Fixing Broken Systems
I will work to deliver short-term wins that improve daily life while laying the foundation for lasting change. I may not know every lever of government yet, but I know how to ask the right questions, build coalitions, and hold decision-makers accountable. I will assemble a council of local leaders, activists, and community members to ensure our district’s needs are heard and met. I will challenge and redefine the balance of power versus the public interest, ensuring decisions reflect the people they serve—not special interests. I will rally our community around meaningful civic engagement, because progress only endures when it’s built together. And I will demystify democracy, making sure every resident understands not just what government does, but how to shape it.
That’s my promise to you.
Healthy Families: Food, Care + Security
No family should go hungry, delay the care they need, or fear an uncertain retirement. In Prince George’s County, about 17% of households were food insecure in 2022. In the Capital Area Food Bank’s 2024 Hunger Report, 55% of Prince George’s residents surveyed reported experiencing food insecurity—a clear sign that the crisis touches vulnerable families and we aren’t trending towards a favorable outcome. In Montgomery County, 34% of households reported struggling to afford enough to eat, including many middle-income families.
These challenges are especially severe for vulnerable groups. Nearly 1-in-3 households with a member living with a disability face food insecurity nationally, and here in Maryland, disabled residents report disproportionate barriers to both care and employment. For seniors, the strain is just as stark: 1-in-5 older adults skip or delay medications due to cost, forcing impossible choices between medicine and groceries.
I will fight to expand SNAP benefits and streamline access through federal waivers that reduce administrative burdens on families. I will support programs under the Farm Bill that strengthen small and mid-sized agricultural producers, and I will advocate for USDA funding to expand Prince George’s Fresh and local farm-to-school initiatives so that more locally grown produce reaches schools, senior centers, and food banks. I will also push for federal conservation and climate-smart agriculture grants to help Prince George’s County farms adapt to flooding and extreme heat while sustaining long-term production. And I will not stop at funding alone—I will follow legislation like Maryland’s Senate Bill 353, which establishes a Food Deserts Workgroup, through every step of the process to make sure recommendations turn into real solutions. Working with community partners, state leaders, and local farmers, I will ensure federal and state policies align so that no family is left hungry and every community has the tools to thrive.
Working alongside county leaders and community partners, I will make sure federal resources flow into the programs our region is already building—programs that connect farms to families, expand food access, and create local jobs. Because fairness starts with full tables, dependable healthcare, and secure retirements—and with policy that ensures the land and people who feed us are supported in turn.
An Economy That Lifts Every Block, Every Family
Every person deserves the dignity of good work, fair pay, and safe conditions—and every community deserves infrastructure that supports opportunity and resilience. Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties already have a clear vision in place through the Prince George’s County Consolidated Plan Federal FY 2025-2029 (County FY 2026-2030) building affordable housing near transit, expanding the Purple Line and Blue Line Corridor, strengthening flood protection, and creating apprenticeship pipelines in trades, technology, and healthcare.
My role in Congress will be to support and expand this vision by advocating for more federal dollars to bring these local priorities to life. That means securing resources for housing trust funds, resilient stormwater systems, and urban greening like tree canopy expansion, alongside investments in clean energy and flood protection. By aligning federal funding streams with county goals, we can accelerate the projects already underway and make sure they reach every neighborhood.
Transit already provides the backbone—with 15 Metro stations in Prince George’s County and 11 in Montgomery—and collaborative smarter planning, bolstered by an increase in federal dollars can transform these corridors into hubs of housing, small business growth, and opportunity. By bringing the weight of federal support behind county-led initiatives, we can ensure that smart urban planning delivers growth that strengthens every block, every family, and every future.
Strong Schools + Fair Futures
Every family deserves safe schools, reliable transit, affordable housing, and clean air. Yet our communities are often the first to feel the impact when Washington turns its back, especially on our children's education.
In recent years, Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) has seen federal aid shrink year-over-year, including a $95 million reduction in pandemic-era recovery funds, despite much of it already spent in good faith on tutoring, mental health supports, and learning recovery programs. Additionally, the district faces an estimated 2.5% drop in overall federal aid (more than $141 million) for the upcoming school year. Meanwhile, federal dollars account for just about 12% of PGCPS’s funding, meaning any cut we see makes a real, immediate difference in classrooms.
I will fight and work with other leaders to bring those dollars back, to modernize classrooms, ensure equitable funding, restore support programs, and deliver results block-by-block, not just in headlines. Because every child deserves access to safe classrooms, excellent teachers, and equal opportunity, no matter their zip code. Strong schools build strong communities.
Immigrant Dignity + Community Safety
Our immigrant neighbors deserve dignity, safety, and a fair chance to thrive. The American Immigration Council captures that Maryland is home to a large immigrant community that plays a vital role in the state’s economy and workforce. Roughly 17% of Maryland residents are foreign-born, while 9.5% of U.S.-born residents live with at least one immigrant parent. Immigrants make up 21.7% of the labor force and contribute across a wide range of industries. They represent 30% of entrepreneurs, 24.1% of workers in STEM fields, and 36.2% of the state’s construction workforce. To note, Maryland has a larger immigrant labor force than the U.S. average.
Yet despite their contributions, many face constant fear of family separation and limited protection. The naturalization process itself can feel uncertain and difficult to navigate, leaving too many families without trust in the system.
As your Representative, I will fight to protect Dreamers, keep families together, and invest in welcoming communities. I will also work with local organizations, legal aid providers, and community partners to make the naturalization process more transparent, accessible, and trustworthy for all parties involved. Because true safety means stability and opportunity—not fear and exclusion.
Justice, Public Safety + Prison Reform
True safety is built on fairness and transformation—not incarceration. Maryland locks up 475 people per 100,000 residents, a rate higher than almost any democratic country on earth. Black Marylanders make up roughly 30% of the population but account for 72% of those incarcerated. In Prince George’s County, these racial disparities are even more pronounced at nearly every stage of the justice system
I will push for prison reform that reduces reliance on locking people up and invests instead in rehabilitation, mental health and addiction services, and second-chance pathways like the Second Look Act, which empowers long-serving individuals incarcerated as young adults to petition for sentence reconsideration. Because justice should restore, not merely detain—and public safety should build thriving communities, not empty cells.
Fair + Transparent Budgets
Budgets are moral documents— they reveal what we value and who we prioritize. Yet too often, residents can’t see where their tax dollars are going or how those choices reflect their needs. In Congress, I will fight for budgets that are clear, traceable, and accountable.
To make this real, I will build a public dashboard so residents can see exactly where money goes, how spending aligns with community priorities, and where gaps remain. I will also publish a Funding Report Card on my pillars: food equity, healthcare, education, jobs, infrastructure, and justice, so you can measure my advocacy against real outcomes.
Because effective communication is governance. True transparency isn’t just about numbers on a page, it’s about ensuring every resident understands how decisions are made, how money is spent, and how those choices connect to their daily lives. Transparency should not be optional; it should be the standard.