Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives - Massachusetts 3rd Congressional District in 2018 Massachusetts 2018 Primary Election.
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Get StartedI support equal pay for equal work and reproductive rights for all people, including access to birth control, emergency contraception, reproductive health services and education, and safe and legal abortion under the Roe v Wade decision. Learn more
I will support a revival and update of President Obama’s 2012 effort to pass a Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, so as to provide enhanced protections and transparency in interactions from mobile phone apps to financial services. Learn more
I support equal pay for equal work and reproductive rights for all people, including access to birth control, emergency contraception, reproductive health services and education, and safe and legal abortion under the Roe v Wade decision. Learn more
I will defend the progress that has been made allowing women to serve in combat roles and for transgender people to serve openly within the military. I will use my powers of oversight and my platform as the first openly transgender member of Congress to ensure the Department of Defense is fully inclusive of all who desire to serve and meet the standards. Learn more
As a national security professional and a transgender woman, I will be a visible champion of human rights as an essential component of U.S. foreign policy and a key attribute in how we characterize our partnerships with foreign governments. Learn more
I will defend the ADA from attack by the Trump Administration, as well as ACA and Medicaid programs vital to the lives of people living with disabilities. I will also seek expansions to the ABLE Act to expand the cap and eligibility of ABLE accounts, including to people whose onset of disability is later in life. Learn more
I will vote for the Voting Rights Advancement Act, to restore lost Voting Rights Act protections. Learn more
I will call on the Trump Administration (DOJ and ED) to restore the guidance to schools on Title IX. I will vote to increase funding for the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights and rigorously oversee their activities so they will have the personnel, tools, and will they need to investigate civil rights violations in our schools and to enforce our nation’s civil rights laws. Learn more
I will co-sponsor and vote for the Equality Act to codify the full equality of LGBT people under federal law, and aim to fight back against state and local attempts to undermine legal protections or inclusion for LGBT Americans under Title VII, Title IX, the Equal Protection Clause, and other statutes and federal law. Learn more
I would vote to abolish the death penalty under federal law and to prohibit federal courts from sentencing defendants to death. Learn more
Ban the federal government from contracting with private prison corporations to detain inmates and immigrants, end federal tax break for private prisons Learn more
I will be a persistent voice calling on DOJ to investigate hate crimes and any police misconduct against trans people, and will aim to financially support states in their often incomplete tracking of data on hate crimes. Learn more
I will support the Sentencing and Corrections Reform Act, which will end the federal “three strikes” provision and reduce mandatory minimum sentences for repeat non-violent drug offenders. These provisions disproportionately incarcerate people of color and divert resources away from correction and recidivism prevention for violent offenders. Learn more
I will vote for budgets that reverse the Trump Administration's unnecessary military buildup and instead ensure we are providing our current force structure the operational and maintenance funds they need to maximize effectiveness. Learn more
End war on autopilot – repeal and replace the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF): I will vote for a repeal of the AUMF to replace it with a new authorization that would ensure Congress is meeting its constitutional responsibilities in making war, as well as to properly bound the limits of military action. Learn more
I will support investments in the VA Center for Innovation and other initiatives to explore process improvements, better online services, and ways to measure and incentivize effective, coordinated care, especially for veterans with multiple chronic physical and mental health conditions and/or substance dependency. Learn more
As part of moving to single payer healthcare, I will explore ways to incentivize more community health centers to sign up as Veterans Choice Act community providers, in order to improve both healthcare delivery capacity and speciality care-- especially in the areas of women's health and LGBT health where VA capability has not caught up with the changing demographics of our vets. Learn more
I will defend the Veteran's Administration against attempts to privatize it or impose costs on veterans and their families. I will support legislation and additional resources to improve staffing and service hours at Bedford. Learn more
I will defend the progress that has been made allowing women to serve in combat roles and for transgender people to serve openly within the military. Learn more
