Issues

An Economy That Works For All

Andrea comes from a union family and knows the struggles working families face every day. At a time of rising costs of living and inflation, Andrea will fight for hard-working Oregonians and their families, not big corporations. She’s committed to lowering costs for families and increasing opportunities for our communities, including bringing more living-wage jobs to Oregon.

In Oregon, Andrea has helped increase the minimum wage and passed paid family and medical leave. She is a champion of better worker protections, affordable health care, and investments in our communities that benefit working families. In Congress, Andrea has supported federal funds for rural health care and education, better infrastructure, and growing Oregon’s green economy.

As the daughter of an immigrant and dedicated public servant, Andrea knows that good, equitable policies level the playing field and provide opportunities for a strong working class and good-paying jobs – both critical to the long-term future of Oregon and our country.

Affordable & Accessible Health Care

Andrea knows that affordable, high-quality health care continues to be out of reach for many Oregon families, and that is unacceptable. As a state legislator, Andrea served as the Chair of the House Health Care Committee and led the fight to cap the cost of prescription drugs and hold pharmaceutical companies accountable. She was a champion of Oregon’s Right to Healthcare Amendment and is focused on taking a data-driven approach to improving health care for all Oregon families.

In Congress, Andrea is fighting to increase access to affordable health care for as many folks as possible. She voted to strengthen price transparency at hospitals and insurance companies and co-sponsored legislation to improve health care for our rural communities. She will continue to push for prescription drug price caps and allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices.

Mental Health Care

Andrea recognizes that mental health is a critical piece of health care and that it is often overlooked. Too many individuals in Oregon and across the country struggle with mental illness and substance use disorders. This is especially true of minority communities, including Latino communities, who face disproportionate impacts from lack of accessible, culturally responsive health care resources.

In Congress, Andrea is committed to ensuring mental health remains a priority. She serves as the Co-Chair of the Mental Health Caucus and is working to improve access to mental health care across America. She has introduced several bills to improve access to mental health care, including the HOPE and Mental Wellbeing Act, which would provide three free behavioral health visits per year for Medicare and Medicaid recipients, as well as two bills that would expand access to peer support programs for mental health and substance use issues.

Reproductive Freedom & Abortion Rights

Andrea is a long-time reproductive rights advocate and unwavering champion of abortion access. She knows that reproductive health care, including abortion care, is essential health care. She worked as an advocate for NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, where she helped pass the country’s strongest reproductive rights law. In Congress, Andrea is fighting to codify the right to abortion into federal law, and she is working to improve access to reproductive health care for all.

Andrea understands that protecting access to safe, legal abortion care is just the beginning – we must do more to improve reproductive and maternal health care for all Americans, increase the access and affordability of contraception and other family planning treatments, and expand resources to underserved communities, particularly communities of color.

Housing & Homelessness

Andrea knows we need to tackle our affordable housing and homelessness crisis head on. It’s time to invest in affordable housing, expand mental health services, fund addiction treatment, and grow economic opportunity.

In Congress, Andrea secured federal funding for affordable housing initiatives in Tigard and Newberg and supported legislation that would pave the way for two million affordable homes to be built in the next decade. She is also prioritizing getting unhoused people into housing and is committed to working with local, state, and federal entities to find solutions. She is fighting for additional funding for emergency shelters in Oregon, as well as greater support for unaccompanied homeless youth.

Public Safety

Andrea’s dad was a police officer for over three decades, and she understands the urgency to improve public safety in our communities. She knows creating safer communities means ensuring first responders have the resources they need to do their job effectively, and increasing the supply and accessibility of social services that address the needs of our community.

In Congress, Andrea will continue to work with and support our law enforcement and first responders to ensure our communities are safe. She has delivered federal funding to help Salem Policy recruit and hire more Community Service Officers, introduced a bill to prioritize mental health for firefighters, and meets regularly with public safety agencies.

Andrea also knows that addressing the fentanyl crisis is a major component to safer communities, and she has made it a priority in her first term as your Congresswoman. She voted with Republicans and Democrats to reclassify fentanyl as a schedule I substance and increase penalties for drug traffickers, as well as securing two grants for Oregon’s rural communities to help them get fentanyl off the streets. She will continue working with local law enforcement and first responders to support their efforts in protecting our community.

Immigration

The daughter of a Mexican immigrant, Andrea understands deeply the promise of opportunity that the United States holds for many. She also knows that our current immigration system is not working, for Americans or migrants, and must be improved.

In Congress, Andrea serves as a member of the Border Security Task Force and is working with Democrats and Republicans to strengthen border security. She is fighting for policies that will increase investment in smart border security, streamline immigration courts, and deliver certainty for the millions of immigrants who already live here, pay taxes, and contribute so much to our communities.

Environment & Energy

Protecting our environment is critical to our way of life here in the Pacific Northwest and the future of our planet. Andrea knows that combating climate change now will have generational impacts, and she’s fighting to secure a better future for her daughter and her daughter’s generation.

As a former Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV) Board Member and advocate for multiple environmental organizations, Andrea brings to Congress over a decade of experience tackling the climate crisis right here in Oregon.

In Congress, Andrea is fighting for the urgent action we need to protect our planet and natural resources. She cosponsored the Clean Water Act, as well as legislation to improve environmental justice. Andrea knows we need to address climate change, while focusing on the profound and harmful impacts it has on low-income and BIPOC communities.

Her approach to fighting climate change is simple: we must take bold steps to grow Oregon into a national leader in green, renewable energy and sustainability, while simultaneously bringing secure, living-wage jobs to our state. Andrea will always stand up to corporate polluters to reduce pollution, protect our air and waterways, and put Oregon on a path to 100% green energy.

Democracy & Voting Rights

Voting rights and our democratic institutions are under attack by people who continue to push lies and false information about the legitimacy and integrity of our elections. Oregon is a national leader in voting rights and accessibility, and, as a state legislator, Andrea supported and championed many bills focused on expanding voting rights and reforming our campaign finance system.

In Congress, Andrea is working to expand these rights and protections nationally. She supports the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act and is focusing on restoring protections for voting rights and our democratic institutions to ensure that we continue to build a diverse, inclusive, and representative democracy.

Commonsense Gun Safety

As a mom, Andrea knows how scary it is to feel like your children aren’t safe at school. The safety of our children and our communities is Andrea’s number one priority, and she knows we need to take real action to prevent gun violence in this country.

For years, she has worked alongside Moms Demand Action to pass historic gun safety legislation in Oregon. In Congress, she sponsored legislation to regulate assault weapons and will continue to fight to pass commonsense gun legislation such as strengthening background checks and red flag laws, restricting stalkers and domestic abusers from owning weapons, and holding the gun lobby accountable.