Policy Positions
Healthcare
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. At her health center at 21st and Lehigh, Dr. Stanford practices Medicare for All every day, providing the same quality care to every patient regardless of insurance status, income, or immigration status. That is the model she will fight to scale in Congress. This starts with expanding the ACA and establishing a public option, but the fight won’t end until we establish a single-payer insurance model to give everyone access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Too many families are having to choose between medicine and paying their other bills; this is why Dr. Stanfard will legislate to empower Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies. She will continue what she started at HHS and fight to end the Black maternal mortality crisis and provide more federal resources for mental health services. Dr. Stanford relied on IVF to start her family and will protect reproductive healthcare, including abortion access and IVF, and do what she has continued to do as a physician and defend gender affirming care. No patient should be denied dignified care because of their income, identity, or zip code.
Housing
Dr. Stanford grew up in Section 8 housing and knows what it means to have to quickly pack up and move because your family couldn’t afford rent. She has seen what happens when the systems designed to support families fail. A waitlist of 40,000 people for public housing is an example of that failure. To address this failure Dr. Stanford will fight to fully fund the Capital Fund for public housing, push for Rental Assistance Demonstration conversions but only with guaranteed right to return and one for one unit replace and expand housing vouchers into a true entitlement to end the cruel reality of decades long waitlist. To expand the supply of affordable housing, Dr. Stanford supports the ROAD to Housing Act and the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act. Together these bills will expand our housing supply, cut red tape and strengthen the tax credits that finance affordable homes across the 3rd congressional district. Dr. Stanford knows that in this country wealth is linked to homeownership and will fight to support first generation homebuyers with bills like the Downpayment Toward Equity Act and will crack down on Wall Street firms buying homes in our communities only to price families out. Safe, stable, affordable housing is the foundation of everything else and every family in the 3rd Congressional district deserves access to it.
Immigration & ICE
Immigrants are our neighbors, our caregivers, our essential workers and our patients. Immigration is not a threat to our country but rather a defining part of what America is. Our country needs immigration reform that is humane and just. However; under this administration our country has terrorized communities, ripped families apart and violated our places of worship with a paramilitary force. Dr. Stanford knows you cannot reform what ICE has become and will fight to dismantle ICE and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
Immigration reform does not start and end with dismantling ICE, that’s why in Congress Dr Stanford will fight for a real and just pathway to citizenship for undocumented residents. With over three million immigration cases pending, our immigration courts are in crisis and that’s why Dr Stanford will fight for resources to get cases moving.
Dr. Stanford will fight for a clear and fair pathway to citizenship for undocumented residents and full protection for DACA recipients, Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status holders the permanent protection they deserve.
Education
Education was Dr. Stanford’s way out of poverty. A federal grant, GEAR UP, championed by her congressman, helped send her to college and start her on her journey to become the first black woman pediatric surgeon trained completely in the United States. That’s why Dr. Stanford will fight for full funding for IDEA and Title I funding programs. In addition she will advocate to double the Pell Grant and index it to inflation. In Congress, Dr. Stanford will advocate to restore and strengthen the Department of Education to combat the damage done by this administration. Dr. Stanford was educated in the public school system and still feels the impact her teachers had on her everyday. She will invest in our public schools by investing federal money in rebuilding our crumbling school infrastructure and will protect teachers’ right to teach peer-reviewed, fact-based history and science and protect those educators from discrimination.
Dr. Stanford will be an unapologetic champion for HBCUs and Community College. She will fight to close the chronic funding gap between HBCUs and predominantly white institutions and will be a tireless advocate to make Community College more accessible. Dr. Stanford recognizes that not every student will be college bound and will support expanding registered apprenticeship programs and trade schools to create new career pathways for our students.
