Bob Harvie said he wants to kick himself out of Congress when he turns 80.
He also said he wants to take away his personal ability to trade stocks, become a lobbyist and accept money from corporations in future elections.
The Bucks County commissioner and Democratic challenger to U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick,a Republican from Middletown, in Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District is releasing a 12-point policy agenda that lays out what he's to propose during a prospective first term in Congress.
Harvie is calling the plan his “New Fair Deal for Working Families,” a nod to former U.S. President Harry Truman’s Fair Deal and a broader argument that the American Dream
has become increasingly out of reach for working families.
“Working families are not asking for special treatment,” Harvie said in the plan. “They are asking for a fair shot: the chance to earn a good living, afford a home, raise a family, retire with dignity, and leave their children better off. That is the American Dream.”
The plan includes proposals ranging from lowering the Medicare eligibility age and raising the federal minimum wage, to releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, banning artificial intelligence price manipulation and reigning in data center development.
Harvie, who spent 26 years as a social studies teacher at Bucks County Technical High School before entering local politics, said he sees the economic challenges facing younger Americans in his own children and former students.
“We’re seeing the American Dream fade,” he said. “Our next generation is losing faith in our country and their collective futures. That scares me.”
The race is expected to be among the most closely watched congressional contests in both the commonwealth and the country this fall. Both candidates have raised nearly $9 million combined this election cycle, but Harvie trails in fundraising against the incumbent.
Here are Harvie’s 12 stated priorities:
Lower the Medicare buy-in age to 55
Harvie said he would permanently restore and expand Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, lower the age at which Americans can buy into Medicare from 65 to 55 and expand Medicare’s authority to negotiate prescription drug prices.
According to KFF, a health policy-focused nonprofit, lowering the Medicare buy-in age to 55 years old could reduce costs for employer health plans by up to 30%.
Harvie also called for a cap on insulin costs and said he would take on pharmaceutical companies.
Tax cut for the middle class
The congressional hopeful said working families shouldn't pay a higher effective tax rate than multinational corporations. In Washington, Harvie said he would pursue a middle-class tax cut while requiring large corporations and the ultra-wealthy to pay more.
Overturn Citizens United and ban corporate PAC contributions
Harvie has taken the no-corporate-PAC pledge in his bid for Congress. According to federal campaign finance filings, he has not accepted any money directly from corporate PACs since the start of 2025.
The New Fair Deal stated that Harvie would fight to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision allowing corporations, labor unions and nonprofits to spend unlimited amounts of money on independent political communications, and permanently ban corporate PAC contributions to political candidates.
Raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and roll back Trump tariffs
The federal minimum wage has not increased from its current rate of $7.25 an hour since 2009. Harvie wants to increase it to $15.
Raising the minimum wage to $15 is not an uncommon idea, as lawmakers have introduced dozens of bills across the country to increase workers’ pay. U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Illinois, most recently introduced the Living Wage For All Act in April, which would increase the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour.
Ban congressional stock trading
Harvie supports a complete ban on congressional stock trading. He said elected officials shouldn't be able to profit from information unavailable to the public or from votes they cast. He would also ban individual stock trading by federal judges, members of the executive branch, people whose jobs require Senate confirmation and members of their immediate families.
Release the Epstein files
Harvie said transparency is one of his main goals.
“Restoring trust in our institutions begins with transparency and ensuring that justice applies equally to everyone,” he said.
To that end, he said, the public should know about the Epstein files and that anyone who committed crimes or abused a position of power should be held accountable regardless of wealth, political party or status.
Fitzpatrick sided with the majority of Congress in a near-unanimous 427-1 vote in November 2025 to release the Epstein files.
Enact a lifetime lobbying ban for former members of Congress
Harvie is proposing a lifetime ban on former members of Congress lobbying the federal government. He said the policy would help break the “revolving door” between elected office and special interests.
“Serving in Congress should be the highest form of public service, not a stepping stone to a lucrative lobbying career,” he said.
Enact an 80-year-old congressional age limit
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s School of Law advocates for a congressional age limit of 80 years. The independent and nonpartisan democracy reform organization says bringing down the average age of elected officials would create a “more functional and more representative Congress.”
Harvie said he agrees with this analysis, saying public office should not become a “lifetime entitlement.”
Ban partisan gerrymandering
Harvie said he supports independent redistricting commissions redrawing congressional maps. He said partisan gerrymandering has contributed to more extreme politics by creating safe districts where politicians fear primary challenges more than the voters they represent.
Ban artificial intelligence price surging
Harvie proposed a ban on what he calls “AI-driven surveillance pricing” on essential goods such as groceries and strengthen federal enforcement against corporate price gouging.
He argued that companies are increasingly using artificial intelligence and personal data to adjust prices and maximize profits, and believes the federal government needs to regulate automated overcharging.
Regulate data centers
Bucks County has been at the center of debates over the growth of data centers, including Amazon’s plans to build a campus in Falls Township as part of a $20-billion investment in AI and cloud-computing infrastructure across Pennsylvania.
The project has raised questions among residents about its potential impact on electricity and water costs, as well as the broader effects of data center development on local communities. Harvie said data centers should face stricter regulations and generate their own power so utility customers aren't paying additional costs.
“If they can’t meet these regulations, they can’t be built here,” he said. The AI data center in Falls, however, was touted by Democrats in the county and state when it was announced.
Invest in clean energy
Harvie said he wants to expand clean energy, modernize the electric grid and invest in roads, bridges and public transit. He also called for rapidly building more housing for younger Americans and older people who want to retire comfortably.
His plan argued that such investments would lower energy costs, create good-paying union jobs and help the U.S. remain competitive globally.
Ben Shapiro is a news intern at the Bucks County Courier Times. Reach him at bshapiro@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Here's Bob Harvie's ‘New Fair Deal’ agenda if elected | First details
