A home is more than just a roof over our head and a place to call our own – it provides us with the consistency and stability we need for ourselves and our children to live happy, prosperous lives. When people are forced to spend half their income on rent, get priced out of the housing market, can’t afford to buy a home, or get pushed into homelessness, our entire community suffers morally, socially, and economically.

This is why the fight to make housing a human right is so important. Not only is it the right thing to do, but just as importantly, it’s something we can do. The United States is the wealthiest country in the world, and we have all the resources we need to give every single American a stable home. All we lack is the willpower and compassion in Washington, D.C. to take action on this issue. But we’re going to change that.

There are a number of common-sense policies we can implement to address housing insecurity, prevent the exploitation of lower-income Americans, and enable everyone to achieve the dream of homeownership. These include:

• New federal financial assistance for first-time homebuyers. While the FHA does enable first-time buyers to put down as little as 3% on a home loan, that doesn’t go very far toward helping ordinary people afford houses in a soaring market. Worse yet, when you put down less than 20%, the banks force you to tack on years – sometimes decades – of mortgage insurance payments to protect them against you losing your home.

• Fully funding Section 8 rental assistance. Millions of Americans in need of housing are stuck on Section 8 waiting lists. We are failing these people, and we must make sure every eligible applicant is receiving the aid they need.

• Capping annual rent increases at 3% or the Consumer Price Index (whichever is greater).

• “Just-cause” eviction requirements. Tenants should not be forced from their home at their landlord’s whim. Many local governments have implemented these requirements, but they’re piecemeal – a federal law would offer much-needed clarity, consistency and protection for renters.

Healthcare should not be run for the profit of administrators, executives and stockholders – nor should these faceless strangers have the ability to decide the quality and affordability of your medical care. America has by far the most expensive healthcare in the world, yet we’re not even in the top 30 in healthcare outcomes.

Whether you call it a tax or an insurance premium, the bottom line is that a huge amount of money is coming out of American paychecks and American pockets for private healthcare, and we’re getting ripped off with high copays, huge deductibles, less choice and subpar care. Our system prioritizes excessive profits by healthcare, pharmaceutical and insurance corporations above all else, leaving our people to choose between medical care and putting food on the table.

It’s past time for us to catch up to other modern nations by embracing and rapidly moving toward Medicare For All, a single-payer universal healthcare system with no premiums, co-pays, deductibles, surprise bills, confusing networks, or enrollment periods. We have to end the corruption, price gouging, inefficiency and ineffectiveness that have been the status quo of our healthcare system.

For those who ask “but how do we pay for it?” and throw out the multi-trillion-dollar figures that have commonly been cited in the media, consider that our current annual healthcare spending is over $4 trillion per year, and it’s only going up – it’s projected to reach $6.2 trillion per year by 2028. Meanwhile, Medicare For All has been estimated to cost $32 trillion over 10 years. That’s a big number, but at $3.2 trillion a year, it actually represents trillions upon trillions in savings – with the added benefits of greater simplicity, a healthier country, and the end of the scourge of medical bankruptcy.

This district deserves a Congressional representative who will actually listen to constituents rather than healthcare profiteers and Washington lobbyists. As a member of Congress, I will fight to reduce and ultimately eliminate the role private insurance companies have played as middlemen, and I will push to enact Medicare for All.

Bodily autonomy is a right, not a privilege. As a woman who has decided not to have children, it's extremely important to me to ensure that all women are guaranteed the right to make these vital life decisions for themselves too.

As a member of Congress, I will enthusiastically support legislation to codify Roe v. Wade, such as the Women’s Health Protection Act. I'll also fight to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, which will write equality into the Constitution clear as day, protecting women and all marginalized genders, sexual minorities, and orientations. I support ending the filibuster, which has become nothing more than a procedural barrier preventing critical legislation from getting passed.

Guaranteeing legal access to abortion is one barrier we have to hurdle, and the other is medical access. That's why I'll co-sponsor a Medicare For All bill that includes safe, affordable access to birth control, abortions and pregnancy care for all women, no matter what path they choose.

Currently, there are no federal standards that prevent discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in employment, healthcare, education, and so many other foundational aspects of everyday life. I wholeheartedly support passing the Equality Act to expand civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people and their families against discrimination in all aspects of their lives.

