Marc Flores

Criminal Justice / Public Safety

I will fight also for greater equity in the fine and bail process in the Federal Court System. Learn more

I will fight to increase funding for programs such as the Second Chance Act Grant Program and the Workplace Opportunity Tax Credit Program, which help people exiting the criminal justice system to reintegrate into society, and I will strive to remove discrimination against persons who have served their debt to society. Learn more

Education

Finally, I will support methods to increase funding and support for public vocational/technical schools. Learn more

I will strongly support cost effective methods to make college more affordable for our residents, with an ultimate goal of providing every student in the 18th District with a free college or vocational placement at a public college. I will fight against the rise in tuition and related fees that make college less affordable. I will push to achieve equity for all in educational policy, to put an end to financial discrimination within the education system. Learn more

Teachers should be able to write off qualified expenditures on education as an offset to their tax liability -- instead of a deduction -- so that they aren’t ‘paying out of pocket’ for as many of the expenditures they spend on classroom amenities and school supplies as they are now. Learn more

I will fight to keep our schools and colleges open to all of our residents, regardless of immigration status. Learn more

I recognize that charter schools may represent a last resort choice for parents frustrated with an inappropriate, underfunded, or underperforming school system. I would prefer that our public schools be funded adequately with the resources they need to succeed. Learn more

I will expand premium subsidies for middle class families. Learn more

I will work to provide stronger Federal support for primary, middle school and secondary education, with a specific focus on providing Federal funding for support services to pay teachers competitively, and for programs that help students stay in school and keep up with their peers academically. Learn more

I believe that language, reading and mathematical skills are critical to success, and will fight for increased Federal support for those areas in primary and secondary education. These curriculums should be challenging, intensive, and competitive, while remaining inclusive, comprehensive, and and relevant. Learn more

I will fight for increased funding to reduce the percentage of students dropping out of high school prior to graduation. I will work to include appropriate partnerships with community colleges, vocational schools, and other groups to help make our high school education relevant to more of our residents. Many students believe college is simply not an option. By exposing them to these resources, and demonstrating that such an opportunity is not beyond their reach, dropout rates will decrease drastically. Learn more

Environment / Energy

I will require that entities involved in fracking disclose all chemicals injected into the water table, and accept full liability for damage caused to the water table or soil. Learn more

I will oppose the expansion of offshore oil drilling, extraction on federal lands, condemnation of tribal lands for energy extraction, and expansion of US energy infrastructure to assist other nations to export pollutants. Learn more

I will oppose subsidies for pollutants like coal. Learn more

We must provide support for research and development funds for green energy, with the government retaining partial ownership of technologies developed with taxpayer dollars. Learn more

Our nation must reenter the Paris Agreement. I believe scientists when they say that climate change is real, and that man-made factors contribute to it. That’s why I will provide full support for common sense environmental proposals and adherence to the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Learn more

I will support and fight for a Houston-based, green energy R&D facility to help design the renewable energy technologies of the future. This proposal would include R&D funding for solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources. Learn more

We must provide support for a scientifically sound policy on global warming. Learn more

I will advocate for price supports for green energy alternatives. Learn more

Guns

4.) I will fight for legislation which requires and ensures safe gun storage. 5.) I will close the "boyfriend" loophole, and ensure that historically abusive partners in relationships do not have access to firearms. 6.) My legislation will require waiting periods for firearm purchases in order to prevent rash and violent behavior. Learn more

7.) I plan to implement programs which provide and promote firearm education and safety. 8.) We must also provide support services for people impacted by gun violence, and for those whose mental health challenges may lead them to violent actions. Learn more

1.) I will demand a review of red flag laws. 2.) I will fight to require background checks for every firearm sale. 3.) I will work to ban weapons of war. Learn more

Healthcare

I will fight to ensure that the people of the 18th Congressional district have access to healthcare, by expanding funding for medical professionals that serve Medicare/Medicaid/exchange consumers. Learn more

I will ensure that excess premiums paid for insurance reserves remain with the persons that paid those reserves, and will ban any profit or bonus structures for insurance providers based upon those reserves. Learn more

I will ensure that balance billing ends, and will introduce legislation that bans doctors outside of the Medicare system from using taxpayer funded workplaces and hospitals. Learn more

I will fight to enact legislation allowing all persons to join Medicare in return for a means-based premium. Learn more

I will ban research funding for institutions and hospitals that refuse to negotiate in good faith with the government. Learn more

I will ban discrimination in healthcare, including both in employment and treatment. Learn more

I will expand premium subsidies for middle class families. Learn more

I will demand that the government negotiate fair prices for pharmaceuticals, ban excess consumer marketing for FDA-approved drugs, reform our patent system to incentivize appropriate pricing, and require that the government retain ownership of drugs largely developed with taxpayer research dollars. Learn more

Housing

Finally, I will fight to remove residential properties used in non-long term rental leases from eligibility for Federal programs, such as Fannie Mae. Learn more

Support expanding the Housing Community Voucher program -- formerly Section 8 -- by $200 billion, so that people in desperate need of housing do not spend years waiting for a listing to open, then wait 3 to 4 more years for a spot in the program. Learn more

I will fight to increase funding by $400 billion to assist in the building of more low income housing units. Learn more

Immigration

We need modern solutions to modern issues. Simply pouring billions of dollars into a wall will not bring the issue of immigration to an end. We need to implement the most up to date technologies for safe, reasonable, and effective measures of keeping our border secure. Learn more

We need to offer a viable path to citizenship for all DACA, DAPA, and TPS immigrants, as well as their immediate families. Then we need to dramatically reevaluate our pathway to citizenship to ensure it is a swift, fair, and manageable process. The sooner we accomplish this, the sooner we end the conflict of illegal immigration. Learn more

We need to work with the countries from which immigrants are fleeing, and get to the bottom of why they are leaving. If we can support them, and work to improve quality of life, people will be less likely to risk their lives to enter our nation. Learn more

Infrastructure / Transportation

I will support providing funding for comprehensive evacuation, disaster recovery, and shelter plans that include all residents, with a particular emphasis on marginalized communities. Learn more

I will fight for transportation funding to help people travel from their residence to their place of work. Learn more

I will fight to protect vulnerable communities by supporting legislation mandating that ICE and CBP enforcement procedures be suspended within a 200 mile radius of a declared disaster zone. Regardless of politics, human life and safety comes first. Learn more

Social Services

I will fight to expand the promotion of programs such as Head Start and SNAP so that more eligible persons can take advantage of them. Learn more

Taxes / Budget

I support 'basic income' programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). I support expanding those programs to include credits for persons who are going to school, are working below the poverty line, or are engaged in other worthwhile activities while living in poverty. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

I will fight to expand childcare coverage for low income families so that more parents can work without worrying endlessly about their children. Learn more

I will fight to ensure that data collected on poverty accurately reflects the struggles of Houston residents by using common sense income levels based on modern expenses to define poverty, rather than an outdated formula from the 1960s. Learn more

1.) I support raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour so that all people who work full time will have the income to remain self-sufficient. I will also work to ensure that the minimum wage increases consistently with inflation. Learn more