Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Housing Alexandria also believes we should continue to build affordable housing complexes for low-income seniors - like the HANAC Corona Senior Residence in Queens. The Corona Senior Residence is a model for the country to follow because it is one of the largest low-income senior housing developments in the nation to meet Passive Housing Institute Design Standards, which cut energy consumption by up to 90%. Social Services The Congresswoman also believes we must protect, strengthen, and expand Social Security and Medicare -- and increase access to affordable prescription drugs. She is fighting to ensure that wealthy individuals pay the same percentage of their income into Social Security as middle class and working families. And, she’s working to end price gouging and monopoly practices by pharma companies. Wages / Job Benefits We need a Federal Jobs Guarantee so we can repair and improve our infrastructure, employ workers at a living wage, produce and revitalize communities across the United States with federal jobs in construction, caregiving for seniors, community development, and deliver real investments to communities. Government Reform As a Congresswoman, Alexandria intends to fight for sweeping change in the way that the United States relates to Puerto Rico, including 5 main policy priorities: 1) A Marshall Plan for Puerto Rico, helping the island not only recover from Hurricane Maria, but thrive with modern infrastructure and renewable energy systems. 2) A community-led, sustainable, and just recovery - including protections for Puerto Rico’s public education system from kindergarten to college and trade school. 3) An immediate waiver and full review of the Jones Act, which hamstrings the Puerto Rican economy with restrictions that other American communities do not have to face. 4) Cancellation of Puerto Rico’s Wall Street debt: this debt has been accrued by vulture funds using irresponsible and unjust behavior reminiscent of the 2008 financial crisis. 5) Condemnation of the PROMESA Act, which handed over the island to “La Junta,” a corporate governance board installed with the support of my opponent and his private equity donors. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Alexandria believes we must divest from policing as a one-stop-solution to community problems and instead invest in healthcare, housing, education, and supportive services. She recognizes that when people’s basic needs are met, we have real safety in our community. She also believes in ending the school-to-prison pipeline, decriminalizing truancy, taking police out of schools, ending ‘qualified immunity’ (which shields police from liability for their illegal or unconstitutional acts), ending the pipeline of military weapons and goods to police departments, banning the use of tear gas and rubber bullets, and ending broken-windows and quality-of-life policing. Foreign Policy America should not be in the business of destabilizing countries. While we may see ourselves as liberators, the world increasingly views us as occupiers and aggressors. Alexandria believes that we must end the "forever war" by bringing our troops home, and ending the air strikes that perpetuate the cycle of terrorism throughout the world. By bringing our troops home, we can begin to heal the wounds we're opening by continuing military engagement. We can begin to repair our image. We can reunite military families, separated by repeated deployments. We can become stronger by building stronger diplomatic and economic ties, and by saving our armed forces only for when they're truly needed. Housing New York City’s public housing buildings are notorious for uninhabitable physical conditions, like mold from water leaks, poor ventilation, mites from dirty and old carpeting, and pest infestation. NYCHA apartments are plagued with faulty elevators, crumbling infrastructure, and sometimes, no water, or worse, yellow water. This has to stop. We need to invest in repairing our current public housing units and envision a brighter future for public housing in the United States. Healthcare Under Medicare for All, Americans are far more likely to engage in preventative healthcare measures, like annual physicals, or to see the doctor before an illness progresses. Medicare for All will improve long-term health by reducing underlying health conditions, which are both the main contributors to COVID-19 hospitalizations and more common in lower income communities both urban and rural. Abortion / Contraception Reproductive justice is especially essential for all individuals, whether cisgender or transgender. Alexandria does not accept any federal, state, or local rollbacks, cuts, or restrictions on the ability of individuals to access quality reproductive healthcare services, birth control, or medically accurate sexuality education. This means open access to safe, legal, affordable abortion, birth control, and family planning services, as well as access to adequate, affordable pre- and post-natal care, for all people, regardless of income, location, or education. Wages / Job Benefits We must secure the union and labor regulations that are commonplace in most countries around the world. We need to repeal the Taft-Hartley Act, which limits the power of workers and unions to fight and push for better working conditions. Civil Rights Making schools safe for LGBTQIA+ students through proper accommodations. Granting asylum to refugees fleeing persecution due to their sexuality or gender identity. Restoring open service by transgender people in the military. Ending discrimination in health care. Environment / Energy As part of the Green New Deal, we will dramatically expand and upgrade our renewable power sources, build energy-efficient power grids, retrofit our buildings for energy efficiency and invest heavily in zero-emission manufacturing and infrastructure. In addition, we will build clean, affordable transit systems connected by high-speed rail. Immigration Our nation must recognize our history: immigrants, enslaved peoples, and refugees built this country, but they are treated dishonorably. We all do better when we create a just society that embraces our most vulnerable populations and paves a path to prosperity for all. Education Rising tuition costs have made college and trade school inaccessible for millions and saddled millions of others with student loan debt. That is why Alexandria is working to liberate people suffering from student-debt and make our public college system affordable once again. Abortion / Contraception End provisions preventing foreign aid to organizations that provide access to abortion services and other reproductive healthcare Social Services Expand Social Security, Medicaid and FMLA programs to cover doula and midwife services, diapers and other basic childcare costs, menstrual hygiene products, and other services so that all women, including poor and working class communities, have access to thee care and services they need