Submitted by the Arlington Young Democrats

WHEREAS the United States of America (US) has been in a state of enmity with the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran) since 1979.

WHEREAS the US entered into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran Nuclear Deal, in 2015 to halt the enrichment of uranium and development of nuclear weapons in Iran under President Obama’s administration.

WHEREAS the US proceeded to withdraw from said agreement in 2018 under President Trump’s administration. 

WHEREAS Iran breached the limit set on its stockpile of low-enriched uranium in 2019 after Trump indicated the US’s withdrawal from the JCPOA. 

WHEREAS President Trump ordered a drone strike to assassinate Iran’s top military official, General Qassem Soleimani.

WHEREAS said drone strike was an act of aggression and provocation that could incite a war that the US has been working to avoid for the past decade. 

WHEREAS The United States Congress was not consulted on launching military strikes against Iran before the assassination of Soleimani was carried out. 

WHEREAS growing tensions in the Middle East provide a volatile environment for a conflict of this magnitude. 

WHEREAS The stockpiling of potential nuclear weapons by Iran, should they develop them, will increase the cold war between the two nations and could lead to catastrophic consequences.

WHEREAS US troops, diplomats, and allies in the region and around the globe are in increased imminent danger as a result of this escalation.

WHEREAS the results of the Iraq War have proven that going to war with a country to remove the current government without an exit strategy is an ineffective form of diplomacy. 

WHEREAS the threat of sanctions against Iraq are reckless and counterproductive. 

WHEREAS Military and defense spending as a result of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere have contributed to the nation’s trillions of dollars of debt. 

Submitted by the Arlington Young Democrats

WHEREAS the Republic of Turkey is a NATO ally that has supported US military actions in the
Middle East, yet its government has slid into dictatorship, theocratic rule, and increased
friendliness to the Vladimir Putin regime in Russia;

WHEREAS the Kurdish people of northern Syria and northern Iraq have been staunch friends
and partners in the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS);

WHEREAS the Kurdish nation is a stateless ethnic group with its own culture, language,
customs, and society, one that promotes democracy, egalitarianism, feminism, and secularism;

WHEREAS the Kurdish military forces in Syria and Iraq have lost over 10,000 lives to the war
against radical jihadism on our behalf;

WHEREAS the Turkish regime of President Erdogan is fixated on wiping out any stable Kurdish
state, sovereign or autonomous, in fear of inspiring similar movements in western Turkey;

WHEREAS the Turkish military has invaded Syrian Kurdistan, targeting civilians as well as
military units, intent on demolishing what was a stable region;

WHEREAS Turkey’s invasion threatens the safety and freedom of other ethnic and religious
groups in the region, like Yazidis, Assyrians/Syriacs/Chaldeans, and Turkmen and Arabs
supportive of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
WHEREAS the invasion of Syrian Kurdistan could destabilize Iraqi Kurdistan, another US
development priority in the Middle East;

WHEREAS the Turkish invasion was approved by President Trump, who does not represent the
will of the American people, who hold a deep gratitude to the Kurds for their sacrifice and
friendship;

WHEREAS the Republican Party has completely forsaken their role as the “foreign policy party”
and instead supplicate to anything President Trump says or does;

WHEREAS the Democratic Party is the party of foreign policy professionals, human rights
activists, and Americans who understand that patriotism means honoring alliances;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:

That the Arlington Young Democrats demand the Virginia Democratic congressional delegation,
Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, Congresspeople Don Beyer, Gerry Connelly, Jennifer
Wexton, Abigail Spanberger, Bobby Scott, Donald McEachin, and Elaine Luria, make the
following pronouncements:

 Denounce the betrayal of the Syrian Kurds by President Trump

 Begin working immediately to reverse the decision to abandon the Syrian Kurds and
make efforts to mitigate the disaster

 Condemn the resettlement agenda against the Kurds, Yazidis, Christians, and other
minority groups by the Turks

  Push for sanctioning of Turkish political and military leaders

Action Items:
The Arlington Young Democrats call on all members, allies, fellow Virginians, and American
patriots to contact Virginia Democratic members of Congress to demand support for the Kurds as
outlined above. This includes, but it not limited to: phone calls to offices and joining in protests
supporting the Kurdish cause.

Submitted by the Arlington Young Democrats

Forcefully Condemn the Trump Administration’s Attacks on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer + (LGBTQ+) Community and Call on National and State Leaders to Enshrine Protections for LGBTQ+ Individuals 

WHEREAS President Donald Trump announced that the United States would henceforth ban transgender people from serving openly in the United States Armed Forces; 

WHEREAS the Trump administration has issued guidance allowing medical professionals to opt out of providing care for LGBTQ+ patients based on the providers’ religious beliefs; 

WHEREAS President Trump signed an executive order declaring it the administration’s policy to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which provides health coverage for millions of LGBTQ+ people; 

WHEREAS the Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a proposed rule that would allow federally funded shelters to deny admission to transgender people; 

WHEREAS the Trump administration ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, jeopardizing the future of thousands of LGBTQ+ DACA recipients who were brought to the U.S. as minors; 

WHEREAS President Donald Trump instituted a discriminatory and hateful travel ban that separated countless LGBTQ+ families; 

