United States SenateCandidate for Senator

I support the Senate Democrats’ Blueprint to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure, which would make key investments to improve America’s crumbling infrastructure including:

• $210 billion to repair crumbling roads and bridges
• $180 billion to replace and expand transit and commuter rail systems
• $65 billion to modernize ports, airports and waterways
• $100 billion for 21st century energy infrastructure
• $110 billion to modernize water and sewer systems.

I am a strong advocate for universal health care, and with my colleagues in the Senate, stopped the Republican attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

In 2009, when we were considering the Affordable Care Act, I sponsored legislation to create a public option to compete with private health insurance, which I continue to support. I also support lowering the age for Medicare eligibility to 55, mandating that Medicare negotiates for drug prices, which it currently does not, allowing HHS to reject unreasonable premium increases and requiring 85% of all premium dollars to go to patients, instead of 80%.

We are a state and a nation of immigrants, and I strongly oppose Donald Trump’s attacks on our immigrant communities and believe we must have comprehensive immigration reform.

I support the DREAM Act and DACA which is why I opposed the recent omnibus spending package that did not include protections for Dreamers. I also strongly oppose President Trump’s unjust and unconstitutional travel ban and have authored legislation to rescind the President's executive orders.

I was proud to work closely with Dolores Huerta and the United Farm Workers to author the Agricultural Worker Program Act to put farmworkers on a path to earned legal status and citizenship.

We must come together to pass comprehensive immigration reform, that includes a pathway to citizenship for immigrants, assistance for immigrant members of the armed services and their families, visa reform, backlog reduction, and family humanitarian relief.

In the Senate, I secured passage of $558 million in federal funding in response to California’s five-year historic drought.

I have also coauthored the bipartisan Securing Required Funding for Water Infrastructure Now Act to further modernize investments in water infrastructure while protecting our environment. The legislation would authorize an additional $200 million annually over five years to support state revolving fund projects, encourage states to bundle their projects by waiving the $100,000 application fee and preserve the successful state revolving funds and the Water Infrastructure and Innovation Act loan program.

I agree that the lack of civility is serious problem in our country right now.  And as leaders in Washington, we must set a positive example for how we can overcome political division and work respectfully with a common purpose to improve the lives of all Americans.

I’m not a name caller. Throughout my career, I’ve always been willing to work with my colleagues in both parties to enact pragmatic solutions to the problems facing our state and our nation. If re-elected to the Senate, I will continue to work in a bipartisan manner on behalf of the American people.