Kathy Manning represents North Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District which includes all of Guilford County and parts of Forsyth County -- an area known as the Triad. Kathy graduated from Harvard University and the University of Michigan Law School before moving to Greensboro, NC in 1987, where she and her husband raised their three children. After serving as a partner at a major law firm for 15 years, she left to start her own law firm.
Before her election to Congress, Kathy worked to expand access to early childhood education, college scholarships, workforce development, and assistance to those in need through nonprofit organizations including the United Way, the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, the National Conference for Community and Justice, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Bennett College.
Quality public education is the key to opportunity. As a member of the Education and Labor Committee, I’m fighting to ensure every child goes to a great public school regardless of their zip code. On the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee, I’m advocating for the creation of universal pre-k, an increase in Title I funding, and investments in school infrastructure.
North Carolina’s Sixth District is home to thirteen institutions of higher education. These institutions include two community colleges, three historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), two women’s colleges, and eleven colleges and universities. We’re fortunate to have so many great education opportunities right here in our backyard, and as a member of the Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee, I’m fighting to make college more affordable, increase the availability of vocational and technical education and apprenticeship programs, and invest in community colleges and HBCUs. I believe that a quality education provides the foundation for success in the 21st century economy so I’m working to make that education affordable for all students. I will continue to advocate for increasing Pell Grants, allowing Pell Grants to be used year round, improving student access to the most competitive loan rates, and allowing student borrowers to refinance their federal student loans when better rates are available. I also support fixing the existing Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to help public servants focus on serving their communities, rather than worrying about how they will pay back their loans.
At some point, we all get sick and need to see a doctor. That’s why quality, affordable healthcare must be available to all Americans regardless of health status or economic circumstance.
In 2010 Congress passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In the years since, the ACA has made important strides in providing healthcare to all Americans; 23 million Americans, including 500,000 North Carolinians have secured health care coverage, more than 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions are protected, and three million seniors have received a discount on their prescription drugs. Unfortunately, these important healthcare advances are under attack. Congressional Republicans continue to try and repeal the ACA, without a replacement plan. I will continue to defend our health care and work to build on the ACA. I support the creation of a public option, greater access to mental health services, and increased use of telemedicine to help with early detection and preventative care. I also believe North Carolina should join the 39 other states that have expanded Medicare to extend coverage to 500,000 North Carolinians who are currently uninsured. This action was made even more enticing with the passage of the American Rescue Plan, which includes additional incentives for expanding Medicare.
Women’s Health Care
I’m committed to fighting for equal access to healthcare. I won’t let the government come between a woman and her doctor and I’ll always fight to protect women’s reproductive rights. I’m proud to be a member of the Pro-Choice Caucus and the Black Women’s Maternal Health Caucus. As a member of those caucuses, I’m working with members from across the country to address the maternal mortality crisis and to make sure that mothers, regardless of race, creed, or income, have access to the vital services.
Social Security and Medicare
I am committed to ensuring Medicare and Social Security are protected for this generation and generations to come. I strongly oppose any attempts to cut benefits for our seniors by privatizing Social Security. North Carolina seniors deserve the healthcare and retirement they have earned by working hard and playing by the rules.
Before my election to Congress, I spent my career working to make our community a better place, including helping to spearhead key economic development projects to revitalize downtown Greensboro. As a new Member of Congress, I’m working to ensure our taxpayer dollars go toward supporting jobs here at home. During my first month in office, I led a letter with Senator Sherrod Brown to the White House, calling for President Biden to prioritize American-made personal protective equipment (PPE). Shortly after receiving that letter, President Biden issued the Buy American Executive Order which prioritizes domestic production of goods, including PPE. This Executive Order impacted many American manufacturers, including some in North Carolina’s Sixth District. As your representative, I will continue to fight for more well-paying jobs for the Triad.
As a small business owner, I know that small businesses are the key to creating jobs and helping communities thrive. North Carolina must be an environment for small businesses to compete, grow, and thrive in a 21st century economy. To help recover from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, I voted in favor of the American Rescue Plan, which provided additional COVID-19 relief by extending Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan ( EIDL) program to help small businesses through this difficult time. I also supported measures that ensure these loans are made available to small, minority, and female owned businesses that have been historically underbanked and may lack existing relationships with large banks. We must encourage entrepreneurship and innovation so small businesses can continue creating the jobs of the future.
As we look to the future of work, I will continue to be a strong advocate for workforce development opportunities. As a member of the Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee of the Education and Labor Committee, I’ll always fight for investments in workforce development, apprenticeship programs, and opportunities to bring new jobs to the Sixth District.
