Healthcare

Healthcare is a human right. As a surgeon, my first question is never "how are you going to be paying?" As the wealthiest country in the world, there is no excuse for the crippling debt people go into trying to secure proper care. I support Medicare for All, and will vote for any bill that increases access to healthcare.

Education

Good education is essential for any society to thrive. Minnesotans have always valued education, and I plan on fighting for those values at the national level. We must restore cuts made to the Department of Education. We must address the growing literacy crisis.

On top of that, we need to address the increasing costs of higher education. It is unsustainable to demand that jobs require a post high school education while also making those degrees less accessible and more costly. No one should have to take on lifelong debts in order to obtain the knowledge and training they need to get a job to provide for a family. Upgrading our roads, bridges, public transportation, and utilities to meet modern standards and support growth.

Environment

I believe that Minnesota is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and we must fight to protect that. We should not be selling the boundary waters to foreign companies to extract the resources and leave us funding the clean up long after they are gone.

Climate change is the greatest threat humanity has faced and we need to get our heads out of the sand and treat it as such. I believe that it is possible to find solutions to climate change while also growing the economy and lowering the cost of energy. The US should be world leaders in clean energy. Creating jobs in the clean energy sector has the potential for massive economic growth.

Labor and the Economy

America is built on the backs of labor, and Minnesota has a rich part of that history. I will always support the rights of workers. Unions have always been our primary tool of fighting for workers rights, safety and fair wages. I will fight to protect your right to unionize.

The current minimum wage is far too low and has not kept up with inflation and economic growth. We are seeing, for the first time in world history, a generation of people who have less than what their parents had. As the wealthiest country in the world, this is unacceptable and has to be solved. No one should have to work multiple jobs to provide for their family.

ICE and Border Security

While a nation needs to protect its borders, the current administration is using ICE as its own secret police force to terrorize citizens who don't support them. The claim that they would only go after "the worst criminals" is blatantly false. A five year old is not a criminal. Peaceful protestors are not criminals. We must put an end to the madness and hold those responsible for the violence accountable.

It is unacceptable for any form of law enforcement to conceal their identities and act without warrants, without restraint, and without identification. ICE is not making people safer. For these reasons, I will not vote to fund ICE, and will support legislation that stops their illegal actions.

Government Accountability

No one is above the law. It's time to end corruption, to end corporate money in politics and to hold our leaders responsible for their actions. It does not matter what position of power you hold or how much wealth you own, if you commit a crime, you must face the law.

Elections and Democratic Freedoms

As your representative, I will fight to preserve democratic freedoms and your right to vote. It is inappropriate for the President of the United States to even "joke" about cancelling elections. Your right to vote is the most important freedom you can have in a democracy.

In Minnesota, we have high voter turnouts because we have made voting easy and accessible. I will fight to uphold the right for our state to independently conduct elections, without interference from the federal government.

I also oppose the SAFE Act, which claims its goal is to improve election security, when in reality, it makes it more difficult and adds unconstitutional burdens on your right to vote. The bill requires proof of citizenship, which many people don't have access to. It also requires extra documentation if you've had a name change, something that disproportionately affects women. Facts show that there is very little voter fraud, the voter fraud we find is never enough to change the outcome of an election, and that non citizens rarely attempt to vote. This bill would prevent legal citizens from voting.