Health Care & Public Health

My work on the Boston City Council has focused on improving health outcomes for groups that are too often marginalized and overlooked in our national health care debate, including women and girls, those impacted by trauma and gun violence, men and women who are homeless, individuals and families struggling with addiction, and immigrants facing barriers to care. Those are the same communities whose challenges I will elevate in Congress. And just like in Boston, where I have worked closely with providers, advocates, and community organizers and community members, my approach to policy-making in Washington will be collaborative and grounded in the needs of our district.

Violence & Trauma

On the Boston City Council, I have been intentional about shining a light on the experiences that lead to trauma, and challenges faced by those who are continuing to deal with it - including families impacted by gun violence, children who are exposed to violence at home or at school, and women and girls who are victims of sexual and domestic violence. At the federal level, we need policies that seek to prevent the kind of violence that leads to trauma - including gun violence, sexual violence, and hate crimes - and we need policies that support those who have been impacted by violence, in order to break the vicious cycle of trauma that perpetuates further violence and corrodes opportunity.

Immigration

In Congress, I will be a fierce advocate for the rights of immigrants - both documented and undocumented - and will not treat the future of young immigrants or their parents, as a political bargaining chip. We need activist leadership that will help us both resist Donald Trump and make real progress for immigrant communities. Over the long term, we must develop a more humane immigration system, in partnership with the native countries of our nation’s diverse immigrant communities. As Vanessa Calderón Rosado wrote in a recent WBUR op-ed, “Having people in our highest offices that have actually experienced trauma and inequality, would bring greater empathy, understanding and urgency for change.” In Congress, I will elevate immigrant voices from all corners - immigrants from Central and South America, from Asia, from Africa, members of the Afro-Latino immigrant community, migrants from European countries, and others - to advance policies that will meaningfully support our communities and create greater opportunity for all.

Transportation

On the Boston City Council, I have championed strategic, multi-modal transportation projects that have improved conditions for everyone in our city, including piloting bus rapid transit, passing an ordinance to better protect bicyclists, and expanding access to public transit. In Congress, I will work with advocates, residents, and private and public stakeholders in every community to champion the development, adoption, funding, and maintenance on a 21st century regional multimodal transportation and infrastructure plan. I will work to modernize funding and structure at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), and will be intentional about linking infrastructure investments with local economic development efforts and smart housing policy across the district. By making comprehensive community input central to the development and maintenance of our regional transit system, we can help ensure equity in planning and outcomes.

Environment

The 7th District needs leadership in Washington that will not only resist efforts to undermine existing environmental protections, but who will work proactively to address environmental challenges, prepare for the impacts of climate change, and expand access to clean air, clean water, and green space.

Education

On the Boston City Council, I have focused on improving student health by funding school nurses in every public school in Boston, and building a farm-to-school pipeline to provide students with healthy food in school - the place many students get their only reliable meal of the day; I’ve worked to address school discipline policies that disproportionately impact girls and address teen pregnancy, which leads too many girls to drop out; I’ve advocated for efforts to improve the quality of Madison Park Vocational Technical High School in Roxbury; and I’ve worked to hold for-profit colleges accountable and help protect students against deceptive loan practices. We need leaders in Congress who will not only fight for greater funding for education, but who understand the root causes of educational inequity and will work proactively to address them - that is the kind of leadership I will bring.

Housing

On the City Council, I have fought to increase the percentage of affordable housing units under the City’s Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) and supported efforts to protect tenants and homeowners from discriminatory or unreasonable evictions. In Congress, I will work with my colleagues to stand up against the harmful steps being taken by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under Secretary Ben Carson, and to advance policies that increase equitable housing access for every person and family in the 7th Congressional District.

Source: Ayanna Pressley.com