Defending Basic Rights and Dignity for All

I view every policy through a lens of equity. Issues like health care, education, the environment, access to the workforce, criminal justice, and basic civil rights must first address the systemic inequities that exist.

Throughout my first term in Congress, I have addressed these issues throughout our communities:

• Combating Voter Suppression: I voted for H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Enhancement Act, which would ensure that access to the polls are not inhibited by state or local practices meant to target minority or low-income Americans. I cosponsored and voted for H.R. 1, the For the People Act, which makes comprehensive improvements to voting infrastructure in our nation through the implementation of early voting and automatic voter registration, rooting out dark money in politics, improving election security, and tightening federal ethics laws.

• Confronting Disparate Impact of COVID-19 on Minority Communities: I introduced legislation to address the disparate impact of COVID-19 on African-Americans.

• Supporting Women and Minority-Owned Businesses: I advocated for assurances that minority and women-owned businesses would have access to small business relief programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Addressing Police Violence: I cosponsored and voted for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which includes developing national training standards, requiring greater accountability and transparency for use of force, and leveraging police departments access to federal funds on the elimination of harmful practices like chokeholds and no-knock warrants

• Ensuring Equitable Access to Quality Education: As a member of the Education and Labor Committee, I supported legislation to diversify the teacher workforce, passed a bill through Committee to increase access to mental health services for students, and advocated for expansion of TRIO and GEAR UP programs that support the transition of children from marginalized or low-income families to college.