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Naval Academy graduate, Navy helicopter pilot, former federal prosecutor, and a wife and a mother of four – Mikie Sherrill proudly serves New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District and is running for re-election to lower the cost of living for northern New Jersey families, protect our national security, honor and defend our military veterans and families, and promote the kind of national unity that makes our country and communities strong.

After graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1994, Mikie spent almost 10 years on active duty in the United States Navy. As a Sea King Helicopter pilot, she flew missions throughout Europe and the Middle East. She worked on the Battle Watch Floor in the European Theater during the Iraq invasion and served as a Flag Aide to the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

After leaving the Navy in 2003, Mikie attended and graduated from law school. She worked in private practice and eventually joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey. As an Outreach and Reentry Coordinator, Mikie established programs to develop trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve and helped people leaving prison to gain employment, housing, and education in order to restart their lives. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mikie prosecuted federal cases, advised law enforcement on investigations, and worked to take illegal guns off the streets of New Jersey.

In her first-ever run for public office, Mikie won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. As a mother raising four children in New Jersey, she is a strong voice in Congress for New Jersey’s families. She has authored over 20 pieces of bipartisan legislation to fight the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap to cut taxes for New Jersey homeowners, improve our healthcare system, strengthen our national security, support our veterans, and improve the lives of working families. Recently, her PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act was signed into law. This law helps make life-changing and saving therapy service dogs more accessible to our veterans suffering from PTSD.

Mikie serves on the Armed Services Committee, where she has worked to ensure Picatinny Arsenal has the resources necessary to continue its cutting-edge research and innovation that keeps our service members safe. She also serves on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, where she pushed for more federal support to address harmful algal blooms at Lake Hopatcong and Superfund remediation in NJ-11. As a member of the Education and Labor Committee, Mikie is committed to boosting job growth in our state through educational programs, including vocational and technical training, so we can better support the next generation of workers.

Mikie holds a Bachelor’s degree from the United States Naval Academy, a Master’s degree in Global History from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a law degree from Georgetown University. Mikie and her husband Jason, a fellow Naval Academy graduate, live in Montclair, New Jersey, where they are raising their four children ages 16, 14, 12, and 9.

WHY I’M RUNNING

I am a former Navy helicopter pilot, former federal prosecutor, and mother of four. I have spent my entire life serving our country.

Too many people in New Jersey are concerned about their future. Across our community, our neighbors grapple with how they will afford their homes, their kids’ college tuition, or rising healthcare premiums. Our seniors worry about the future of Social Security and Medicare. Parents worry about the world that our children will inherit. As a mom, I want to build the brightest possible future for all of our children and make sure that New Jersey is a place where our families can thrive.

The COVID-19 pandemic has tested North Jersey even more. This national crisis requires bold leadership focused on helping New Jerseyans. We need leaders ready to listen to ideas and to bring people together. We need to get back to a place where Congress works together to move our country forward regardless of what side of the aisle they occupy.

I have worked hard to find partners in Congress that share that common mission. To focus on policies and solutions that will improve our healthcare system, rebuild our transportation infrastructure, grow our clean energy economy, and help our country get through this unprecedented public health crisis. That’s why I’ve found Republican partners on 80 percent of the bills I introduced in my first term, including four pieces of legislation signed into law. It’s why I formed bipartisan groups like the Regional Recovery Task Force to bring Representatives in the Northeast together to work on coronavirus response legislation.

We have seen countless examples over the last few months of how this community comes together during times of struggle, and we need leaders in Congress that will do the same, leaders who put the people’s interests ahead of party agendas.

I am honored to serve the people of the 11th District and to fight for this community in Congress. This November, I’m running for re-election so we can continue our work.

JOBS AND ECONOMY

New Jersey has a long history as a center of innovation. Today, that spirit of ingenuity is as strong as ever. We have more scientists and engineers per square mile than anywhere else in the United States. We’ve gotten here with hard work and smart investments in our schools and our community, and we’re poised to lead in the years to come. But reaching our full potential will require renewed dedication and forward-thinking ideas, because the truth is that wages are not keeping up with our high cost of living and the COVID-19 pandemic has hit New Jersey small businesses and workers particularly hard.

