Lee Jones will represent Kansas by working to bring fairness to America’s economic policy through recognizing the importance of working Americans. Lee also believes that American economic policies should help working class and poor Americans when they need help most.  Lee Jones will;

• Promote fair-trade policies that benefit American workers and allow them to fairly compete with workers around the world
• Enhance and support existing job protections while also supporting unemployed workers seeking employment
• Work for a fair tax code that is beneficial to poor and working class Americans rather than the super rich and corporate America  
• Protect consumers from predatory banking and lending practices

Trade Issues
Lee Jones is firmly convinced that the U.S. economy is directly dependent upon U.S. citizens having quality jobs with quality benefits.  Lee also knows that Kansans are hard working and not afraid to fairly compete with any other worker in the world.  However, Lee also believes that no Kansan should be unfairly compelled to compete with workers who earn minimal wages in unsafe and unregulated work positions.

As Senator, Lee Jones will push for a level playing field for workers, with similar environmental and labor regulations required from all of our trading partners.  Lee knows that a level field will allow American workers and businesses to compete competitively in the world market.  Lee Jones believes current trade treaties have unfairly harmed average Kansas workers, farmers and businesses and that those trade policies must be changed or abolished.  Lee Jones believes we must;

• Eliminate trade deals that reduce the average workers’ jobs and benefits
• Demand the adoption and enforcement of basic workers’ rights by all of our trading partners to improve the living standards of workers around the world and here in America
• Pursue stronger labor laws by linking them to U.S. trade preference programs, bilateral trade agreements and future WTO negotiations
• Use trade policy to expand and enforce environmental standards worldwide and prevent multinational companies from exploiting weak laws or avoiding prosecution by locating in other countries

Product Safety
Lee Jones recognizes that product safety is a major concern to consumers in Kansas.  As Senator, Lee Jones will fight for stricter product safety laws so that Kansas consumers don’t have to worry. 
Lee Jones will work to enforce country of origin labeling on food products as well as to reform, expand and standardize food inspection with our trading partners.   Lee will also work to require all countries to adopt and maintain safety systems that meet tough standards before selling food to American families. Lee also supports a zero tolerance policy for unsafe toys and will work to increase penalties for all violations as well as require an increase in independent testing for toy safety.

As Senator, Lee Jones will also work to require pharmaceutical companies to trace drug and drug ingredient shipments electronically so that we can ensure that medicines are safe. Lee Jones believes the United States must monitor foreign drug manufacturers for safety and health violations as well as require point of origin data for livestock used in the production of drug company products. To effectively combat these issues, Lee Jones believes America should push foreign nations to establish agencies like the FDA to inspect and insure safety of all drugs manufactured in their country that are then sold in the United States.

Jobs
Lee Jones knows that quality jobs are a top concern for all people in Kansas.  Lee Jones believes that it is the job of government to support workers seeking those quality jobs.  Lee supports establishing programs that assist low-wage workers in gaining the skills to move into jobs that allow them to support families.  Lee Jones believes we can accomplish worker advancement through partnerships of businesses, unions and community colleges. 
Lee also understands that unemployed workers sometimes need a variety of resources to become successful.  As Senator, Lee will work to assist unemployed workers with counseling, business loans, entrepreneurial grants and other unemployment resources.  Lee will also work to;

• Expand resources, expertise and planning for communities facing plant shutdowns and large workplace layoffs.
• Extend insurance and training programs to all displaced workers affected by the expanding global economy
• Standardize unemployment insurance to include current and newly displaced workers.
  

In addition to helping unemployed workers, Lee Jones will fight for the rights of workers. In many industries violations of labor laws have become a way of business. Lee Jones will work to enforce current laws guaranteeing the right of workers to organize and to prevent employers from violating labor laws.  Lee will also work to implement new labor laws such as the Employee Free Choice Act which would allow workers to unionize without threat of pay or job loss.

Tax Reform
As Senator, Lee will work to help modernize and simplify the tax code and to ensure fairness and growth to all poor and hard-working Kansans.  Lee believes that we must distribute the tax burden proportionately to wage earners and make sure all workers and businesses pay their fair share with those making more paying more.  Lee will propose numerous changes to our current tax code;

• Work Bonds to promote savings incentives for low-income workers.
• Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit by tripling the current level of the EITC for single adults and by eliminating the marriage penalty.
• Increase the Child and Dependent Care Credit to up to at least $2,500 per child.
• Re-establish the investment income tax rate to 28 percent for Americans making more than $250,000 a year to insure wealthy investors won’t pay a lower rate on investments than many regular Americans pay on wages.
• Reduce or eliminate tax cuts for households earning more than $200,000 a year.
• Levy sufficient taxes on the very largest inheritances while protecting family businesses and family farms.
• Simplify taxes across the board and give people who need further help the option of letting the IRS complete a first draft of their forms for “five-minute filing.”
• Close offshore tax havens by coordinating with other nations to fight tax evasion, tax shelter promoters and work to eliminate special tax breaks for corporations’ offshore investments.
• Increase the effort to recover the yearly $300 billion in uncollected taxes by requiring third party reporting, improved IRS service and expansion of audits for wealthy individuals and corporations likely to have committed evasion.

Banking and Lending Practices
Lee Jones will act quickly as Senator to regulate unfair and out-of-control banking and lending practices. Lee recognizes that predatory financial institutions often prey on people who are the most economically vulnerable and he will work to coordinate efforts with nonprofits and states to administer low or no-interest emergency loans to families who are currently forced to use pricey payday and credit card loans.  Lee will also work to make sure we establish a system of free bank accounts for the 28 million Americans who currently have no such accounts so they can avoid exorbitant check cashing fees and save money.

Beyond creating alternatives to the predatory financial practices, Lee would act as Senator to establish a new federal consumer protection agency to regulate financial products and to protect consumers. Lee believes we should also offer financial incentives to institutions for marketing financial products at fair and affordable terms to underserved consumers so we can make sure all Americans have access to needed resources.

Lee Jones will work to make lending practices fair to all people by phasing out the practice of 'universal default' and replacing it with regulated standards that are fair to both borrower and the creditor.  He also supports imposing stiff penalties for non-compliance with federal lending laws. Lee believes lending institutions should be required to reveal all costs of making minimum-only payments on loans, as well as establishing a minimal 10-day grace period in order to delay the imposition of late fees and penalty rates.