Changing the Status Quo for Families, Equality & Economic Fairness

By Val Arkoosh, MD, MPH

Working families continue to fall through the cracks in our communities, largely due to stagnating incomes and workplace inequality. At the same time, LGBT individuals and families continue to face unequal treatment under the law.

We need a comprehensive plan that changes the status quo by pushing for equality and kick starting our economy that works for all Americans, not just a select few.

Hardworking families are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. That's why I back commonsense solutions to help working families get ahead, not just get by.

• Promoting paid sick and medical leave legislation that allows working parents to take time off to care for a new child or family member.

• Expanding access to affordable, safe and nurturing childcare and early childhood education and literacy programs for families, particularly working mothers.

• Increasing access to comprehensive and affordable healthcare for all Americans.

• Strengthening national gun safety laws by expanding background check requirements, closing loopholes, and reducing access to firearms designed and intended for military use.

For too long our laws have singled out women and the LGBT community as undeserving of equal treatment. In Congress, I will be a forceful advocate for:

• Reducing gender pay disparity and promoting equal pay by strengthening current legislation and enforcing stricter rules that make it more difficult for employers to engage in wage discrimination.

• Defending a woman's right to choose by strengthening federal legislation that ensures access to reproductive health services and promotes women's health.

• Advancing marriage and workplace equality for LGBT couples and workers through federal recognition of all legal same-sex marriages and national nondiscrimination laws that include sexual orientation and gender identity.

Job creation should go hand-in-hand with investments in sustainable growth and long-term economic stability for all workers:

• Raising the minimum wage and easing economic uncertainty for the 1 in 4 working Americans who will rely on jobs that pay $10 per hour or less in the coming decade.

• Making higher education more affordable for students and recent graduates by closing loopholes that currently allow the federal government to profit from student loans and for-profit schools to profit from federal student aid programs.

• Investing in high-quality job training programs and community and technical colleges to help equip our next generation with the tools and skills to succeed.

• Safeguarding retirement security for middle-class retirees now and future by protecting and preserving Social Security for current and future retirees.