Keeping our Communities Safe and Strong

Lisa’s success is thanks in large part to her public school education. That’s where she learned English when she was six and received meals through the free lunch program. She’s a product of teachers who saw her potential. But right now, public education is under attack across the country and right here in Virginia. Politicians are underfunding our public schools and draining taxpayer dollars into voucher programs for private schools.

Our schools have been neglected for too long. On top of that, the pandemic set our children’s learning back, and our kids have suffered because of it. Devastatingly, some kids don’t even feel safe on their way to or in school, as gun violence continues to rise. Every year, more and more Virginians and their families experience gun violence - on our streets, in our schools, on our college campuses, in our places of worship. Real safety means more than just knowing you’re free of violence, it also means having access to help and support when you need it most.

Climate change has impacted communities all across Virginia - from water rising in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, to soil erosion on our farms, and the rising cost of energy thanks to extreme heat and cold.

In Congress, Lisa will strengthen our communities by:

• Investing in our public schools to address the teacher staffing shortage, and allow our schools to hire and retain the best teachers possible

• Ensuring first responders and law enforcement officers have the funding, tools, and training they need to respond effectively when people need help most

• Passing common-sense gun safety measures like background checks to keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals

• Putting resources into clean energy to create jobs and cut down on the fossil fuels that harm our communities and environment

• Investing in restoration of our shorelines, oyster reefs, and wetlands to buffer against storm surges and help with water filtration