Barbara Lee

Raise the minimum wage, ensure wage equity, and cap interest on consumer loans and credit cards. For every dollar white Americans have, Black Americans have 10 cents, and Latinos have 13 cents. That has to change. Work to triple Title I funding, invest in afterschool programs, and make major investments in public K-12 education, including trauma-informed care and services in schools. Pass Medicare for All, to guarantee mental healthcare to people as a human right, and ensure that people who struggle with addiction can get the treatment they need.

The answer is simple: Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, mandate background checks, and institute waiting periods. No one needs an AR-15 in this country. When the 1994 assault weapons ban was in effect, gun violence and gun-related deaths were down across the country — but skyrocketed back up when Congress failed to reauthorize the ban in 2004. We can save so many lives and avoid unnecessary tragedy by taking weapons of war out of the hands of civilians. A significant majority of Americans want common-sense gun reform. We have the proof, we just need to act.

President Biden needs to stop building the ridiculous border wall and reverse his administration’s severe restrictions to asylum and legal immigration. Reviving Donald Trump’s temporary expulsion authority and crackdown on immigration parole is a non-starter. I’m the only candidate in this race who voted against the creation of ICE, and I am the only one who has called for cutting CBP funding by 50%. We must hold these agencies accountable for human rights abuses, curtail their overreach, and end for-profit detention. We must expand DACA and DAPA and create a pathway for citizenship for all undocumented immigrants.

Yes. This country is a nation of immigrants that was built and strengthened by families in search of the American Dream — and we need to uphold that opportunity and the promise of a better life for everyone. In addition to championing the Dream and Promise Act to secure permanent resident status for Dreamers and DACA recipients, I’ve been a strong backer of the U.S. Citizenship Act to provide a pathway to citizenship for currently undocumented immigrants. The legislation would permit applications for temporary legal status, with the opportunity to apply for lawful permanent residence after five years.

We need a real living wage in this country. I’ve been in the fight for $15 for years, and support legislation that would increase the national minimum wage beyond that. At a time of massive income and wealth inequality and record-breaking corporate profits, it is unacceptable that working people are expected to survive on $7.25. If the minimum wage increased at the same rate as Wall Street employee bonuses, it would be more than $42 an hour — still less than what MIT estimates is a living wage for a family of four in CA. We should be negotiating from there.

The PRO Act, a comprehensive labor bill I co-sponsored, would implement strong protections for workers, including their right to organize, and accountability measures for corporations that violate workers’ rights. Holding corporate leadership accountable and showing up for workers through policies like my co-sponsored CEO Act, which would tax companies with CEO pay over 50 times more than the lowest-paid employee, creating revenue that can instead be invested in communities. Policy like the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act, which would provide expanded eligibility for benefits, paid leave, and greater protections for part-time workers.

At its core, homelessness is a housing issue. We need housing that remains affordable in perpetuity. We need a national rent control standard. We need to end the practice of corrupt real estate developers forcing working families from their homes. We need to fully fund Section 8 rental assistance. But we also need a healthcare system that doesn’t bankrupt families in crisis. We need support for senior citizens who can’t stay housed on a fixed income. We need a real living wage. We need affordable addiction treatment. We need free college, so that students aren’t sleeping in their cars.

Addressing the crushing cost of rent with a national cap on annual rent increases and supporting efforts to pass stronger rent control standards. That’s exactly why I wrote the Renters’ Bill of Rights. My DEPOSIT Act will support working people with security deposits and other essential moving costs, which can be a prohibitive barrier for individuals and families otherwise ready to move into a stable home. The Housing for All Act, which will aid local governments in their efforts to end homelessness, and invest $500 billion in federal rental assistance, housing vouchers, HUD grants, and affordable housing.

The violence in Gaza erodes the possibility of lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians. I support an immediate ceasefire to prevent more civilian suffering and death, bring hostages home and allow for diplomatic solutions. I am the only candidate to demand an unequivocal ceasefire in Gaza. But I’ve often stood alone when it comes to questions of peace. I am the only candidate who voted against authorizing the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. I am the only candidate who voted against the PATRIOT Act, opposed missile strikes in Libya, and has always pushed to slash bloated Pentagon spending.

In weighing foreign policy decisions, I prioritize a measured, democratic approach that supports global peace and security. We should not retreat from the world stage, but we should lead with diplomacy and foreign aid over force, and cooperation over unilateralism. I will not rule out military intervention, but that should never be our default option. Our power should not be measured by how many bombs we make or guns our army wields. It should be measured by our ability to harness our technology and vast wealth to create a better life for all people, and support our common humanity.

The defense budget is outrageously bloated. The Pentagon has failed six audits in a row and has wasted billions of taxpayer dollars. We can’t accept this waste, fraud and abuse in the sprawling military-industrial complex when we can’t meet the basic needs of our own communities. Defending the American people is not only about bombs and guns. It’s about making sure that every American has a home and good healthcare. That’s why I introduced the People Over Pentagon Act, which would divert $100 billion from the defense budget to invest in priorities like healthcare, infrastructure, and education.

We must address the climate emergency head-on, especially in communities that have experienced generations of environmental injustice. I co-authored the A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice for All Act to do exactly that. I’m an original co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, which can kickstart a clean energy revolution and generate millions of high-wage jobs. We must also hold accountable the fossil fuel corporations who knowingly destroyed our planet for short-term profits. As senator, I will champion legislation to ban offshore drilling, raise taxes on corporate polluters’ fossil fuel income and wealth, and end new federal fossil fuel infrastructure permits.

Absolutely. I’m proud to see the strides California has already taken in moving towards a sustainable economy, ditching fossil fuels, and embracing clean energy in an efficient time frame. As the fifth-largest economy in the world, it can set a nationwide standard. I’m a co-sponsor for the Green New Deal For Cities Act, which would provide $1 trillion in federal funding for state and local governments to respond to the climate crisis and create thousands of green infrastructure jobs. I’ll push for this legislation’s passage, and work with counties and cities in California to implement and expand clean energy use.