Randy Bryce

At the time of the 2018 election, Bryce lived in Caledonia, Wisconsin. Bryce served as secretary of the Racine County Labor Council and the first vice chair of the Democratic Party of Racine County. At the time of the election, he served as the president of the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce board of directors and as chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin Veterans Caucus.[1][2]

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Campaign website

The following themes were found on Bryce's campaign website.

Justice for All

Criminal Justice Reform- Randy believes we must transform our criminal justice system to end the state of violence perpetrated against people of color. Right here in Wisconsin, the incarceration rate for black men — 13 percent — is nearly double the rest of the country’s rate. Our justice system must be one that recognizes the dignity and humanity of all people. This will require action within our communities and on all levels of government. Specific steps Congress can take to end mass incarceration and police violence include:

End the privatization of prisons and policing, and instead insist on community oversight for police departments.

Eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing, laws that inhibit prosecutors and judges from using just, reasonable discretion in sentencing.

Support efforts to Ban the Box in order to end discrimination against people with criminal records.

Establish federal standards for police training and community oversight for policing so that officers are accountable to the communities they serve.

End the school-to-prison pipeline- Jobs and education are what make communities stronger and keep them safer — not massive spending on incarceration. The federal government should reallocate funding currently dedicated to policing and incarceration and invest those funds in long-term safety strategies such as educational, community restorative justice, and employment programs that have been shown to improve community safety. In Congress, Randy would prioritize investments in community-based drug and mental health treatment, education, and universal pre-K. One strategy for doing so is an amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005. Congress can change the formula-based awards to end the mandated support of police departments, and make explicit that community based crime prevention and long-term safety strategies are permissible grantees for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program.

Voting Rights- Only five decades ago, African-Americans around the country fought for and won the Voting Rights Act, a law intended to end blatant discrimination at the voting booth. Today, discriminatory laws still threaten voting rights for so many. Gerrymandering, voter I.D. laws, and restrictions on same-day registration and early voting all contribute to the disenfranchisement of Black and Latinx voters. In 2013, the Supreme Court went so far as to strike down key parts of the Voting Rights Act. Here in Wisconsin, extreme partisan gerrymandering has intentionally separated minority votes in order to underrepresent people of color. Congress must take action to defend and extend voting rights, including restoring the “pre-clearance” formula of the Voting Rights Act, abolishing voter I.D. laws, expanding early voting, making Election Day a federal holiday, as well as immediately restoring voting rights of formerly incarcerated individuals.

Closing the Wage Gap for People of Color- In Racine, the median income for people of color is just 34.6% of what a white person makes for the same job. The pay gap for women and people of color face when compared to white, male peers has barely budged in decades. As a Congressman, Randy would support laws that would allow employees to refuse to disclose their current salary when applying for a new job, a question employers often ask to low-ball prospective candidates, and which has been shown to perpetuate the pay gap. Randy also supports a minority inclusion provision for the construction of FoxConn’s campus in Wisconsin’s First District, which would ensure 20% of the total construction cost went to minority and/or women business enterprises; 20% of the total worker hours were performed by minority and/or women workers; and 20% of the total worker hours were performed by minority and/or women apprentices. Hear Randy talk more about the importance of expanding representation of women and people of color within the the Building Trades (video).

Provide Marijuana Amnesty and Legalization- People of color, and particularly black communities, have been targeted by law enforcement for marijuana usage. While black and white communities use marijuana at roughly the same rate, Black individuals are four times more likely to be arrested for a marijuana crime. Randy believes we must legalize Marijuana, and that we must release those currently incarcerated for non-violent marijuana crimes and expunge the records for people who have previously served their time for these crimes. The ACLU found that 88 percent of marijuana arrests between 2001 and 2010 were for possession, not intent to distribute. We must pass legislation that expunges all convictions for simple possession of marijuana, so that these individuals do not face discrimination because of their record.

Raise the Minimum Wage- Randy is proud to stand with the fast food and low-wage workers leading the Fight for $15 movement. Everyone deserves dignity and respect at work, including a livable wage. A $15 minimum wage would help to bring resources back into communities of color, raising wages for about half of African-Americans and almost 60 percent of Latinos. Fifteen dollars an hour is not a stopping point, but raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour is a key first step to ensuring all people receive a liveable wage for their work.

Restore Federal Impact Aid for Wisconsin Schools- Schools that serve children living on federal land — such as Native American reservations or U.S. military bases — are at a disadvantage when it comes to raising funds through local property taxes. In order to help these districts pay teacher salaries and improve classrooms without burdening local taxpayers, Randy champions the restoration of funding for Impact Aid, a federal program that hasn’t been fully funded to meet Wisconsin’s needs since 1969. To ensure that all Wisconsin students, including children of servicemembers and students of Native American heritage, are given the resources to excel in the classroom, Randy will fight to restore full funding of the Impact Aid program.

