Issue Position: Key Priorities

Issue Position

Each day I am guided by what I hear when I visit with students, families and small businesses around northwest Washington -- the challenges they face, and the opportunities they seek. It is an honor to represent the 2nd District, and for me that means being a champion for our middle class.

This means working to build an economy that creates jobs by investing in our infrastructure at home. I want to put people to work building, repairing and maintaining our roads, bridges, and highways; because in Washington state, transportation means good-paying jobs for working families.

But we cannot grow our economy at the expense of our environment. That's why I am fighting to establish the 2nd District as a center for renewable energy innovation to grow our economy responsibly, and will continue to protect the wildlife, lands and waters that make the Pacific Northwest unique.

To compete in a global marketplace, we need more access to education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Washington state has more STEM jobs than any other state in the country, but we are failing to train our future workforce to meet the demand. I am focused on investing in our communities through technical training and apprenticeships programs.

Protecting our middle class also means helping our communities address the pain of opioid addiction. Addiction is not a moral failing; it is a disease and its victims deserve treatment and recovery. I am working to provide law enforcement with the training and supplies they need to reverse overdoses, pushing to make sure federal resources are put into action through effective treatment and drug courts. We must aggressively fight this epidemic and get our loved ones on the road back to recovery.

And strengthening the middle class means ensuring our veterans have access to the care they need. I am committed to making healthcare easier to access, and easing the transition from military service to civilian employment or educational opportunities. We do not leave our veterans behind.

Working families in the Pacific Northwest deserve a government that works for everyone. That is why I will continue to call on Congress to end Citizens United and keep big money from elevating the influence of a few. I voted to protect the Affordable Care Act, I spoke out against the Muslim travel ban, I opposed pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, I voted against the Trump tax scheme, I am fighting to protect our DREAMers, and I will continue to aggressively condemn racism and hate from this Administration.

Over and over again, we have seen this Administration show a disregard for our shared values by squeezing the middle class and stripping vital resources from our communities. Enough is enough. Now is the time to fight harder. We must take back the House of Representatives in 2018 to improve the lives of all Americans.

Being a champion for the middle class means believing the best in our neighbors; that if we invest our resources locally, give our communities the tools they need to thrive, and empower middle class families and workers, the result will be economic growth and a better future for all.

My family has called northwest Washington home for over a century, and it has been my great honor and duty to bring these shared values to Washington, D.C. If you feel the same -- I ask for your support.

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