Josh Harder

Josh Harder was born in Turlock, California. Harder graduated from Modesto Public High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Stanford University in 2008 and master's degrees in business administration and public policy from Harvard University in 2014. Harder's career experience includes working as a course instructor with Modesto Junior College, the vice president of Bessemer Venture Partners, and a consultant with The Boston Consulting Group.[1][2][3][4]

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Campaign website

Harder's campaign website stated the following:

Fight for Health Care in the Valley

I will continue my work to improve our health care system, not devastate it by:

Lowering costs

Insurance premiums on the ACA marketplace in Stanislaus County rose 24% in 2018. We must provide short-term relief by increasing competition on the marketplaces by letting people buy into Medicare, curtailing prescription drug prices, and bringing more people into the marketplace. America spends far more on health care than any other country, but we’re less healthy. The big drug companies jack up prices on life-saving medicines that can be bought for a fraction of the cost in Canada. And for too many working people, premiums, co-pays, and deductibles are so expensive that they can’t even afford to use the insurance they have. It’s time to attack high costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices and doing more to pay providers for the quality of care, not just the volume.

Expanding access

San Francisco has almost twice as many doctors per capita as the Central Valley. I hear from folks all the time about the lack of doctors in the Valley. That’s why I’m working to make sure we attract more doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals right here in our community. I also believe long term we should double down on the part of our health care system that works best by opening Medicare up to all Americans.

Fair and humane immigration reform

The Central Valley is a land of immigrants. We have over 10,000 Dreamers in our community who are our friends, classmates, and neighbors - they’re American in every way but on paper We should be providing them a pathway to citizenship. I was proud to cosponsor and vote to pass the Dream and Promise Act to help provide a pathway to citizenship for our Dreamers. I’m also proud to be leading legislation like the ENLIST Act, which says that if you serve in our Armed Forces, you should be able to work towards citizenship. I know we can help our Dreamers, we just need the political will do it.

I also believe we need comprehensive immigration reform that includes securing our borders. We must make real investments in enhanced technology at our southern border and at our ports to protect our country from drug smugglers and human traffickers. That’s why I voted for $13.8 billion to provide more border security technology and enforcement officers. We have to keep our country safe, and we must do it in a humane way that upholds our values.

Fighting corruption

Corporate greed and Super PACs are corrupting our political system. Corruption in DC stands in the way of getting some of the most important things done like lowering prescription drug costs. I was proud to help lead the For the People Act - the most sweeping anti-corruption bill since the Watergate Era. We need to clean up our election system and make Congress work for our families, not special interests. In fact, the first piece of legislation I wrote and passed through the House cracks down on lobbying and makes sure our government works for the people. I also introduced the No Health Care, No Raise Act to guarantee Congress doesn’t get a raise until every person in our country has health care.

Create quality public schools for all Valley kids

I went to public schools in Turlock and Modesto (go Panthers!), and I firmly believe in the power of public education to create opportunity, because that is what it did for me. I am committed to ensuring that every child in the Central Valley has access to a world-class education to prepare them for any future.

Now, the same public schools that gave me a head start are threatened by Secretary Devos and the Trump Administration. I will:

Work to make trades education more accessible to show our kids that a four year degree isn’t the only path to the middle class

Fight against the Trump and DeVos scheme to privatize our education

Work to modernize our schools not only with new technology but also investments in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) and computer science.

Fight to increase teacher pay

Ensure access to affordable, equitable, high-quality universal pre-kindergarten education.

Fight to make college more affordable and accessible. Too many students are crippled with high debt loads right as they start their careers. I will fight to make community college and vocational training programs tuition-free and invest in our public universities so more students have access.

Build a sustainable water future for the Central Valley

Water has been the critical issue for our community since my great-great-grandfather began farming in Manteca more than 170 years ago, and we will never solve our problems by shipping it to Southern California. For too long, politicians have haggled over our water crisis instead of working to solve it.

