ISSUES

Arizona First

Arizona thrives when we have good roads, strong bridges and access to high-speed Internet. Investing in infrastructure creates good-paying and safe jobs, allows entrepreneurs to start new businesses, and puts our state on a path to the strong, stable economy we need.

From working with local communities on key flood control projects in Pinal, Navajo and Coconino counties to finalizing historic water rights for the White Mountain Apache Tribe, Ann has been a forceful and effective advocate for Arizona’s infrastructure needs.

Today Tucson is strategically positioned to attract jobs in logistics and trade due to the confluence of Union Pacific railways alongside Interstate highways (I-10 and I-19), proximity to Mexico’s deep water ports, and availability of developable land just six miles from downtown. Ann knows how to bring Arizona tax dollars home to use our fair share of investment to develop our economy. She secured millions of dollars in TIGER grants for transportation projects in rural and tribal communities, including $15 million for an overpass at State Route 347, one of the most dangerous rail crossings in Arizona.

With Ann’s appointment to the Appropriations Committee in the 116th Congress, Southern Arizona is primed to lead the nation in infrastructure and innovation. Investments in infrastructure are investments in American innovation and help to rebuild middle class. Arizona has widespread infrastructure needs, and Ann knows we can create thousands of jobs by getting folks to work on these projects. With smart, targeted investments, we can build the foundation for our long-term economic prosperity.

Republicans and outside groups have spent $40 million against Ann over the past ten years. She has seen first-hand that the proliferation of money in politics, particularly following the Citizen’s United decision, has had a corrupting influence on all aspects of American politics.

That’s why Ann supports the DISCLOSE Act to require reporting of all dark money spent in election’s and the Government By The People Act that would incentivize political campaigns that are funded by grassroots donors, not corporate PACs.

Ann is also proud that nearly 100,000 people have given to her campaigns. She is committed to fighting the millions in dark money the Republicans will throw at her with the power of people.

Our financial system is rigged against working families – too many are working harder and harder for less. As a former prosecutor, Ann is horrified that to this day no one on Wall Street has gone to jail for causing the economic collapse. Eight years later, Wall Street has not been held accountable. Ann believes we need more financial cops on the Wall Street beat who can enforce the laws with real teeth. Congress should close the revolving door between Wall Street and its regulators. Those who perpetrated a fraud on the American public deserve serious jail time.

Ann is also committed to ensuring all Americans, men and women, are guaranteed paid family leave in the workplace. As we build an economy that works for everyone, she believes families need paid time off to deal with births, deaths and illnesses that we all face. It’s simply wrong that only those with the financial means have the ability to properly deal with life’s ups and downs.

Ann believes in the promise this nation has made to our seniors – that a lifetime of hard work will lead to economic security and access to health care in retirement.

As our economy continues its long recovery after the Great Recession, more seniors than ever are counting on Social Security and Medicare. And after years of hard work, they have earned the peace of mind these programs provide.

Ann has fought to protect Arizona’s families from attempts to privatize Social Security or turn Medicare into a voucher system. She opposed the Ryan Budget and criticized its harmful priorities. Ann also joined her colleagues in the successful fight to defeat the administration’s “chained CPI” proposal, which would have cut Social Security benefits, hurting seniors, veterans and working families. She also rejects privatization proposals that are described with code words such: personal accounts, partial privatization, options to invest benefits, partial investment of benefits, and the like.

Ann will never go back on the promise of Social Security and Medicare. They are earned benefits, not entitlements. She will fight to protect these programs against privatization or efforts to end the Medicare guarantee.

Ann believes in universal health care to ensure that all Americans have insurance so that they can get high-quality, affordable health care.

Ann’s proudest vote in Congress was for the Affordable Care Act. She believes no one should have to make life-and-death medical decisions based on money. Although that vote cost her an election in 2010, she knew it was the right thing to do and will continue to fight reckless Republican efforts to repeal the ACA. The ACA has led to a large drop in Arizona’s and the country’s rate of uninsured people, allowing hundreds of thousands of Arizonans to get health insurance for the first time. It has ended abuses such as people being denied the coverage they’ve long paid for at the unfortunate time that they are diagnosed with cancer or other life-threatening diseases. The Act has also led to a huge decrease in uncompensated care by Arizona’s hospitals, which are now fiscally stronger. Our entire public health system has been strengthened, which is one reason that Arizona’s health sector has grown into the one of the strongest sectors of our economy.

As a mother whose daughter experienced complications with the birth of her son, Ann knows how devastating it can be for a family with an unexpected medical problem. The anxiety of managing serious threats to a loved one’s health is only compounded by the bills that come along with them. Thankfully, Ann’s grandson is happy and healthy, and her daughter had health insurance to support the effort to care for her newborn. But too many families still lack coverage.

