Defending Women’s Rights and Equality
As a son, husband, and father of a daughter, I have spent my life surrounded by strong, talented, and hardworking women. My wife Janine is a physician who has dedicated her career to caring for others, and my daughter Sydra is building her own life and future. Their example reminds me every day that every woman should have the freedom, support, and opportunity to pursue her goals without discrimination, violence, or political interference. That is what I want for my daughter, and it is what I want for women and girls across Sacramento County.
We have made meaningful progress in this country, but there is still much more work to do. Women still face discrimination in the workplace, barriers to economic opportunity, threats to their reproductive freedom, and far too much domestic and sexual violence. I believe women should be paid fairly, treated equally, protected from abuse, and trusted to make their own health care decisions. Washington politicians should not be interfering in deeply personal medical decisions that belong between a woman and her doctor.
That is why I have worked to protect reproductive freedom and expand access to care. I voted for the Women’s Health Protection Act after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and I also voted for the Right to Contraception Act to protect access to birth control. I have supported efforts to make contraception more affordable, including legislation to expand access to over-the-counter birth control, because women deserve access to the care and information they need to make the decisions that are right for them and their families.
I have also worked to stand with women facing violence and abuse. I voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and helped secure $275,000 for WEAVE’s permanent supportive housing in Sacramento County for survivors of domestic violence. I will continue fighting to protect reproductive freedom, support survivors of violence, and make sure every woman has the opportunity to succeed without her gender being a barrier to her future.