Campaign Literature—Primaries

Drug Control

FIGHTING A NATIONAL EPIDEMIC
Learn mare: jeb2016.com/drugcontrol

Our country is in the midst of a massive heroin epidemic, compounded and fueled by sharp increases in prescription painkiller abuse. The problem is exacerbated by huge increases in cheap, highly potent heroin from Mexican drug cartels. Abuse of prescription painkillers, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone, are a contributing cause of the heroin epidemic and fentanyl abuse.

In New Hampshire, the crisis is especially acute with 334 deaths related to drug overdoses this year
(compared to 12 murders in the state in 2014).

In 2010, the Obama Administration laid out a strategy with seven goals for reducing illicit drug use. Despite spending $26.3 billion a year on drug control efforts, government watchdogs have found that "none of the goals in the Strategy have been fully achieved."

We need a new strategy that prevents drug abuse and addiction before it begins; strengthens domestic and international law enforcement efforts; and improves drug abuse treatment and recovery programs.

PREVENT DRUG ABUSE & ADDICTION
Drug abuse and addiction prevention efforts must start in childhood. That starts with dedicated parents, strong communities and local education. I will ensure current federal efforts are better coordinated, improved with evidence-based models and closely monitored for results.

STRENGTHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT
I will require all federal agencies involved in High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Investigative Support Centers to develop a process to coordinate efforts across agents in the field, monitor their progress and evaluate results.

I will push for smarter sentencing laws for drug offenders, with stiff consequences for drug lords, cartels and violent drug traffickers and with access to necessary treatment and reduced mandatory sentences for non-violent offenders.

As I did in Florida, I will broaden access to drug courts, an alternative to the traditional courts.

I will improve border security to stop the flow of illicit drugs into the United States. I will also work with partner nations, such as Mexico, Colombia and Afghanistan to address the sources of illicit drugs.

PROMOTE DRUG ABUSE TREATMENT & RECOVERY
Because prescription painkiller abuse is closely related to heroin use, treatment and recovery efforts must address both. I will evaluate existing treatment and recovery programs and consistently monitor their results. In addition, I will review and streamline current efforts across the federal government to reduce duplicative efforts.

Strengthening Cybersecurity

HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY TO PROTECT THE U.S.
Learn more: jeb2016.com/cybersecurity

The future of the Internet rests on one critical factor: cybersecurity. We are vulnerable to those who wish to steal, disrupt and destroy our intellectual property, personal information and even critical infrastructure.

CREATE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS & REMOVE BARRIERS TO INNOVATION
The U.S. Government and businesses should work together as partners to improve cybersecurity
in the public and private sectors in a way that respects citizens' privacy. For instance, we should reform liability laws so that they do not stand in the way of information sharing. Also, overbearing government regulation must not be an obstacle to innovation in the tech industry. Cyber threats are always evolving, so effective cybersecurity requires continuous innovation.

RESTORE ACCOUNTABILITY
The hack into the Office of Personnel Management -the human resources department of the U.S. Government-illustrates the failure of the Obama Administration to take these threats seriously. Likewise, Secretary Hillary Clinton's email scandal highlights reckless behavior by officials entrusted with some of our nation's most sensitive secrets. We need to change the culture of Washington. That means not hiring political hacks or cronies for critical positions that involve cybersecurity, and holding executive branch officials accountable.

FOCUS ON CYBERSECURITY
Cybersecurity is a critical element of our national defense and economic well-being, yet the Obama Administration has shown no leadership on the issue. We need unwavering and determined implementation, including a concerted effort to work with Congress and the private sector.

INCREASE U.S. INTELLIGENCE & LAW ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITIES
We need to preserve and enhance the capabilities of the U.S. intelligence community and law enforcement to identify, deter and respond to cyberattacks as part of a 1_1ational strategy to protect the country. That starts by undoing the damage done by President Obama's devastating defense spending cuts and having the back of the intelligence community. We must also hold hackers accountable. Efforts to expose, prosecute and retaliate will reduce future attacks.

Education Reform

ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL AMERICANS
Learn mare: jeb2016.com/educationreform

Every individual in this country deserves the right to rise. Yet today, the American Dream is threatened by an education system that is failing to prepare the next generation for the challenges of the 21st century. My plan will ensure that all Americans, no matter their background or zip code, have access to a high quality education.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Despite spending $22 billion each year on early childhood through 44 different programs, too many low-income children are unprepared for school. I would consolidate funding and give it directly to low-income families so they can choose the type of early childhood education their children need, rather than the help bureaucrats are offering.