Protecting the Social Safety Net
For Dr. Stanford welfare was a bridge not a crutch. She grew up relying on SNAP Medicaid, visiting Health Center #9 and living in public housing. Our social safety net is not a handout, it is a promise our country made to its people. Dr. Stanford opposes any cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security, whether they are direct or indirect. She opposes any efforts that weaken these programs including raising the retirement age, privatizing social security, converting Medicaid into a block grant that shifts the burden to our states and cuts the benefits. These programs are not budget line items that can be traded for other political wins, they are life lines and she will never allow them to be up for negotiation. She will oppose efforts to raise the retirement age, privatize Social Security, or convert Medicaid into a block grant that shifts costs to states and cuts benefits. Protecting these benefits is not enough, Dr. Stanford understands we need to strengthen these programs and supports strengthening the Child Tax Credit, and expanding social social security and SNAP benefits. Dr. Stanford will stand against any attempt to use budget reconciliation or manufactured debt crises to gut the programs millions of Americans depend on to survive.
Affordability
Too many residents of the 3rd Congressional district are living paycheck to paycheck and hoping that at the end of the month they have enough to cover all of their expenses. Dr. Stanford watched her mother struggle the same and is running because being born poor should not mean that you will die poor. These problems have been exacerbated by a reckless administration whose decisions have increased the cost of gas, groceries and goods, in Congress Dr. Stanford will be a loud and consistent champion fighting for working families and against an administration who is more concerned with lining their pockets than making life more affordable for everyday Americans. Dr. Stanford will support the Raise the Wage Act and expanding the Child Tax Credit because putting money in residents pockets strengthens all of our communities. Putting more money in people’s wallets does not go far enough. Dr. Stanford recognizes the urgent need to fight back against corporate greed and price gouging that has raised the costs of everyday essentials like medicine, grocery and energy. She will work with her Senate colleagues to advocate for the Price Gouging Prevention Act in the house, she will strengthen anti-trust enforcement and help pass legislation to ensure that the ultrawealthy pay their fair share. Dr. Stanford will champion efforts to lower the cost of essentials by empowering Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, immediately co-sponor the Child Care for Working Families Act, championed by Congressman Evans, and protect and expand LIHEAP so that no family has to choose between staying warm and buying their groceries.
Policy Positions
Healthcare
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. At her health center at 21st and Lehigh, Dr. Stanford practices Medicare for All every day, providing the same quality care to every patient regardless of insurance status, income, or immigration status. That is the model she will fight to scale in Congress. This starts with expanding the ACA and establishing a public option, but the fight won’t end until we establish a single-payer insurance model to give everyone access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Too many families are having to choose between medicine and paying their other bills; this is why Dr. Stanfard will legislate to empower Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies. She will continue what she started at HHS and fight to end the Black maternal mortality crisis and provide more federal resources for mental health services. Dr. Stanford relied on IVF to start her family and will protect reproductive healthcare, including abortion access and IVF, and do what she has continued to do as a physician and defend gender affirming care. No patient should be denied dignified care because of their income, identity, or zip code.
Housing
Dr. Stanford grew up in Section 8 housing and knows what it means to have to quickly pack up and move because your family couldn’t afford rent. She has seen what happens when the systems designed to support families fail. A waitlist of 40,000 people for public housing is an example of that failure. To address this failure Dr. Stanford will fight to fully fund the Capital Fund for public housing, push for Rental Assistance Demonstration conversions but only with guaranteed right to return and one for one unit replace and expand housing vouchers into a true entitlement to end the cruel reality of decades long waitlist. To expand the supply of affordable housing, Dr. Stanford supports the ROAD to Housing Act and the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act. Together these bills will expand our housing supply, cut red tape and strengthen the tax credits that finance affordable homes across the 3rd congressional district. Dr. Stanford knows that in this country wealth is linked to homeownership and will fight to support first generation homebuyers with bills like the Downpayment Toward Equity Act and will crack down on Wall Street firms buying homes in our communities only to price families out. Safe, stable, affordable housing is the foundation of everything else and every family in the 3rd Congressional district deserves access to it.
