Issues
Committed to Progress
There are challenges before us. We believe we can handle them - together. We believe in America - in the Indiana 3rd Congressional District - its purpose, its promise, its principles, and its people. Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District is made of people who are called to do the greatest of things. Together, we can do great things. Together, we must invest in people. We need to invest in building a diverse pipeline of talent across the economy. We need to ensure all workers have access to good jobs, affordable housing, and a living wage. We must build an economy that works for everyone. We must, as one of the world’s richest nations, have one of the world’s best infrastructure systems. We must ensure equal rights and protections for the LGBTQ+ community. We must provide a world-class education for every child - in every zip code. We need to deliver universal early childhood education and high-quality affordable childcare. We must support our teachers - and librarians. We must back our District’s farmers as they are essential to our communities, our economy, and our security. We need to improve access to and affordability of quality healthcare. We must support a woman’s right to high-quality reproductive healthcare services. We must ensure our elders can age with dignity and care. We must support unions as they give everyone a voice and stand for working Americans. We must build a stronger, brighter, and more equitable future for all who call Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District home.
-
The economy is personal to every Hoosier. The challenges the economy present affect one’s ability to provide both for themselves and loved ones. The Third District deserves an economy that works for everyone. Investments in people must be made.
Economic disparities have a vast reach. As America evolves, wages must keep up. Many Americans, including Hoosiers, are struggling to make ends meet. And too many Hoosiers are unable to access affordable housing.
For an economy to thrive, greater investment in care, further investment in infrastructure, increased access to housing, improved tax benefits for working families, enhancing skills matching to the labor market, and additional support for small businesses is needed.
It is both a moral and economic imperative that people, workers, and families are supported. Solutions to the economic challenges must work for farmers, manufacturers, teachers, nurses, laborers working in factories, small business owners – each and every Hoosier.
Economy
-
For over 200 years, the American education system has shaped and informed the greatest nation in the world. The value of education to American society is immeasurable. Beyond the impact of education on individuals, education is connected to economic growth and development, national security and innovation, and competitiveness globally. Investments in education must continue to be made. Investments in people must be made. The future, children’s future, the future economy, demands work at the national level.
PreK-12 Education
All America’s children deserve a free, quality public education. Teachers deserve respect and to be paid a competitive salary.
Access to optional, high quality, publicly funded Pre-K could significantly reduce the financial burden facing families with young children. Publicly funded universal Pre-K can also help ensure children are ready for kindergarten. Sustained federal funds and increased capacity are foundational to universal Pre-K.
Efforts and initiatives must continue to be made connecting PreK-12 education with postsecondary education and workforce programs. The share of federal spending on K-12 career and technical education has fallen over the past decades. Investments, at the federal level, in career in technical education could allow more learners to access and persist on their educational journey. Access to training pathways and skills-based learning, in both K-12 education and postsecondary education, are key for industries like manufacturing and healthcare – two important segments of the economy and workforce in the Third District.
Postsecondary Education
Increasingly, the economy demands education beyond high school. There must be pathways for all for learners whether seeking a credential or certification at a technical training center, an associate degree at a community college, or a bachelor’s degree at a four year institution. Training beyond high school is critical for access to jobs and higher wages. Credentials earned at colleges, noncredit trainings, apprenticeships, and occupational credentials can all lead to increased earnings. Career and postsecondary readiness must be strengthened on a national scale.
Workforce Development
For communities to grow and flourish, for the economy to succeed, a strong workforce is critical. To build a robust workforce, a network of partners is key. From K-12 classrooms, post-secondary campuses, economic development organizations, to government, and nonprofits, everyone plays a vital role in developing a robust workforce, a strong talent pipeline, and in turn a thriving economy. Continued investments, at the federal level, can aid in promoting innovation and competitiveness. Funds toward workforce planning and training projects, along with infrastructure can result in meeting the needs of the local business community and in turn help communities thrive.
Education
-
Labor and Economic Equity
In the United States, the labor participation rate, in 2022, for women ages 25-54 was approximately 76 percent. Women are working. In the workplace, women deserve equal compensation for skills and experiences. Equitable pay provides economic mobility. The workplace should promote benefits such as paid family leave along with access to affordable healthcare and childcare.
Health and Reproductive Rights
Reproductive rights go beyond a singular issue. Reproductive rights include access to services and care. Women must have access to quality reproductive healthcare services. This includes access to family planning services, birth control, and abortion care. In addition, women should have access to sufficient and economical maternal care. This includes pre-natal, delivery, and post-natal care regardless of location. In the United States, maternal mortality rates continue to increase substantially. The maternal mortality rate in the United States is higher than any other industrialized high-income country. Indiana has the third highest maternal mortality rate in the United States. We must do better. Women deserve to get the care they need.
Rights
-
Healthcare
Health disparities exist and persist across the Third District – and America. Rural communities, populations with a lower socio-economic status, communities of color, amongst other groups often disproportionately experience higher rates of health disparities. For example, Americans living in rural areas (like those in the Third District) are more likely to die from cancer, stroke, and heart disease then those living in urban areas.
Health disparities cost $93 billion in excess medical costs each year and $42 billion in lowered productivity. The health disparities, in communities and across the nation, are costing us greatly both in the loss of life and in the economic consequences.
The United States has one of the highest costs of healthcare in the world. Cost barriers to care must be addressed. Containing high healthcare costs is important for families across the district and for America’s long-term economic well-being.
We must do better to ensure everyone has access to quality affordable healthcare regardless of location, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and race.
Childcare
In communities across the district, people lack access to affordable quality childcare. The cost of childcare, for those able to access it, is climbing. The surge in cost is making care unaffordable for families.
Limited childcare options affect the economy. Often, a parent’s employment is responsive to both the availability and affordability of care for their young children. Childcare challenges affect parents’ participation in the workforce along with employers’ ability to recruit and retain workers.
The challenge to access and afford childcare needs to be a top concern. Childcare challenges cause employers to face costs like employee turnover and hiring along with decreased productivity due to competing priorities. A strong childcare system supports a participatory and prosperous workforce and economy.
Elderly Care
By 2035, 78 million Americans will be over the age of 65. That is approximately 20% of the population. Our care system is unprepared for the growth and complexity of care in older adults. With the growing number of people 65 and older, ever-expanding services and care are needed. Many older Americans share they want to remain in their homes as they age. To meet the demand in providing care for a rapidly aging America, more than 1 million more new home care jobs will be required. An adequately prepared workforce must be developed to care for elders. Elders, across the district, deserve to age with dignity and care.
