The fight for equality is one of the central struggles of the American story. It is also a major part of my work on behalf of the people of Northern Virginia.
Americans deserve equal treatment under the law without discrimination on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, or disability. I have worked to advance this principle in a number of ways, from advocating for laws against voter suppression, to authoring legislation opposing the previous administration's Muslim Ban, to continuous advocacy for disabled Americans.
I have been vocal in opposition to efforts to ban books and censor ideas and materials in public schools simply because they teach about racism in American history or about sexuality and gender. I am a proud cosponsor of the Equality Act, which would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
I have also championed efforts to improve our national response to extremism, hateful ideology, and crimes of bias. In May of 2021, President Biden signed into law my legislation, the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act, which would boost our nation's response to hate crimes by strengthening reporting requirements and improving coordination of hate crime prevention efforts.
