Stand Up

Housing

Housing prices in Vermont are more expensive than ever, and it’s holding back our economy.

The rising cost of housing has had a profound effect on Vermont’s workforce: with fewer units available, workers have had to commute further and further from their jobs or move out of state completely.

Since taking office, my office has made historic investments to improve the supply of housing by leveraging the State’s strong balance sheet to commit up to $130 million in low-interest loans to build 1,700 new units of workforce housing through the ‘10% in Vermont’ program. 

Healthcare

Vermonters pay more for healthcare than almost anywhere else in the country. A recent study showed Vermonters spending nearly 20% of their annual income on healthcare alone – a burden that has made education more expensive, closed hospitals, and shut too many people out from basic medical care. It weighs on our entire economy. And we don't have time to wait for Washington to solve it.

As Treasurer, I've gone after rising healthcare costs by intervening to move the needle. Medical debt is one of the cruelest traps in American life. In the richest country in the world, nobody should go bankrupt for going to the doctor. That's why last year, my office proposed and passed the purchase of $100 million in medical debt held by Vermonters with a one-time investment of just $1 million. 

But relieving past debt isn't enough. This legislative session, I proposed ArrayRX, a pharmacy discount card that works in place of insurance right at the counter. By joining a coalition of states including Connecticut and California, Vermont gains real negotiating leverage to drive down drug prices where the federal government has refused to act. As Treasurer, I'll fight to make sure every Vermonter gets a fair shake at the pharmacy counter.

Climate

Climate change is a fundamental threat to our way of life and economy. As Vermont’s climate continues to grow warmer and wetter, Vermont’s traditional industries—such as maple sugaring, foliage tourism, ski season, and agriculture—will continue to be at risk.

We must continue to take steps to mitigate and reduce the impacts of climate change.

That’s why I’m proud to have helped establish a Climate Superfund in Vermont to ensure that the costs associated with floods and other severe weather events are paid for by those responsible for making the mess.

For decades the rich have accumulated more and more wealth while working and middle-class Americans have been left to struggle with less.

That’s why our leaders need to provide bold solutions that address the roots economic inequality and poverty. That starts with birth, and ends with a secure and dignified retirement.

Baby Bonds 

In 2023, I announced Baby Bonds, an innovative policy to fight intergenerational poverty, promote economic development, and keep young people in Vermont.

Through this program, the state will invest $3,200 for every child born on Medicaid. This money would grow in a professionally managed fund, and participants could access those funds between the age of 18 and 30, and use the money to buy a home, attain an education, or start a business.

In 2025, the legislature passed a pilot of the Baby Bonds program, which will serve 450 babies born in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties between 2027 and 2030. 

Pension Protection

It is absolutely crucial we support our teachers, state employees, and public sector workers. This means fully funding the state’s pension system and driving down unfunded liabilities.

After I was appointed to the Vermont Pension Task Force by the Legislature, I spent months working alongside lawmakers and union representatives to forge a compromise that strengthens Vermont’s pension system and reduces its unfunded liabilities by $2 billion. Passed unanimously by both the House and Senate, this proposal is now law.

As Treasurer, I have continued to advocate for public sector workers. I’ve also built the public’s trust in our state pension system and its investments by creating accountability and transparency in the Treasurer’s Office. 

Vermont Saves

In 2022, my office established Vermont Saves, a retirement savings plan for Vermonters who are not currently offered a retirement plan through their employer. It’s designed to make saving for retirement easy and automatic, at no cost to employers and no ongoing cost to taxpayers.

In its first year, Vermont Saves helped over 5,200 Vermonters begin building retirement security, with over $4.5 million collectively saved and participation from nearly 1,300 employers statewide. 

In my third term, I will continue to grow Vermont Saves to ensure a every Vermonter can age in place and retire with the dignity they’re owed.

Soon after the start of the second Trump Administration, I convened the Task Force on the Federal Transition to advise my office on the challenges this administration could pose to Vermont’s economy.

We found that the lack of infrastructure to support new Americans, who contribute billions to our state, posed a major problem.

In response, I helped start the Vermont Immigration Legal Defense Fund to directly support the lawyers protecting our neighbors in immigration court.

When we started there were only two attorneys trained in removal defense for 30,000 immigrants and refugees in our state.

Because of the Fund, we now have eight full time lawyers working around the clock and we’ve trained over 100 in pro-bono immigration law.   

Not only have we expanded the legal services available to our immigrant neighbors, we have won in court, again and again. 

As Treasurer, I will keep finding ways to leverage my office to stand by our immigrant neighbors, and stand up to the Trump administration.