#UnfrackTheWhiteHouse: We Need To Know Where The 2020 Candidates Stand

#UNFRACKtheWHITEHOUSE
2020 CANDIDATE SURVEY

Where Do Presidential
Contenders Land
On Our Priority Issues?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK
Climate and Energy
1 Fracking, short for high-volume hydraulic fracturing, is an

unconventional and dangerous process used widely in the last decade to
recover previously inaccessible gas and oil stored deep underground. It
requires millions of gallons of water, sand, and chemicals pumped at high
pressure to break apart shale deposits to release the gas or oil. Many of the
chemicals used are known to have carcinogenic, neurotoxic, or endocrine-
disrupting effects; others have not been tested for toxicities. In addition, the
gas and oil recovered through fracking are leading to increased greenhouse
gas emissions and are driving increased climate change.
As president, would you push for a ban on fracking
across the country? If not, why?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK
Climate and Energy
2 Nearly universal scientific consensus confirms that human fossil fuel use
is a main cause of deepening climate change. Meanwhile, ongoing fossil fuel
infrastructure development, including new pipelines and gas-fired power
plants, threatens to tie America to generations more of fossil fuel
dependency. Additionally, fossil fuel infrastructure can leak, spill and
explode, directly threatening communities in close proximity to the
development.
As president, would you do all in your power to halt new fossil fuel
infrastructure immediately?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK
Climate and Energy
3 Since 2015 the United States has seen exponential growth in the export
of crude oil and natural gas. These exports are contributing greatly to the
release of greenhouse gases internationally, while threatening impacted
communities in America.
As president, would you do all in your power to reinstate a ban on

crude oil exports, and institute a ban on natural gas exports?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK
Climate and Energy

4 There has been discussion of addressing climate change through pricing
schemes such as carbon taxes. However, pricing has not been shown to be an
effective climate tool and in places where taxes have been implemented, like
British Columbia, greenhouse gas emissions have not gone down, but actually
have risen.
Would you oppose efforts to enact a carbon tax in the United States
and instead support efforts to directly regulate emissions? If so, why?
5 As president, would you do all in your power to immediately

impose a moratorium on all new fossil fuel development on federal
lands?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK
Climate and Energy
6 In 2015, the nations of the world met in Paris at the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change and agreed that preventing the
planet from warming 1.5°C above pre- industrial levels “would significantly
reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.” Since then the IPCC has
reported that the world must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by
2030 and to zero by 2050. This means we must transform our energy
economy with a Green New Deal to achieve 100% renewable energy in the
next 12 years.
As president, would you push for an aggressive transformation of the
American economy in keeping with these timelines? If so, what
policies would you pursue to achieve this transformation?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK
Agriculture and Food
1 Independent family farms are being replaced by large-scale industrial

livestock operations, known as factory farms. Factory farms fuel climate
change, harm rural communities, put small family farms out of business,
create more waste than the surrounding environment can adequately absorb
and drive the public health threat of antibiotic-resistant superbugs that can
make all of us sick. Concentrating animals into one factory farm, and certain
types of factory farms into one part of the country, concentrates the effects
of their waste on the environment.
Would you support a ban on factory farms?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK
2 Most meat and poultry (as well as catfish and egg products) produced in
the U.S. comes from plants where USDA employees perform inspections. This
system of government inspection is a unique consumer protection
established by laws that have served consumers well for many decades. For
years, the meat industry has pursued privatized company self-inspection and
faster line speeds that make inspection less effective.
Do you commit to protecting the mandate that government employees
perform inspections in meat and poultry plants, at line speeds that
allow effective inspection, and to providing the resources necessary
for the inspection program to be properly staffed and fully effective?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK

3 Since the end of the recession, a wave of food and agribusiness mergers has
further consolidated one of the most concentrated sectors in the U.S. economy.
The top four firms control 86% of corn processing, 85% of cattle slaughter, 71% of
pork packing and 79% of soybean crushing. This hyper- consolidation has
contributed to declining farm incomes, loss of choice of inputs for farmers,
stagnant wages and increased layoffs for workers, higher grocery prices and fewer
choices for consumers, the erosion of rural economic vitality and a less resilient
food system overall.
Do you support the establishment of a moratorium on mergers of food and
agricultural companies? Would you require federal regulators to update
their guidelines for reviewing mergers to consider broader impacts on
competition and market power, beyond the consumer welfare standard?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK
Water Infrastructure
1 Since peaking in 1977, federal funding for water infrastructure has been
cut by 74% in real dollars. As a result of these cuts, localities have struggled
to meet the growing costs of capital investments in our water system, and
many have raised rates or turned to private companies. The WATER Act has
been introduced in multiple Congresses to address this situation by
dramatically increasing funding for the State Revolving Funds, which send
money to the states to loan at low interest to localities for needed repairs
and upgrades to our water systems.
If elected, would you support the WATER Act which provides $35
billion annually in federal funding to improve the infrastructure of
publicly owned, operated and managed water systems?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK
Water Infrastructure
2 Research has shown that after privatization water utilities often see rate
increases, workforce reductions, and a backlog of maintenance issues. In
addition, under some privatization contracts, upfront monies paid to the
municipality are paid back to the water company through ratepayer bills.
Given these concerns, do you oppose privatization of water and

wastewater utilities, including through private-public partnerships?
If not, can you explain what benefits you believe privatization has
for ratepayers?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK
Democracy
1 The Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United case made it nearly
impossible to keep corporate money out of politics. As a result, nearly
unrestrained money has flooded into our elections.
Do you support a constitutional amendment that would overturn

Citizens United? What other measures would you propose for
drastically reducing the role of money in our electoral system?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK
Democracy
2 In 2013, the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, ushering in a
new era of legislation restricting the right to vote. State legislatures across
the country have moved to restrict the right to vote.
Would you support efforts to reinstate the central provisions of the

VR A and require the federal government to review state laws that
require photo IDs to vote or reduce multilingual voting materials?
What other policies do you support for increasing participation in our
elections?
fwwat.ch/UNFRACK

#UnfrackTheWhiteHouse: We Need To Know Where The 2020 Candidates Stand

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#UnfrackTheWhiteHouse: We Need To Know Where The 2020 Candidates Stand

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#UNFRACKtheWHITEHOUSE

2020 CANDIDATE SURVEY

Climate and Energy

1 Fracking, short for high-volume hydraulic fracturing, is an

Climate and Energy

Climate and Energy

As president, would you do all in your power to reinstate a ban on

Climate and Energy

5 As president, would you do all in your power to immediately

Climate and Energy

Agriculture and Food

1 Independent family farms are being replaced by large-scale industrial

Would you support a ban on factory farms?

Agriculture and Food

Agriculture and Food

Given these concerns, do you oppose privatization of water and

Do you support a constitutional amendment that would overturn

Would you support eﬀorts to reinstate the central provisions of the

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