On the Issues

It is unconscionable that because of extreme politicians, my teenage daughter has fewer rights than her mother or grandmother – rights that women fought for generations to secure.

In Congress, I will fight to make sure that the rights of women and girls in Virginia are never dependent on politicians in Richmond or Washington, and I will stop any attempt to ban reproductive healthcare including abortion, IVF, or contraceptives in the Commonwealth.

I will restore the protections of Roe nationwide by passing the Women's Health Protection Act, guarantee funding to care providers, and fight to ensure that servicewomen never have to worry about accessing reproductive healthcare no matter where they are stationed.

I decided to run for this seat because I deeply believe that the future of our democracy is hanging in the balance. If we don’t win this district and flip the House in November our country will face existential threats to our democracy.

Yet stopping MAGA extremists this November is just the first step. When I’m elected I will work to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and strengthen protections for election workers so that anyone who threatens a poll volunteer or election official in an attempt to undermine our vote is held accountable.

The MAGA movement has made their intentions clear: if they take full control of the Federal Government they will fire thousands and install loyalists into our civil service.

If their scheme for Schedule F is enacted, thousands of Virginians will lose their jobs. Many more government contractors and others would be affected and our local economy would be devastated.

As an Iraq War Veteran who served in uniform for over 25 years, I have seen firsthand the toll that service takes on our servicemembers and their families, during and after the time they served. As I travel the district talking with Veterans, or when I stop by my local VFW Post, I hear directly about the issues our Military community is facing.

In Congress, I will fight to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure every Veteran is able to access world-class healthcare including mental healthcare to end the epidemic of suicide that takes the lives of thousands of Veterans each year.

I will work across the aisle to make sure our Veterans and military spouses have access to good jobs and the resources to transition into civilian life. As the husband of an Army Reserve Soldier and civil servant who supports our active-duty men and women, I know the importance of improving our infrastructure to make it easier for public servants to commute or work effectively remotely.

As a product of public schools and the proud father of two kids in public schools, I recognize how critical investment in our public education is to ensure that every child can succeed.

I believe the needs of students are best known at the local level, but Congress has an important role to play in ensuring that every community has the resources necessary to deliver high-quality public education.

In too many of our communities across the 7th district, including most recently Spotsylvania, Madison, and King George, we have seen direct attacks by MAGA extremists on our children’s education, with local officials attempting to ban, and even burn books. Students must be allowed to learn without extreme politicians imposing views that do not align with Virginia values.

As our country continues to recover from the pandemic we must address the constraints that held the middle class back for too long.

In Congress, I will proudly co-sponsor the PRO Act to empower workers with the right to collectively bargain. Growing up in a Labor family I witnessed the critical role that Unions have always played in building and growing the middle class.

In addition to empowering workers, I will work to eliminate business practices that stifle innovation, hurt small businesses, and increase costs for consumers.

We must strive to build a holistic transportation system across the Region, from the Piedmont to the Potomac. These efforts will include improving I-95 to reduce congestion; expanding the Metro light rail, VRE, and Amtrak systems; and investing in local transportation infrastructure.

In Congress, I will always empower local leaders and community stakeholders to address the unique needs of our communities, instead of simply requiring them to implement federal mandates.

Farmers play a critical role in our economy, society, and national security. America’s independent food supply is the backbone of our economy, and we must work to defend and strengthen this vital industry.

As the next member of Congress for Virginia’s Seventh District, I will work to provide resources for farmers, sustain them during hard times, and ensure that family farms get the support that they deserve.

One of the most pressing concerns I hear as I travel across the district and talk with voters in rural communities is the desperate need to expand rural broadband.

We must invest in our rural communities so that kids don’t have to do their homework before school in a McDonald's parking lot, patients can access telehealth options, and folks can work remotely from home in their own communities. In Congress, I will work to invest in the critical broadband infrastructure necessary to end this rural inequity.

In the past decades, we have seen rural hospitals close across the country. In Virginia, almost a third of rural hospitals are operating at a loss, putting their future at risk.

In Congress, I will work to provide direct funding to keep these essential healthcare centers open. We must provide more flexible options to access care, including urgent care and mobile clinics. Meeting these needs requires addressing worker shortages by providing direct incentives to rural healthcare workers so they will stay in rural health settings or move to areas that need people trained in the medical field.

Folks who grew up in rural communities should not feel they need to leave those areas simply because they cannot access good healthcare. We also want those considering moving into rural communities to have confidence that they will have access to robust healthcare.

In a time of rising global instability, America must maintain its role as the leader of the rules-based order that our grandparents fought a world war to build.

In Eastern Europe that means supporting Ukraine as they repel Putin’s invasion, strengthening NATO, and working with our European allies to make sure Russia’s aggression does not go unchecked.

In the Middle East, and Africa we must continue to deepen our partnerships and support our allies as they face threats from autocratic regimes.

In Asia, we must vigorously continue to pursue our economic and strategic interests by strengthening our relationships with regional powers and checking increasingly assertive actions by our regional competitors.

Maintaining our active role on the world stage helps ensure peace, and protects the homeland from future threats, all while helping the American worker and consumer.

For its entire history, America has stood at the forefront of technological change. These emerging fields bring fantastic opportunities and improve Americans' lives. We must continue to support technological revolutions but always be cognizant of such changes in consumers and workers. We need an approach that allows American innovation to flourish but protects consumers and businesses and makes clear what the rules are. These technologies also have significant implications for national security.

AI has the potential to fuel our economic growth for the coming decades but also presents a host of dangers. It is important that Congress and regulators understand the technology and create an environment that allows for innovation to flourish while also having clear rules for the road, ensuring strong consumer protections to prevent this technology from being abused and safeguard our national security.

The idea of the blockchain solves a really important problem in the digital and physical economy- trust. An immutable public ledger has already shown itself to be a valuable technology in areas ranging from shipping around the world all the way down to a new way of doing finance. Defining the rules of the road for these technologies will allow for the technology to thrive, drive growth, protect consumers and preserve national security.