Representative Ro Khanna is a leading progressive voice in the House working to democratize the digital economy, bring advanced manufacturing jobs to factory towns, and advance U.S. leadership on climate, human rights, and diplomacy around the world.
Khanna proudly represents California’s 17th Congressional District, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, and is serving in his third term. He sits on the House Agriculture, Armed Services, and Oversight and Reform committees, where he chairs the Environmental Subcommittee. Khanna is also the Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus; serves as an Assistant Whip for the Democratic Caucus and is the Democratic Vice Chair of the House Caucus on India and Indian Americans.
A truly prosperous American economy is one that is diversified, driven by innovation, and works for all people. I believe that to achieve this across the country, we must embrace technology and use it as a vehicle to put people to work. I support advanced American manufacturing as well as a nationwide investment in high-tech apprenticeships and worker training programs.
Empowering a strong middle class will require an economy that benefits everyone, not just those at the top. And this starts by making good, technology-based jobs available and accessible across America. Enrico Moretti, a Berkeley economist, found that for every tech job, five other new jobs are created. This multiplier effect creates important service jobs such as baristas, doctors, lawyers, and dry cleaners, among many others.
I believe that working families are the backbone of this country, and that’s why I have made lifting them up a central part of my agenda. I am introducing a more than $1 trillion expansion of the earned income tax credit (EITC) that would provide a much-needed boost to American families to make up for wages lost to inflation over the past four decades.
I also support paid family leave, training programs for mid-career workers, and increasing the hourly minimum wage to $15. It is vital that we fight for working families, because they are the incubator of the American dream.
Consumer Protection
Consumer protection laws are Americans’ first lines of defense against unethical companies. These laws hold big corporations accountable and prevent harm to consumers. I support legislation that protects consumers and will oppose any bill to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Data breaches of major credit reporting bureaus demonstrate we need stronger laws to prevent situations like this from happening again. When you apply for a mortgage, credit card, auto loan, or almost anything having to do with credit, a company will check your credit report provided by the three private credit reporting companies.
What you can do to protect yourself
If you have a credit report, it is likely that your personal information was compromised by the Equifax data breach. Please take the time to go through the resources below and take the steps required to keep your identity safe.
What I am doing to protect you
In the wake of this disastrous breach of data and trust, I have signed onto the following bills that will help Americans respond to the Equifax hack now and protect your financial future.
Click here to learn more about the bills that I introduced and cosponsored.
Education is the foundation for our country’s future and a fundamental right for all of our children. As the son of a public school teacher, I value the enormous impact that schools and teachers have.
It is vital that we continue to improve our public school system from the bottom up. I believe in expanding special education, art, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs so that students have a well-rounded education and can be competitive on the global stage. We live in a changing world and have a skill-based economy. Many companies now hire based on skills, rather than looking at formal degrees. Decoupling skills from degrees and credentialing reform are issues that I am considering in Congress.
I am championing apprenticeships in Congress and believe we need more of them in the U.S. Nations such as Switzerland and Germany successfully created robust ecosystems of apprenticeships, where most students participate at a young age, learn needed skills, and have jobs after completion. With tax credits and modernizing the application process, we should incentivize businesses to create more apprenticeships.
I also believe that we need to give every aspiring student the opportunities and resources to pursue the dream of college education. The cost of college has become exorbitant. Something is wrong when our nation’s bright young minds see college as a financial risk that comes with decades of burdensome debt, and I will fight to change that.
It is our responsibility to leave the planet healthy and safe for our children and future generations. This requires preserving open spaces, developing sustainable communities, achieving energy efficiency and water conservation, and investing in alternative energy sources. I will fight for protective measures against the harmful effects of climate change and hold local polluters accountable.
Protecting the environment can also help to create new jobs. By developing new energy sources and technologies, we can strengthen and diversify our economy while providing for American workers and their families.
Click here to learn more about the bills that I introduced and cosponsored.
Civil Rights
The 21st century has brought new challenges to American citizens' inalienable civil rights and liberties. We must face these challenges head on, and I will defend the freedoms of all Americans. I will protect the freedom of religion and work hard to improve measures that prevent profiling in law enforcement.