Restrict the first use of nuclear weapons, modernize our nuclear stockpile to a smaller force to minimize the chance of accidental nuclear war: I will leverage my 13 years of work against weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to help pass the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act, ensuring only Congress can authorize a nuclear first strike. I will argue for a smaller, modernized nuclear force of sea- and air-based nuclear weapons that would honor the spirit of our nuclear reduction commitments, encourage continued adherence to nuclear proliferation control regimes, and save resources while preserving our nuclear deterrent. Learn more
Write and pass honest DoD budgets – end Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding and account for our real needs in the DoD base budget Learn more
I will vote for modest increases in Intelligence Community funding as a smart investment in national security with a high return on investment. I will vote to increase budgets for analytic personnel, retention incentives to stem personnel losses, and efforts to improve intelligence capabilities with artificial intelligence and machine learning. Learn more
I will protect transgender military service Learn more
I will also vote against any funding for low-yield nuclear weapons, which would encourage nuclear proliferation by other countries and increase the chances that a future President will use nuclear weapons. Learn more
I will seek greater oversight of the F-35 contract and vote for another round of consolidation and closure of military installations via a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission, as the Department of Defense has requested for years and Congress has ignored. Learn more
We must build on the success of Rep. Tsongas in passing the INTERDICT Act and provide advanced fentanyl detection equipment to not only Customs and Border Protection but to the U.S. Post Office and other entities. Learn more
Decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and encourage decriminalization at the state level Learn more
The federal government should immediately use the purchasing power of the Federal Employee Health program and other vehicles to make non-drug alternative evidence-based therapies more available to patients suffering with chronic and severe pain with minimal co-pays. This must also be a part of a future Medicare for All program. Learn more
In 2016, Congress succumbed to industry lobbyists and weakened the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s enforcement efforts against unscrupulous drug distribution companies supplying corrupt doctors and “pill mills”. I’ll be on the people’s payroll, not the lobbyists’, and I will vote to restore these authorities. Learn more
The opioid epidemic is a national problem that knows no local or state boundaries, and effective treatment of addiction requires an end to a patchwork approach to treatment, education, supportive housing, transportation, healthcare and employment. Federal funding can ensure these wrap-around services are properly integrated to enable people seeking treatment and recovery to find all they need in one place or point of contact. Learn more
Allow companies to deduct 15% of the profits paid to ordinary workers under the program, take away deductions for executive performance pay for those who will not. Learn more
Create alternative paths to working and middle class prosperity with federal support to apprenticeships: This old idea that combines education, mentorship, and an income should be refreshed for the Automation Age and supported with tax credits. Learn more
We have leading firms and innovative startups in biotechnology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, aerospace, consulting services, and other sectors that can compete in the global economy and create wealth if the playing field is fair. I will use my foreign affairs experience to encourage progress on bilateral and multilateral trade agreements with robust labor and environmental standards. Learn more
I will work to support the re-introduction and passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. I will also preserve the rights of teachers and other public employees to effectively engage in collective bargaining by supporting or co-sponsoring legislation to protect "fair share" dues under attack in the Janus case before the Supreme Court as of this writing. Learn more
I will also advocate for bolder goals and commensurate increases in federal funds to basic science research, NIH and NASA which will pay off both in future technological developments as well as opportunities for 3rd District employers and workers. Learn more
I will support workers in their fights for safe and equitable work conditions against the growing efforts to deregulate hard-won gains, ranging from protecting nursing staff ratios in hospitals and healthcare settings to supporting predictable schedules via the Schedules That Work Act to defending required break and rest periods for public safety and transportation workers. Learn more
I support Senator Booker's legislation to pilot a federal job guarantee-- an idea that has its roots in FDR's call for a right to employment. Learn more
I support block grants to Massachusetts and other states to achieve this, in combination with an increase in child tax credits and the deduction for dependent care, which would then be indexed to inflation. These benefits have long lagged the continually increasing cost of childcare, it is time to address this with a permanent fix. Learn more
