareholders and executives rather than employees. Montana has a rich, strong history of standing up to corporate power and fighting for fair taxation. Monica will be our Montana voice to lead in this fight once again. ◆ Collect our money: Only one-fifth of the pandemic bailouts went to workers and families, while billions of our tax dollars and lavish tax cuts went to big corporations and wealthy CEOs that laid off thousands of workers. Let’s hold them accountable and get our tax money back if they aren’t investing in American workers. ◆ End handouts: Congress has the power to but lacks the will to end the hundreds of billions in taxpayer handouts to powerful corporations that are posting record profits, showering CEOs with exorbitant pay, outsource manufacturing, undermining workers, and polluting our waters, air, and lands. Big Oil still receives billions in taxpayer subsidies as they make record profits, but we’re still paying high prices at the pump. Now, U.S. based semiconductor corporations are trying to blackmail Congress into giving them billions more in welfare, while increasing the national debt. ◆ Clean up corruption: Congressional members shouldn’t be able to profit from insider information by making stock trades when they pass legislation or get privileged. Ultra-wealthy politicians California Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Gov. Gianforte have both profited from insider information and are dead wrong on the issue. It encourages more wasteful spending and it needs to end. Revolving-door politician Ryan Zinke’s net worth increased by 13-fold to over $34 million since 2016. 4. Develop Affordable, Reliable American and Montana Energy - Gas, diesel, and other energy prices account for over 40 percent of today’s inflation. While U.S. production is at an all time high, Big Oil is enjoying record profits while we’re paying nearly 60 percent more than last year. This stranglehold reveals the fundamental problem with relying on only one source of energy. But we have options: Diversifying energy sources, increased energy production, better fuel-efficiency, infrastructure improvements, private innovation, and expanded transportation options (public, high speed rail, elective vehicles, etc) bring everyday energy freedom to all of us. The transition to clean renewable energy will define our economy in the next 20 years, and Western Montana needs a representative with the knowledge and experience to lead us forward. But we’ll miss this opportunity if our representative is beholden to the oil industry. ◆ American and Montana Energy: In 2015, Congress lifted the oil and gas export ban which was supported by Ryan Zinke. American consumers are subject to global prices no matter how much we drill, but, now, U.S. energy is being exported by private Big Oil corporations at record levels. Despite U.S. domestic oil production leading the world, U.S. consumers are paying record prices at the pump. ◆ Develop reliable, affordable domestic energy: Americans and Montanans need an all-of-the-above Marshall plan for affordable American energy. We know fossil fuels will continue to be a part of our energy portfolio but the market is transitioning to affordable, reliable, renewable energy for good reason – it’s cheaper and cleaner. Montana has some of the best wind energy potential in the nation that can transition our energy economy, while creating good-paying jobs. Electricity prices are more stable than oil prices, which gives consumers a buffer against price shocks. Montana has the ability to rapidly develop diversified, sustainable American energy sources to protect people, businesses, the economy, and the planet. Source: https://twitter.com/MonicaTranel/status/1560374989102059520?s=20&t=O-S6JSixe8EqtIvvW9e9UA 8/18/2022

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