The health of our economy cannot be a partisan issue. I’ve worked with members of both parties to bring our tax dollars back to New Jersey, create more good-paying jobs, and help New Jerseyans thrive. But more work needs to be done to:

Help Small Businesses During the Pandemic. Our small businesses are suffering as a result of the unprecedented COVID-19 public health crisis. Not only have I voted for legislation that established the Paycheck Protection Program, I’ve also worked hard with small businesses in the community and colleagues in Washington to make fixes to the program to better serve our district. This program has helped keep people employed during this economic crisis, created grant programs, and enabled New Jersey to set up rental and mortgage assistance for small businesses. I will continue to fight for more support to help our local businesses survive this crisis.

Build on our economic strengths. We are leaders in healthcare, biotechnology, and medical research, and we have the most talented workforce in the world. We’ve seen it firsthand during the COVID-19 crisis. Our scientists and medical professionals are leading the charge in testing, treatment, and vaccine development. We need to leverage our highly-educated workforce to attract the next generation of technology and clean energy jobs to New Jersey. I’ve passed legislation in the House to bring federal dollars back to the New Jersey life sciences ecosystem and our technology sector.

Pass a tax plan that provides relief for the middle class. New Jersey gets back less money for our federal tax dollars than almost any other state in the nation. The 2017 GOP tax bill continues to target our middle-class families, with NJ hit harder than any other state in the nation. I have worked with Republicans and Democrats in the House to pass the Restoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act to lift the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap, and will continue to work on real, impactful tax relief to help the people of New Jersey.

Rebuild our crumbling transportation infrastructure. The Gateway Project is the most important infrastructure project in the country. The Northeast produces 20 percent of our nation’s GDP and needs reliable transportation to continue to deliver. Gateway will help our national economy by creating jobs, attracting businesses, and making our workers more productive by cutting commuting times. I’ve been laser focused on the Gateway Tunnel Project during my first term in Congress. Working with the New Jersey delegation, the Governor, and the Trump administration, we announced funding for the Portal North Bridge, a key first step to Gateway, which will create more than 15,000 jobs. I also secured millions of dollars for the Northeast Rail Corridor. I won’t stop fighting for Gateway and federal investment in North Jersey infrastructure.

Invest in education and job training. A good paying job with benefits comes from an excellent education, and we know that our school system attracts businesses to our region. I am dedicated to working with parents and our local schools to invest in science, technology, engineering, math, and civics. We have great universities in the district like Montclair State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Drew University, and St. Elizabeth’s as well as fantastic community colleges in Essex, Morris, Passaic, and Sussex counties. I want to continue to help them partner with local employers to provide a direct path to high-skill jobs for recent graduates so we don’t lose our talented students to other states. We need to do much more to make college affordable for everyone who wants the opportunity. For those who do not plan to go to college, we should provide apprenticeships and job training opportunities that lead directly to a job. The education cuts pushed by the Administration either mean less funding for our local schools or higher property taxes. Both hurt our economy, our students, and the ability of our children to compete for good jobs in the future.

HEALTHCARE

I believe deeply that every American should have access to quality and affordable healthcare.

It’s 2020, and the Administration is still fighting to gut the Affordable Care Act. With continued attacks on the protections for people with pre-existing conditions and promoting plans with higher premiums, they have worked to make it easier for insurance companies to make money off of consumers rather than making sure people are protected. Worse, in June 2020, the Administration asked the Supreme Court to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act, which if overturned could strip millions of Americans of healthcare. That is simply unacceptable for the 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions — including the more than 315,000 residents in our district.

In my first term, I’ve fought to make sure all Americans have access to affordable healthcare coverage, stabilize the healthcare marketplace, and protect coverage for pre-existing conditions.

I’m committed to lowering the cost of healthcare throughout the entire system, including lowering the cost of prescription drugs, requiring parity of treatment costs, and ensuring that no patient gets a bill—from a hospital, a pharmacy, or otherwise—that they didn’t expect. We need transparency and fairness throughout the healthcare system.