I support legislation to provide a maximum of 12 weeks of paid family leave for use with childcare, care for sick family members, and eldercare, to be funded by Federal payroll contributions of not more than 1% split between employer and employee. This benefit will cover all workers but be targeted to working and middle class families, with a maximum benefit cap of $1,000 a week. This will enhance productivity, improve public health and level the playing field for small businesses, who cannot afford to compete with many existing corporate paid family leave programs. Learn more
Child care is among one of the most important tasks in our society, yet child care workers often work at minimum wage with minimal benefits and are unable to support their own families. Learn more
Provide funds for Massachusetts and other states to study the need for state licenses and fees in professions where there are no health, safety, or consumer protection interests in such licenses and fees Learn more
I will stand with federal whistleblowers, support public employee unions, protect federal personnel benefits and fight for appropriate pay increases for federal employees. Learn more
Stop giving away public money to corporations offshoring American jobs and penalizing American small businesses – end deferral, end corporate inversions Learn more
I will vote for the Scott-Sanders “Raise the Wage Act” to raise the federal minimum wage to $15/hr by 2024. Learn more
Aggressively matching state funds will incentivize states to bring community college systems like Northern Essex and Middlesex to a no-cost model, while other funds will be made available to enhance child-care and transportation assistance to remove barriers of access to education. Learn more
I will vote to change the formula that Congress uses to set student loan rates, currently set from 2.05 to 4.6% above the 10-year Treasury rates. I will support reducing these rates by 1 to 2.3%. Learn more
I support a partnership between federal and state governments to make at least one year of high quality pre-K accessible to all working and middle class families. Learn more
I will vote to expand the existing student loan debt interest deduction from $2,500 to $5,000 a year, and incorporate a refundable tax credit provision to ensure individuals and families of the lowest income levels also benefit from it. I will vote to expand the ability for student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy, to stabilize and expand public service loan forgiveness programs, and to expand the ability to refinance student loans through the Federal Direct Loan Service program Learn more
I will support or introduce legislation incentivizing state governments to provide universal screening to identify academically gifted students during early childhood education. Learn more
It’s time for revolutionary investment in higher education to open up community colleges for tuition-free lifelong learning and make public colleges and universities debt-free for working and middle-class families earning up to $125,000, with a modest personal and family contribution and student work study. These goals will be achieved by robust federal funding and a highly incentivized match of state funds. Learn more
I will fight back against attacks on the hard-earned pensions and other benefits won by teachers in Massachusetts and around the country through collective bargaining by their labor unions. Learn more
We must move away from the punitive use of testing metrics that incentivizes schools to teach to an increasingly narrow curriculum rather than unlocking the creativity and potential of our teachers and our students. Learn more
We should articulate national educational standards free from partisanship, and encourage schools to make progress toward them through incentives. Learn more
I support the full funding of the School Support and Academic Achievement Acts under Title IV, and guidance that will clarify that arts education can be used to make progress toward Title I goals. Learn more
Finally fulfill the federal government’s promise to children with disabilities, and fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Learn more
Many schools in the 3rd District have decades of deferred maintenance or improvement needs, from new roofs to structural repairs to HVAC to expanding instruction spaces. I will advocate for 3rd District communities in competing for federal infrastructure grants for these improvements, as well as the use of national service corps members labor and expertise to get this done. Learn more
Increasing Title I funds and expanding the flexibility for how they are used will improve both instructional time and critical supporting services— expanded free school meals throughout the calendar year, expanded before and aftercare programs and supportive services for parents to keep students in an enriching, safe environment in and out of school. Learn more
Within Massachusetts, I support a moratorium on new charter schools until we can fix our funding formulas to ensure neighborhood schools are fully funded, as well as to ensure that any new charter schools will strictly meet the original intent of charter schools to be laboratories of innovation and not a tool of a privatization agenda. Learn more
I support properly regulated public charter schools as an important tool to test innovative practices for the benefit of the entire public school system, but they should not replace our public school systems or drain funding from the public school system. Learn more
I support a partnership between federal and state governments to make at least one year of high quality pre-K accessible to all working and middle-class families. Learn more
Study and support state and regional carbon tax and cap and trade programs to determine which model is best to scale up for national implementation. Learn more
