Sharice Davids: How we make every Kansan part of our economic recovery from COVID-19

Twenty-two thousand: That’s the number of Kansans who have reached out to my office concerned about the coronavirus pandemic. Those are small business owners who are worried about how they’ll keep their business afloat or pay their employees. Those are workers who’ve been laid off and can’t make ends meet, and parents who are struggling to balance remote school and telework.

The coronavirus has laid bare so many harsh realities of our country. Whether it’s a lack of access to affordable health care or paid sick and family leave, our economy and health care system are not working for everyday Kansas families.

These are many of the reasons that I ran for Congress in the first place. I didn’t have what sohame would consider a “traditional” path to office. I was raised by a single mom who served in the Army for 20 years, and I was the first person in my family to attend college — working my way from Johnson County Community College to Cornell Law.

I want every person in our community — no matter who they are or where they’re from — to have that same opportunity to achieve their goals. That’s why I’ve spent my first two years in Congress working to lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs, invest in roads and bridges to create more jobs, and strengthen our public schools so Kansas families can get ahead.

When the coronavirus surged and our economy slowed down, I knew I couldn’t do the same. I worked with public health experts, small businesses and workers to help protect the health and safety of our community and ensure every Kansan is part of our economic recovery. That meant voting to send direct payments to Americans, expand unemployment insurance and get aid directly to our small businesses.

But the coronavirus pandemic has made it clear that our economy and health care system need to change. If we’re going to make sure those changes benefit hardworking Kansans and not just the powerful corporations that can hire lobbyists in Washington, D.C., we need to elect leaders who will stand up for our interests and make sure all our voices are heard.

I’m committed to making sure everyone has access to quality, affordable health care that will cover medical emergencies like COVID-19. I’ll keep working to lower the costs of prescription drugs and insurance premiums, and to end surprise medical billing for good. And I’ll stand strong against efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, because none of us wants to go back to when we could lose coverage because of a pre-existing condition.

In order to build our economy back stronger, I’ll push to produce more goods here in America, rebuild the manufacturing sector and make it easier for small businesses to grow and create more jobs.

And to make sure every Kansan is part of our economic recovery, I’ll fight to limit the influence of money in politics, invest in job and skill training programs, and implement paid sick leave so no one is forced to choose between their job and their health.

These are bipartisan solutions that we can all agree on and get done right now. Kansans are rightfully sick and tired of the partisan gridlock in Washington. They expect their leaders to work together, not retreat to their corners when times are tough.

My record shows that I’ll work with both Republicans and Democrats to do what’s best for our state. I’ll also stand up to the president and Republican leadership when their ideas are bad for Kansas, such as plans to cut access to health care. And I’ll stand up to Democrats when they aren’t willing to work across the aisle.

We’re faced with unprecedented challenges right now, but we’ve also been presented with the opportunity to rebuild our economy and health care system in a way that actually works for Kansans — to make sure everyone has the same chance to succeed that I did growing up. With your help, we can make that a reality.

Sharice Davids represents Kansas’ 3rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

This story was originally published October 21, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Sharice Davids: How we make every Kansan part of our economic recovery from COVID-19."