There is strong support for lowering the cost of prescription drugs and we need leaders who will work to deliver relief to Americans as quickly as possible. I helped write landmark legislation that passed in the House to lower the cost of prescription drugs for New Jerseyans and invest in the life sciences industry in our state. Our life sciences industry leads the world in development of treatments for cancer, infertility, and rare diseases. I’ve also supported legislation that passed in the House to enable more affordable generic prescription drugs to come to market sooner, one of the best ways to reduce drug prices for consumers.

The bipartisan Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019 (H.R. 3) that passed in the House gives Medicare the power to negotiate directly with drug companies and create an out-of-pocket limit on prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries. I successfully included my legislation in H.R. 3 to direct a $10 billion investment in the National Institutes of Health for cancer, rare diseases, and antibiotic resistance research so that we can continue to develop life-saving drugs while at the same time bringing down prescription drug prices for consumers. Savings from H.R. 3 will be used to fund this $10 billion investment.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve worked to keep New Jersey residents and frontline workers safe. We passed the bipartisan CARES Act which expanded funding for testing, production of PPE here at home, and provided millions to our hospitals and community health centers in NJ-11. I fought to get federal resources to New Jersey to support nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in our community. I am also leading several bipartisan bills to expand access to telehealth services that have been so important for residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment to our Constitution which gave many women the right to vote. We have come far, and I entered Congress with the largest class of women in the House of Representatives’ history, but we have so much more to do. I have fought hard for equal pay for equal work and equal treatment in the workplace. I want to ensure that my two daughters have the same opportunities and the same rights as my two sons. But early studies show that coronavirus is making it even more difficult for women to achieve equality as they navigate homeschooling, trying to work from home, or losing jobs as they are caring for their families.

Even before the crisis, women in New Jersey made on average 82 cents for every dollar that men made for doing the same job. That drops to 58 cents for African-American women and 43 cents for Latinx women. Equal pay is an issue of economic fairness for all our families. That’s why I fought hard for the passage of the bipartisan Paycheck Fairness Act in the House, which strengthens and closes loopholes in the 1963 Equal Pay Act and have worked hard to support legislation and guidance to protect childcare facilities and schools.

I am pro-choice and support women’s access to healthcare. A woman’s health decisions should be between her and her doctor. The federal government should have no say on when, how, or with whom women decide to start or grow a family.

In New Jersey, we unfortunately experienced first-hand the devastating impact of Governor Christie’s cuts to women’s health care after defunding Planned Parenthood in New Jersey. From 2009 to 2012 there was a 31 percent drop in clinical breast exams provided at Title X health centers. By 2015, rates of sexually transmitted infections increased 35 percent. We can’t allow out of touch politicians to follow that same playbook and put women’s healthcare in jeopardy.

In Congress, I have been a forceful voice against efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, restrict access to birth control, and efforts to limit safe family planning services. I have worked to protect Title X funding so women in New Jersey have access to healthcare.

EDUCATION

Our children deserve the highest quality education and our educators must be supported in that mission. Doors open with a great education, employers are attracted to exceptional schools and a talented workforce, and every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential.

New Jersey has the best public school system in the country. Our towns in NJ-11 are home to great universities and community colleges including Drew University, Montclair State University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, St. Elizabeth’s University, Sussex County Community College, Passaic County Community College, and Essex County College. We proudly invest in our students and teachers.

But in Washington, Betsy DeVos has worked to undermine our public schools and our teachers. She has sided against our veterans who have been cheated by for-profit colleges and she has protected unscrupulous lenders from accountability. As the parent of four public school students, I will work to protect funding for our public schools and students. But this isn’t enough. We also need to address the disparity of outcomes by race and socioeconomic background, even for kids in the same school district.

Although my own kids are still a few years away from filling out their college applications, I know tuition is a top concern for families across New Jersey. We need to make college more affordable so that it is within reach of any young person who’s willing to work hard for it. Students should be able to borrow from the federal government at the same rate as big banks, and we should allow them to refinance their debt when interest rates go down. We also need to make it easier for students to complete their courses faster, so that they can save on tuition and enter the workforce more quickly.