The passage of the ACA was a step in the right direction, but in practice, it has left us short of the universal coverage Americans need. It’s time to take the next step towards creating the 21st century health care system Americans deserve – that’s why Ann supports “Medicare for All.” There are several different ‘Medicare for All’ proposals and there are different ideas on how we afford to cover everyone – Ann is interested in researching and debating these ideas. This will not happen overnight and it may look different than anything outlined, but we can and need to find the solution.

Ann has always been a vocal champion for equality and ensuring that all Americans enjoy equal rights, including members of the LGBTQ community. She co-sponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and applauded President Obama’s executive action on employment discrimination.

Growing up in the White Mountains, Ann learned the value of a dollar from her father, who ran the general store. Those lessons stayed with her as she worked her way through college and law school and when she ran her own business.

Governing from crisis to crisis, pushing problems off on future generations – that’s not how Ann’s father ran his store, and that’s not how we should run our country. Ann knows firsthand that the political fights in Washington are devastating to businesses here in Arizona. That’s why she believes that Congress should include “pay-for” measures in all spending bills, instead of kicking the can to the next generation.

There are hard choices to make, and Arizona deserves leaders who can face these choices, work together and find solutions – just as families and businesses do every day.

For years, Ann has kept a quote on her desk in Congress that was given to her by a veteran. It reads: “Because they have already paid the price, fight for veterans with all your might.”

Ann has a record of unfailing support for veterans’ benefits and veterans’ programs that assist with job placement, health care and education.

She has worked tirelessly to ensure that veterans get the care they have earned. Her bipartisan legislation, VA CORE, was signed into law to help reduce the VA claims backlog that has affected thousands of veterans across the nation. Most recently, Ann helped pass the Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act, which provides cost-free child care services when they receive VA health care services.

Ann was the first member of Congress to bring the allegations about the devastating scheduling practices at the Phoenix VA to the Inspector General, prompting an investigation of VA facilities nationwide. In the wake of that scandal, Ann served on the bipartisan House-Senate conference committee that crafted the most significant VA reform bill in years.

The heroic sacrifices of our servicemen and women must be honored not only while they are serving in uniform but also long after they have returned home. This is a principle that Ann holds deeply — and she will continue to fight for our veterans each and every day.

Arizona has suffered for far too long from the failure of our leaders in Washington to fix our broken immigration system. Unfortunately, too many politicians are content to exploit this issue for political gain.

Ann has consistently supported tough, fair and comprehensive immigration reform. She joins with Arizona’s business owners, educators, farmers, ranchers, and so many others in supporting comprehensive immigration reform that secures our border, keeps families together and addresses the needs of Arizona’s economy.

As a former prosecutor, Ann has a long record of working to ensure border agents and law enforcement officials have the resources they need to combat cartels and traffickers. She worked to pass a $600 million border security package and successfully opposed cuts to federal funding that relieved the burden of border enforcement on Arizona.

Ann has been a consistent advocate for the DREAM Act, which offers a chance at the American dream to undocumented young people who were brought to this country as children and are now working hard, playing by the rules and helping to strengthen our communities. Ann introduced the American Dream Employment Act which would allow the U.S. Congress to hire these talented young women and men in congressional offices. She supports policies that keep families together and rejects the Trump Administration’s agenda of building a wall and targeting productive working people for deportation.

Ann has heard from countless Arizonans that addressing our broken immigration system is critical to Arizona’s economic future. Ann joins families across our state in calling for immigration reform that will keep families together, stimulate our economy and ensure border communities are safe and secure.

Today, Arizona’s children are competing for jobs with the entire world – so they need a world-class education to prepare them for the 21st century economy.

As a mother who sent her children to Arizona’s public schools and former teacher, Ann knows we must do more to recruit, train and retain high-quality teachers in our state – particularly in rural communities. And, just as important, we must put our teachers and students in a position to succeed by properly funding classrooms, training programs and other essential needs.

Skyrocketing tuition has become a greater and greater burden on recent college graduates. This is holding back our economy and hurting the next generation of Arizonans. Ann is dedicated to reining in the cost of tuition and relieving the burden of student debt on Arizona families.

Ann is also fighting back against government policies that hurt students and their families. She supports restoring funding for Arizona’s public universities, which have seen their budgets dismantled in recent years. Ann has fought against repeated attempts to cut Pell Grants, which play an important role in making the dream of a college degree a reality for thousands of Arizonans. She also supports free community college.

A quality education is the birthright of every child, but our education system is failing our families. Our economy is changing, and so are the tools and training needed to succeed. More American’s must have access to affordable post-high school education choices, including four-year college, community college, and certificate programs, that train them for today’s jobs. Ann is committed to making the American education system the envy of the world by ensuring every child receives the education he or she deserves.

Ann’s economic approach is aimed toward a central goal: Get folks back to work in good-paying jobs.

Middle-class families in Arizona were smashed by the recession –and they struggle to keep up with the rising cost of basic living expenses, gasoline, college education, and healthcare even today.

