Reconnecting Communities

Lower Albina was the heart of Portland’s historically Black neighborhood before the construction of Interstate 5 and decades of anti-Black policies decimated the community and displaced thousands of residents. We can’t build a more equitable future without repairing the racist policies that continue to shape the present. We must acknowledge the trauma inflicted on the Black community. We must also embrace a vision that addresses this harm while creating a brighter future.

That’s why I have long fought to ensure our entire community supports the important work of Albina Vision Trust (AVT), a coalition organizing to reconnect, revitalize and reclaim Lower Albina. I worked to build support for the project with state leaders and secured an $800,000 federal grant so AVT and the City of Portland can further plans for a renewed Albina neighborhood. These investments are an important start. They show that the federal government can be a better partner.

However, we cannot let up now. This effort requires a whole-of-government approach and a whole-of-community approach. Last spring, I brought U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to Portland to learn about Lower Albina and make the case for more federal investment. I urge others to recognize their power and play their part to make progress. This work is a moral imperative. I am committed to seeing it through.

Ending the Failed War on Drugs

Ending the racist war on drugs, which for 50 years has disproportionately targeted Black Americans, is one of my highest priorities. As more states move to legalize cannabis, the need for the federal government to act grows even greater.

President Biden has already taken several positive steps in providing restorative justice for individuals with cannabis convictions, but I am confident they will not be his last act to promote justice. In Congress, I authored a comprehensive approach to cannabis reform. It decriminalizes cannabis at the federal level and provides restorative justice to communities that have suffered disproportionately from the deliberate enforcement of cannabis laws. It was incredibly disappointing the Senate failed to act after my legislation passed the House in 2020 and again in 2022. But I will not quit for as long as I am in Congress and beyond. In the meantime, there are several items we can tackle now: closing the loophole that requires state-legal cannabis businesses to pay two to three times more in taxes; and ending the prohibition on banking that threatens their safety and ability to operate.

Protecting the Right to Vote

The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy. It is also deeply personal to me—I've been working to make it easier for people to vote since I was a college student leading the campaign to lower Oregon’s voting age and won the right to vote for all 18-year-olds. Now more than ever, access to the ballot is under threat, with state legislatures across the country working to disenfranchise voters. We know these policies disproportionally impact voters of color.

Last Congress, I was proud to fight for the For the People Act, which would have expanded voting rights for all federal elections. I fought to include provisions based on Oregon’s success with automatic voter registration and universal vote-by-mail. We must build on this progress and remain laser-focused on expanding the right to vote and protecting our democracy.

Affordable Housing

Decades of federal disinvestment in abundant, affordable housing has disproportionally impacted communities of color. That’s why I wrote Locked Out 2.0, a comprehensive legislative report on the racist history of federal housing policy with clear steps to reignite federal investment in housing. It includes initiatives such as treating low-income housing vouchers as an entitlement available to everyone who qualifies and creating a first time homebuyer tax credit to provide generational wealth-building opportunities for historically marginalized communities who for too long have been locked out of home ownership.

The Path Forward

America has not yet achieved its promise of freedom and justice for all. As we honor Dr. King today, we must recommit ourselves to continuing his work. From reinvesting and reconnecting communities to ending the failed war on drugs and protecting the right to vote, these are just a few of areas that I am focused on in Congress. The last several years have been very critical for me as these pieces are coming together and as we consider the damage that has been done and the progress we need to make.