Americans deserve the certainty of knowing their government will be funded and open tomorrow, next week, and next year. It is critically important that Congress set aside partisan differences when it comes to meeting our country’s financial commitments.

Americans also need to know that the earned benefits they have paid into — like Social Security, and safety net programs including food stamps and housing supports — will be there when they need them. I will always stand up for these programs, work to make sure they are fully funded, and fight against privatization. I oppose the Trump administration’s continued plans to cut these and many other programs. It is immoral and wrong when the President proposes steep cuts to programs that help put food on Oregonians’ tables and keep a roof over their heads.

Finally, we need a tax code that leads to better jobs, better wages, and a better future for all of us. Currently, our tax code exacerbates income inequality at a time when it is rising and threatening our nation’s prosperity. I opposed the partisan tax reform in 2017 because it provided unnecessary benefits and loopholes to wealthy corporations and billionaires at the expense of middle and low-income Americans. It is reprehensible to increase the debt by at least $1 trillion to give tax cuts to successful corporations and the wealthiest in our country while asking hard-working Americans to do more with less as costs rise and wages remain stagnant.