US-Israel Relationship
As Vice Chair of the influential Middle East, North Africa, and Global Counterterrorism Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I am an advocate for maintaining a strong relationship between the United States and Israel. Prior to my election to Congress, I was the first woman to Chair the Board of the Jewish Federations of North America. I am also the first Jewish person to represent North Carolina in Congress.
In my role as Vice Chair, I champion policies that protect Israel’s security, strengthen the US-Israel relationship, maintain strict oversight of the Iran nuclear agreement, and promote security in the Middle East. I will continue to advocate for a two state solution and against anti-Semitism of any form.
Immigration
Our country was founded by immigrants who came here seeking freedom. Their hard work and determination to build a better life for themselves and their families molded our economy into the strongest in the world. Now, after decades of change, it is time to reform our immigration system to make essential updates that better reflect our values and meet the demands of our workforce.
Prior to my election to Congress, I worked as an immigration attorney. In Congress, I’m proud to be a member of the New Democrat Coalition Immigration Task Force which seeks to work with the business community to advocate for immigration policies that continue moving our country forward. Just months into my first term in office, I cosponsored and voted in favor of the bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. Read more about those bills here.
I will work to ensure North Carolina continues its leadership in renewable energy technology and will help incentivize companies to shift toward more sustainable and cleaner power supplies. North Carolina families must also have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe. We’ve seen first-hand what happens when companies break the rules — children and families get sick. The health, safety, and well-being of North Carolina families are my top priorities.
Infrastructure
Whether it's affordable housing, improvements to school buildings, or reliable transportation throughout the Triad, how we choose to improve and develop our communities reflects our values. Increased public transportation, safe school buildings, and affordable housing are key components to making economic prosperity a possibility for everyone. Throughout our country and in the Triad, our infrastructure is becoming increasingly strained and rising housing prices are pushing the American Dream out of reach for too many people.
While there is no one solution to addressing the needs of our communities, one thing is abundantly clear: we must invest in our infrastructure. That means a sustained commitment to repairing and replacing our existing roads and bridges, expanding the reach of our transit systems, and increasing our efforts to develop affordable housing. This also means increasing access to broadband and wifi, investing in our public schools, bolstering childcare options, and leveraging the growing green economy to create jobs and opportunities in our communities.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted several challenges facing our communities. The American Rescue Plan, signed into law March of 2021, constitutes a down payment on investing in our communities, but there is more work to do. As Congress considers future infrastructure packages, I will continue to advocate for forward thinking policies and investments that build on the successes of our communities and invest in our future.
Commonsense Gun Safety
Gun violence has shattered too many lives. No one should be unsafe in their home, schools, or places of worship, and laws ensuring that firearms are sold and used responsibly are an essential part of improving public safety.
There are a number of common sense measures that we can implement to address gun violence and keep our communities safe. I have cosponsored legislation to strengthen background checks, ban bump stocks and assault style weapons, and increase protections for victims of domestic violence, among other efforts. Most basically, Congress must authorize research on gun violence so we can better understand the impact of this epidemic on our country.
Police Reform
I cosponsored and voted in favor of passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which would ban chokeholds and no knock warrants, create a national police database, and establish national standards for policing. I believe we should re-evaluate the process police officers use to perform vehicle stops for minor infractions and I support annual evaluation and training for officers. I also support increased access to health care, including mental healthcare, to help police officers process the stress of their daily jobs.
Hunger
Although the number of American families experiencing food insecurity had been falling before the pandemic, the past year has been a stark reminder that too many of our neighbors are going hungry, are unsure where their next meal will come from, or are lacking essential nutrition.
As a member of the Education and Labor Committee, I am particularly concerned with the impact of hunger on children. Ensuring children have access to healthy meals, especially for those children still learning remotely and unable to visit the school cafeteria, is essential to their health and well-being. College students also face hunger, with many students juggling work and classes.
I was proud to support the American Rescue Plan which invests over $12 billion in nutrition assistance. It extends the 15 percent SNAP benefit through late September, extends the program to help families purchase food during summer break, and invests in the WIC program. These investments will help Americans not only access healthy food, but will address health care needs as well since nutrition is directly linked to physical well-being.
As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I also believe in the value of foreign aid, both as a diplomatic tool to build up our relationships around the globe and as a tool to combat hunger in parts of the world experiencing famine, draught, and violent conflict. Addressing fundamental human needs, like food and access to clean water, are critical components of peace and stability worldwide.