VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Rep. John Delaney, 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidate, On National Service Plan

Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) was the first Democrat to officially announce a run for president in 2020, and he has at least one thing that separates him from the many other candidates: his views on national service, including military service.

Delaney, 55, explained exclusively to uPolitics the different ways he believes young people — especially high school graduates — can serve the country.

“I think what differentiates me from other Democrats in the field is how I’m solutions-oriented,” said Delaney. “So all the proposals I have — whether it be for climate change or to create a universal healthcare system or to build infrastructure — are all based on pathways that I really believe I can get done in my first year as president.”

Delany noted how he has long been widely considered to be one of the most bipartisan members of Congress.

“This plays into my background as an entrepreneur where I build businesses from scratch,” he added, before elaborating his perspective on various forms of national service.

“I think every high school graduate should have an opportunity — not an obligation — but an opportunity to serve our country,” Delaney said. “And I want to make it so exciting that they all want to do it: they can join the military, they can do community service, they could be part of a new Climate Corps — which goes around the country and helps create sustainable infrastructure and sustainable energy projects. They can be part of an infrastructure corps, which would rebuild national parks.”

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Delaney added he believes such an proposal would help young people learn valuable skills they could use for the rest of their lives, and also called it “patriotic” and “unifying.”

Delaney first announced his 2020 presidential bid in November, shortly after the midterm elections, and has since campaigned in Iowa, the site of the caucuses that kick off the primary season. Thus far, 17 Democrats have announced they will run to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020.

Full interview transcript below:

Q: What differentiates you from the other Democrats in your field?

A: What I think differentiates me from other Democrats in the field is how I’m solutions-orientated. So all the proposals I have — whether they be for climate change or to create a universal health care system or to build infrastructure — are all based on pathways that I really believe I can get done in my first year as president. So I tend to be a very solutions-orientated person, which is why I’m always ranked as one of the bipartisan members of congress, plays into my background as an entrepreneur, where I built businesses from scratch. And really what differentiates me more than any singular piece of policy is my approach, but the one thing I am talking about that’s different is national service.

I think every high school graduate should have an opportunity — not an obligation — but an opportunity to serve our country, and I want to make it so exciting that they all want to do it. They can join the military, they can do community service, they can be part of the new climate corps — which goes around the country and helps create sustainable infrastructure and sustainable energy projects — they can part of an infrastructure corps, which would rebuild national parks. And I think it would be amazing for all the young people who graduate from high school if they can do this. It would help them get skills, it would get them ready for this next phase in their lives, but every American would benefit because it would be a very patriotic unifying thing to do: to have some kid from New York get mixed with some kid from Iowa and go down to New Orleans and build a national park. How great would that be for everyone?

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