UNIVERSAL FAMILY CARE

Families in our country are overworked, underpaid, and still forced to choose between paying their bills or paying for the care of a loved one.

Affordable quality child care is just the beginning of addressing these issues. I will fight to invest in strong federal infrastructure ensuring that quality childcare, paid family and medical leave, and long-term care is a reality for those who need it. The countless unpaid caretakers in this country should not be forced to leave their job or struggle to get by simply because they are taking care of their families. 

From early childhood, through adulthood, to elder care - our country must do better in providing access to health care. We must ensure that every family has the tools and resources to not just live, but to thrive.

HEALTHCARE

I know the failures of our health care system because I have lived them. I have chosen to not receive medical care after a dangerous car accident because the visit to the Emergency Room would have been too expensive. I struggled to pay for my mom’s treatment as she battled stage four cancer in the final years of her life.

It is a failure of our country that millions of Americans are dying due to lack of access to health care. I am proud to support Medicare for All to ensure that every single American, regardless of income or zip code, is able to receive the care they deserve because I believe that health care is a fundamental human right.

Every American must have the right to visit a doctor when they are sick, and being diagnosed with a disease should not make you bankrupt. The United States is the wealthiest nation in the world with world-class doctors and hospitals. It is an abomination that our health care system fails so many.

VOTING RIGHTS

Congressman John Lewis showed our country that the fight for voting rights is not over until every single American is able to cast a ballot and have their vote counted. Coming from a family of civil rights advocates, free and fair elections with universal access to the ballot box has been one of my top priorities as a member of Congress. 

In Congress I fight for a wide range of legislation to expand access to the ballot box. I will continue to demand that the Senate pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act - ensuring protections to our sacred right to vote. I have proposed measures to promote automatic voter registration, restoring voting rights for those who have been convicted of a felony, same day voter registration, standardizing our vote by mail system, and ranked choice voting. 

Georgia is unfortunately known for rampant voter suppression which disproportionately impacts Black and Brown people at alarming rates.

The precinct closures, Exact-Match laws, broad voter purges, and other unchecked fear tactics must be stopped.

The right to vote is so important to me that I got arrested fighting for it. On November 13, 2018 I put the lessons of “Good Trouble” to work as I was arrested at the State Capitol while standing with my constituents speaking out and demanding that every vote be counted in the wake of the disastrous 2018 gubernatorial election. I was taken out of the very same Capitol where I served as a state senator with zip ties on my wrists to the Fulton County Jail, simply for demanding we count every vote.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

If we do not take bold action now to halt the harmful effects of the climate crisis, we are facing irreversible and life threatening changes - especially for those in Black and Brown communities. 

I fully support the Green New Deal, because as we have seen in Flint, Michigan and countless other instances in our country, environmental justice and the climate crisis are hand-in-hand. We already know what actions we must take as a country, and we must not wait any longer because people’s lives are at stake. 

With time, air and water pollution will continue to increase, temperatures will continue to rise, and the climate crisis will wreak havoc on our communities.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

We must acknowledge that the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and so many other Black lives were a continuation of centuries of unfair and unjust treatment of Black Americans.

As a mother to my son Carter, I want him to have the best chance to live a fulfilling life. I want to know that he is safe while jogging, or sleeping in his car - and will not be robbed by hands of white supremacy. 

Our criminal justice system must not be used as a tool of oppression. For too long - our society has focused solely on punishment and not on rehabilitation. We need a holistic justice system that allows those in it to improve their own lives and learn from their mistakes. I support legalizing recreational marijuana use, repealing qualified immunity, and expanding funding toward rehabilitation and diversion programs.

In Congress, I will advocate for ending the use of cash bail, and the measures in the Breathe Act - for a more just and fair system of policing.

ACCESS TO EDUCATION

As a mom, a graduate of public schools, and a former public school teacher, I am a strong supporter of public education. We must do more to provide access to quality education at all stages of life. Not only are our teachers consistently overworked and underpaid, but our students’ needs are too often left unmet.

Formerly in the State Senate, I voted against every effort to take money from our public schools.

In Congress, I promise that I will never forget the challenges my students faced day in and day out. I will work arduously to undo the damage caused by President Trump’s reckless secretary of education, and I will support all measures which lower or eliminate overwhelming student debt in this country. Our students should not be penalized for receiving an education.