K-12 EDUCATION
Our primary and secondary schools aren't keeping up with the increasing knowledge and skill demands of our society. To leverage the limited, but critical role of the federal government to ensure every child graduates from high school prepared for the demands of college or the workplace, I would empower parents and students with quality options, support states with the flexibility and resources to create great public schools and reward great teaching and successful student outcomes. I would also give parents, teachers and citizens the information needed to evaluate schools and make informed decisions, as well as drive innovation and research to break the stranglehold of the status quo. Finally, I believe in high standards, but the federal government should have no role at all in developing or implementing those standards.

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
Education after high school has become critical to upward mobility, yet post-secondary education and training are too expensive for many Americans to afford, and the quality of degree and certificate programs varies dramatically. To fix these problems, I would implement a new system that will ensure flexible access to post-secondary training with lifelong learning accounts. I will help borrowers with existing debt transfer into a new income-based repayment system. And I will give colleges "skin in the game," by forcing institutions to share the risk of failure with students, and incentivizing them to reduce costs, boost quality and ensure that students graduate, find a job and have the skills needed to succeed.

Western Policy

COOPERATIVE CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES
Learn mare: jeb2016.com/westernpolicy

People in the West feel the impact of federal decision-making more than the rest of the nation. 90 percent of the land owned and managed by the federal government is in the West, including Alaska. For example, over So percent of Nevada is managed out of Washington, DC.

However, the federal government does not treat Western states, local governments, tribes and land owners as equal partners. Under the Obama Administration, federal land management is characterized by restrictive regulations, more land use constraints, more land acquisition, more "analysis paralysis" and more "sue and settle"-driven policies. This has undermined the trust between Western communities and the federal government. It must be restored. I am the only candidate to lay out a detailed plan that will fix this relationship.

PARTNER WITH WESTERN COMMUNITIES
The federal government needs to fully partner with Westerners. In Florida, I created such a partnership with Washington in order to restore the Everglades. It's time for Washington to recognize that states, local communities, tribes and private landowners are often the best stewards of Western lands. For starters, I will support moving the Department of the Interior headquarters from Washington to the West, where most of the people its decisions affect live.

TAKE BETTER CARE OF WHAT WE HAVE
As our National Park System turns 100, the federal government should take better care of the land it already owns before it buys a lot more. For instance, we need to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, which have become more frequent, deadly and intense, in forests and rangelands. For instance, I propose temporarily redirecting funds currently allotted for land acquisition to reduce the $11.5 billion backlog of maintenance in our national park system.

USE OUR LANDS WISELY
Shared use of our land is wise use of our land. We can conserve our natural resources and create economic opportunities for Western families by reining in the federal bureaucratic overreach that currently stifles multiple and sustainable uses. For instance, permitting for proposed projects on federal lands, including mining, siting renewable or fossil energy infrastructure and building additional water storage, should take no more than two years under normal circumstances.

ENCOURAGE OUTDOOR RECREATION
This land is our land. Americans should be encouraged - not discouraged - to fish, hike, hunt, camp and recreate on federal lands. As the governor of Florida, I fought to increase access to public lands for sportsmen and women. I will do the same as president, and increase funding to provide access to more federal lands for all those who want to enjoy the outdoors.

Reforming Welfare

EMPOWERING FAMILIES
Learn more: jeb2016.com/reformingwelfare
The nation's welfare programs are broken. We have spent trillions of dollars in the 'War on Poverty' - much of it wasted through fraud and abuse - and there are still more than 46 million Americans living in poverty. Economic mobility is also far too low. Today, over 40 percent of children growing up poor remain poor as adults. A weakened economy has only made matters worse - 6.8 million more Americans are living in poverty today than when President Obama took office. I will fix our nation's safety net to empower families, lift people out of poverty and protect taxpayers.

PROMOTE WORK
Too many of our safety net programs are based on the mistaken belief that simply writing bigger checks will increase opportunity and upward mobility. But we know that employment is paramount in promoting independence and empowering individuals. My plan promotes work for all Americans by doubling working tax credits for childless filers (EITC), requiring work for able-bodied welfare recipients and ending welfare programs that discourage work.

STRENGTHEN FAMILIES
The most effective anti-poverty program is a strong, two parent family. But today our welfare programs fail to promote marriage and some actually discourage family formation. As president, I will ensure that safety net programs encourage marriages. My administration will support marriage and parenting programs and end welfare programs that penalize marriage.

GIVE CONTROL BACK TO THE STATES
The current one-size-fits-all approach to welfare policy gives Washington, DC too much power and fails to meet the needs of impoverished families. That has to change. I will eliminate bloated, destructive welfare programs and give control back to the states through a block grant so they can better meet the needs of poor families.

CUT WASTE AND ABUSE
The nation's safety net is subject to considerable waste, fraud and abuse. For example, nearly 25% of refundable tax credits are improperly paid. This is unfair to the taxpayers who fund the program and to the poor families who need help. My plan eliminates waste and abuse in welfare programs by doing more to verify recipients' income.