Restore ban on drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. Learn more
Ban new offshore drilling off the United States. Learn more
Expand solar and electric vehicle credits. Learn more
Make long-term climate sustainability a requirement for projects to receive federal infrastructure funding support and loan guarantees Learn more
Overhaul the National Flood Insurance Program to reflect the real risk of a changing climate and rising seas. Learn more
Save the Merrimack river and promote clean water throughout the country through conservation of our rivers and aggressive remediation of lead contamination. Learn more
I will urge the Administration to return to the Paris Agreement, and failing that, will participate in Congressional delegations and other forums to ensure the world that Massachusetts and the majority of Americans are #StillIn, and that America will return soon. This is not just rhetoric-- but with the aim of encouraging countries throughout the world to continue to stick to necessary environmental targets. Learn more
Enhance federal support to increase the amount of carbon sequestered in the soil by .4% a year. Learn more
I support the 100 by 50 Act, and its array of policy prescriptions, incentives and funding mechanisms to transition us to a 100% renewable economy by 2050. Learn more
Restrict the first use of nuclear weapons, modernize our nuclear stockpile to a smaller force to minimize the chance of accidental nuclear war Learn more
I will propose a long overdue increase in our International Affairs Budget for the State Department, USAID and the Millennium Challenge Corporation: this will be cost-saving due to the earlier de-escalation of conflicts and earlier identification of security and economic opportunities. Learn more
I will vote for a repeal of the AUMF to replace it with a new authorization that would ensure Congress is meeting its constitutional responsibilities in making war, as well as to properly bound the limits of military action. Learn more
I will vote for modest increases in Intelligence Community funding as a smart investment in national security with a high return on investment. Learn more
I will vote for the United States to pay its dues in full and on time to the United Nations, and for our country to resume its leadership role in UNESCO and other multilateral forums Learn more
I will defend the progress that has been made allowing women to serve in combat roles and for transgender people to serve openly within the military. I will use my powers of oversight and my platform as the first openly transgender member of Congress to ensure the Department of Defense is fully inclusive of all who desire to serve and meet the standards. Learn more
I will support increases in funding to programs to promote gender equality and empowerment for women around the world. Learn more
The United States has and must maintain the strongest military force in the world. I will vote for budgets that reverse the Trump Administration's unnecessary military buildup and instead ensure we are providing our current force structure the operational and maintenance funds they need to maximize effectiveness. Learn more
I will use my platform in Congress, powers of oversight and budget to put pressure on allies who abuse human rights, and to condition foreign aid and especially foreign military aid accordingly. Learn more
I will use my platform in Congress, my seat in relevant Congressional committees, and meetings with foreign parliamentarians and other delegations to help protect and restore America’s partnerships abroad. Learn more
I will support new legislation to enforce and resource the commitments in President Trump’s May 2017 executive order instructing federal agencies to investigate, assess and mitigate cybersecurity risks and threats. I will also support the PATCH Act, to ensure that the vulnerabilities equities process (VEP) by which potential hacking vulnerabilities are shared with other parties, is executed more transparently and with more of an emphasis toward protecting the general public and private business. Learn more
I will use my regional expertise on Russian and European affairs to raise the level of oversight on the Departments of State and Defense, to ensure we are taking Russia’s threats to the peace and security of our allies and to our democracy seriously and to deter and if need be retaliate appropriately against any further aggression on their part. Learn more
As a national security professional and a transgender woman, I will be a visible champion of human rights as an essential component of U.S. foreign policy and a key attribute in how we characterize our partnerships with foreign governments. Learn more
Write and pass honest DoD budgets – end Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding and account for our real needs in the DoD base budget Learn more
I will seek greater oversight of the F-35 contract and vote for another round of consolidation and closure of military installations via a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission, as the Department of Defense has requested for years and Congress has ignored. Learn more
I will seek to serve on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where I will be relentless in my support of full investigations into Russia’s interference in our 2016 election Learn more
Expand U.S. investments in global health programs-- it is moral leadership and good for our national security Learn more