This country has made a lot of progress in terms of establishing and protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ people, but there is still a long way to go. From housing to employment to military service, there is still far too much standing in the way of this community — our fellow Americans — living free and peaceful lives. A truly free society cannot exist without the freedom to live authentically, without fear of reprisal over your sexuality or gender identification. LGBTQ+ people are our friends, neighbors, family members, teachers, scientists, athletes, entertainers, and so much more. They do nothing but add vibrancy and depth to the fabric of American society, and they deserve nothing less than full equality.

One huge part of that equality is ensuring that any Medicare For All bill includes access to affordable, inclusive healthcare such as PrEP, gender-affirming treatments and procedures, mental health resources, and other medical needs for the LGBTQ+ community.

The influence of big money and dark money has corrupted our political system to its very core. Instead of serving the people, many of our politicians serve their corporate donors. Worse yet, because of the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision in the Citizens United case, spending money on political advertising is legally considered free speech. This has led to a dizzying collection of Super PACs that are not legally obligated to disclose their donors (including foreign donors) despite spending unlimited amounts of money in support of political candidates. Meanwhile, the cost of running for office has skyrocketed, with the 2020 election seeing $14.4 billion in spending.

When such big money is in play, small donors are lost in the fray and the interests of regular Americans go unrepresented in government. Changing this will not be simple or easy; it won’t fit neatly in a paragraph or on a billboard. It will take a constitutional amendment and then some to rewire our campaign finance system into a form that serves the American people rather than taking advantage of us. No more Super PACs, no more foreign corporate influence, no more lobbyists bundling campaign contributions, no more opaque inauguration committees. Free and fair elections demand complete transparency. It will be a difficult fight, but this is one of the most important actions we can take to secure our elections, hold our politicians accountable, and get the American people to trust that the government is working for them, not for corporate donors making back-room deals.

Congress has failed to enact common-sense gun control; expand Medicare to include dental, vision and hearing coverage; or enact meaningful legislation to fight against climate change – all in large part because of the influence of big money on policy and politicians. As a member of Congress, I will not take a dime of corporate PAC money, because I want to represent my constituents rather than powerful special interests. And when elected, I pledge not to own any individual stocks, because members of Congress should lead by example and not engage in insider trading.

Equally damaging to our democracy is the current assault on voting rights. States are rapidly passing laws to increase barriers to voting and suppress the vote. The right to vote in a free and fair election is the core of democracy, and if we fail to preserve it, we will lose everything this country stands for. I will fight furiously to enact automatic voter registration, eliminate voter suppression laws, and remove unnecessary barriers to voting. I wholeheartedly support the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act — two bills that will help us ensure free and fair elections, both of which enjoy overwhelming support from the American people.

I was born into a single-parent household. My mom was still in high school, but she persevered because she wanted a great future for me and my sister. Like so many other San Diegans, my parents worked hard to make sure my sister and I had the opportunity to focus and succeed in school. Thanks to their support, I became a software engineer and co-founded a nonprofit organization, Code with Her, which empowers young people to learn about tech and maybe, one day, become technology leaders themselves. There is a wealth of talent and potential both here in our district and across the country, and I intend to help give the next generations all the support they need to succeed.

In Congress, I will fight for universal pre-K, tuition-free public college and trade school, and eliminating student debt so that every San Diegan can successfully achieve their dreams. I will fight to ensure that our education system is properly funded. Our teachers are our heroes, but too often they are overworked, underpaid, and used as political scapegoats. Our classrooms are understocked, and our students are undervalued. It’s time for all that to change.

Our current immigration system is complex, cumbersome and inefficient. Law-abiding people who want nothing more than to pursue the American dream are met with a myriad of requirements that are confusing and inconsistently enforced. For those who are here already, whether legally or not, we can create a single, unambiguous path to citizenship that respects their dignity while allowing them to integrate with our society.

Spending resources on casting out otherwise law-abiding immigrants because of the way they came into our country is wasteful and uncompassionate. Illegal immigrants actually commit crimes at a far lower rate than natural-born citizens, and they pay more in taxes than they receive in services. Ensuring a clearer path for immigrants and compassionate treatment for the migrant workers who quietly prop up our economy will only make our nation safer, and it will not prevent the strict enforcement of laws against criminal and especially gang activity.

We need immigration policies rooted in our common humanity and values — after all, we are a country of immigrants. We must abolish ICE and stop the mass deportations tearing families apart. We cannot be the country of family separation and forced sterilizations. We must protect DREAMers and ensure that the 11 million undocumented Americans have a path to citizenship.