Natalia Linos

Criminal Justice / Public Safety

We must work together to care for our communities and to fundamentally reform how and whom we police, what we criminalize, and how we respond to community needs. Policing must be transformed to align with community-oriented principles with the aim of building collaboration and mutual trust. Natalia believes that police officers do not belong in schools and should not be the first responders sent to deal with mental health incidents. We must therefore reduce the size and budget of the police force and expand the social, mental and behavioral health services that keep communities healthy and safe. Learn more

Current sentencing policies are excessive and discriminatory. Research has shown that Black people and individuals with lower levels of education and income are given substantially longer sentences, leaving lasting consequences. Lengthy sentences are associated with negative outcomes for individuals’ physical and mental health, family wellbeing, earnings and employment. This history of harsh sentencing laws has also contributed to growing numbers of elderly and terminally ill people in prison. Natalia believes that sentencing reform must be comprehensive, with a focus on eliminating mandatory minimums. Incarcerated people suffering from severe, debilitating or terminal illness should be given “compassionate release.” She will also support alternatives to detention, as incarceration, including electronic monitoring, should be our last resort. Learn more

In the U.S. today more than half a million people are in pre-trial detention, meaning they are being held in jail while awaiting trial. The reason for our growing jail populations, often composed of people from marginalized communities, is the increased use of monetary bail and requirements for upfront payment across jurisdictions. These practices criminalize poverty and need to be eliminated. We need to end cash bail and eliminate the fines and fees that can be assessed prior to adjudication. We also need legislation that evaluates the impacts of these policy changes to ensure they do not worsen existing inequalities. Natalia is in favor of prohibiting those risk assessment tools that perpetuate racial inequities among our jailed populations. Learn more

Police kill around 1,000 people each year, with Black people killed at rates three times higher than whites. And Black people and communities of color have for too long unjustly suffered at the hands of police brutality without seeing justice for the crimes committed. Natalia will therefore support policies that ensure accountability and transparency among police across the U.S. She believes that officers under investigation should not be given paid administrative leave and those who have used excessive force should not be re-hired. She would support legislation that ends qualified immunity and call for a national registry of police-involved killings, with publicly available data, to keep departments accountable and bring justice to victims. And finally, Natalia believes that military weapons do not belong in the hands of police and in our neighborhood streets. Learn more

Education

Soaring tuition costs prevents many Americans from going to college, and leaves others with crushing debt. Making college affordable would reduce economic inequality and provide new opportunities for students from low-income families. In Congress, Natalia will advocate for free public college and student debt cancelation for working class Americans to ensure that college is affordable for all. She will also work to protect students from exploitation by for-profit colleges. Learn more

Natalia will support policies that promote safe and healthy environments for teaching and learning. This includes banning guns from schools, ensuring children have free, healthy school meals and cancelling student meal debt, and investing in more nurses, counselors, and support staff. Learn more

Natalia firmly supports increased state and federal investment in our public schools. As a mother to three young kids, Natalia understands that one of the most important investments we can make for our children’s future is access to quality, equitable education. All children deserve access to quality public education, yet too many face barriers to access due to lack of family or community resources. In Congress, Natalia will fight to give teachers the pay and resources they need to do their job well and ensure federal funding for public schools. Learn more

The COVID-19 crisis has hit teachers, students and families in Massachusetts particularly hard. Many public school employees in Massachusetts have lost work as school districts struggle to maintain funding. Despite these challenges, education must continue to be a priority. That is why Natalia strongly supports prioritizing the opening of schools quickly and safely to support working parents and prevent the educational opportunity gaps from widening during the pandemic. Reopening safely will require additional funding for more school nurses, psychologists, and social workers to address children’s physical and mental health during this crisis. This must include provision for adequate PPE (personal protective equipment) for students and staff and scheduling changes to reduce class size. But if done appropriately, it can positively impact both students and their families. Learn more

Environment / Energy

Natalia will push for investing in clean energy and infrastructure, leveraging current low demand for fossil fuels, and ensuring bailouts and investments are focused on renewable energy. She will support a carbon tax, while ensuring that these efforts do not negatively impact low-income households. In Congress, Natalia will be a strong advocate for offshore wind, which can generate a significant amount of clean affordable energy for Massachusetts, and create jobs and economic opportunities for Fall River, Taunton, and Somerset. Learn more

Natalia will support efforts to invest in career pathways in the low-carbon economy, worker training and re-training for those harmed by the energy transition, as well as providing support for displaced workers. Learn more

From climate change to air pollution, biodiversity loss, and toxic chemicals, the threats to our environment are growing and can no longer be ignored. In order to leave a healthy planet for all our children, we need to focus on environmental justice today, investing in sustainable jobs and sustainable infrastructure. Learn more

