EQUALITY
Everyone deserves the same rights and protections under the law regardless of who they are or who they love. Discrimination in housing, employment, and other facets of American life is immoral and must be stopped.
As a proud member of the Congressional Equality Caucus, she fights for equality for all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. She is a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, which passed the House las Congress and prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in a variety of areas. She supports the PRIDE Act of 2023, which requires the use of inclusive language in U.S. tax code.
Additionally, Debbie was proud to serve as one of the leading advocates to help renew the Violence Against Women Act, which included provisions to help protect transgender people from violence.
Debbie strongly believes that an investment in education is an investment in our future. She is proud to support our public schools and our teachers and is committed to promoting educational opportunities from Pre-K to higher education and older adults.
In 2019, Debbie helped to secure $4.5 million for Head Start programs in Washtenaw County. This funding will help to ensure that children will receive quality early education regardless of their zip code or socioeconomic status. She has also worked to champion bills that help to promote safety and equality in higher education and voted for the STOP School Violence Act of 2018 to help fund school safety measures across the county. She is a cosponsor of the American Teacher Act, which would help support efforts to increase teacher salaries to a minimum of $60,000 per year.
She has fought to restore Title IX protections after the Trump-era rules weakened protections for sexual assault survivors and undermined protections against sex discrimination. And she introduced the Safe Equitable Campus Resources and Education Act to ensure individuals with disabilities are included in campus planning and response to incidents of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking.
EDUCATION
ENVIRONMENT
Throughout her time in Congress, Debbie has worked tirelessly to protect the environment and fight the damaging effects of climate change.
As the Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, Debbie has been one of the biggest advocates for the protection of the Great Lakes. She has introduced legislation to help protect endangered wildlife, and continues the fight to have man-made PFAS chemicals declared as a hazardous substance.
In response to the threat of climate change, Debbie has introduced the 100% Clean Economy Act to initiate a nationwide goal to achieve a 100% clean, net-zero energy economy by 2050 and has co-sponsored legislation to promote investments in research and development of technology to help increase vehicle fuel efficiency.
Throughout her time in Congress, Debbie has worked hard to preserve the dignity of work and expand economic opportunities in her district.
As the former chair of the Manufacturing Initiative at the American Automotive Policy Council, Debbie is a strong supporter of the automobile industry. This industry is a major source of jobs in Southeast Michigan and Debbie is committed to helping to protect and expand the automotive industry. She’s also committed to ensuring that emerging companies and entrepreneurs in the region have the opportunities and resources needed to explore innovative business ideas and position themselves for future success.
As a true friend of organized labor, Debbie fights for workers every day. She supports the rights of unions and recognizes the importance of collective bargaining, which is why she cosponsored the PRO Act to protect the basic right for workers to join a union. Debbie has proudly joined UAW workers on the picket line as they courageously advocated for what they deserve.
ECONOMY
HEALTHCARE
Debbie believes that if you live in America you have the right to quality healthcare.
As a member of the Subcommittee of Health on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Debbie has been one of the strongest advocates in Congress for expanding health care coverage, lowering the sky-high costs of prescription drugs, and making medical research a national priority.
When you go to the doctor you shouldn’t be worried about how you are going to pay for it. When you have been prescribed life-saving drugs, you shouldn’t have to ration doses just to afford them. That’s why Debbie is a Co-Chair of the Medicare for All Caucus and an original co-sponsor of the Medicare for All Act, is fighting to protect pre-existing condition protections gained through the Affordable Care Act, and is working to pass multiple pieces of legislation with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to lower the costs of prescription drugs.
Hundreds of thousands of Michiganders rely on Social Security and Medicare. These men and women worked hard for decades and paid their fair share to support these vital programs.
As a member of the Subcommittee of Health on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Co-Chair of the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Aging and Families, Debbie is fighting for policies that allow seniors to retire with dignity, increase access to proper medical and long-term care, and secure the benefits they’ve earned.
Debbie is a lead cosponsor of the Butch Lewis Act, which passed the House in 2019 and ensures multiemployer pension plans remain solvent and continue providing retirees and workers the retirement benefits they have earned. She is a co-sponsor of the Social Security 2100 Act, a bill that increases Social Security’s vital benefits while making the system financially strong throughout the 21st century.
SENIORS
IMMIGRATION
The United States is a land of opportunity. Our history has been written by generations of immigrants who have come to our borders looking for the promise of a better life. They have shaped our culture, our economy, and our national story, helping to make us the greatest of nations.
Debbie has been a strong advocate for comprehensive immigration reform in Congress. She co-sponsored the Keep Families Together Act and the Family Reunification Act.
We must ensure that our nation’s veterans receive the services they have earned when they get home — from healthcare, including mental healthcare, to education and training so they can find civilian jobs, to fighting the scourge of homelessness that hits our veteran community so hard. This is our responsibility.
From the beginning of her time in Congress, Debbie has fought for veterans in the district by demanding answers from the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare Supervisor after multiple surgeries on veterans had been canceled due to the Ann Arbor VA. She went on to introduce the VA Transparency Enhancement Act, which would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to report quarterly to Congress on the number of patients who contracted an infection as a result of a surgery and the number of surgeries canceled or transferred by the VA.
Debbie has also cosponsored the Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act and helped secure $2.2 million in grants to combat veteran homelessness in Southeastern Michigan.
VETERANS
