African Americans and Latinos still face limited housing choices, and live in poor neighborhoods that lack the infrastructure and environmental safety of affluent neighborhoods.

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No reliable official US data exist on the number of persons killed by police, in part because of long-standing and well-documented resistance of police departments to making these data public. This needs to change. I would support independent review of all police killings.

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Private prisons have no real incentive to rehabilitate prisoners. They make their profit from a criminal society, so they have no interest to reduce criminality or encourage rehabilitation.

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I have voted for these types of reforms during my tenure in the California Legislature and will continue to support criminal justice reform efforts at the Federal level.

This is one area where there are stark differences between my opponent and I. Senator Feinstein was a strong advocate for the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 that set the stage for America’s prison industry explosion. In contrast, I believe addicts need treatment not incarceration. I supported several changes over the years for sentencing and was a strong supporter of CA prop 47- an initiative that sought to Classified “non-serious, nonviolent crimes" as misdemeanors instead of felonies unless the defendant has prior convictions for murder, rape, certain sex offenses or certain gun crimes among other changes. Senator Feinstein fiercely opposed read her position here: https://www.dailynews.com/2014/10/15/prop-47-will-make-californians-less-safe- dianne-feinstein/

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I’m a strong believer in and supporter of a woman’s right to control her own health care.

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I’m a strong believer in and supporter of a woman’s right to control her own health care.

During my time as the State Senate leader, I fought for higher Medi-Cal reimbursement rates for reproductive health care. I secured $50 million from Proposition 56 tobacco tax revenue to assistant Planned Parenthood Clinics throughout the state. I’m a strong and unwavering advocate for access and choice and have been recognized by Planned Parenthood with a consistent 100 percent voting record and numerous awards, with special recognition in 2014 for legislative leadership.

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I believe healthcare is a human right, not an exclusive privilege of the wealthy.

Heatlhcare premiums are skyrocketing by double digits with each passing year, leaving too many Americans agonizing over how to pay for coverage while still meeting their basic needs. It is incumbent on those who oppose Medicare for All to also explain how working families will be able to pay for the status quo. A recent study funded by opponents of single payer, showed that adopting the Medicare-for-All plan could save Americans up to $2 trillion over the next decade. The reality is, a Medicare-for-All system is the only way to get healthcare costs under control. Switching to this system will save billions in administrative cost, give us the power to finally hold the drug companies accountable, and squeeze other savings out of the system. Americans are already paying for the cost of a single-payer system, but see none of the benefits in return. In California I led the fight for Medicare-for-All, and in Washington I will do the same. Getting it done won’t be easy, but taking on special interests never is.

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Our veterans deserve a comprehensive overhaul of the VA, but that doesn’t mean submitting to the push from the President’s civilian “brain trust” at Mar-A-Lago calling for the privatization of the VA.

Although this President’s supreme disrespect for Veterans was made clear when he nominated a personal friend with no administrative experience to helm the VA, the issues the administration faces have been around a long time. A great deal of the issues surrounding the department can be traced back to the dark money interests that have pervaded D.C since the Supreme Court handed down their Citizens United decision, and the fact that the percentage of veterans in Congress has hit an all-time low. The California legislature has led the movement to secure new, affordable housing for the veterans that need it most, and I’ll be sure to continue that push in Washington.

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I was the lead negotiator with Governor Jerry Brown and the state’s unions to secure a $15 minimum wage in California, and then shepherded the legislation through both houses to the Governor’s desk. I would do the same at the federal level.

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The Trump/GOP tax cut was a travesty. It cut taxes at the top and offered fuzzy promises to everyone else. The Trump plan does little for the working class.

Federal policies — including tax reform — should help those who need it most, including low- and modest-income working-class families that have been hard hit by the economic trends of recent decades. Instead, Congress should be advocating for 1) A major EITC expansion to fix the flaw for workers not raising children and then roughly double the maximum EITC amount for all groups, and 2) an increase to the Child Tax Credit. An effort to increase the refundability of the Child Tax Credit and to increase its size for young children should be considered. The EITC and CTC encourage work and would have large poverty-reducing effects. Congress could realistically pay for the EITC and CTC expansions by closing loopholes and broadening the tax base, while also raising additional revenue to meet other national needs.

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America's prosperity was built on the strength of our working and middle classes. We don't succeed when a few at the top do well while everyone else struggles to get by. I believe that every Americans deserve a fair shot and that everyone should do their fair share.

The folks at the very top don't need another champion in Washington. The people who need a champion in Washington are the hard working men and women I meet everyday trying to make a life for themselves and their family.

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In CA, I co-authored not only a restoration of the 2016 FCC Net Neutrality rules, but we passed a new gold standard that advances net neutrality.

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I support transitioning as quickly as possible from a fossil fuel based economy into a clean energy economy.

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I strongly support full funding for the US EPA, and strongly oppose all efforts to roll back regulations, deny science, and defund enforcement actions at US EPA and other environmental agencies.

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I support a 100% clean energy future for our nation.

