Op-Eds

The past year has been filled with tremendous challenges, tragic loss of life, and unprecedented economic upheaval. Ventura County has faced many crises over the years, and through each one, we’ve come together as a community to overcome them and emerge better and more resilient than before. While the pandemic has been one of the greatest challenges our nation has ever faced, I believe we can come out of it stronger by targeting our recovery with our future in mind.

As we make strides on the path to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the aviation industry is set for a comeback. That’s a good thing for an industry that has suffered tremendously, including losing tens of thousands of jobs. In fact, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has reported that more than 1 million passengers have been screened at U.S. airports in recent days. While I am cheering on the industry and hope that it recovers quickly, part of that recovery will include returning to pre-pandemic levels of carbon emissions.

We have now seen the President of the United States — not once, but twice — use children as hostages to extort immigration legislation from Congress that is contrary to our values, and therefore destructive to our democracy.

President Trump said the tax cuts would be huge. They would go straight to the middle-class, and everyone would get a $4,000 raise. The plan would create jobs and spur growth. And all of this would be done without adding any more money to the national debt. Listening to the rhetoric, the plan sounded quite glorious.

On Veterans Day, we recognize the courageous sacrifice of those who chose to fight on behalf of our nation, and honor the legacy of those we lost.

In the current political environment, it often feels like there is more that divides us than unites. In reality, there is broad, bipartisan agreement among Americans on many important issues facing our nation. We just see no action on them in Congress.

Sunday marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, when the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed the constitutional right of women to make decisions about their own health care without interference from the government.

The election may have passed, but I join millions of Americans across the country who stand firm in the resolve that our nation will be one that works for everyone — a stronger, inclusive America built around uplifting and empowering all of its citizens.

There seems to be a script. Each incidence of gun violence is followed by outrage, heartbreak, a moment of silence, a muddying of the waters by cable show pundits and then … nothing. Whether motivated by hate, a result of mental illness, driven by extremism, racism, or as a domestic dispute — the why varies but the response remains the same.

In 1973, the United States eliminated the draft and moved to an all-volunteer force. Our men and women have served multiple deployments and extended missions in Iraq and Afghanistan honorably, but what are we doing to properly support our heroes when they return to their communities?

Re: The Star’s Nov. 22 editorial, “Don’t let fear erode America’s historic values”: The editorial suggested I was dismissive of a vote I took to certify the screening of Syrian refugees hoping to settle in the United States. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As a woman, a mother and a member of Congress, I have been a tireless advocate for protecting women’s health. Reproductive health is a cornerstone of women’s equality and economic opportunity. Every woman should have access to reproductive health services like cancer screenings, tests and treatments for sexually transmitted infections, preventive care and birth control.

Iran has long worked to develop a nuclear weapon, and the international community has long struggled with the best way to stop them. There have been sanctions, negotiations and considerations of military strikes.

Ventura County Star Since being elected to Congress, and serving as the ranking member on the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health, my top priority has been ensuring that Ventura County’s veterans receive quality care in a timely manner. When I first came to Congress, the Oxnard Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) was understaffed and […]

Let’s face it, our democracy is in danger. Between districts across the country being drawn by legislators with the sole purpose of preserving their jobs, the push to further restrict the ability of average citizens to even be able to vote, and the Supreme Court’s recent moves to weaken campaign finance laws, we are truly at a crossroad.

On Tuesday morning, our nation witnessed yet another tragic transportation accident when Metrolink Ventura County Line 102 crashed into a truck along the train tracks in Oxnard.

As the daughter, sister, and niece of military servicemen, I am keenly aware of the sacred promise we have made to our veterans and their families in return for the sacrifices they have made for our country.

After being sworn in as Ventura County’s congresswoman a little over a year ago, one of my first tasks was to choose the committees I wanted to serve on. As the daughter, sister and niece of veterans, the proud representative of Naval Base Ventura County, and of the more than 40,000 veterans who call our community home, there was no question that I wanted to sit on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.