Ashmi stands for working people and the middle class and believes your voice matters in politics. Below are original policies written by thousands of our constituents and progressives across the country. This is what it takes to build a democracy that represents us all.
Along with the original policy ideas co-authored by community members below, Ashmi supports universal healthcare, A Green New Deal, Free Public College and Trade School, Overturning Citizens United, D.C. Statehood, HR-1, a Referendum for Puerto Rico, investing in human rights focused foreign aid, abolishing ICE, & protecting Title IX.
Equal Opportunity For All
Paths to citizenship in the U.S. are inefficient, over-complicated, and frequently inhumane. We need to undo the damage caused by the Trump administration’s harmful Public Charge rule and make the naturalization process welcoming, efficient, and accessible.
Diversity, equity, inclusion, & access are essential for the health of our businesses and schools both small and large. When we prioritize DEIA, the environments in which we work, the country in which we live, and the communities that we call home will all be benefitted.
Americans deserve safety, including safety from police violence. It's time for our law enforcement system to work for all of us.
Structural racism is the primary motivating factor behind maternal health disparity in the US. We need to deconstruct the implicit bias and inequities present in our hospitals, from the waiting room, to the delivery room, to the child’s first annual check up a year later.
Voting is a critical part of the political process, and no American should be prevented from exercising their civil right to participate in government.
LGBTQ people are entitled to equal rights, opportunities, and dignity. We fight against discriminatory policies on the local, state, and national levels, and we resist homophobia and transphobia in all of its forms.
Expand who receives benefits from the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). Increase funding for OPWDD for more resources and funding to properly support the lives of people with disabilities.
Seeking asylum is a human right. Asylum laws are meant to protect anyone who is fleeing persecution and cannot return safely to their home country. However, the current asylum laws in the U.S. often put asylum-seekers at greater risk. We have a strong plan for asylum-seekers to access the safety, asylum, and care that they need and deserve.
Workplaces must do more to make employment accessible and accommodate for necessary resources that our community of people with disabilities needs to thrive in their jobs.
Misbehavior in the classroom is not a personal attack or act of defiance, but a symptom of underdeveloped skills. Enabling a safe learning environment and managing behavior fosters meaningful learning of teachers and students alike.
Too often, policy and educational lessons tie menstrual health lessons to fertility, but menstruating people are not reproductive organs. They deserve to live free of shame and stigma, with access to products that fulfill their needs and information about their bodies throughout their lifespan.
As a multigenerational, multicultural collective, we know Indigenous women have been leading this fight and we stand in solidarity and hope to support their advocacy. Indigenous women deserve justice, safety, and dignity. From creating secure and trauma informed reporting mechanisms to economic and educational opportunities, Indigenous women’s self determination must be at the forefront in the fight for gender equity.
The CDC has deemed sex education to be essential, and yet, fewer than half of the high schools in the country are teaching medically accurate sex education. Students and communities deserve equal access to sex education that is relevant for all gender identities and cultures.
Everyone needs mental health care. People face high costs, lack of information, and social stigma that make our mental health support systems inaccessible. Remove healthcare system barriers and give each person access to online mental health services.
Transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individuals face violence, discrimination, and barriers to accessing necessary services--such as healthcare--at alarmingly high rates. We envision a world where TGNC individuals have equal rights, are free from violence and discrimination, and have access to quality housing, healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. We demand better laws and policies that see beyond a gender binary and recognize the validity of TGNC rights and identities.
People from all walks of life face forms of violence such as harassment or assault every day. We demand justice for these survivors. From large corporations to our schools, from the prison system to our hospitals, all institutions must shift from victim blaming and unsupportive approaches, to healing centered methods to create a healthier and more connected society.
Despite being the fastest-growing racial group in the country, politicians consistently neglect Asian Americans in their campaign outreach and further alienate them as voters.
We want students in special education to have a strong and valued voice in their individual learning plans from the start of their education, so they can achieve their goals. Students and parents need to be actively involved in the creation and evaluation of any Individualized Education Plan.
All students require mental health support, especially children who have experienced traumatic experiences. Stop criminalizing children and instead offer restorative practices and mental health support systems in every public school.
Transferring from one health care provider to another may leave patients powerless with their own healthcare data. We advocate to improve transfer of patient information by organizing existing records by patient rather than institution. Create comprehensive patient profiles using historic and current data to improve high quality patient care.
A 21st Century Government
Our current federal judicial system is disorganized and unsustainable. Citizens are losing faith in our democracy and its three branches of government.
Gun violence is an epidemic. We must devote more resources to proven non-violent solutions.
Bring our government into the current century.
Digital literacy must be integrated into all levels of education, from kindergarten through the adult education and workforce system.