Student loan debt is a significant burden for students and families across New Jersey. That’s why I am leading bipartisan legislation to help break the cycle of student loan debt and increase protections for student loan borrowers. I also supported legislation in my first term to hold predatory lenders and for-profit colleges who take advantage of students and veterans accountable.

Finally, we must do more to support two-year and vocational programs that lead directly to a job upon graduation. This type of training can offer a bright future and is often a more efficient and effective model for those pursuing technical careers, particularly when paired with ongoing certificate programs.

TACKLING ADDICTION AND THE OPIOID CRISIS

The growing opioid epidemic in New Jersey is a serious public health threat to our residents. It is destroying lives and devastating families and communities. In 2016, New Jersey lost 1,901 of our neighbors to the opioid epidemic. And since 2014, New Jersey’s death rate from opioid overdoses has increased by 16.4 percent and overdose rates have only increased since the beginning of the pandemic.

As a former federal prosecutor, I know first-hand the toll that addiction can take on our communities. That’s why we need to address this public health crisis in the most comprehensive way possible. I worked with Republicans and Democrats in the House to increase funding for the State and Local Opioid Response Grant program by $500 million, which helps local organizations in our community like the Center for Prevention and Counseling in Sussex County.

While we’ve made strides to address the addiction crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in overdose rates across the country, including here in New Jersey. I’ve fought in Congress to increase funding for training and prevention programs that will help healthcare providers, social workers, and mental health professionals assist friends and neighbors struggling during COVID. I’ve also fought to ensure that non-opioid treatments for pain are adequately reimbursed by Medicare.

Ending the opioid epidemic and fighting the abuse of prescription drugs will require leaders from government, law enforcement, medicine, and our communities to work together to find solutions. In Congress, I will continue to do everything that I can to find meaningful solutions to this crisis.

NATIONAL SECURITY

As a former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor, I’m honored to sit on the House Armed Services Committee. I’ve spent my adult life fighting to keep our country safe and I am proud of the role that our community plays in our national defense. That’s why I passed legislation, which was signed into law, to provide accreditation to Picatinny Arsenal’s graduate school and ensure Picatinny has the resources necessary to continue its cutting-edge research and innovation - innovation that keeps our service members safe in the field. I’ll always fight for Picatinny Arsenal and the 5,000 critical jobs it supports right here in the 11th District.

As a Russian policy officer in the U.S. Navy, I worked to implement our nuclear treaty obligations and to plan and execute joint naval exercises with the Russian Federation Navy. I have sat across the table from the Russians, and know that we need our government to take the threat they pose seriously. Both Russia and China have continued to build their military might and promote their influence across the globe. Neither country shares our values and often they are undermining our interests across the world. We must ensure we modernize our military to meet this threat and provide critical funding for cybersecurity and election protection.

I also know first-hand that one of the most important tools in our national security toolbox is diplomacy. I support a fully-staffed State Department to carry out the hard, necessary work of diplomacy. The cuts to the State Department have led to decreased U.S. influence across the world, less support from our allies, and a lack of the necessary strategic peace planning that we need to bring conflicts to an end. We must reassert U.S. influence to promote democracy and human rights while continuing to work with our allies to contain the threats posed by North Korea, Iran, and non-state terrorist groups.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE

Social Security and Medicare are promises to the American people. They are guarantees of a dignified and secure retirement after a lifetime of hard work. Seniors have paid into these initiatives with every paycheck, and we must honor these earned benefits. In Congress, I will make sure that Social Security and Medicare are protected.

I will oppose any budget that proposes cutting Social Security and Medicare and I’ll also oppose all efforts to privatize Social Security and Medicare. These plans would benefit insurance companies and investment firms while cutting benefits for New Jersey seniors.

We can take meaningful steps in the near term to improve Medicare and lower costs. I support allowing Medicare to leverage its buying power to negotiate drug prices, and helped pass legislation in the House to do just that. As a veteran, I know this works for the VA, and can help bring down costs for our seniors. I also support allowing individuals over 55 to buy into Medicare.

I am leading bipartisan legislation in the House that will codify access to telehealth services for Medicare recipients. We expanded access during the COVID-19 public health emergency and we need to ensure Medicare beneficiaries don’t lose access to these important services.