Protect voting machines from hacking and interference with the Secure Elections Act: We need to invest in the modernization of our election infrastructure and hardening it against cyber attack, and this $384 million package of grants would do exactly that. I would amend and improve the Act to include the purchasing of new electronic machines that produce a paper trail for auditing. Learn more
I will introduce legislation to overturn Citizen’s United, to end all PACs, SuperPACs, and corporate contributions to elections: The Supreme Court wrongly decided this case, and Congress needs to overturn it with calibrated legislation. I will support an expanded version of the DISCLOSE Act and a Constitutional amendment to overturn this decision and return political power from special interest groups to the people. Learn more
Incentivize states to implement automatic voter registration nationwide, and the restoration of voting rights for convicted felons who have served their time. Learn more
I support adoption of Ranked Choice Voting with instant runoffs to allow voters to reflect their true preferences when voting, and to incentivize a more civil political dialogue by requiring candidates to campaign for broad based support Learn more
I will seek to serve on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where I will be relentless in my support of full investigations into Russia’s interference in our 2016 election Learn more
I will introduce legislation to end the gerrymandering of Congressional districts Learn more
Publicly-funded elections, as is the norm in most highly-developed democracies Learn more
Raise the minimum age for gun purchases to 21-- people should not be able to buy a gun before they can buy alcohol. Learn more
Remove the NRA-purchased restrictions on the ATFE's ability to effectively track and trace firearms, and give them the tools to disrupt the illegal smuggling of weapons at home as I had when working to disrupt arms smuggling abroad. Learn more
Mandate a 10 day waiting period for all gun purchases. Learn more
Ban large capacity magazines, and modifications including bump stocks. Learn more
Mandate universal background checks with a psychological screening and enhanced layers of data flow to prevent those in a mental health crisis, those convicted of domestic abuse, terrorists, and others from purchasing a gun. Learn more
Fund buy-back programs and studies to research “smart-gun” technology and other potential gun safety solutions, long blocked by the NRA. Learn more
Restore the federal assault weapons ban which was previously declared constitutional, make it permanent and improve it, to include: 1) a more stringent "one-feature" test; 2) a prohibition on the transfer of grandfathered weapons, and 3) banning all future manufacture of these weapons for sale to civilians. Learn more
Use oversight and budget powers to resist and rollback administration rules that create a "license to discriminate" against women and LGBT people via conscience exemptions. Learn more
Examine budgetary mechanisms to make CHIP not just permanently authorized but permanently funded as an entitlement under Medicare or another vehicle, ensuring nearly 200,000 Massachusetts kids are never used as a political pawn again. Learn more
Expand support to community health centers, urgent care clinics, and telemedicine: This is cost-effective and moves us toward the prevention model we need, enabling more lower-cost high-quality 24-hour care and reducing reliance on expensive emergency room care. Learn more
We should increase the economies of scale for Medicare by giving small employers the option of covering their workers of any age through Medicare, allowing all 55-64 year old people to buy into Medicare to save on higher out of pocket costs for this age group, and give states the option to allow people without insurance to buy into Medicaid, which will in aggregate lower costs for many and stabilize insurance exchanges across the country. Learn more
Medicare must be able to negotiate the price of prescription drugs Learn more
I support universal healthcare as both a moral imperative to provide healthcare to those who don’t have it and good for the health and finances of people that do have healthcare. Learn more
I will vote for the Conyers-Sanders “Medicare for All” bill, and will offer amendments to add critical details currently missing in the legislation on the specifics of an incremental expansion of Medicare and the sustainment of essential Medicaid programs including for people living with disabilities and seniors. Learn more
We need to do what nearly every other advanced economy in the world does and put cost controls on prescription drugs, just like we do on any other service essential for life, like our public utilities. Learn more
I will support the ongoing federal coordination work by the US Interagency Council on Homelessness and resist efforts to sunset the Council. I will support additional grants of funding for innovative state and local projects that have promise to prevent or reduce the rate of homelessness. I will also support increases in Title I funding for schools with low-income populations that include homeless children, to better ensure they and their families are receiving critical wrap-around services. Learn more
Streamline our immigration bureaucracy Learn more
I will use my Congressional oversight and budgetary powers to push back against arbitrary deportations by ICE, and scrutinize suspicious actions for racial animus. Learn more