WHEREAS all references to LGBTQ+ issues were removed from the official White House webpage upon the swearing in of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in an attempt to erase LGBTQ+ people; 

WHEREAS under the guidance of Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education revoked the Obama Administration’s guidance detailing school protections for transgender students under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; 

WHEREAS the House of Representatives under Republican leadership passed the American Health Care Act, which if enacted would have eliminated coverage of pre-existing conditions for millions, including LGBTQ+ Americans; 

WHEREAS the Trump administration re-implemented and expanded the “Global Gag Rule” (GGR), which prohibits U.S. aid to foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that provide critical abortion- related care and services, thereby also adversely impacting funding for organizations that combat HIV/AIDS in the developing world; 

WHEREAS President Trump has refused for three years in a row to recognize the contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals in proclaiming June as Pride Month; 

WHEREAS former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed the Department of Justice’s stance that employment discrimination on the basis of gender identity is prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1965; 

WHEREAS the Department of Health and Human Services reinterpreted Section 1557 of the ACA, also known as the Health Care Rights Law, to allow for health care discrimination on the basis of gender identity; 

WHEREAS the Trump administration is considering the repeal of policies that ban adoption and foster care agencies from receiving federal funding if they refuse to work with LGBTQ+ couples; 

WHEREAS the Commonwealth of Virginia allows the practice of “conversion therapy” even though all leading professional medical and mental health associations reject “conversion therapy” as a legitimate medical treatment; 

WHEREAS the law of the United States and the Code of the Commonwealth of Virginia do not address discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation in private sector employment; 

WHEREAS the Trump administration has consistently appointed officials with political views that are harmful to the wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community; now therefore be it 

RESOLVED, that the Arlington Young Democrats forcefully condemn the Trump administration’s vicious attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and urge the United States Senate to pass and the President of the United States to sign the Equality Act that protects LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination; 

RESOLVED FURTHER that the Arlington Young Democrats call on the Virginia House of Delegates, the Virginia State Senate, and the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia to: 

• Pass legislation prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation; 
• Pass legislation to help ensure the safety of transgender people across the commonwealth; 
• Pass legislation prohibiting the despicable practice of “conversion therapy”; and 

RESOLVED FURTHER that the Arlington Young Democrats call on Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to announce that transgender troops may continue to serve openly in the Virginia National Guard, Virginia Air National Guard, and Virginia Defense Force. 

Call to Action: 

The Arlington Young Democrats call on members and allies to support the LGBTQ+ community in their fight for full equality by insisting that federal and state leaders work together to pass complete protections from discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals. We urge our members and allies to send emails, write letters, call their representatives, use social media, donate to pro-equality candidates, and employ direct questioning when provided with the opportunity to stand up for the LGBTQ+ community and demand full equality through the passage of laws. 

Adopted by the AYD General Body: June 19, 2019 

Submitted by the Arlington Young Democrats

WHEREAS the Climate Crisis constitutes a growing threat to the populations of Virginia, the United States, and the world

WHEREAS the Climate Crisis was recently detailed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a threat that the world has as little as 12 years to act on

WHEREAS the IPCC detailed the simplest way to limit the Climate Crisis as limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius

WHEREAS the United States would need to reduce carbon emissions to net-neutral by 2030, and zero carbon emissions by 2050

WHEREAS Virginia contributes 103 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, marking it as the 18th most polluting state in the United States (as of 2014)

WHEREAS there is robust scientific evidence to show that the effects of climate change have already and will continue to be detrimental to human health, especially for vulnerable populations

WHEREAS reaching net-neutral carbon emissions is a challenge that involves all sectors of the economy

WHEREAS building an intersectional alliance of business, labor, advocacy, and science is the only way to face the challenge with a united front

WHEREAS the Democratic Party is the only political party dedicated to defending against the Climate Crisis

WHEREAS there are many different policies that can be put in place to attain this goal, and we will need most of them to succeed

WHEREAS the Green New Deal (GND) provides a political framework for these policies to be debated and implemented

WHEREAS thanks to Republican obstruction on the Federal level, it is imperative for State-governments to lead with their own Green New Deal frameworks

WHEREAS the Arlington Young Democrats represent a population of dedicated, progressive, young Democrats who desire a world not marred by an increasingly dire Climate Crisis

WHEREAS there is a chance that the Virginia legislature might flip to Democratic control in 2019, and that the 2020 session will be the best chance for a Virginia Green New Deal to be realized

WHEREAS the Arlington Young Democrats wish to make their priorities known

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the following positions and policies represent the priorities of the Arlington Young Democrats in a Virginia Green New Deal:

Industrial Transformation

• Implement a moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure and fossil fuel exploration
• Establish an iterative planning of emissions and prices with set goals for 2030, 2040, 2050; 2035 for electricity
• Develop offshore wind, land-based wind, and solar specific targets (under total clean energy targets)
• Repeal HB2611, which prevents the implementation of a carbon-emissions “Cap & Trade” regime 
• Provide tax incentives for hybrid and electric vehicles
• Construct more electric car infrastructure
• Emphasize manufacturing for wind turbines and solar plant parts
• Tax incentives for businesses that go into former coal plant towns
• Incentivize more businesses to install solar panels
• Develop additional infrastructure to process recycling