Protect Federal Funding for Low-Income Students- Randy supports all education grants that flow directly from federal agencies to school districts and other qualifying education services. Among the largest are Title I grants, targeted for schools with high numbers of low-income students, which are also disproportionately black and brown students. Paul Ryan proposed cutting $2.7 billion from these grants, which between 2015 and 2016 helped 68,614 public schools offer more academic support and develop better teaching methods. IDEA grants are another type of flow-through resource to help schools teach students with disabilities. Last year, $185 million in IDEA funds benefitted Wisconsin’s schools and other education providers. Paul Ryan has also proposed cutting special education funding by $2.2 billion.

Pass a Federal Domestic Bill of Rights- All workers should have the right to join a union, but we have an active law — passed roughly 90 years ago — that does not allow people who work in the home to organize. These workers, including home health aides, are disproportionately minorities. They have some of the most important jobs in this country, and they should have the right to form a union.

Pass the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act- All workers should have the opportunity for recourse when they are not paid for their labor. Wage theft is unacceptable and is far too common, especially in non-union construction and the service industry — two industries that employ a particularly large percentage of people of color. This legislation would increase the fiscal penalties for violating wage and hour laws, and business owners found to be stealing from their employees would be required to pay damages.

Pass the Schedules that Work Act- The service economy is growing rapidly, and an increasing number of Wisconsin families rely on these jobs to sustain them. It is important as this sector continues to grow that they provide workers with fair working conditions, which includes giving workers advanced notice of when they will be needed for work and how many hours they can expect to work. This lack of information makes it difficult for families to secure safe, reliable childcare or eldercare arrangements and makes monthly income highly unpredictable, increasing economic strain on families.

Fighting for Healthcare

Pass Medicare for All- Our current healthcare system does not work for middle-class and poor families. When healthcare is tied to employment, families can face sudden loss of care if the primary breadwinner loses their job, doubling their economic crisis. And even when families do have insurance, the industry’s for-profit model means families are often faced with inexplicably high drug and test costs. Randy supports Medicare for All because it would lower costs for families and businesses by ensuring healthcare as a right, not a privilege, giving the government greater negotiating power with the pharmaceutical industry, and untying health insurance from employment. Listen to Randy talk more about the importance of passing Medicare for All (video).

Oppose Paul Ryan’s Healthcare Cuts- Millions of Americans already struggle to pay for healthcare, and Paul Ryan’s disastrous healthcare cuts have taken us in exactly the wrong direction. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the AHCA would leave another 23 million Americans uninsured while handing over massive tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Instead of giving tax breaks to the 1 percent, Randy will fight to protect healthcare coverage for working families and expand care to all Americans.

Lift Restrictions on Medicare Negotiating Drug Prices- Randy believes the federal government should be able to negotiate lower drug prices for people on Medicare — as do 92 percent of Americans polled just last year. Drug companies shouldn’t be allowed to price gouge and take advantage on the backs of working Americans. Lifting restrictions to allow the government to negotiate for Medicare recipients is the common sense option for both consumers and taxpayers.

Tackle the Opioid Crisis- More than 115 Americans die every day from opioid misuse, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The Midwestern region specifically saw a 70 percent increase in the number of opioid overdoses from July 2016 to September 2017. Randy believes this is a national health crisis that requires full attention from both local and federal lawmakers. He believes it is necessary to increase funding for programs related to opioid addiction treatment and prevention to effectively reverse this deadly trend. Additionally, Randy knows that we must hold opioid manufacturers and distributors accountable for their negligence and participation in this crisis, and he supports the work being done right here in Racine and Kenosha, where both counties are suing opioid manufacturers and distributors.

Support Minimum Safe-Staffing Levels for Nurses- Randy will fight to enforce staffing ratios between nurses and patients in all hospital wards. Nurses are a key part of ensuring excellent patient care and hospital safety, and when hospitals and healthcare centers are understaffed, dangerous situations can arise. Randy will work to amend the Public Health Service Act to mandate safe nurse-to-patient ratios.

Find a Cure for Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis- Randy is committed to finding a permanent cure for Alzheimer’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), both debilitating conditions that affect nearly 7 million Americans each year. Furthermore, the Alzheimer’s Association projects that Alzheimer’s will affect more than 14 million Americans by 2050 — costing the nation up to $1.1 trillion in healthcare costs and creating unimaginable pain to families and loved ones. Randy will fight to allocate more federal money toward Alzheimer’s and MS research and ensure that finding cures are top priorities.