My first bill in Congress was the SAVE Water Resources Act, a real 21st Century solution to solving our water issues. Working with Republicans and Democrats, I wrote this bill to make sure we’re securing and growing our water supply to get ready for the next drought.

I’ve also introduced bipartisan legislation to bring more money to water research. This isn’t a problem that’s going to be solved by doing things the way we always have - we’re in a time of record droughts and need new innovative solutions to guarantee we have water for our families and our farmers.

Create more good jobs for the Valley

I’m tired of seeing the Valley’s economy fall behind. Our unemployment rate is double the unemployment rate in the Bay Area.

In my business career, I helped entrepreneurs and small businesses develop their ideas and create high-paying jobs. As your Representative, I’ve worked to help small businesses and working-class Americans have the opportunities they need to be successful. I’m focused on:

Building on our success in agriculture by working to make the Valley the agricultural technology capital of the nation

Working to make college and technical training programs more affordable and accessible in the Valley

Investing in infrastructure so new companies have a strong foundation and so we get our commute times down

Funding apprenticeship programs that teach students the skills local companies need. We need to make sure our graduates have pathways to careers that have a future.

Veterans

My grandfather served two tours in Vietnam and Korea, and I grew up hearing stories about his tours abroad. I understand the need to take care of veterans like my grandfather who served and sacrificed to protect our country. We need to make it easier to get VA care, invest in job training, and expand job placement services for veterans. I’ve worked to provide our troops with high quality mental health care and substance abuse treatment while they serve and after they come home. In Modesto especially, too many of the men and women who serve our nation don't get the care they need. I’ve worked to pass legislation that will support our Blue Water Vietnam Veterans and to help veterans experiencing mental health crises. I’ve also helped dozens of veterans solve issues with the VA.

Protect our environment

The Central Valley has some of the most productive soil and land in the world. I believe we must be good stewards of our water, air, and land resources to make sure their use is conserved for the next generation.

Like many of our kids in the Central Valley, I grew up with childhood asthma because of our high air pollution. We can and must improve our adherence to clean air and water standards and invest in our children’s health.

I strongly believe in the scientific consensus that climate change is real and man-made. I will fight back against the Trump Administration’s dangerous attempts to undo international agreements on climate change like the Paris Climate Accord. We also must go further, we must incentivize investments in clean energy sources and move away from polluting fossil fuels. The fastest growing industry in our nation is wind energy and solar’s not far behind - the future of our economy is in green energy. I believe the Central Valley can lead the way and create the good-paying jobs right here at home.

Housing and homelessness

Washington has not taken the housing crisis seriously. Our rents keep going up and up in the Valley - in Modesto they’ve shot up more than $400 in the past five years. We need more affordable housing so our families can live the American Dream.

We also know that homelessness is a huge problem in our communities. I believe we must tackle this problem head on. I am a proud co-sponsor of the Fighting Homelessness through Housing and Services Act, which not only provides funding for transitional housing, but will also tackle its root causes by investing in mental health and substance abuse services and provide job training opportunities for our homelessness neighbors.[5]

—Josh Harder's campaign website (2020)[6]

Campaign website

Harder's campaign website stated the following:

Fight for Medicare for All

By voting for Trumpcare, Mr. Denham has once again put his party ahead of the people he’s supposed to represent. In this campaign, I will work to make sure every resident of California’s 10th district knows that their congressman voted to take away health coverage from 23 million Americans and eliminate protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Nonpartisan estimates calculate that 100,000 individuals in the CA-10 would have lost healthcare coverage as a result of Jeff Denham’s vote. He even voted in favor of allowing insurance companies to make pregnancy a pre-existing condition for which coverage may be denied. I will work to improve our healthcare system, not devastate it:

Double down on the part of our healthcare system that works best by expanding Medicare to encompass all Americans. For private insurers, nearly 1 in 6 dollars goes to administrative costs. For Medicare, it’s 1 in 50. Furthermore, polls show Medicare beneficiaries are more satisfied with their insurance than those with private plans.

