In Congress, my focus will be on carrying the voices of and providing excellent service to my constituents, building an economy that delivers for working- and middle-class families, reining in prescription drug costs and ensuring that health care is regarded as a right rather than a privilege, and shaping a more just, equal future for all our daughters and sons.

I approached my first term in Congress with the mindset that you only have one opportunity to make a good first impression with your colleagues.

As the executive director of People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), the largest provider of homelessness services in the State of California, I spent my career working with health care providers, law enforcement, and employers to oversee hundreds of government contracts, manage a $50 million budget, and move thousands of families and veterans off the street and into permanent homes.

I was fortunate to have been elected to the 116th Congress as part of a historically diverse freshman class. We are the first class ever to take our oath of office during a government shutdown.

My military journey started when I was born into it as the daughter and granddaughter of career naval officers.

Many Americans feel they are outsiders to the political process and voiceless in a government brilliantly designed to be of, by and for the people. I want to see this new Congress change that.

A record number of women are running for office nationwide. One reason behind the surge? Hillary Clinton.

I am a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a business owner and a bison farmer. My gender does not define who I am, but it does add value and perspective to the decisions I make.

America faces hard problems, and the only way to solve them is by making sure that everyone’s perspective is heard. That is part of what motivated me to run for Congress; at the time, my state had 18 seats in the House – and no women.

The last time this many women ran for office was 1992, the “Year of the Woman.” In 2018, record numbers of women are campaigning from both parties – and winning. What took us so long?

Criminal justice reform is long overdue to protect all Americans and ensure that our criminal justice system is fair.

On Election Day, Americans in red and blue states voted for criminal justice reform, including overturning long-standing Jim Crow-era laws.