Ayanna Pressley is an advocate, a policy-maker, an activist, and a survivor. On November 6, 2018, Ayanna was elected to represent Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, making her the first woman of color to be elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Ayanna believes that the people closest to the pain should be closest to the power, and that a diversity of voices in the political process is essential to crafting more effective public policy.
Donald Trump and the Republican Congress are continuing their efforts to dismantle Obamacare, legislation that enabled millions of Americans to obtain health care and no longer worry about going bankrupt if a family member gets sick. Ayanna believes that we must defend the gains made under Obamacare, and that we must push further to implement a Medicare for All system that will make healthcare even more accessible.
There are also significant changes we can make to our existing system to improve service delivery for patients and control costs. On the Boston City Council, Ayanna pushed for additional investments in mental health clinicians and also supported a program that links services and resources between local health networks to address the causes of poor health. It’s through innovative thinking that Congress can bring a practical approach to preventative care that ensure better health, intervenes before crisis, and brings down cost.