Provide immediate relief by making common-sense fixes to strengthen the Affordable Care Act. Insurance premiums on the ACA marketplace in Stanislaus County rose 24% in 2018. We can provide short-term relief by increasing competition on the marketplaces by letting people buy into Medicare, curtailing prescription drug prices, and bringing more people into the marketplace.

Reduce healthcare costs to ensure the long-term sustainability of our system. America spends far more on healthcare than any other country, but we’re less healthy. The big drug companies jack up prices on life-saving medicines that can be bought for a fraction of the cost in Canada. And for too many working people, premiums, co-pays, and deductibles are so expensive that they can’t even afford to use the insurance they have. It’s time to attack high costs by targeting monopolistic practices and price gouging; allowing imports of medicine from Canada; and doing more to pay providers for the quality of care, not just the volume.

Encourage fair and humane immigration reform

For years, Mr. Denham has paid lip service to immigration reform in the Valley while doing nothing in Washington to solve the problem. He'll cosponsor and support bills up until they have a real chance of being passed, and then back away to please his party. Now, by supporting the Trump Administration, he is making our immigration problems even worse.

Denham supports Trump’s wasteful and ineffective wall. Furthermore, he’s remained silent while this administration has broken up families and deported law-abiding immigrants who own businesses and create jobs.

I will fight for our immigrant communities and push back against Trump's devastating policies:

Get relief for our Dreamers NOW. I see DREAMers every day as a teacher at Modesto Junior College. These are the bright stars of our community who just want to work hard to create a better life for themselves and their families. Jeff Denham has recklessly endangered these individuals by refusing to vote for a clean DREAM ACT to come to the floor. I will fight every day to protect my students and young immigrants nationwide.

Fight for a Pathway to Citizenship. America is a nation of immigrants and we rely on immigrant labor to keep our economic engine humming. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the Central Valley, where immigrants are the bedrock of our community. We need to welcome these hardworking individuals out of the shadows and provide them a simple pathway to citizenship.

Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform. In 2013 we had a bill passed by the Senate and approved by Obama that was waiting for the House, yet Denham backed his political party and kept the bill from reaching the floor. It's time to elect a representative that will work to pass such a bill: one that not only reforms our immigration process to make it simpler but also enhances our border patrol to keep our country safe.

Create more good jobs for the Valley

I’m running for Congress because I’m tired of seeing the Valley’s economy fall behind. Our unemployment rate is double the California average. After 17 years in politics, Jeff Denham’s only idea to improve our economy is to give even more tax breaks to the very wealthy. How does that benefit the farmers, small businesses, and families of the Central Valley?

In my business career, I have helped entrepreneurs and small companies develop their ideas and grow high-paying jobs. As your Representative, I will work to help small businesses and working-class Americans have the opportunities they need to be successful. In Congress, I will:

Build on our success in agriculture by working to make the Valley the agricultural technology capital of the nation.

Work to make college and technical training programs more affordable and accessible in the Valley, including by fighting for tuition-free community and technical college.

Invest in infrastructure, so that new companies have a strong foundation from which to build.

Fund apprenticeship programs that teach students the skills local companies need. We need to make sure our graduates have pathways to careers that have a future.

Build a sustainable water future for the Central Valley

Water has been the critical issue for agriculture in the Valley since my great-great-grandfather began farming in Manteca more than 170 years ago, and we will never solve our problems by shipping it to Southern California. For too long, politicians have haggled over our water crisis instead of working to solve it. I’ll work with Republicans and Democrats alike to find solutions to secure our water supply for future generations. That starts with three things:

Invest in water efficiency by providing tax incentives for Farmers to buy micro irrigation drips. They've been shown to dramatically decrease water usage while increasing production.

Build more water storage so that when it does rain we use it to recharge our aquifers and groundwater. Six years of drought were followed by one year of flooding. We have to be better prepared to take advantage of the rain when it comes.

