REPLACING:

Barbara Lee (D) [i]

WORK HISTORY:

MeadowFund (President); Akonadi Foundation (President); San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (Director); San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (President); Rosenberg Foundation (Program Director); Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (Executive Director); The Women’s Foundation of California (Board Member); San Francisco District Attorney’s Office (Director of Reentry Services); Center for Young Women’s Development (Executive Director); Center for Young Women’s Development (Program Director) [ii]

EDUCATION:

MPA, University of San Francisco; BA, Mills College; Attended, George Washington High School [iii]

CAMPAIGNED ON:

Public Safety; Affordable Housing; Homelessness; Affordability & Job Creation; Healthcare for All; Reproductive Freedom; Racial & Social Justice; Immigration; LGBTQ+ Rights; Disability Rights; Voting Rights & Democracy Reform; Global Security; Innovation; Transportation & Infrastructure; Climate & Environmental Justice; Building a Care Economy [iv]

ON THE ISSUES

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

Simon has been a “fierce advocate” for reproductive freedom and believes “all women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies.” [v] In Congress, Simon will fight to codify reproductive health care to protect abortion, contraception, and IVF access for all Americans. [vi]

IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:

Simon has advocated for a “fair and humane immigration system that would disentangle the criminal system from the immigration system and expand legal pathways to work authorization and citizenship,” arguing that such a system only works when there are no prolonged waiting periods for employment-based immigration or asylum seekers. In Congress, she will also support legislation that prevents retaliation based on a worker’s immigration status. [vii] Simon has argued that DREAMers are Americans and has pledged to defend DACA and lead the way “in enshrining it in law.” [ii] She believes DREAMers should be given a pathway to citizenship “and have access to the social safety net that their tax dollars go to.” [ix]

ECONOMY & JOBS:

According to her campaign website, Simon has been a “steadfast advocate for economic justice” throughout her career and is committed to building an economy that works for everyone. She supports cutting costs and protecting consumers and has called for banning corporations from price-gouging as a way to tackle food inflation and lower grocery prices. Simon supports a living wage, providing aid to small businesses, and infrastructure investments “that create jobs and stimulate local economies.” In Congress, she will fight for workers’ rights and support comprehensive labor law reforms that ensure collective bargaining rights, establish a 12-week federal family and medical leave program, and strengthen laws to combat wage theft, misconduct, child labor, and workplace violations. [x] She is also a proponent of the “care economy.” [xi] Notably, Simon is “committed to embracing the new landscape of innovation, which includes cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and blockchain,” and hopes to help establish a regulatory framework that creates an environment to allow for technological progress and consumer protection.[xii]

TAXES:

Simon will advocate for a tax policy that ensures “the wealthiest Americans and corporations pay their fair share to reduce income inequality.” [xiii]

CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:

Simon has extensive experience in the areas of public safety and justice. While serving as a senior leader in the San Francisco District Attorney’s office, she worked to reduce crime and recidivism through education and job training for nonviolent offenders. Previously, through her work at the Young Women’s Freedom Center, Simon helped create pathways for women to leave the criminal justice system. In Congress, she will support legislation that closes loopholes in federal firearms laws, stops the flow of illegal weapons, and provides resources for mental health, addiction treatment, and recidivism prevention programs. [xiv] Simon will also support legislation to prohibit the death penalty at the federal level and require re-sentencing for those currently on death row. [xv]

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:

Simon believes climate change is “the biggest existential threat to our globe” and that communities of color are often the hardest hit by the impacts of a warming planet. In Congress, Simon will work to build on the climate initiatives contained in the Inflation Reduction Act and pass the Green New Deal. She supports transitioning to net-zero emissions, investing in clean energy alternatives, promoting energy-efficient mass transit systems, and providing tax incentives to bring more energy-efficient appliances into low- and middle-income homes. [xvi]

FOREIGN POLICY:

According to her campaign website, Simon is a “strong advocate for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in the Middle East” and believes lasting security comes from diplomacy, “not war profiteering and unchecked military budgets.” [xvii]

HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:

Simon believes access to affordable, high-quality healthcare is a “fundamental human right.” She supports the Affordable Care Act and will work to expand and protect healthcare coverage in Congress, advocating for a public option and “ultimately working towards an affordable single-payer health system.” Simon will also support legislation that allows Medicare to negotiate the prices of all drugs, close the Medicaid coverage gap, expand Medicare to include coverage for dental, vision, and hearing, and lower the Medicare eligibility age. [xviii]

DEMOCRACY:

Simon will prioritize protecting and expanding voting rights in Congress by supporting the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, pushing for automatic voter registration, and advocating for legislation that reduces barriers to voting access. She has advocated for ranked-choice voting and bringing an end to partisan gerrymandering, and will work to reduce corporate money in elections, promote transparency and accountability in government, and ban stock trading for members of Congress. Additionally, Simon will support efforts to reform the U.S. Supreme Court, including expanding the number of justices, instituting an “enforceable code of conduct,” and implementing term limits. [xix]

SOCIAL ISSUES:

According to her campaign website, Simon “has been a lifelong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.” In Congress, she will “champion” legislation that combats discrimination, protects transgender rights, and ensures access to healthcare and social services for all LGBTQ+ people. She will also work to increase access and coverage for gender-affirming care and prohibit conversion therapy. [xx]

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