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MEET JESSE SBAIH, DEMOCRAT FOR CONGRESS IN NEVADA

Jesse is running as a progressive on the Democratic ticket in Nevada’s third congressional district. Over the past 14 years, Jesse defended the rights of consumers who have been taken advantage of as a local area trial attorney. Jesse is running for office because in these unstable times somebody needs to fight for regular Nevadans against lobbyists and special interests.

Jesse understands the challenges that hardworking people face. Jesse’s family came to this country when he was only 11 years old. He did not know a word of English when he arrived, but he persevered. He spent his nights, starting when he was 12 years old, working as a dishwasher in the back of an Italian restaurant to help his family make ends meet. He walked around with a dictionary in hand at all time and kept believing a better future awaited for him. And it did.

Jesse went on to excel in college and law school graduating near the top of his class in both. Jesse attended University of Miami in Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science, cum laude. He went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, cum laude.

Jesse is a father, a husband, and a son. He credits his parents with making the sacrifices that gave him the opportunity to pursue his dreams, his beautiful wife Dr. Sameera Sbaih for pushing him to pursue those dreams, and his three lovely kids for inspiring him to hope for a better America.

Why is Jesse Running for Congress and What Does He Stand For?

Nevadans Want Good Jobs, Let’s Give it to Them by Investing in Green Energy, Infrastructure

“The American Dream is slipping away from far too many people in our district and we need to change that,” says Sbaih. “When there are jobs, people are productive and in turn there are revenues for government to provide social services.”

“Today, there are 64,000 people in our district living below the poverty line, and that is just not acceptable to me,” the candidate explains.

Jesse proposes looking to building infrastructure and seizing on Nevada’s competitive advantage in wind and solar to help develop a new, more robust economy for the residents of the 3rd Congressional District. “These are high paying, blue collar jobs that can put Nevadans back to work.” Sbaih explains. “I want people to be able to provide a wonderful life for their families.”

Let’s Make College Affordable so our Kids Have a Fighting Chance to Earn a Living

Sbaih thinks that if America is going to win the future that we have to start investing in our kids at an early age and give them the opportunity for a first-class college education.

“I am a big supporter of making public colleges and universities tuition free,” says Sbaih. “65% of jobs by 2020 will require a college degree so we need to invest in our students. We need to get our young people ready for the jobs of tomorrow so that they can earn a living and contribute.”

There is a catch to the candidate’s plan -- “the students have to earn it.” The program would apply for students graduating high school with a 3.0 or higher GPA and, if a student fails to finish their degree, they have to pay back the cost of attendance as a loan. “We want to invest in kids who take their studies seriously,” says Sbaih.

While some question the costs of the program, to be paid for by closing offshore tax loopholes, stopping corporate inversion, and applying a small tax on Wall Street transactions, Sbaih points to the benefits. “We’ll have a huge rate of return on this program because students will earn more, be able to contribute more towards our social services, and not be dependent on government assistance. This is something that will more than pay for itself.”

We Need to Fight for our Veterans as Hard as They Fight for Us.

“It breaks my heart to see homeless veterans,” says Sbaih, “This should not happen in America.” Sbaih proposes enhancing programs that provide America’s veterans a gateway to employment after their service and a comprehensive reevaluation of post-war care.

“These folks sacrifice their lives so we can be safe so we need to make sure businesses hire them and we need to get real about homelessness and untreated mental illness that follow the horrors of war.”

The candidate thinks we need to take every step to keep our men and women in uniform out of harm's way by avoiding unnecessary wars. He also thinks, if Congress decides that a war is necessary to keep our country safe then "the budget for that war better include the cost of post-war care for our troops."

Repeal Citizens United, Regulate Campaign Finance, and Take Back Our Democracy

“Citizens United is among the worst decisions any court has made in the United States."

Sbaih says “it allowed an uncontrolled flow of dark money into politics, it allowed billionaires to buy elections, and it has disenfranchised our people.” The candidate went on to say, “The voice of the people is supposed to be louder than the voice of corporations. This government is for the people and of the people. It is time for us to take our country back.”

Sbaih proposes that if the Supreme Court fails to act appropriately on Citizens United then Congress should act by using the power of the purse to rein in political organizations masquerading as charities to get a tax write off.

Women in America Deserve Equal Pay for Equal Work

"It is a shame that living in America in 2016 we still treat working women this way," says Sbaih.

“There is no reason to treat women different than men when it comes to receiving a living wage, to workplace advancement, or to opportunities for a career, not just a job.”

“It is very troubling to me,” says Sbaih. “We need to pass comprehensive laws that prevent payment discrimination against women, minorities, and others, we need to pass laws that ensure equal rights for all -- we are all Americans.”

Raise the Minimum Wage -- Fight for $15

“We need to raise the minimum wage. Income inequality is a big problem throughout this country.” Jesse explains that “a lot of big corporations have the majority of their employees on government assistance and it is wrong.”

“When companies underpay employees, the government is effectively paying the salary while the company reaps profits. When somebody takes the initiative to work 40 hours per week and they are on food stamps that isn’t welfare -- that is corporate welfare.”

Sbaih went on to say that, “when you have people in Nevada making a $7.25 per hour minimum wage, that is not a living wage. People can work 40 hours per week and they are making about $14,000 per year, that is not enough to put food on the table, keep a roof over their kids heads.”

“I am a big advocate of raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour because it is not acceptable for people to work 40 hours and to go home from work to live in poverty.”

Healthcare is a Fundamental Human Right

“With the passage of the Affordable Care Act a lot of people are now on the healthcare rolls, the preexisting condition exclusions that a lot of insurance companies used have been eliminated.”

Sbaih does not think that is good enough citing over 30 million Americans who don’t have health insurance. “That is way too much,” says Sbaih, “The number should be zero.”

“We need a single payer healthcare system that recognizes healthcare as a human right that is not dependent on how much money you make or how much you can afford.”

The candidate says that America needs to transition to a universal healthcare system, an idea that the American public has long clamored for, to make sure nobody has to watch a loved one die simply because they didn’t have the right insurance or enough money in their pocket.

“We need to start looking at these greedy pharmaceutical companies and start negotiating down these prices,” says Sbaih. “There is nothing wrong with making a profit but a profit needs to be balanced against public interest and people’s need for vital medication.”