Immigration & ICE
Immigrants are our neighbors, our caregivers, our essential workers and our patients. Immigration is not a threat to our country but rather a defining part of what America is. Our country needs immigration reform that is humane and just. However; under this administration our country has terrorized communities, ripped families apart and violated our places of worship with a paramilitary force. Dr. Stanford knows you cannot reform what ICE has become and will fight to dismantle ICE and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
Immigration reform does not start and end with dismantling ICE, that’s why in Congress Dr Stanford will fight for a real and just pathway to citizenship for undocumented residents. With over three million immigration cases pending, our immigration courts are in crisis and that’s why Dr Stanford will fight for resources to get cases moving.
Dr. Stanford will fight for a clear and fair pathway to citizenship for undocumented residents and full protection for DACA recipients, Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status holders the permanent protection they deserve.
Education
Education was Dr. Stanford’s way out of poverty. A federal grant, GEAR UP, championed by her congressman, helped send her to college and start her on her journey to become the first black woman pediatric surgeon trained completely in the United States. That’s why Dr. Stanford will fight for full funding for IDEA and Title I funding programs. In addition she will advocate to double the Pell Grant and index it to inflation. In Congress, Dr. Stanford will advocate to restore and strengthen the Department of Education to combat the damage done by this administration. Dr. Stanford was educated in the public school system and still feels the impact her teachers had on her everyday. She will invest in our public schools by investing federal money in rebuilding our crumbling school infrastructure and will protect teachers’ right to teach peer-reviewed, fact-based history and science and protect those educators from discrimination.
Dr. Stanford will be an unapologetic champion for HBCUs and Community College. She will fight to close the chronic funding gap between HBCUs and predominantly white institutions and will be a tireless advocate to make Community College more accessible. Dr. Stanford recognizes that not every student will be college bound and will support expanding registered apprenticeship programs and trade schools to create new career pathways for our students.
Protecting the Social Safety Net
For Dr. Stanford welfare was a bridge not a crutch. She grew up relying on SNAP Medicaid, visiting Health Center #9 and living in public housing. Our social safety net is not a handout, it is a promise our country made to its people. Dr. Stanford opposes any cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security, whether they are direct or indirect. She opposes any efforts that weaken these programs including raising the retirement age, privatizing social security, converting Medicaid into a block grant that shifts the burden to our states and cuts the benefits. These programs are not budget line items that can be traded for other political wins, they are life lines and she will never allow them to be up for negotiation. She will oppose efforts to raise the retirement age, privatize Social Security, or convert Medicaid into a block grant that shifts costs to states and cuts benefits. Protecting these benefits is not enough, Dr. Stanford understands we need to strengthen these programs and supports strengthening the Child Tax Credit, and expanding social social security and SNAP benefits. Dr. Stanford will stand against any attempt to use budget reconciliation or manufactured debt crises to gut the programs millions of Americans depend on to survive.
Affordability
Too many residents of the 3rd Congressional district are living paycheck to paycheck and hoping that at the end of the month they have enough to cover all of their expenses. Dr. Stanford watched her mother struggle the same and is running because being born poor should not mean that you will die poor. These problems have been exacerbated by a reckless administration whose decisions have increased the cost of gas, groceries and goods, in Congress Dr. Stanford will be a loud and consistent champion fighting for working families and against an administration who is more concerned with lining their pockets than making life more affordable for everyday Americans. Dr. Stanford will support the Raise the Wage Act and expanding the Child Tax Credit because putting money in residents pockets strengthens all of our communities. Putting more money in people’s wallets does not go far enough. Dr. Stanford recognizes the urgent need to fight back against corporate greed and price gouging that has raised the costs of everyday essentials like medicine, grocery and energy. She will work with her Senate colleagues to advocate for the Price Gouging Prevention Act in the house, she will strengthen anti-trust enforcement and help pass legislation to ensure that the ultrawealthy pay their fair share. Dr. Stanford will champion efforts to lower the cost of essentials by empowering Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, immediately co-sponor the Child Care for Working Families Act, championed by Congressman Evans, and protect and expand LIHEAP so that no family has to choose between staying warm and buying their groceries.