African Americans

President Obama believes that keeping interest rates on student loans low is key to growing the economy, so that more Americans get a fair shot at an affordable college education and the skills they need to find a good job.

Billionaire Warren Buffett and so many other wealthy Americans pay a lower tax rate than middle-class families do. That’s just not fair. Warren Buffett knows it and President Obama wants to fix it. The Buffett Rule would require everyone to pay their fair share, which is a key step to reduce the deficit and invest in what we need to grow and strengthen the economy. Mitt Romney opposes the Buffett Rule because he wants to protect tax loopholes and give millionaires like himself trillions of dollars in tax breaks paid for by either increasing the deficit or by cutting programs critical to the middle class and economic growth.

As the daughter of an elected official, I learned what it means to be a public servant at an early age. My father was the first African-American assessor in New Orleans, representing the heart of New Orleans Central Business District. I learned that it was important to have courage and stand up for those who elected you to office, even if your actions contradict the status quo.

The rising cost of health insurance coverage has imposed a heavy burden on our nation. As a recent graduate of the University of Virginia, I can convey that the Affordable Care Act has saved me over thousands of dollars by allowing me to stay on my parent’s health insurance until I turned 26 years old. Before health reform, insurance premiums were skyrocketing and the cost of caring for the uninsured added $1,000 to the typical policy. The Affordable Care Act promotes better value through preventive care, coordinated care, and reduced waste and abuse.