Equality for All

Women’s Equality

When women succeed our country succeeds. For me, the women in my life, from the strong women in my family to the ones I served with in the military, have shaped who I am. In the military, I served alongside some of the finest women leaders in the country.  We must fight against the attacks on women and do more to ensure women are treated and paid equally and have all the tools they need to succeed.

In 2019, America hit a significant milestone. The Department of Labor reported that women now outnumber men in the workforce. This increased participation in the workforce has helped drive economic growth and propel our country.  And yet, women continue to make only 84 cents for every dollar men do. For black women, it’s 68 cents, and for Latino women, it’s 54 cents. The pay gap is further widened by systemic discrimination. By retirement age, women have lost upwards of $1 million dollars of earnings compared to men. And at the current rate of closure, we will not close the gender pay gap for all women for a very long time, and that is unacceptable. We must pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which Mitch McConnell continues to hold up in the Senate.

LGBTQ Equality

Our LGBTQ+ community continues to face unfair and unacceptable discrimination and attacks on their civil rights. While progress has been made, we still have far to go to end the legalized discrimination, bullying, and outright violence that too many individuals are forced to suffer simply because of their sexual or gender identity. This is outrageous and flies in the face of the values I fought for.

The country and American values I fought for included equality, opportunity, and inclusivity for all, and I promise to continue fighting for those values as your representative.

Proposals:

• Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act
• Make the Equality Act law of the land to ensure no one faces discrimination
• Pass safe school and anti-bullying legislation