Health Care

Even when people have insurance coverage, the out of control cost of premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and prescription drugs are killing them. The back and forth in Washington doesn’t help and has far too many worried about getting any kind of coverage at all. I will be able to contribute constructively to Congress finding a solution that works.

I have experienced America’s health care system from every side – as a patient, legislator, caregiver, family member and physician. That unique experience will continue to inform my legislative work as I take my fight to ensure that every person has access to quality, affordable healthcare, including mental healthcare, to the federal level. I will also continue my work to reduce prescription drug costs, facilitate the development of new, promising solutions to addiction through clinical research, and as only the second female doctor in Congress, I would keep up the fight for reproductive health and abortion rights.

Environment

There aren’t many scientists in Congress, which may be why we have all been forced to suffer through years of anti-science policies passed by climate change deniers. As a scientist, I see the evidence of climate change to be overwhelming and alarming. In Congress I will employ facts and data to pursue right-sized solutions to address this generational problem. I will also push for policies that encourage future generations to acquire the analytical skills necessary to solve problems and compete in a 21^st century economy.

Climate change is an environmental justice issue that unfairly burdens poor and urban communities causing higher rates of chronic health conditions, such as asthma, and contributing to rising heat-related mortality. I am committed to ensuring that federal investments and funding are commensurate with the need, reflect a correction for the disproportionate burden borne by these communities over multiple generations, and are committed for the many years required to effect the needed changes and sustained results.

In October I filed a joint resolution asking the General Assembly of Maryland to officially declare a climate emergency, the first step needed for rapid response. We must take action now, in order to survive climate change and address its disproportionate impact on our poor and urban communities. In Congress, I will continue and expand my legislative initiatives to address the root causes of climate change and address its impact including to: decrease energy consumption; reduce emissions; conserve forests; add tree canopy and improve water quality.

Justice

Every American is afforded basic rights by our Constitution, but those rights are under daily attack by the Trump Administration, some members of Congress and even some in the judiciary. As Congresswoman, I will lead the fight to reestablish the civil rights protections that have been eroded and erased by this administration, to ensure no voter is disenfranchised, every person is treated justly by our legal system and the fundamental American values of equity, opportunity, fairness and respect for human dignity are upheld.