Economic and Social Justice

• Grant greater authority to local governments for energy consumption within their jurisdictions, including repealing the Dillon Rule
• Mandate that all renewable energy and construction projects associated with the GND use Project Labor Agreements
• That workers be fairly compensated for lost construction projects involving fossil fuels, including supporting union job training programs
• A living wage for all workers in renewable energy projects
• Enhance economic focus on renewable energy projects by capping investor-owned electric utilities executive salaries and compensation
• That fossil fuel workers should receive at a minimum the same level of wages and benefits when they move to a new job
• Explore more green space atop high density buildings
• A total ban on single-use plastics and polystyrene containers
• Increase regulation of livestock waste lagoons

Action Items

The Arlington Young Democrats call on members and allies to continue the dialogue and insist that local and state elected officials recognize the Climate Crisis and act on the Green New Deal framework. These actions include sending emails, letters, phone calls, the use of social media, and direct questioning when provided with the opportunity. 

Furthermore, the Arlington Young Democrats call on members and allies to exert maximum political pressure during the next Virginia legislative session. As leading campaign volunteers and fundraisers in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Arlington Young Democrats will not tolerate any abdication of duty, dismissiveness, or mediocre responses to the Climate Crisis amongst members of the Democratic Party.

Submitted by the Arlington Young Democrats

WHEREAS The internet was created to be a means to freely and openly distribute ideas and technologies;

WHEREAS Net Neutrality is the principle that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should be mandated to treat all data equally;

WHEREAS Without Net Neutrality, ISPs can throttle internet connections, discriminate against certain types of data, and extort internet companies for faster access to consumers;

WHEREAS the Arlington Young Democrats have long supported Net Neutrality and publically encouraged Virginia elected officials in February 2015 to use their influence to encourage the FCC to classify ISPs under Title II of the Communications Act;

WHEREAS In 2015 the FCC re-classified broadband providers as common carriers under Title II, thereby allowing the FCC to enforce Net Neutrality rules on ISPs;

WHEREAS In December 2017, the FCC under new chairman Ajit Pai voted to dismantle the 2015 rules, thereby again allowing the nation’s largest cable and phone companies to throttle, block, and discriminate internet services.

Resolved, That –

1. The Arlington Young Democrats continue to support the right of every American to have access to affordable, high speed internet services.
2. The Arlington Young Democrats continue to support the classification of internet service providers as common carriers under Title II.
3. The Arlington Young Democrats urge Speaker Paul Ryan to bring to vote a resolution on the recently repealed Net Neutrality rules under the Congressional Review Act.
4. The Arlington Young Democrats urge all local and state representatives to take all action at their disposal, such as requiring Net Neutrality as a condition of franchise agreements.

Call to Action:

The Arlington Young Democrats urge local supporters and chapters to bring this attention to local, state, and federal representatives, put pressure on Congress to find a bipartisan legislative solution to enshrine Net Neutrality into law, and take all necessary steps to advance a Net Neutrality agenda within the Democratic party.

Submitted by the Arlington Young Democrats

WHEREAS providing financial support for young progressives seeking a political career will bolster the progressive movement and build a talent pool for future local/state/federal administrations.WHEREAS the Democratic campaign arms all have unpaid internships.

WHEREAS according to a 2017 study by the bipartisan, non-profit  organization Pay Our Interns, just 32% of Senate Democrats and 3.6% of House Democrats offer paid internships compared to 51% and 8% of Senate and House Republicans, respectively.

WHEREAS, of Arlington’s Congressional representatives, there is a lack of paid internships compared to internships available.

WHEREAS on June 14, 2018, the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a promising bipartisan vote, approved a $5 million fund for all Senators to offer paid internships.

WHEREAS liberal organizations and think-tanks form the backbone of the progressive movement by providing resources, experience, and dedicated advocates for progressive/liberal ideas.

WHEREAS conservative groups are outspending liberal groups by a 3-1 margin in “millennial” outreach.

Therefore, BE IT RESOLVED, that –

1. The Arlington Young Democrats call on our Virginia Democratic Senators to begin offering paid internships as soon as possible while utilizing the internship appropriation in FY19 to set the example for other Democratic lawmakers.
2. The Arlington Young Democrats call on Democratic elected officials in Virginia and Democratic candidates for office in Virginia to offer paid internships and/or other paid positions in their campaigns as soon as possible, as to strengthen the long-term Democratic momentum in Virginia politics.
3. The Arlington Young Democrats call on the Democratic Party (DCCC, DLCC, etc.) to begin offering paid internships immediately to build a talent-base for future campaigns.
4. The Arlington Young Democrats call on all liberal/progressive donors to begin paying interns and offer more entry-level positions in their advocacy organizations, and to encourage all Democratic Party organizations to do the same.

Call to Action:

The Arlington Young Democrats call on members and allies to continue dialogue and insist the individuals and organizations noted above should provide paid internships; actions include sending emails, letters, phone calls, the use of social media, and direct questioning when provided with the opportunity.