Yes, I will not only defend progress we have made to address climate change, but I also will lead on this issue in much the same way I have as a state senator and as Senate pro Tem. I have authored landmark legislation to reduce Green House Gases (GHG) and to promote 100% clean energy by 2045 (SB 100), to ensure that all communities in California—particularly disadvantaged communities—benefit from the investments of cap and trade dollars (SB 535), and worked to reduce conventional air pollution along with GHGs (AB 617).

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Unlike my opponent, I am not a war hawk. We must accept that the United States cannot solve every problem in the world. Accordingly, we must work together with our allies to resolve the conditions that have given rise to terrorism, civil wars, and instability in the region. We should prioritize a diplomatic approach to end wars, occupations, and climate injustices that continue to generate the world’s many refugee crises. The new US leadership in the world must be about moral humanitarian advocacy not authorization of force.

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I have a consistent track record of supporting efforts to restore voting rights in California and will do so at the federal level.

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I will fight for affordable, accessible, and high-quality public education opportunities for all. I do not support the privatization of education. My experience serving in the State Legislature, has equipped me to understand the needs of California students and teachers. In fact, the success of our work here in California - the nation's largest and most populous state - can be instructive to ensuring equitable federal policy across the country. Over the years, I have prioritized the funding of State Pre-School for lower- income families, expanded Transitional Kindergarten, and funded K-12 per-pupil spending at the highest dollar amount in our state’s history. As a nation, we continue to underspend on educating our low-income students and students of color— the very students who could benefit most from additional support in their schools. We need to articulate a clear vision of how our schools should run and what our students deserve.

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I fought to augment CAL Grant funding, open more in-state student slots at the UC and CSU systems, and last year I co-authored a bill to make the first year of Community College tuition free for Californians.

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I will fight for comprehensive immigration reform.

I have a long history working for immigrants and with the immigrant rights community. I not only support comprehensive immigration reform but I have led the fight against President Trump's efforts to commandeer local law enforcement for his anti-immigrant agenda. Over the years as a legislator, I have worked side by side with immigrant rights groups on: California Dream Act, the Trust Act, granting drivers licenses to undocumented California residents, the Dream Loan Program, allowing undocumented immigrant to qualify for professional licenses regulated by the Department of Consumer Affairs, promoting Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, expanding Medical coverage to immigrants, One California Funding for Immigrant Services, etc.

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While congress has failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform, the California legislature has actually taken steps to protect all residents of this great state. Reform is necessary. A reformed immigration system should be clear, concise and simplified. A potential immigrant should get a decision on immigration applications within a short period of time. Reform should treat every person with dignity, fix the family visa backlog and bring millions of hardworking people into the formal economy. We need to end the three- and 10- year bars. We need to defend and make permanent the Obama executive actions—known as DACA and DAPA. We must end family detention and close private immigration detention centers. We need to promote naturalization by expanding fee waivers to alleviate naturalization costs, increase access to language programs to encourage English proficiency, and increase outreach and education to help more people navigate the process.

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I believe we must treat people with dignity and respect. We cannot separate families and we cannot treat migrants inhumanely.

With a firm understanding of the contributions California’s undocumented community has made to our state’s culture and economy, I have helped lead the fight against local law enforcement being commandeered to enforce federal immigration laws. This past year, I passed SB 54, the California Values Act, which prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies, including school police and security departments, from using resources to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect, or arrest people for immigration enforcement purposes.

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I have supported efforts to do so for the California Ballot.

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For nearly a decade, I have been a leader in California’s fight for gun violence prevention laws. California’s action to reduce gun violence sharply contrasts with the inaction of Washington DC. Instead of responding to an ever-burgeoning crisis, Congress has chosen to argue and play games over gun control bills. In 2016, I led the charge to enact the most stringent gun violence prevention policies in a generation, including my SB 1235 requiring background checks for anyone who buys or sells ammunition. I would restrict the loaning of guns without background checks to friends and family. I would personally prioritize a national ammunition registry. Additionally, we must close the domestic violence loophole to prevent convicted domestic abusers and stalkers from buying and owning guns.

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America's gun violence epidemic is a stain on our society. For too long, we’ve stood by and watched as our elementary schools, churches, and music festivals turn into bloody scenes of violence and terror. Here in the greatest country on earth, we are witnessing unprecedented levels of gun violence and inaction is no longer an option. The Republican-backed NRA continues to spend millions of dollars on misleading attacks to convince us and our lawmakers that gun control is a threat to our constitutional right. In 2017, the NRA spent over $4 million dollars lobbying against common-sense gun regulations. Let me be clear: it’s possible to enact common-sense gun control that keeps our families and communities safe while also protecting the constitutional rights of gun owners. I know this because it’s what we have done in California. In the State Senate I sponsored multiple bills designed to keep Californians safe. And under my leadership we eventually passed legislation to expand the 1989 assault weapons ban, prevent possession of many high-capacity magazines, better regulate ammunition sales, and improve the reporting of stolen firearms. We owe it to our children and our grandchildren to enact common-sense gun control that will lead to a brighter and safer future.

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In my 12 years of elected life, I have maintained an open door policy and participated in dozens of public events a year. I absolutely commit to continuing that effort and approach in the United States Senate.

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