Increase water production with a system of inland desalination plants. As the coastal cities grow, we can't sacrifice the Valley's economy. Instead, we have to find ways of increasing the water supply directly at the source.

End Citizens United and institute electoral reform

Corporate greed and Super PACs are corrupting our political system and nowhere is that more obvious than in our electoral process. Jeff Denham has been bought and sold by corporations and the Republican party, taking more than 70% of his contributions from special interests. That is why I have taken a pledge to refuse Corporate PAC donations.

Support an amendment that says corporations are NOT people. Corporations aren't born, they can't vote, and they shouldn’t be able to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence our elections. We need to take their power away and to do that we need to amend the constitution.

Advocate for an individuals right to vote and reinstitute the Voting Rights Amendment that was recently rolled back by the Supreme Court.

Fight against gerrymandering nationwide. Representatives are chosen by the people, not the other way around. I will advocate for fair practices in drawing districts that keep like communities together instead of building districts which protect those in power.

Defend women's rights and access to healthcare

I will be a fierce advocate for women’s rights, including supporting their economic security and reproductive rights. I will defend Planned Parenthood against attacks to stop reimbursement for critical medical care like cancer screenings and STD testing.

Advocate for a woman's right to choose as well as access to affordable and quality reproductive services.

Support efforts to institute paid family leave. America is the only advanced economy in the world without guaranteed family leave, which often affects our poorest workers the most. I also support expanding early childhood education, which helps working parents afford the high costs of childcare.

Strengthen protections in the workplace setting up systems that punish sexual predators, empower victims, and promote equal pay.

Create quality public schools for all Valley kids

I was educated in the public schools of Turlock and Modesto, and I firmly believe in the power of public education to create opportunity, because that is what it did for me. I am committed to ensuring that every child in the Central Valley has access to a world-class education that will prepare them for any future.

Now, the same public schools that gave me a head start are threatened by the Trump Administration. I will:

Fight against the Trump and DeVos scheme to privatize our education

Work to modernize our schools not only with new technology but also investments in STEAM and computer science.

Fight to increase teacher pay

Ensure access to affordable, equitable, high-quality universal pre-kindergarten education.

Fight to make college more affordable and accessible. Too many students are crippled with high debt loads right as they start their careers. I will fight to make community college and vocational training programs tuition-free and invest in our public universities so more students have access.

Protect the Environment

The Central Valley has some of the most productive soil and land in the world. I believe we must be good stewards of our water, air, and land resources to make sure their use is conserved for the next generation.

Like many children in the Central Valley, I grew up with childhood asthma because of our high air pollution. We can and must improve our adherence to clean air and water standards and invest in our children’s health.

I strongly believe in the scientific consensus that climate change is real and man-made. I will fight back against the Trump Administration’s dangerous attempts to undermine the Environmental Protection Agency and undo international agreements on climate change. Instead, we must make sure there are adequate incentives to invest in clean energy sources and move away from polluting fossil fuels.

Reduce gun violence

Our country is plagued by school shootings, gun-related suicide, and gang-related shootings. Here in California, we stepped up to reduce gun violence and have since seen the effectiveness of 10-day waiting periods, assault weapons restrictions, and background checks. Instead of advocating to take these successes nationwide, Denham has looked to undermine California state and local laws, endanger our law enforcement, and make it easier for dangerous individuals to walk around carrying guns. It's clear that he has been bought by the NRA and the gun industry. I will:

Protect responsible gun owners and their right to protect their family. We must ensure the right for responsible gun owners to be able to hunt and protect their home is respected, along with the 2nd amendment.

Take the successes we've seen in California nationwide. In California, we've seen a huge reduction in gun deaths thanks to our common sense reforms. That's why I don't want to change anything for gun owners here in the Central Valley, but take our reforms and institute them nationwide. Not only will this help protect the people living across the country, but it will also reduce the ability for criminals, domestic abusers, and terrorists here in the Central Valley to get their hands on guns.[7]