As the daughter of a black father and a Korean mother, Marilyn grew up with a unique understanding of the structural inequities facing communities of color. In too many instances our criminal justice system has been unjust and has exacerbated - rather than solved - the underlying issues of race and bias in America.
Marilyn has been fighting to reform the criminal justice system and address inequality for decades. As Mayor, she helped build trust between police and communities of color through Project PEACE and worked with the Obama Administration to launch My Brother's Keeper in Tacoma to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color to ensure that all young people can reach their full potential. Marilyn created the Office of Equity and Human Rights at the City of Tacoma to promote hiring for city jobs to reflect our community.
She endorsed and supported I-940, the statewide initiative to increase the use of de-escalation training and set a new standard for use of force by the police. Marilyn supported "ban the box" legislation in Tacoma to encourage local employers to consider a job candidate's qualifications first without the stigma of a conviction or arrest record. Her work for economic and social justice has been recognized by Tabor 100, Blacks in Government Region X, and the Tacoma NAACP.
Marilyn's leadership has moved us forward, but more needs to be done. She is committed to reforming our criminal justice system to be fair, equitable and just, and she will bring that fight to Congress.
Health care for all is a right, not a privilege. It must be accessible, affordable, transparent and equitable. Even those who have insurance pay sky-high deductibles and copays. Having to choose between going to the doctor or paying for basic necessities also makes health care an issue of economic security. Mental health, dental health and vision care must be treated as essential care and part of basic coverage.
Marilyn will support adding a public health care option, which will increase coverage, lower prices, and lead to better plans from private insurers. She supports lowering the eligibility age for Medicare, will fight to strengthen protections for people with preexisting conditions, and end surprise billings. She will take on the pharmaceutical industry and advocate for patent reform so generic drugs can come to market more quickly, which will lower the cost of prescriptions.
Even before the COVID-19 crisis, too many people are struggling to meet their basic needs. As Mayor, Marilyn fought for workers passing paid family leave,raising the minimum wage, and creating the Tideflats Certification Program to prepare students for high-wage jobs with good benefits in the maritime industry. As Chair of the Tacoma Employee Retirement System Board, she consistently advocated for policies to ensure that employee pensions were fully funded.
Every worker in America needs paid sick leave to take care of themselves, family members, and to stay home when they are sick without worrying about losing their job. In Congress, Marilyn will support a national paid family leave policy, will work alongside labor to protect the right to organize and collectively bargain, will support universal basic income pilot programs to develop a national strategy that can help stabilize vulnerable communities and meet everyone's basic needs, and expand effective policies like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and registered apprenticeships. She will fight to secure equal pay for women and historically underrepresented communities.
We also need to make sure quality jobs come back after the COVID-19 crisis ends and to give displaced workers the help they need to get back on their feet. Small businesses are an essential part of making that happen - they employ half of all workers, drive innovation, and are cornerstones of our communities. As Mayor, Marilyn launched the Minority Business Development Agency at the City of Tacoma and helped secure a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration to launch the RAIN BioTech Incubator. As CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber, she supported and advocated for the Washington State Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Act, which sought to provide small businesses with more opportunities for government procurement and contracting, helping to secure stable, well-paying jobs in our area. In Congress, Marilyn will work to create more job opportunities by ensuring that small businesses have opportunities for government contracting and exporting and have the access to the capital and technical assistance they need to be successful.
All people, regardless of age, zip code or income, deserve to live in a safe, stable, home they can afford. Current supply does not meet demand. Local and state governments need policies that make it easier to build more housing, but the one entity with the financial resources to significantly address the problem is the federal government. Marilyn will advocate for a massive federal investment to help build affordable, workforce, and senior homes in local communities.
This includes building on Senator Cantwell's work by expanding the low-income housing tax credit, increasing funding to state housing finance commissions and local housing authorities, and increasing the flexibility of how housing vouchers can be used, which will provide stability and more choice. The response to the housing crisis must be innovative and match the scale of the problem. Marilyn will champion this effort in Congress.
Climate change is one of the most serious long-term threats to our nation and the world. As Mayor, Marilyn committed Tacoma to the Paris Climate Accord and supported the creation of an Environmental Action Plan. She launched a citywide community gardens initiative, which expanded into a county-wide program now with dozens of community gardens throughout the region. As chair of Pierce Transit and Vice Chair of Sound Transit, she worked tirelessly to expand bus and rail service and connect housing policies with transportation.
During Marilyn's tenure, Tacoma developed a framework of actionable and attainable steps to meet its carbon reduction goals. Thanks to this framework, solar use increased by 26%, thousands of new electric vehicles were registered, the tree canopy increased, and water use was reduced by 10% in city-owned buildings. She also worked to restart the fish passage project at Howard Hanson Dam, increasing the water supply and opening up the Green River to double the spawning habitat for salmon in the Central Puget Sound.
