Op-Eds

This community was tested during the Thomas Fire – but from first responders and emergency personnel, to the many organizations and volunteers who supported the evacuation and relief effort, Ventura County came together to support friends and neighbors in need. While this area is on the road to recovery, we must remain vigilant and start planning ahead because we don’t know when another disaster may strike. But we need the Senate’s help to do that.

We have now seen the President of the United States — not once, but twice — use children as hostages to extort immigration legislation from Congress that is contrary to our values, and therefore destructive to our democracy.

Our men and women in uniform undertake enormous sacrifices every day to keep us safe. In return, we promise that they will have a fair shot at a good-paying job when they come home.

We as a nation have made a promise to the heroes who put on the uniform. Small-business ownership must be accessible to all the men and women who have sacrificed on our behalf. The Veteran Entrepreneurs Act is one idea, among many, that can tear down the barriers to help veterans fulfill their dream of becoming entrepreneurs.

Jan, Larry, and Veronika. I carry their memories with me everyday, alongside those of the countless other victims of senseless gun violence who are being slaughtered across the country — day after day, week after week, year after year.

Federal budgets are about federal priorities, and they impact every man, woman and child in the country. They have always required bipartisan votes to move forward, and since I’ve been elected, Republicans and Democrats — no matter which party controlled the White House or the houses of Congress — have had to work together to fund the government.

Last week, Republicans in Congress used a procedural gimmick to force through one of the most unpopular tax bills in history, without an iota of Democratic input. They robbed the middle class to give more to the uber-rich and corporations that outsource jobs — just in time for the holidays.

President Trump said the tax cuts would be huge. They would go straight to the middle-class, and everyone would get a $4,000 raise. The plan would create jobs and spur growth. And all of this would be done without adding any more money to the national debt. Listening to the rhetoric, the plan sounded quite glorious.

On Veterans Day, we recognize the courageous sacrifice of those who chose to fight on behalf of our nation, and honor the legacy of those we lost.

In the current political environment, it often feels like there is more that divides us than unites. In reality, there is broad, bipartisan agreement among Americans on many important issues facing our nation. We just see no action on them in Congress.

Sunday marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, when the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed the constitutional right of women to make decisions about their own health care without interference from the government.

The election may have passed, but I join millions of Americans across the country who stand firm in the resolve that our nation will be one that works for everyone — a stronger, inclusive America built around uplifting and empowering all of its citizens.

There seems to be a script. Each incidence of gun violence is followed by outrage, heartbreak, a moment of silence, a muddying of the waters by cable show pundits and then … nothing. Whether motivated by hate, a result of mental illness, driven by extremism, racism, or as a domestic dispute — the why varies but the response remains the same.

In 1973, the United States eliminated the draft and moved to an all-volunteer force. Our men and women have served multiple deployments and extended missions in Iraq and Afghanistan honorably, but what are we doing to properly support our heroes when they return to their communities?

Re: The Star’s Nov. 22 editorial, “Don’t let fear erode America’s historic values”: The editorial suggested I was dismissive of a vote I took to certify the screening of Syrian refugees hoping to settle in the United States. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As a woman, a mother and a member of Congress, I have been a tireless advocate for protecting women’s health. Reproductive health is a cornerstone of women’s equality and economic opportunity. Every woman should have access to reproductive health services like cancer screenings, tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, preventive care and birth control.

Iran has long worked to develop a nuclear weapon, and the international community has long struggled with the best way to stop them. There have been sanctions, negotiations and considerations of military strikes.

Let’s face it, our democracy is in danger. Between districts across the country being drawn by legislators with the sole purpose of preserving their jobs, the push to further restrict the ability of average citizens to even be able to vote, and the Supreme Court’s recent moves to weaken campaign finance laws, we are truly at a crossroad.