Drive Down Pharmaceutical Prices- Randy supports improving access to affordable prescription drugs. Doing so would increase transparency in drug pricing, legalize the import of affordable and safe drugs by individuals and improve laws related to generic drugs. Randy is committed to finding legislative solutions that drive down the price of drugs, some potentially life-saving, for everyday Americans.

Pass Paid Medical and Family Leave- Currently, about 15 percent of workers have access to paid leave through their employers. That means the overwhelming majority of Americans and Wisconsinites are forced to make enormous financial sacrifices if they want to spend time with their newborn child, care for an ill family member, or recover from an illness themselves. “Randy will support legislation in Congress to guarantee that workers receive 12 weeks of paid family medical and family leave. Randy opposes the Republican alternative proposal to support paid medical and family leave by raiding funds that are currently designated for Social Security.

Fully Fund Gun Violence Research- For decades, the federal government has refused to fully fund gun violence research in an effort to combat the rising epidemic in our country. While there are common sense solutions that we should absolutely not be waiting to implement, research into the cause is imperative as we try to get to the root of the rising rate of gun violence in the United States. By identifying the main causes, we can be more effective and efficient in the ways in which we work to end these tragedies — and put an end to 33,000 Americans from being killed by guns every year.

Add More Nurses, Counselors, and Other Mental Health Support to Schools- Randy believes that our children deserve a healthy, safe learning environment at school. Students are often overwhelmed with academic or emotional stress, and without proper support and care from schools, students suffer. Randy believes we must increase federal funding to fix the serious shortage of mental health professionals in Wisconsin schools, and to encourage cooperation with mental health agencies. This could support services like mental health trainings for our teachers, programming for our students, and hiring counselors and nurses for our schools. Furthermore, Randy believes we should fully fund the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants under the Every Student Succeed Acts (ESSA). He will work to ensure that students with severe mental illnesses are not forgotten by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and receive special education services.

Stop Gun Violence

Mandatory Background Checks: 97% of all Americans support a mandatory background check for all gun sales. Randy believes we should not be selling deadly weapons to people who have a history of violent criminal behavior, domestic violence and abuse, or dangerous mental illness. Background checks should be a federal requirement, with any purchase of a firearm…period.

Ban Semi Automatic Assault Weapons, Bump Stocks, and Military Style Weapons and Accessories: There are between 6 million and 10 million of these semi-automatic assault weapons in circulation in the United States. They are easily available for purchase and distribution, making community spaces like schools, churches, and concerts targets for gun violence and mass killings. Semi-automatic assault weapons have one purpose: to cause as much destruction and injury possible in the shortest amount of time. There is absolutely no need for semi-automatic assault weapons on our streets. If elected, Randy would call for a ban on the sale of semi-automatic assault weapons, as well as a ban on bump stocks and military style weapons and accessories.

Mandatory 48 Hour Waiting Period: A mandatory 48 hour waiting period can be critical to saving lives, especially for those suffering from dangerous mental illness. Anyone that is using a gun for recreational reasons should have no problem waiting two days to legally make their purchase. Currently, there is no federal waiting period for guns; it can only be mandated at the state level. Each year over 3,000 people that did not receive a background check or were deemed ineligible receive firearms through this provision. Randy would introduce legislation that would require a federal, mandatory 48 hour waiting period for all firearm purchases.

Close the Charleston Loophole: The federal law has a loophole (otherwise known as the default provision or Charleston loophole) which allows gun dealers to sell a firearm after three business days–even if a background check was not completed. The gunman of the Charleston Church shooting was able to obtain his firearm because law enforcement needed additional time to complete their background check. Randy would introduce legislation to close the Charleston loophole to ensure that people undergo and complete a background check before a transfer or sale occurs.

Reject NRA Money and Influence: By the end of June 2018, there were already 154 mass shootings in this United States. While children, congregants, concert-goers and innocent people across this nation are killed by guns, politicians continue to take millions of dollars from the gun lobby that advocates for less-regulated gun laws. And they’ve shown one thing to be true–to the gun lobby, profits matter more than people. Randy has pledged to reject all gun lobby money and fight to remove their influence out of our electoral system in the interest of putting people first and making our communities safer.

Fully Fund Gun Violence Research: For decades, the federal government has refused to fully fund gun violence research to combat the epidemic in our country. While there are common sense solutions that we should absolutely not be waiting to implement, research into the causes of gun violence is imperative as we try to get to the root of the rising rate of gun violence in this country. By identifying the main causes of gun violence, we can be more effective and efficient in our strategies to end gun violence — and stop 33,000 Americans from being killed by guns every year.

