WHY AM I RUNNING FOR UNITED STATES SENATE?

The right of a woman to make autonomous decisions about her own body/reproductive functions is at the core of her basic human rights to equality, medical privacy, & bodily integrity. I will push for legislation that protects access nationally to abortion with FDA-approved medication/procedures & defend access to emergency medical care & everyday reproductive care. Affordable contraception to anyone who wants and needs it. Safeguard the privacy of patients/providers & ensure they have accurate information and legal resources necessary. For those choosing to grow their family, ensure they have adequate access to resources and for pay for quality of life.

Equitable, quality healthcare SHOULD BE a fundamental right for all people; not a privilege for the wealthy few. Millions of Americans are one bad diagnosis away from going broke. It’s time for a system that is focused on patients, not profits. In Congress, I will be committed to finding constructive ways to improve our nation’s health care system, expand access to quality and affordable health care, and reduce costs for middle-class families no matter their income, race, gender, zip code, or medical diagnosis. I will make it a priority to end abusive pricing practices by the pharmaceutical industry and give patients a break at the pharmacy counter. I will support increases for health and science research to invest in tomorrow’s cures. 

Affordable housing is a right and a necessity  and is significant in building the foundation for a better Indiana. Housing costs are significant factor contributing to homelessness, financial instability, housing insecurity, and extreme stress for many individuals and families. Everyone should have a safe, affordable place to sleep and raise their families.  When I’m in Congress, I will focus on ways to ensure housing remains accessible and affordable for middle class families. 

The laboring class is speaking, and we need to listen. We must support worker’s rights! In America, if you work full-time, you should be able to support your family with a living wage that gives you breathing room, above subsistence. You should be able to take your family to the local museum for a cultural awareness activity or be members of the local community center for fitness and activity. However, far too often, employers are more focused on returning profits to the wealthy shareholders and executives than doing the right thing for American workers. I will push for legislation to stop shipping jobs overseas, start sharing corporate profits appropriately, and provide support to all Unions.

Tax cuts for the wealthy have led to increasingly shameful economic inequality and massive reduction in government revenue. All the while, the rest of America struggles with inflation and increased interest rates, proposals to decrease social programs, Medicare, and Social Security. This is an insult to hard-working Americans. From Congress, I will push legislation that ensures we tax billionaires their fair share and stop increasing the tax burden on the middle class. 

Yes, the US Economy has grown and added millions of jobs with core inflation moving down towards pre-pandemic metrics; and that’s great news. BUT this is not enough! If every member of Congress spent just 2 months trying to live on minimum wage, it would not take 12 years to get a minimum wage increase. When I’m in Congress, I will focus on restoring economic security for the middle class-and those working their way up to middle class–by passing legislation that rewards hard work with fair wages, expands apprenticeships and job training, and builds on manufacturing growth. I will taken on hidden junk-fees that companies use to rip of consumers and hold corporations accountable for price gouging (especially at our most vulnerable times). 

Student loan debt has crippled a significant portion of the working class. The economic burden of high interest rates taken on by our young people exceeds that of “forgiveness” programs. The least we can do is untie the economic straight jacket of our people with student loans. We can remove all interest on student loans, provide income-driven grants for graduate students, and subsidize costs of books and digital access to materials. 

First, we need to get the facts straight and bust these myths that America doesn’t need immigrants or that immigrants drain our system and don’t pay taxes. In fact, 75% of American say immigration is a good thing for the country and we need immigrants for our aging population. Also, immigrants have contributed more to society in taxes than they’ve taken in terms of public assistance. Most immigrants don’t take jobs away; it’s the opposite—their spending creates economic demand, creating more jobs. Both legal and undocumented immigrants are significantly less likely to commit crimes than people born in the US; and the majority of drugs in America are NOT brought in at the border. We must stop using immigration as a scapegoat for America’s problems—this fear mongering is subjecting immigrants to exploitation, trafficking, neglect, and cruelty. When I’m in office, I will focus on comprehensive immigration reform legislation and will work to push bipartisan efforts without watering down our democratic values. I will push for expedited work permits for those already here because we have to speed up the process. I will push for fairer and more efficient process for asylum claims and additional immigrant visas for families and workers—while we have policies and action in place, we aren’t here to dehumanize and tear apart families. And I will side with efforts to increase funding for more immigration judges, asylum officers, border patrol agents, and equipment. Finally, I am a proponent of the President having the ability to shut down the border when/if the system is overwhelmed.

Our values at the national level are inconsistent. On one hand, we support Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence against Russia; but on the other hand, we enable the death and destruction of Palestinian people and the constant encroachment of their land.  We’re losing the respect of the global community because of this hypocrisy. We can’t pick and choose when and if to impart our values. My solution is to implement policy and foreign relations that value ALL human life—applied equally. I understand that because of historical trauma, there is a need for safety of Jewish people, but it shouldn’t be at the expense and security of the Palestinians. An immediate ceasefire and a return to a commitment for a 2-state solution is a must. 

All Americans should have the right to freely be themselves and marry who they want without the government stepping in to tell them if they can or not. I will proudly fight against measures that aim to criminalize and punish members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I will support the right for all Americans to marry who they want, regardless of their gender, and will fight against efforts to revoke marriage equality. I will fight against bills that aim to discriminate against members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Our military fights for us every day, and Dr. McCray will fight for them. We owe it to the brave members of our military -active duty and reserve, in action, or here at home – to support their mental and physical health and wellbeing. 

We owe it to our children and our communities to provide every child with a high-quality education, regardless of race or zip-code.  I strongly believe in the long-term returns that come with investing heavily in early childhood care and education, which is not possible without fighting for our educators and teachers. There are models we can draw from that use funding sources from government, both state and federal, and private enterprise, to provide needed funds to already existing programs. I will support legislation rooted in evidence-based programs and pedagogical approaches, including assessment methods that consider the well-being of the whole student and recognize the range of ways students can demonstrate learning. I will support funding for public education, and fight against voucher and charter school programs that only funnel money into private entities without any measurable educational benefit. Finally, I will support wraparound health care and nutrition services, before- and after-school programs

We only have one Earth, and with an ever increasing demand for energy we must do all we can to protect and preserve what natural resources we have. We must pursue relentless research and development to find ways to produce cleaner energy and try to reverse the damage to our planet from climate change. I recognize the incredible need to fund the research needed to help make our energy generation more efficient and our environments healthier and safe. I will fight for corporate accountability measures aimed to reduce pollution across the globe and in our backyards. I will prioritize legislation that makes significant investments in the technology and workforce development needed to combat climate change.

As Senator, I will meet/confer with my colleagues on all sides of the political spectrum. 

Although we’re more polarized than ever, it’s still possible to have productive conversations about political beliefs. If we focus on PEOPLE over politics, we are closer to finding common ground. If we stick the facts/avoid confrontation (if possible), we can be an advocate, rather than an opponent. With that said, I will not water down or forsaken MY democratic values. Ultimately, human rights are non negotiable. The decision of whether marginalized groups should receive assistance, support, or advocacy should not be based on which party happens to be in power at the time. Politicians should uphold rights of all people, not just a few.