Economic Justice
I have been in the shoes of thousands of Californians struggling to make ends meet — I was unhoused, raising two boys on my own; I relied on public assistance while working and attending public college.
Working class Californians are struggling to feed their families and heat their homes, while corporate profits are at a 70-year-high. We pay $6 dollars for a gallon of gas, while the biggest oil companies in America are spending more than $70 billion dollars to buy back their own stock and increase dividends to their shareholders.
That’s why I have spent my career fighting for an economy that works for everyone — working people, people of color — not just the wealthy few:
Expanding Benefits
- I have led the Congressional fight to expand affordable housing, childcare, and SNAP benefits. In the Senate, I will continue to drive the fight for resources and assistance that allow working families to thrive, not just survive.
Making Corporations and 1% Pay Their Fair Share
- I authored the OLIGARCH Act to ensure that corporations and the 1% pay their fair share, while closing our country’s wealth gap, combating tax evasion, and holding billionaires accountable.
- Instead of lining the pockets of corporate executives, I believe we need to deliver dividends to the American people— I support a 95 percent tax on windfall profits of companies that bring in more than $500 million in revenue annually.
- I partnered with Senator Bernie Sanders to lead the Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act, which would tax companies with CEO pay over 50 times more than the lowest-paid employee, creating revenue that can instead be invested in communities.
Fight for Living Wages
- I support wages that lift people out of poverty, not keep them in it. I was on the frontlines of the Fight For $15 when the rest of the government said it was too much, too fast — and now, I support legislation that would increase the national minimum wage beyond that.
I stand in opposition to free trade agreements that reward corporations for moving manufacturing jobs overseas and cracking down on the outsourcing of jobs to low-wage countries. I will continue to advocate for provisions that ensure job creation in California.
Reprioritizing Federal Dollars
- I fought to slash the bloated Defense budget and reinvest the savings into what our communities really need — my People Over Pentagon Act would put those savings into priorities like healthcare, child care, and affordable housing.