An Economy that Works for Working Families

Pass the Butch Lewis Act.

Pensions that hardworking union members have paid into their entire careers are in grave jeopardy. Many retirees have already seen their monthly payments cut by a third or more. The Butch Lewis Act would provide a responsible solution so that the hardworking men and women who responsibly paid into their pension are not forced into poverty.

Pass a Federal Domestic Bill of Rights.

All workers should have the right to join a union, but currently a law passed roughly 90 years ago does not allow people who work in the home to organize. These workers, including health aides, care for our families. They have some of the most important jobs in this country, and they should have the right to form a union.

Fully Staff OSHA.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was already understaffed before President Trump took office, with just 2,000 inspectors charged with protecting our entire nation’s workforce. But under the Trump administration, the situation has worsened, with recent reports finding that four percent of the workforce has been reduced. Workers should not have to jeopardize their safety in order to provide for their family. As a Congressman, Randy would work to fully fund OSHA.

Raise the Minimum Wage to $15/hour.

No one working full-time should live in poverty. As a Congressman, Randy would support efforts to increase the minimum wage to $15/ hour.

Hear Randy discuss more about the minimum wage.

Pass the Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act.

There is not nearly enough recourse for workers who are not paid for their labor, an all too common occurrence in non-union construction and the service industry, especially. The legislation would increase the fiscal penalties for violating wage and hour laws, and business owners found to be stealing from their employees would be required to pay damages.

Pass the Schedules that Work Act.

The service economy is growing rapidly, and increasing number of Wisconsin families rely on these jobs to sustain them. It is important as this sector continues to grow that they provide workers with fair working conditions, which includes giving workers advanced notice of when they will be needed for work and how many hours they can expect to work. This lack of information makes it difficult for families to secure safe, reliable childcare or eldercare arrangements and otherwise places the family in economic strain because they can’t reliably predict their monthly income.

Pass Medicare for All

Our current healthcare system does not work for middle-class families. We need to pass single payer healthcare. With healthcare tied to employment, families can face sudden loss of care if the head of the household loses their job, doubling their economic crisis. And even when families do have insurance, the industry’s for-profit model means families are often faced with inexplicably high drug and test costs. Medicare for All would lower costs for families and businesses by giving the government greater negotiating power with health insurance companies and untying health insurance from employment.

Hear Randy talk more about the importance of passing Medicare for All.

Pass Paid Medical and Family Leave and Ensure Equal Pay for Equal Work.

Currently, about 15 percent of workers have access to paid leave through their employers. That means the overwhelming majority of Americans and Wisconsinites are forced to make enormous financial sacrifices if they want to spend time with their newborn child, care for an ill family member, or recover from an illness themselves. Randy supports the FAMILY Act, which would guarantee nearly all workers 12 weeks of paid medical or family leave. Randy opposes the Republican alternative proposal to support paid medical and family leave by raiding funds that are currently designated for Social Security.

Hear Randy talk more about the importance of expanding access to the Building Trades.

Incentivize Veteran Hiring and Entrepreneurship.

Speaker Ryan passed a bill this year repealing the Work Opportunities Credit, a tax credit provided to businesses who hire veterans. While the tax credit was later restored by the Senate, Speaker Ryan and his colleagues’ disregard for the opportunity this credit provided to veterans is deeply disturbing. As a Congressman, Randy would fight to protect this credit and to provide additional opportunities to veterans who want to start their own business through a dedicated fund of low-interest start-up loans.

Hear Randy talk more about his experience working with his fellow vets to transition them back into the civilian workforce.

Expand Programs for Workforce Development.

Wisconsin workers are facing a time of increasing automation, outsourcing & downsizing of jobs, and contractual employment without benefits. Randy will give high priority to programs financing new enterprises that demand skilled and unskilled human participation. He will support incentives for expanding renewable energy and energy conservation, and he will support or develop other job-creating legislation action in areas like: ecosystem restoration, including renewal of degraded forests, lakes, and rivers; and restoration of abandoned industrial, and commercial, and public buildings. An area close to his heart is funding high-quality care of the disabled, children, elders, and mentally ill. Finally, he will use his on-the-job experience working with Ironworkers Local 8 to improve workforce development and training in all these areas.

