Freedom for All
I fought to protect American freedoms in combat. Now, as the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in the U.S. House of Representatives, I’m continuing the fight in Congress.
FIGHTING TO PROTECT WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM
When the far-right tried to ban the safe and effective abortion medication Mifepristone and challenged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s authority over abortion medications in a Texas court, I immediately introduced my Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act. The Act would codify women’s right to access Mifepristone and abortion medications and reaffirm the FDA’s authority to determine which medications are safe and effective.
The far-right is now looking to weaponize the Comstock Act, an archaic law originally passed in 1873, in order to impose a nationwide abortion ban and criminalize women receiving and doctors providing life-saving care. This is a hidden ticking time-bomb that must be immediately defused. That's why I introduced the Stop Comstock Act to stop them in their tracks.
As a proud member of the Congressional Pro Choice Caucus, I champion legislation like the EACH Act to ensure affordable access to abortion care, Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act, and the Women’s Health Protection Act, that codifies a woman’s right to make her own reproductive healthcare choices and the ability of healthcare providers to offer them.
I’m also fighting for legislation like the Access to Family Building Act and the HOPE with Fertility Services Act - bills that would protect access to infertility treatments like IVF. The HOPE with Fertility Act also ensures that infertility treatments for certain conditions are covered by insurance, helping women access and afford the reproductive healthcare they deserve.
These attacks are also being waged on our women servicemembers and veterans. The women I served alongside didn’t risk their lives in combat to protect our freedom only to be stripped of their foundational freedom here at home. I’ve repeatedly pushed back against the far-right’s attempts to hijack defense funding bills and the nomination process for our military leaders to force through their anti-choice, anti-freedom agenda on our brave servicewomen. I’m proud to champion legislation like the Access to Reproductive Care for Servicemembers Act and the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act to ensure that VA protects the rights of our women veterans.
SAFEGUARDING ACCESS TO THE BALLOT
Voting is our most sacred duty, crucial to sustaining our democracy. I’m fighting to ensure that every American can freely and easily exercise that right.
I’m proud to cosponsor legislation that upholds voting rights, including the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1963 to its original strength, the Expanding the VOTE Act, the Voters on the Move Registration Act, and the Freedom to Vote Act.
This year, we saw six far-right members of Congress attempt to disenfranchise active duty servicemembers by preventing our men and women in uniform stationed overseas from casting their votes. I joined with fellow veterans in Congress to shut down their attacks on the voting rights of our servicemembers.
DEFENDING OUR RIGHTS
Our nation is founded on the core principle of freedom - the freedom to be who you are without fear, to love who you love, to worship however you believe. I went to West Point and served in the U.S. Army to defend those freedoms, and I always will.
As a member of the House Equality Caucus, I’m proud to champion legislation to protect the rights of our LGTBQ+ community, including the Equality Act to end discrimination against the LGTBQ+ community. This year, I secured $1 million in federal funding from the Department of Justice’s Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Program to prevent hate-fueled violence against our neighbors.
Our nation was founded on the freedom of religion, to safely worship as you wish without fear of persecution. I serve on the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism and am proud to cosponsor the Countering Antisemitism Act and the Antisemitism Awareness Act to crackdown on hate.