LGBTQ+ Equality
I am a proud member of both the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and the Transgender Equality Task Force. I believe that no person should be discriminated based on sexual orientation or gender identity. I will support and advocate for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and others (LGBTQ+) community by fighting to end workplace discrimination, youth homelessness, school bullying, and health care disparities.
Though we have made great gains recently, the fight is not over. We must continue to make progress toward equal rights for all. I will advocate to preserve and expand protections to end harmful practices that disproportionately affect the LGBTQ community, as well as fight any attempts to roll back these potentially life-saving measures.
Voting Rights
In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. While I have the utmost respect for the independence of our judiciary, I firmly believe that we need strong protections like this to safeguard the catalyst of our democracy. Voting is fundamental right and should be an easy and safe process for all eligible Americans.
Modern-day voter suppression occurs when states enact discriminatory voter ID laws and when partisan politicians draw up districts in their favor. I oppose any restrictions on the right to vote and support independent redistricting commissions that ensure all Americans have an equal say in their government.
Women’s Rights
Women are crucial to driving innovation, growth, and prosperity in our country, and I will advocate for women’s rights both nationally and internationally. I support a woman’s right to choose and I will continue to push for accessible and affordable health care for all.
Women are underrepresented in some workplaces, particularly in STEM careers, leadership positions, and Congress. I will fight to change this by supporting more training opportunities for women in male-dominated fields and improved access to STEM education programs for girls.
Employment policies have been unfair to women for too long. There should be equal pay for equal work. I support paid parental leave, access to affordable childcare, and the implementation of comprehensive guidelines for filing equal-pay lawsuits.
Click here to learn more about the bills that I introduced and cosponsored.
The United States can and should be a driving force around the world for freedom, human rights, and peace. This does not mean we should turn first to war and violence. Too many times, our first response to a foreign policy problem has been military action. Unilateral military interventions are counterproductive to our strategic goals and prolong violence and suffering. I support working together with the international community to find thoughtful diplomatic solutions for the complex issues facing our world.
I opposed the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and I continue to oppose the broad authorization of military force that has operated as a blank check for military use for 15 years. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I will push for diplomatic solutions, increased foreign assistance, and the need to conduct robust congressional oversight. I support innovative responses to 21st century national security threats.
Click here to learn more about the bills that I introduced and cosponsored.
While serving in Congress I pledge to reject contributions from political action committees (PACs) and lobbyists because I believe that we need to remove the influence of corporate money in politics. That is why I created the bipartisan Congressional No PAC Caucus. Many of the problems in Congress could be solved if we had politicians who were not indebted to the big corporations and special interests.
I also believe that instituting term limits for both the House and Senate is an integral step towards fixing stagnation in government. Serving in Congress is meant to be a public service, not a lifelong career, and I will work to make sure that the new ideas and energy will continue to move our country forward.
Click here to learn more about the bills that I introduced and cosponsored.
I will fight to protect the guarantees of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. I will oppose any efforts to slash funding for any of these vital social safety net programs. I will advocate for increasing Social Security benefits to keep up with the high cost of living and maintaining the retirement age. When America makes a promise, America keeps a promise.
The Affordable Care Act is an important step towards insuring all Americans, and I will fight any Republican efforts to weaken or eliminate it. I will also stand up to the large drug companies in the fight to keep prescriptions affordable. No person should have to decide between putting food on the table and buying the medication that keeps them alive.
I support the creation of a single-payer health care system, or Medicare for All. We must increase coverage, support small businesses, expand primary care, and lower premiums. Medicare for All is the next step toward addressing the high costs and inequalities in the current health care system.
We as a nation have a responsibility to protect and provide for the most vulnerable among us. Programs and benefits such as nutrition assistance, earned income and child tax credits, and affordable housing vouchers keep millions of Americans who are living on low and fixed incomes safe, healthy, and secure.
Click here to learn more about the bills that I introduced and cosponsored.
Housing costs have soared in recent years, exacerbating the housing shortage in our district and preventing families from finding affordable, quality housing. The promise of homeownership is critical for building generational wealth and stability for working families and the middle-class. We must address the rising costs of housing that are making it impossible for families to buy a home or cover the cost of rent.