Invest in Traditional and Green Infrastructure

Wisconsin has the worst roads in the Midwest and nearly the worst roads in the country. The President’s plan to invest in our infrastructure would rely heavily on privatization, increasing tolls and other costs for Wisconsinites, while creating few good, union jobs. Funding our infrastructure is one of the government’s most basic responsibilities. Randy supports Senator Sanders’ $1 trillion infrastructure program — which would expand high-speed Internet, improve road, bridges and water systems as well as increase access to clean energy sources. As an ironworker, Randy saw firsthand how the expansion of clean energy created more family-sustaining jobs for those in the trades.

Make Permanent the Tax Credits for Middle Income Households

Speaker Ryan has spent a lot of time touting the tax cuts middle-class families will receive in his so-called “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.” What he consistently fails to mention is that those tax cuts are set to expire in ten years. As a member of Congress, Randy would lobby to make those tax cuts permanent, while eliminating tax loopholes for corporations and the very wealthy.

Hear Randy talk more about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Pass a Financial Transactions Tax.

A tax on Wall Street transactions can raise considerable revenue while reducing the risky behavior that has had devastating effects on our nation’s economy in the past, including high-speed training and short-term financial betting. According to the non-partisan Tax Policy Center, a 0.1% transaction tax would raise $185 billion over 10 years.

Protect LIHEAP

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps low-income families, the elderly and the disabled pay their heating bills. President Trump has proposed cuts to this program. As a Congressman, Randy will fight to protect this family that helps keep our most vulnerable safe and healthy in their homes.

Protect and Expand Social Security

The Social Security Administration is closing offices across the country, including at least one in Wisconsin. As a Congressman, Randy will fight to keep them open so seniors can access the benefits they’ve paid into their entire working lives. Randy will also campaign to increase the FICA cap. The wealthy should pay their fair share in order to make the system more sustainable for everyone.

Lobby for Fair Trade Deals.

While some Wisconsin industries have benefited from increased exports due to NAFTA, manufacturing and some agriculture sectors have been hurt badly by our current trade agreements. Car and truck plants and their suppliers, in particular, have moved to Mexico, stranding a large number of workers and their communities. In renegotiation of NAFTA or creation of new agreements, including those concerning steel or aluminum tariffs, Randy will seek to preserve benefits to our existing economy while aggressively pursuing policies that will right the wrongs steelworkers and so many other in the industrial efforts have suffered over the last several decades. In addition to revising current trade agreements, Randy will also seek to assist the industrial sector through the infrastructure plan mentioned below and through subsidies for American steel.

Support Family Farms

Family farms are struggling to survive while government subsidies and support programs usually benefit large corporate farms over small ones. The stress is so high that farming suffers the highest suicide rate of any occupation in the U.S. Randy will support and improve legislation that corrects bias in Department of Agriculture programs. He will fight for farm policies that open new economic opportunities for small farms in farm-to-consumer sales, the transition to organic production, on-site renewable energy production, and shared processing and storage. He will demand enforcement of federal antitrust laws against large agribusiness and food corporations that dominate many markets.

A Green New Deal

Fund a Green New Deal

As a Congressman, Randy would support a massive investment in green infrastructure that would generate tens of thousands of new jobs and transform Wisconsin communities into energy manufacturers. One model for this Green New Deal is the Climate Change Adapt America Fund Act of 2017, which would create a fund administered by the Department of Commerce for green infrastructure and to adapt existing infrastructure for climate change. That bill would also provide Americans who want to take on climate change the opportunity to buy up to $200 million in “Climate Change Bonds.” As an ironworker, Randy got to see firsthand how labor could lead the way on solar technology and other renewable energy sources.

See Randy discuss that experience and hear why he thinks labor can lead in the way in creating good, family-sustaining green energy jobs.

Put America on a path to 100 percent renewable energy by 2035

Randy knows that the time for talk is long past over – the climate crisis demands urgent action. Randy also knows that low-income communities and communities of color, including Native American communities, are the hardest hit by environmental injustice. That is why, in Congress, Randy would back the Off Fossil Fuels for a Better Future Act (“Off Act”), which puts environmental and economic justice at the heart of an ambitious roadmap to a fossil-free economy. The Off Act would create tens of thousands of jobs, focusing especially in disadvantaged communities. Between now and 2035, the Off Act charts a path to generating all of our electricity from clean energy, and to ensuring that all new cars sold will be zero-emission vehicles. Climate change is already an emergency for people around our country, and it’s time to fight for a clean energy economy that works for everybody.

End Subsidies to Fossil Fuel Companies

Each year, Washington hands billions of dollars in subsidies to oil and gas CEOs. These taxpayer handouts to one of the richest industries on earth are part of a “dirty energy money cycle” that must end. In retur