In Congress, Marilyn will fight to stop Trump's plan to expand offshore drilling and work to increase funding for Puget Sound restoration. She will work to reinstate regulations on emissions and protections for our public lands and will advocate for rebuilding the EPA, especially offices and programs designed to track the health and environmental impacts of pollution in under-served communities. Marilyn will work to invest in renewable energy in pursuit of a more carbon-free future so it is easier for consumers of energy and transportation to make better choices for clean air and clean water.
During Marilyn's tenure, she made community-wide investment in public schools a civic priority—bringing together business leaders, parents, non-profits, and community groups to invest in our children. The high school graduation rates in Tacoma, a majority-minority school district, went from 55% in 2010 to 89% in 2017. She also launched an award winning summer jobs program which provided paid internships, credits toward graduation and financial literacy training for high school students.
In Congress, Marilyn will protect Pell Grants, support refinancing of student loans with possible caps on monthly payments, and expand regulations on predatory for-profit colleges. She supports free college for students in high demand fields such as nursing, behavioral health, teaching and the building trades. She will push for universal pre-K and free lunch for all public school students, regardless of family income. Marilyn knows the value of vocational-technical training and apprenticeship programs and will support their expansion.
As the daughter of a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, Marilyn understands the challenges facing military families and veterans in our community. Reintegration from long deployments and the transition to civilian life can be the most challenging times of a service member's life and their family - the skill set and expertise gained in the service may not always easily translate to civilian employers. Marilyn will support increased funding for the Department of Defense's Transition Assistance Programs to ensure veterans have access to the necessary resources to make a successful transition, and increase Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funding to assist military spouses who have lost employment because of relocation of their spouse's duty station. Marilyn will also work to improve the Veterans Administration and eliminate inefficiencies so that veterans can get the physical and mental health care they need.
The South Sound is home to Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), one of the largest and most well-regarded military bases in the world, and with that comes the responsibility to invest in defense community priorities from housing to education and transportation. JBLM has an annual economic impact of $8 billion and is the largest single point employer in Washington State. Marilyn strongly supports the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP), which will bring $50 million in critical infrastructure investment to the South Sound. She will continue Representative Heck's excellent work on this measure and aim to bring even more federal investment to our military communities.
Women's reproductive rights are under assault by the Trump Administration. A woman's right to choose is a healthcare issue and economic empowerment issue, which is why it is crucial that we take action to protect women's rights and reproductive freedom. Marilyn strongly supports a woman's right to choose and will fight attempts to restrict access to birth control and women's healthcare. In Congress, she will protect funding for Planned Parenthood and access to birth control, and will fiercely oppose attempts to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Our communities and our youth are enduring gun violence as if it is an unsolvable crisis. It is preventable and we can end it. Marilyn passed mandatory background checks and closed the gun show loophole in Tacoma while she was Mayor. The gun lobby threatened to sue, and she was steadfast in her commitment to putting the safety and well being of residents first.
In Congress, Marilyn will stand up for common sense gun safety laws such as universal background checks for gun purchases and restoration of the ban on military style assault weapons and high capacity magazines. It should be harder, not easier, for criminals, domestic abusers, and terrorists to buy dangerous weapons.
As the daughter of an immigrant and having been born in Korea herself, Marilyn understands the challenges experienced by our immigrant population. She supports comprehensive immigration reform that focuses on streamlining the process of legal permanent residency, creating a fair pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in this country, and protections for DREAMERs. Marilyn will fight to shut down the for-profit detention facilities that lock up children and will fight to end Donald Trump's cruel policy of separating migrant families.
Marilyn will also work to expand visa caps - immigrants are an essential part of the American identity and the U.S. economy as workers and entrepreneurs who bring skills, diverse perspectives and innovation. By raising caps on visas, we can help attract the brightest and the best the world has to offer to the United States.
The current crisis has highlighted just how important it is for the government to provide stable retirement benefits, and for employers to honor their promise to workers and pay full pensions. As Chair of the Tacoma Employee Retirement System Board, Marilyn increased public pension funding during her term in office and fought to preserve pension benefits for city workers in the midst of a recession. In Congress, she will strongly support full funding for Social Security and Medicare, and push to increase contributions for federal pensions so that workers receive the full benefits they deserve.
The broken criminal justice system disproportionately affects people of color, and low-income communities. It is a cause of family dysfunction, fuels the cycle of poverty, and exacerbates the racial wealth gap. As Mayor, Marilyn endorsed I-940, the voter approved state-wide initiative requiring police de-escalation training and redefining intent in cases of use of deadly force. She also lobbied for and supported Department of Justice funding in support of community-based policing.
In Congress, Marilyn will support legislation to reduce sentencing for low-level drug offenders and bills to shift the power in our criminal justice system away from the prison industrial complex. She supports legalizing marijuana and banning cash bail for non-violent offenses, and will seek to end the school-to-prison pipeline through supporting focused interventions and funding for programs which combat disproportionate discipline.
We also need a justice system that focuses on helping people re-enter society, rather than setting them up to fail. Marilyn will fight to reduce restrictions on housing and occupational licensing for returning citizens and decriminalize mental health crises and mental illness. She will also advocate for programs that restore voting rights to people who have completed their sentences.