I will support a permanent fix to give DACA and previous DAPA recipients a path to citizenship, as well as to restore the legal residency of Temporary Protected Status recipients. Learn more
Absent earlier action from Congress or the courts, I will vote to ban blocking, throttling, “fast lanes”, and to restore common carrier regulations on Internet Service Providers. This is not just a consumer protection issue--an open, free internet is vital for our democracy and the freedom of speech and assembly. Learn more
Many schools in the 3rd District have decades of deferred maintenance or improvement needs, from new roofs to structural repairs to HVAC to expanding instruction spaces. I will advocate for 3rd District communities in competing for federal infrastructure grants for these improvements, as well as the use of national service corps members labor and expertise to get this done. Learn more
I will seek federal support for expansion of the Lowell line and increases in service on both the Lowell and Haverhill lines, as well as the North-South rail link, which will connect Merrimack Valley residents and jobs to communities south of Boston and vice versa, stimulating growth and creating jobs. I also propose funding to support increases in commuter buses, inter-city bus service provided by several 3rd District transit authorities, and to support software upgrades to allow for integration of bus scheduling and trip planning for consumers. Learn more
I will seek federal support for upgrades to improve the resilience of our electrical grid as well as water and wastewater treatment plants long past their operational life which jeopardize the health and tourism of communities along the Merrimack River, including Lawrence, Lowell, Haverhill and others. Learn more
Currently, the wealthiest Americans only pay taxes in to Social Security for their first $128,400 in income. I will vote to remove this cap so that the wealthiest among us pay Social Security taxes on their full income, exempting those making up to $250,000 from additional tax increases. I will also vote to increase the Additional Medicare Tax for those making over $200,000 a year. Learn more
Index the federal gas tax to inflation and use the proceeds to invest in a transportation system worthy of Massachusetts and America Learn more
Currently, the wealthiest Americans only pay taxes in to Social Security for their first $128,400 in income. I will vote to remove this cap so that the wealthiest among us pay Social Security taxes on their full income, exempting those making up to $250,000 from additional tax increases. I will also vote to increase the Additional Medicare Tax for those making over $200,000 a year. Learn more
Close or reform corporate loopholes for executive compensation, stock options, meals and entertainment and private jets: These tax breaks have no other purpose than to enrich the bottom line of our wealthiest individuals and our largest corporations. They should be repealed or reformed. Learn more
I propose we join over 30 other countries and implement a tax on financial transactions from 0.004% to .25%, varying by the type of security traded. Learn more
Make the middle class great again by repealing tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy donors who have purchased our political system and make them pay their fair share Learn more
Paid family leave for all: I support legislation to provide a maximum of 12 weeks of paid family leave for use with childcare, care for sick family members, and eldercare, to be funded by Federal payroll contributions of not more than 1% split between employer and employee. This benefit will cover all workers but be targeted to working and middle class families, with a maximum benefit cap of $1,000 a week. Learn more
I will support workers in their fights for safe and equitable work conditions against the growing efforts to deregulate hard-won gains, ranging from protecting nursing staff ratios in hospitals and healthcare settings to supporting predictable schedules via the Schedules That Work Act to defending required break and rest periods for public safety and transportation workers. Learn more
Give the working and middle class a fair share by encouraging profit sharing: Allow companies to deduct 15% of the profits paid to ordinary workers under the program, take away deductions for executive performance pay for those who will not. Learn more
I will also preserve the rights of teachers and other public employees to effectively engage in collective bargaining by supporting or co-sponsoring legislation to protect "fair share" dues under attack in the Janus case before the Supreme Court as of this writing. Learn more
I will fight back against attacks on the hard-earned pay, pension and other benefits won by public and private sector workers in Massachusetts and around the country through collective bargaining by their labor unions. Learn more
I will vote for the Scott-Sanders “Raise the Wage Act” to raise the federal minimum wage to $15/hr by 2024. Learn more
I will work to support the re-introduction and passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Learn more
I support equal pay for equal work Learn more
I will work to preserve the rights of teachers and other public employees to effectively engage in collective bargaining. I will support or co-sponsor legislation to protect "fair share" dues under attack in the Janus case before the Supreme Court as of this writing, and I will support the re-introduction and passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Learn more
View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.