I believe firmly that we need to have an economy that works for all. That is why I am focused on reducing the cost of living for hard-working Californians. The San Francisco Bay Area is an economic engine for our nation. As a donor state, California has historically given more money to the federal government than we receive back in federal support. For too long, my House Republican colleagues have used this money to subsidize irresponsible lawmaking, all while our region continues to be the epicenter of our nation’s affordability crisis. Seniors, working families, and low-income communities in California’s 15th Congressional District should not have to struggle to afford basic needs. That’s why I am proud to support the Biden Administration’s Lowering Costs Agenda. This initiative will ask billionaires and large corporations to pay their fair share so that everyday Americans can keep more money in their pockets when paying for healthcare, utility bills, gas prices, housing, childcare, and so much more.
One of the first bills I introduced in Congress is the Poverty Line Act, which would update the way the federal poverty line is calculated and would help millions of people access critical safety net programs.
Business and Labor
I support a progressive, equitable tax code that keeps costs down for working families while ensuring that large corporations and the wealthiest 1% pay their fair share. I also believe that Members of Congress should be working to support the small businesses that drive America’s economy. As the founder and previous owner of a small business, I know the challenges facing entrepreneurs. I am proudly pro-labor and will always fight for the expansion of well-paying union jobs.
Supporting Families
As a parent and proud founding member of the Congressional Dads Caucus, I know how access to affordable child care can make a big difference for working families. However, the skyrocketing cost of care combined with a shortage of providers has made it increasingly difficult for families to access this critical support. When I served in the California State Assembly, I helped secure record-levels of funding for child care and streamlined the process to obtain a child care license. In Congress, I am advocating to fund childcare programs and make the expanded Child Tax Credit permanent to put money back in the pockets of working families.
I cosponsored multiple bills to help support working families including the Improving Diapers Affordability Act, which would remove a national sales tax from diaper purchases while making them reimbursable through the Health Savings Account. I also cosponsored the Child Care for Every Community Act, which would establish universal child care and early learning programs, as well as the Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act, which would explicitly include all married couples – including same-sex couples – in the tax code.
Accomplishments
- Secured $1,600,000 for East Palo Alto, the Ravenswood School District, and the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula to construct a new renovated 21st Century state of the art turf field with lights
- Secured $850,000 for the City of San Mateo’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center Rehabilitation
- Secured $1,000,000 to build a new 38,000-square-foot Redwood City YMCA
- Secured $1,000,000 for Peninsula Family Service to build the Middlefield Junction Early Learning Center, a brand-new early learning facility in North Fair Oaks, Redwood City that will provide 36 new spaces for infants and toddlers, co-located with a new affordable housing development