Guns

Natalia supports the introduction of strong background checks for firearm purchases in Massachusetts and across the United States. Natalia also believes weapons of war don’t belong on American streets and supports a federal ban on assault weapons. Natalia also supports laws that will temporarily remove firearms from persons at extreme risk to themselves or others. Learn more

Healthcare

Research has repeatedly shown that forming strong parent-child bonds early on is critical for a child’s development and for mothers’ recovery post-birth. The WHO recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first 6 months, something that is difficult to do when parents must return to work much earlier than that. Unfortunately, most working Americans do not have access to paid parental leave. Parents shouldn’t have to choose between what the public health community recommends and what their employer demands. Natalia supports offering 12 weeks of paid family leave to any person who is a caregiver for a new child. This would apply to all types of parents, including LGBTQ+ families and adoptive parents. Natalia also supports providing an additional 4 weeks for birth mothers to support in their recovery. Learn more

The high cost of pharmaceutical drugs is a challenge for many across the country and in Massachusetts. Insulin, used to treat Type 2 diabetes, and PREP, used to prevent HIV, are two drugs with particularly high costs. These costs disproportionately affect low-income and vulnerable communities. As Congresswoman, Natalia would support a provision in Medicare for All that allows the federal government to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies. This would create more affordable options for consumers who rely on insulin and other prescription drugs to stay healthy. Learn more

In Congress, she will fight for Medicare for All to control costs and ensure equitable access to care, especially for the uninsured and underinsured. She also understands that rapidly moving away from an employer-based insurance system may be difficult for many Americans and will work to ensure continuity of care so Americans can continue seeing the nurses, doctors, and care providers they value. Natalia is committed to creating an America where no one avoids seeking care because they can’t afford it. Learn more

Housing

Natalia supports expanding moratoria on evictions and rent freezes. Natalia will also call for programs that cancel rent and mortgage payment obligations during the pandemic while making landlords and lenders whole. In addition, she will prioritize immediate spending to address widespread homelessness. Natalia will work to ensure investment in service-centered shelters and direct housing provisions as part of a Housing First approach to supporting our neighbors. Learn more

Historically, building wealth in the United States requires home or land ownership. Yet nationwide, the homeownership rate of white Americans outpaces that of Black Americans by nearly 30 percentage points. Congress must pursue solutions that explicitly address the injustices caused by redlining and similar policies that have resulted in these unfair outcomes. Natalia will support policies to provide down payment assistance on homes and make building wealth easier for people of color who were left out of similar policies in the past. Addressing these disparities is more than a moral imperative - it’s an economic and public health necessity. Learn more

Immigration

Natalia is also opposed to the recent announcement by the Trump Administration that international students who have been forced to transition to online coursework due to COVID-19 will be stripped of their U.S. visas. This damages both to our international standing and to our rich history of international academic exchange. International students should not be the victims of xenophobic policies and we must fight to protect their rights. Learn more

As a proud first-generation American, Natalia understands the power of immigration to fuel our economy and enrich our communities. Natalia supports expanding legal immigration and comprehensive immigration reform that includes a clear roadmap to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented people who live in the U.S. and contribute to our society, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, individuals under Temporary Protected Satus (TPS), and those under Deferred Enforced Departure (DEP). Importantly, Natalia will denounce and fight to rescind immigration policies that discriminate against people based on race, religion, or nationality. Learn more

Infrastructure / Transportation

Addressing climate change will require innovative transit policy solutions. As a Congresswoman, Natalia will fight for a broad array of policy actions that support sustainable transportation. For example: congestion pricing for heavily-used corridors, such as main throughways in Greater Boston during commutes, market-based tools like cap and trade, and the Green New Deal to invest in transportation services and jobs that conserve and protect our natural resources. Learn more

Fighting for expanded federal investment in affordable public transportation here in Massachusetts and nationwide. Learn more

Working with state and local officials to push for federal funding for free bus service and subsidized transit access in low-income communities. Learn more

Social Services

The expense of child care is too burdensome for most families. In Massachusetts, the average cost for infant care is over $20,000 a year, which is more than in-state public college tuition. Natalia believes that all children deserve high quality care and that investing in early childhood development is critical. As a working parent, Natalia is also committed to ensuring that all parents have the opportunity to seek employment without incurring unsupportable child care costs. She fully supports universal pre-K, starting at age 3 and would, in Congress, fight to limit the cost of child care, especially for low-income families. To address the shortage of child care availability, Natalia will also work with local governments and nonprofits to establish a diverse network of high-quality, low-cost options. Finally, Natalia believes that we must ensure fair wages for child care workers; wages that are reflective of this important work to support children, families, and communities. Learn more