VETERANS

I am proud to have served in the U.S. Navy alongside service women and men who put their lives on the line to defend our country and our values. Our service members deserve access to educational opportunities, employment, first-class healthcare and rehabilitation, and should not have to travel hours to reach a VA facility. In my first term, I helped to start the For Country Caucus, a group of veterans from both sides of the aisle, to advocate for our service members, veterans, and their families.

I have also helped pass fourteen bills to support our veterans which were signed into law. That includes the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, the VA Tele-Hearing Modernization Act, and the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act. I also proudly supported the Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act, the Gold Star Family Fellowship Program, and the Veterans Compensation COLA Act. In the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, I successfully secured provisions to ensure health assessments for service members exposed to burn pits.

Women make up nearly 20 percent of our Armed Forces, but the VA has not adequately addressed the needs of the growing population of women veterans. I’ve pushed to improve VA healthcare services for women veterans, increase support for homeless women veterans with children, and expand access to child care services at the VA. One of the first amendments I passed in the House was to expand child care services at the VA for service members who have experienced military sexual trauma. I also proudly supported the Deborah Sampson Act in the House, which addresses barriers to care for women veterans.

Hearing from veterans in our community has helped me be a better advocate in Congress. I am grateful for every opportunity I have to meet with veterans in the community, at roundtable discussions, at my town halls, and when honoring their service at local events. After learning the story of a local veteran who couldn’t afford a service dog—and whose firehouse was raising money to get him one—I joined with Republicans in the House to lead the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act. This legislation passed unanimously in the House and helps pair service dogs with veterans suffering from PTSD. Our veterans deserve access to this life-saving form of treatment and I won’t stop working to make this legislation a law.

In Congress, I have worked to make sure veterans in our community have top-notch constituent services to help navigate the federal benefit systems. We have helped veterans resolve unpaid VA medical bills, obtain service records, and access benefits they earned through their service.

PEOPLE BEFORE POLITICS

In Congress, I will make sure the people of New Jersey come first. We need leaders who will ensure that the people they represent have a say in what happens in Washington.

Reduce the influence of money in politics. I’ve supported measures for campaign finance reform, improving campaign disclosures, and a constitutional amendment that would overturn Citizens United to stop the flow of dark money into our elections.

Serve the People. We need to do more to ensure that every Member of Congress is serving the people. That’s why I co-sponsored and voted to pass The For the People Act of 2019 (H.R. 1) in the House. This is the strongest anti-corruption bill in a generation. It would increase transparency, crackdown on corruption in both parties, and strengthen ethics laws.

Bipartisanship. I am committed to working with Republicans and Democrats in Congress to help New Jerseyans. Eighty percent of the bills I introduced in my first term were with a Republican, and over 77 percent of the votes I cast had bipartisan support.

Support workers. Unions helped build our middle class, and I will stand against efforts to curb collective bargaining rights. I proudly supported legislation to increase the minimum wage to $15 and the Butch Lewis Act to protect worker pensions.

Address Gerrymandering. Partisan redistricting has drawn ruby red and bright blue districts. This prevents us from finding common sense proposals that the majority of Americans support.

Protect Voting Rights. Voting is the bedrock of our democracy, and we need to make it easier, not harder, for U.S. citizens to cast a ballot. I supported the Voting Rights Advancement Act and H.R. 1 to protect the right to vote, expand early voting, mail in ballots, and no-excuse absentee voting.

Defend Civil Rights. As a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, I am committed to our Constitution. The freedoms outlined in the Constitution are essential for a healthy democracy. I oppose discrimination of all kinds, including based on sex, religion, race, disability, or sexual orientation.

Racial Justice. The brutal murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis shocked the conscience of this nation. And I promised New Jersey residents that I would act. I am an original co-sponsor of the Justice in Policing Act, legislation that will increase transparency, combat racial profiling, ban the use of chokeholds, improve training and data collection, and limit access to weapons of war that do not belong on our streets.