Reduce waste and support green sustainable alternatives to waste management that will not further degrade the environment or our health.
We demand that big business polluters take responsibility for our planet and our people and accurately report Environmental, Social, Governance data on a quarterly basis.
We will target local barriers to unlock the broader benefits of electrified transportation. Easing the switch to EV’s reduces local air pollution from automobiles, and lowers health risks with our residents, such as heart and lung disease.
Reduce the disproportional impact caused by climate change.Build a safety net assistance for those displaced by the energy transition by addressing racial, economic, and social inequities in health outcomes. Our impact is not limited to our country, so we must understand how our consumption affects other countries globally in addition to our cities domestically.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) needs to have the independence to thoroughly, ethically, and unbiasedly evaluate foods, medications, cosmetics, and products that are in the best interest of the American people, not corporations.
Accelerate pathways to net zero emissions by converting harmful processes, like burning natural gas, into sustainable energy systems.
Stronger action, not just language. Large brands have kept us in the dark about how our day to day products are made. Do we know if brands are exploiting children or if factory workers are protected? To combat alarmingly weak transparency, large brands earning over $100 million annually must be required to publicly disclose whether and how they follow internationally-recognized ethical labor standards.
Community health starts with the youth. We need to further develop opportunities to make civic engagement personal and relevant for young adults. Develop direct links between students and community leaders with accessible and reliable databases for civic engagement opportunities.
We want to expand NYC’s Climate Mobilization Act, and require all buildings, not just large buildings, in NYC and on a national level to become energy efficient.
Corporations must be taxed where they do business, rather than in the jurisdictions where their accountants and lawyers know they can hide and shelter their profits. When companies pay their taxes, the United States will receive $100 billion more annually in corporate tax revenue, which could fund much needed public services.
Our country has a plastic addiction with a devastating impact on our oceans, wildlife, and health. Ban all single use plastic, including oxo-degradable and Styrofoam, and invest in alternative materials.
Economic Justice
Through COVID-19, we have lost over 500,000 small business jobs. Some businesses have closed permanently while others are still fighting to make ends meet. Economic and social justice for small businesses means supporting the diversity, culture, and integrity of our city, as well as the livelihoods of our residents and communities.
Housing is a human right. People with disabilities have the right to resources and support that will allow them to live independently and access economic opportunities and jobs regardless of disability status.
Our education system has been incredibly resilient throughout the past year. While the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed major gaps in our education system, educational innovators have also introduced solutions that prove our nation’s ability to provide for some of the most vulnerable individuals. Still, much work remains to be done. We must continue to accommodate the unique needs of American students until we can truly say that no child is left behind.
The diversity of affordable and practical education options for students needs to be improved, and steps need to be taken to increase financial transparency and regulate education costs.
Demystify the hard-to-understand language and technicalities of tenancy agreements in New York City by mandating that a copy of a Tenant Bill of Rights be included in all lease agreements.
Although pay discrimination has been illegal for over half a century in the U.S., wide disparities in pay continue to persist along gendered lines. All individuals must be compensated fairly and equitably for their work.
We need more physicians, nurses, care-providers and medical professionals - that’s one reality that hasn't been up for debate in healthcare for decades, but has become glaringly evident in the past year. COVID-19 has rocked the world and tested the capacities of our nation’s healthcare professionals, all of whom have put themselves on the frontline in the battle against this pandemic. We owe it to them, for this battle and the next, to ensure they have the support and resources they require to keep us safe.
A clear and effective policy for paid leave protects employee well-being, business liability, and promotes gender equality in the workplace. We believe that all families deserve this right.
As a nation, we overproduce food and then distribute it poorly. Current food distribution chains are inefficient, wasteful, and more likely to feed livestock, cars, and landfills rather than people. Food producers, distributors, and sellers must innovatively reduce waste to fight food insecurity.
Every community deserves access to affordable, culturally relevant food. Our current food system is unsustainable, inefficient, and creates barriers to nutrition for marginalized communities.
Our teachers are strong voices in our society, and school systems must do more to trust and empower them. Give our educators more autonomy and improve their targeted development to reduce teacher turnover.
All students deserve the opportunity to engage in summer enrichment programs. An additional 20 days of enrichment can mean a lifetime of improved opportunities.
Facilitate greater access to nutritious food by supporting local food production and affordable produce, while reducing unnecessary waste. Incentivize those who grow produce at home to receive tax credits, Allot centralized composting services at each neighborhood community garden, and more.
Children should not be placed in foster care because of racism, classism, or sexism. Address poverty to lower rates of child removal and actively protect families from separation.
We must define hate crimes for what they are, because only after defining the problem can we tackle it.