Ann is committed to making Arizona home to a revived middle class by creating good-paying local jobs. And in order to do that, Ann wants to jumpstart the economy by supporting small businesses; keeping Arizona jobs in Arizona; fostering innovation; and making smart investments in education, infrastructure and job training.

Ann knows the importance of international trade to our economy, but she opposes so-called “free trade” deals that outsource U.S. jobs and harm American workers. And since the global economy demands an educated and evolving workforce, Ann is a fierce proponent of job training and education programs to help workers find jobs in the 21st century economy.

Our state also needs more good-paying jobs, and Ann is dedicated to creating an environment where new entrepreneurs and innovators can thrive. That means a tax code that fosters innovation, an end to unnecessary and burdensome regulations, and smart investments in education, infrastructure and job training.

Ann played a leading role in advancing key infrastructure projects across Arizona, such as the proposed Interstate 11 through Pinal and Pima counties, flood control projects in Coconino, Navajo and Pinal counties, and road improvements on the Navajo Nation. She is pushing to bring access to high-speed Internet to all corners of Arizona, which would provide an immense boost to local economies and prepare our students for the jobs of the future.

Ann knows that we need a Congresswoman who will bring home our fair share of federal tax revenues to support economic development in Southern Arizona, including the development of Tucson’s trade and logistics sector. Tucson’s access to rail, interstate highways and proximity to Mexico’s deep water ports makes it a natural location for these highly skilled, good-paying jobs.

Arizona’s natural resources are critical to our state’s economic prosperity. That’s why Ann has worked tirelessly to bring government agencies, local officials, conservationists and other stakeholders to the table to finalize the Four Forest Restoration Initiative. The initiative will protect Arizona’s treasured forests, create jobs, and help our economy for years to come.

Ann also co-sponsored the bipartisan Southeast Land Exchange and Conservation Act, which traded 2,400 acres of Forest Service land for 5,000 acres of privately held, environmentally sensitive land – and will create thousands of jobs in Arizona’s Copper Corridor. And Ann has fought back whenever bureaucrats in Washington impose burdensome regulations that would devastate our rural and tribal communities.

For Ann, working for Arizona means fighting for an economy that ensures that all of our families have a chance to work hard and build a better life for their children.

As the home of the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the Sonoran Desert and so much beautifully preserved wilderness, Arizona offers its residents a special connection to our environment. It is our duty to protect and preserve these places for our children and for generations to come. Arizona’s natural resources are also key economic engines – particularly in rural areas – and bring much-needed jobs to our state.

Ann is committed to protecting our natural heritage. She worked to bring government agencies, local officials, conservationists and other public and private stakeholders to the table to finalize the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, which will protect Arizona’s treasured forest and create jobs.

Ann believes we must fight global climate change and reduce our carbon footprint before it is too late. She strongly supports developing a wide range of alternative energy sources in Arizona to create 21st-century jobs and free America from its dependence on foreign oil.

However, Ann has fought against the federal government’s harmful approach to Arizona’s land and water issues. Regulations drafted by bureaucrats who fail to understand our state would cost thousands of Arizonans their jobs, devastating rural and tribal communities. Instead, Ann believes the federal government must work in conjunction with local communities to protect Arizona jobs today and position our state to grow and thrive.

Like a lot of Arizonans, Ann learned how to hunt from her father. Responsible gun ownership has always been a part of her heritage. Today, she remains a proud gun owner and strong supporter of the Second Amendment.

As a former prosecutor, Ann also knows there are common-sense steps we can take to prevent gun violence and keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. Gun violence has torn our communities apart and Ann believes we must pass stronger laws to protect lives.

Some people should not have access to guns, including criminals and the severely mentally ill. Ann has co-sponsored legislation to strengthen background checks, prevent guns from getting into the hands of those convicted of domestic violence, and end the ban on gun violence research. And Ann is fighting to close the Terror Gap to prevent those on the terrorist watch list from buying guns.

Ann has also been endorsed by leading gun violence prevention advocates, Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly.

Southern Arizona is home to the A-10 Squadron, the only plane in the U.S. Military capable of providing close-air support to our troops on the ground. The A-10 protects our troops when they are in combat. That’s why Ann has long been an advocate of protecting the A-10 program and strongly supported former Rep. Ron Barber’s successful 2014 effort to save the A-10’s funding.

Ann believes we need protect the A-10 program until we develop a reliable replacement. She also supports investing in the next generation of military technology to defend our nation and ensure the safety of our troops – and that new technology should be based here in Southern Arizona at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Fort Huachuca Army Base.

Those who serve our country put themselves in harm’s way to defend us all. Ann knows we have an obligation to ensure their families have good jobs, secure housing, access to an affordable education and the health care they deserve. She will continue to fight in Congress to fulfill our obligations to those who serve and the ones who love them.

Ann is proudly pro-choice and has always been an advocate for ensuring all women have access to the health services they need. She will fight against Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood or weaken protections or access for women’s health insurance and services.