Housing is a basic human and economic right. I will continue to fight in Congress to ensure working class families in my district and across the country can afford rent and have a clear pathway to homeownership.
Housing resources:
My work in Congress:
I have introduced and cosponsored bills to help Americans secure safe and affordable housing including:
As the son of immigrants, I know firsthand how strongly immigrants believe in and contribute to the American dream. Immigrants help strengthen our economy and enrich our culture, and I will fight to protect immigrants’ rights while ending abuses of the system.
Undocumented immigrants contribute to American society and we must protect their legal rights and status. I will advocate for legal status for DREAMers, pathways to citizenship for productive adults, family reunification visas, guest worker visa programs, and asylum for refugees. America is, at its heart, a nation of immigrants—it is our responsibility to fix the system to support all Americans, current and future.
I will also strive to reform the H-1B visa program to ensure that corporations cannot displace American workers in favor of cheap, foreign labor who they can easily control and underpay. Silicon Valley’s leadership in the world of technology was achieved in large part thanks to immigrants who came here on H-1B visas. For that I am grateful, but we must fix this program by restoring it to its original intent, protecting all workers from systemic abuses by profit-driven companies, and preserving the limited H1-B visas for high-skilled foreign workers.
Click here to learn more about the bills that I introduced and cosponsored.
Silicon Valley plays a central role in changing the world through technological innovations. These changes have improved the lives of millions and have opened up a world of job and economic opportunity nationwide. However, they also come with a host of new challenges to consider. I believe that in the age of technology and connectivity, we are entitled to a basic set of rights that protect access, privacy, and universality of internet use.
The lack of universal access to broadband is a prevalent inequality in today’s society. The internet is no longer a privilege. That is why I will work with Congress and technology companies to make it available to all communities, regardless of income or geography. This also means protecting net neutrality. For the internet to remain a free and open public service, we must maintain the rules that prevent internet service providers (ISPs) from extorting their customers for quality access. I will stand up to the big corporations that want to roll back these vital protections.
It is also important that Americans are safe from warrantless data collection and fully informed of who has access to the information that they put on the web. Individual privacy is protected in the U.S. Constitution, and I will work hard to shield Americans from unnecessary surveillance.
Click here to learn more about the bills that I introduced and cosponsored.
The United States was once among the world leaders in quality infrastructure; now, we rank just 11th according to the World Economic Forum. In the 2017 report by the American Society of Civil Engineers, the overall assessment of our nation’s infrastructure ranked the U.S. at a D+.
Our infrastructure is woefully lacking and a daily inconvenience to the citizens of Silicon Valley. Transportation is about far more than simply getting from one place to another. It's about creating jobs, stimulating the economy, revitalizing neighborhoods, cleaning our air, and allowing all commuters to spend less frustrating time in gridlock, and more quality time with their families. We need to invest more in local transportation infrastructure, and empower local governments and communities in developing unique solutions to local problems.
Public transportation should help more people access economic opportunities throughout Silicon Valley. To improve transportation, I will advocate for a multi-modal transportation system, including mass transit, new buses and more bus routes, ride-sharing services, and the expansion of BART. It is past time for us to invest heavily in our crumbling roads, bridges, and transit systems to transform our infrastructure, create millions of jobs, and compete in the 21st century global economy.
Click here to learn more about the bills that I introduced and cosponsored.
It is our responsibility to return support for the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who took an oath to protect our country. I will advocate for improved health care services and benefits for veterans and increased support for their families and those of our service members. We have a solemn obligation to honor their valor and service to our nation.
Reentry to civilian life is a complicated process that nonetheless provides incredible opportunity for growth and development. I support job training and retraining programs, tax credits for businesses that hire veterans, and a streamlined employment process to fully take advantage of the unique skills veterans have to offer. I will continue to work to ensure our veterans have every opportunity to successfully participate in the digital economy.
In July, the House unanimously passed the Vet-Tec Act, which was part of a legislative package called the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017. I was the lead Democratic sponsor of the Vet-Tec Act, which was introduced by Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
Click here to learn more about the bills that I introduced and cosponsored.