Issues

One of the most important responsibilities we have to our children is ensuring access to high-quality opportunities in education from early childhood to college and beyond. That is why David is dedicated to equipping our children and young adults with the tools they will need to succeed in today’s economy.

Each day more than 100 Americans die in an incident of gun violence, on average that is more than 37,000 gun-deaths each year. Furthermore, on average, over 110,000 people in the United States are shot every year.

Our current immigration system is broken. Unfortunately, President Trump and Senate Republicans refuse to come to the table to address this issue and pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Despite the historic Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed marriage equality as a Constitutional right, the LGBTQ community remains under renewed attack. David Cicilline is fighting for even greater protections for LGBTQ individuals in workplaces, schools, and public accommodations.

Rhode Island, like much of the country, is suffering a devastating overdose crisis that is causing unbelievable pain for so many families. Over the past few years, hundreds of families have lost loved ones to drug overdose. Addiction has struck every community in Rhode Island – urban and rural; young and old; rich, poor, and middle class. The disease of addiction does not discriminate.

Our country stands at a crossroads. For centuries, the fight against racial inequality has moved at a glacial pace. The victories in this struggle, while significant, have been too few and far between.

The death of George Floyd has forced our country to acknowledge that any progress we have made is simply not enough. Black men and women face challenges and obstacles that white Americans do not experience and cannot comprehend.

As a Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, David has been a consistent supporter of a robust relationship with Israel. Israel is a strong and brave democracy and has been an inspiration for the world for more than sixty years. The State of Israel was founded on the values of pluralism, justice, and respect for human rights, and as a practicing Jew, David is proud that Israel continues to embody those same values today. It is because of these shared values and a commitment to protecting minorities and workers, rejecting discrimination of any kind, and the strong belief in freedom of speech and an impartial judiciary, that the relationship between the United States and Israel is so strong and mutually reinforcing.

In Congress, as a steadfast advocate for women and families, David Cicilline is promoting policies that enhance economic opportunity and health outcomes for Rhode Islanders. Even as Senate Republicans refuse to guarantee women equal pay for equal work, David is there time and again to stand up for what’s right. He has championed the Paycheck Fairness Act, which passed the House in 2019 and would put an end to the economic injustice where women on average earn 80 cents for every dollar a man earns. And, with women representing nearly two-thirds of minimum wage earners, David advocated for passage of the Raise the Wage Act, legislation that will increase the federal minimum wage, provide a higher minimum wage for tipped workers, and remove politics from future minimum wage increases by indexing it to median wage growth.