Pinellas Roots, Pinellas Results
In Congress, I’ll work for all Pinellas constituents, helping them navigate the federal bureaucracy and ensuring they receive the benefits and the answers they are entitled to receive from Washington.
Building An Economy That Works For Everyone
Investing in People, Not the Powerful Special Interests
We need to create an economy that gives every hard-working American a fair shot at the American Dream. To build our nation back even stronger, we must prioritize our investments in people and not just reward the powerful special interests. We also need common-sense policies that reward hard work and not just wealth. Every American who wants to work hard deserves a fair chance to earn a living wage. In Congress, I’ll work to create good-paying jobs to help working people make ends meet and to help grow our economy. It is also imperative that we focus on helping our small businesses. Pinellas County is special because of the many diverse and innovative small businesses that drive our local economy. Our small business owners deserve leaders that will fight for them every day.
Investing in Infrastructure and Building a 21st Century Economy
For decades, Florida’s infrastructure has suffered from a systemic lack of investment – and it’s time to make sure Florida isn’t falling further behind. When we invest in local roads, bridges, and infrastructure here in Pinellas, we are investing in good jobs, our neighborhoods, and our families. We can create thousands of good-paying jobs for Floridians by rebuilding our local roads and bridges here in Pinellas and throughout our state. We must also invest in infrastructure that protects our homes and small businesses from the flooding and sea-level rise threatening so many in our community.
Protecting Our Land and Water
Climate change is one of the greatest threats facing our country, and our community in Pinellas County is one of the most exposed communities in the nation to the impacts of our changing climate. We must invest in clean and renewable energy, so we can create good-paying jobs and protect our local homes and businesses from the dangerous flooding caused by sea-level rise and extreme weather. In Congress, I’ll work to provide more options for affordable flood insurance and homeowners insurance to prepare our community before disaster strikes. I will also protect our precious beaches and our tourism industry by advocating for a permanent ban on off-shore drilling in the Gulf.
We must take action now to address the environmental injustices that have persisted in our community for generations. We need anti-pollution reforms to guarantee all Pinellas communities have clean air, clean water, and safe living conditions. As a lawyer and as a leader in the Florida House, I have championed the protection of our water and natural resources. In Congress, I will continue that fight to protect our environment and the natural places that make Florida so special.
Equal Justice Under The Law
Voting Rights
For our democracy to work for all of us, it must include all of us. Across the country, state lawmakers have created deliberate barriers to voting, limiting our fundamental freedom to vote. As a member of the Florida House, I’ve fought to protect voting rights and pushed back against anti-voting legislation that makes it harder for Floridians to vote by mail. In Congress, I’ll work to ensure that every eligible voter’s voice is heard and our elections reflect the will of the people. I’ll support measures to invest in election security and support our local elections supervisors, who work tirelessly to ensure all eligible voters can safely cast their ballot.
Women’s Rights
It’s been nearly sixty years since the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, and women still earn less than their male counterparts for comparable work. The pay gap is even wider for women of color. It’s past time that Congress takes action to eliminate the gender wage gap and guarantee that women can challenge pay discrimination in the workplace.
Under the Affordable Care Act, women cannot be charged more simply because of their gender or denied health coverage because of a preexisting women’s health condition. However, we still have work to do to ensure all women have equal access to health care. As a state legislator, I have fought back against attempts to restrict a woman’s access to reproductive health care, and in Congress, I’ll continue to defend a woman’s right to make their own health care choices.
LGBTQ+ Rights
Our nation’s civil rights laws do not explicitly provide non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In Congress, I’ll work to expand civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people in key areas of their lives, including employment, housing, credit, education, and more. Every citizen, no matter who they love, should have a fair shot at the American Dream.
Common Sense Criminal Justice Reform
At this critical point in our nation’s history, we have a real opportunity to create a criminal justice system that invests in our communities, keeps our neighborhoods safe, and ensures equal justice under the law for all Americans. Congress should embrace responsible reforms that end racial profiling and expand mental health resources, so law enforcement can focus on fighting violent crime.
In the state legislature, I pushed to end harsh mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent, low-level drug offenders. In Congress, I’ll fight for a criminal justice system that treats everyone fairly, regardless of their race or ethnicity, to end discriminatory sentencing, and to secure federal resources that will help keep our neighborhoods safe.
Providing Affordable, Accessible Health Care
Affordable, accessible health care is a human right. The pandemic revealed the inequalities in our healthcare system – that so many suffer from underlying conditions, and too many Americans still do not have meaningful health coverage. It is wrong that working families here in Pinellas still do not have access to affordable health coverage or that so many families suffer from surprise medical bills if they visit a hospital. We can and must do better.
In the Legislature, I’ve consistently argued that Florida should join most other states in expanding Medicaid to cover more than 900,000 low-income residents. In Congress, I will continue to push for incentives to encourage Florida and the few remaining hold-out states to embrace Medicaid expansion.
I’ll work to continue to improve the Affordable Care Act and the protections it offers, such as guaranteeing no one can be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
Serving All Pinellas Residents
In Congress, I’ll work for all Pinellas constituents, helping them navigate the federal bureaucracy and ensuring they receive the benefits and the answers they are entitled to receive from Washington. We have to stand up for seniors and protect their economic security.
As an attorney and as a legislator, I’ve worked to protect seniors from online scams and fraud. In Congress, I’ll stand up to politicians who try to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits that people have worked for and were promised. Our veterans have served our nation with dignity, and they deserve elected officials who will honor their service by ensuring they have access to good-paying jobs, affordable housing, and quality, affordable health care.
