Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives - Virginia 5th Congressional District in 2020 Virginia Primary Election.
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Get StartedEnsure robust access to reproductive healthcare- The government has no place telling any woman, wealthy or otherwise, what decisions to make regarding her own body. Learn more
Expand funding for diversion programs - We should be investing in ways to keep people out of jails and prisons in the first place. Eliminate cash bail for low-level offenders - Studies have shown that those who remain incarcerated before their trials are viewed by juris as being more likely to be guilty. Determination of guilt or innocence should not be affected by one’s ability to pay bail, and low-level offenders who cannot pay their bail should not be forced into a cycle of poverty because the remain incarcerated pre-trial. Learn more
Create opportunities for those convicted of crimes to reduce prison time through service and educational programming. Reform practice of civil asset forfeiture. End modern debtors’ prisons - Nobody should be incarcerated for the inability to pay fines. Learn more
Require companies utilizing prison labor to pay workers minimum wage. Learn more
Enact universal background checks- We must keep guns out of the hands of criminals, domestic abusers, and other dangerous individuals. Close the “boyfriend loophole”- People who have been convicted of abusing partners should not be allowed to purchase weapons, even if they were never married to or lived with the partner. Learn more
Decriminalize possession of minor amounts of marijuana - We have to end punitive convictions for marijuana possession and redirect those law-enforcement resources towards more serious offenses. Learn more
Fund research of gun violence- Gun violence is a symptom of larger issues within our society, and in order to identify and solve those, we must continue to fund NIH and CDC research into gun violence. Reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban- Assault weapons and high capacity magazines were designed for war-zones, and have no place in our streets or in our homes, where they endanger both our communities and our law enforcement professionals. Learn more
We must encourage healthcare providers to move to and provide care to our rural communities, and we must invest in infrastructure that would ease this process. Learn more
Introduce a public option - Many health insurance providers have pulled out of rural communities, and by introducing a public healthcare option, we would ensure that nobody has to go without coverage. Reinstate the individual mandate - Health insurance must be affordable if it is to ever be accessible. The individual mandate is a proven way to keep costs down, so that insurance is affordable for all families. Learn more
Negotiate lower drug prices - By allowing Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies, we can work to make prescription drugs more affordable for everybody. Expand protections for women’s health - Women’s health is health, and should not be treated as specialty care. Learn more
Increase accessibility to drug treatment programs. Expand cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in prisons and jails. Support transitional and aftercare facilities for returning citizens. Learn more
Incentivize doctors and healthcare providers to set up clinics in rural areas- Increase funding for loan forgiveness programs for doctors and healthcare professionals who commit to work in rural communities. Increase funding for organizations training and placing doctors and healthcare professionals in rural areas. Learn more
Emergency fund - households that are unable to make rent because of unforeseen emergency expenses will be eligible for relief to be paid back interest-free over the course of the next two years. Learn more
Expand the Fair Housing Act - Include sexual orientation and gender identity as a protected class. Learn more
Expand access to legal representation - Incentivize lawyers and law students to represent tenants facing eviction in court through opportunities for student debt relief. Learn more
Expand accountability and enforcement capability - Require federal agencies that provide funding for housing programs to perform routine audits of organizations receiving funds. Learn more
Establish regional clearinghouses - developers and landlords need the proper infrastructure to ensure that units allotted for low-income and extremely low-income households are actually reserved for the families that need it the most. Learn more
Opening up zoning restrictions to encourage higher density, mixed land use, and inclusionary zoning practices would create a more friendly market environment for the development of affordable housing units and would lower housing costs for the entire locality by increasing housing supply. Learn more
Increase funding to existing the voucher program - emphasizing the facilitation of mixed-income housing would see a corresponding expansion of opportunity for the children of families receiving assistance. Developments that agree to set-aside 20% of their units specifically for low-income residents and 10% of their units for extremely low-income households would be eligible for a significant tax break. Learn more
Expand definition of low- and extremely-low income in rural areas - Account for downward pressure on mean created by an aging rural population so that rural families have an equal chance at qualifying for aid. Learn more
Adequately fund USDA programs to help rural families - Programs exist to help rural families meet their housing needs, but we cannot implement them with proper funding. Learn more
Consolidation of localities - Encourage sparsely populated rural areas to act as regional units, which would allow neighboring localities to pool their amenities (hospitals, factories, retail areas) so as to be more eligible for various existing federal funding pools. Learn more
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