Accountability. When I first ran for office, I committed to transparency and accountability so our community can share their concerns and proposals directly with me. I’ve held 19 town hall meetings in all four counties in our district, including COVID-19 telephone town hall meetings. Hearing from you makes me a better representative in Washington and I do not take that for granted.

ENVIRONMENT

Climate change is real and addressing it shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It’s an economic and national security issue that affects all of us. With 130 miles of coastline, New Jersey will pay a terrible price if we don’t take meaningful action to end our reliance on foreign fuels and transition to a clean energy economy.

I have worked hard to bring people together to support our environment and clean energy economy. As Chairwoman of the Environment Subcommitteeon the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I have held hearings and led on legislation to address flood mitigation, lead in drinking water, climate resilient infrastructure, and scientific integrity. I secured passage of the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law. This landmark conservation legislation will protect our public lands and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a program that has directly supported the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and Morristown National Historical Park here in our district.

The residents of our community are strong supporters of the environment. It has long been an issue where we’ve come together in bipartisan agreement. From Superfund clean up to protecting the Great Swamp and Lake Hopatcong, our residents demand that our leaders be good stewards of our air, water, and land. That’s why I’ve worked with our local communities and pushed for more federal support to address harmful algal blooms at Lake Hopatcong and Superfund remediation in NJ-11.

But instead of leading New Jersey forward, the Administration is putting us further at risk – feeding us a false choice between creating jobs, fighting climate change, and keeping our air and water clean. They have rolled-back environmental protections that safeguard our drinking water, preserve our air quality, and keep our kids healthy.

Alternative energy sources like wind and solar can transform New Jersey’s energy sector, particularly in a state like New Jersey without a native fossil fuel industry. In Congress I have authored bipartisan legislation to increase energy storage capacity, grow our clean energy economy, and promote investment in innovation. I introduced legislation to tackle the issue of methane leaks, which is a significant contributor to climate change.

The East Coast has the best offshore wind conditions in the world, and the costs associated with developing offshore wind continue to drop. New Jersey is poised to be a leader in wind energy, and I’m working in Congress to ensure that barriers to renewable development are defeated. I joined the entire New Jersey congressional delegation in its opposition to the unnecessary risk posed by offshore drilling.

In Congress, I will continue to uphold our community’s commitment to our planet and grow our clean energy economy.

SUPPORTING WORKERS

My grandfather, Bill Donovan, worked at GM and was a proud member of UAW Local 233 in Cincinnati. He had good medical benefits, a pension, and with hard work, he was able to provide for his family. Because of that union job, my mom went to college and helped to support me, and I was able to fulfill my dreams and become a Navy helicopter pilot.

Unions helped build our middle class — and helped my family enter the middle class — and I stand with workers fighting for fair wages, better healthcare, and safe working conditions. I will always champion the right to organize to make sure our workers are treated fairly.

I was proud to support legislation in this Congress to increase the minimum wage to $15 as well as the Butch Lewis Act to protect worker pensions. I also strongly support the NLRB and at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, sent a letter to House leadership requesting that any future legislation responding to COVID-19 include funding and a directive to develop a system and procedures to conduct union representation elections electronically. The House also passed, with my strong support, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would significantly increase workers’ bargaining power.

I am committed to boosting job growth in our state through increased funding for educational programs, including vocational and technical training our unions provide, so we can better support the next generation of workers.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

My time in the U.S. Attorney’s Office showed me just how much work we have to do to make sure our justice system works for all Americans. I helped to establish the first federal reentry program for New Jersey residents to help them get back on their feet after serving their time in the federal prison system.

While this is necessary work, we need to do more to ensure people don’t enter prison in the first place. More work must be done to reform the federal sentencing guidelines and bail regulations as well as addressing mental health and substance abuse issues outside our criminal justice system. I support increased funding for early childhood programs such as Head Start which we know pay huge dividends throughout our communities.

I have also sponsored legislation to ensure that we promote good police training, encourage local police forces to implement recruiting and hiring practices that take into account the population served, and end programs that lead to the militarization of local police forces.

We also need to change our laws to reflect the times. Right now, a disproportionate segment of our population serves for small, non-violent possession offenses. The First Step Act was just that—a first step. I’ll keep working in Congress for further action with members from both parties.