A voice for Working Families
As a parent with young children, I understand the struggles of working families. I know from experience that finding good childcare, being able to afford preschool, and making enough from paycheck to paycheck are just some of the issues that impact far too many families across our islands. As the cost of living in Hawai‘i continues to soar, I will be a voice speaking on behalf of the working families of this state.
Build Back Better
The President’s Build Back Better (BBB) agenda and the priorities it represents are at the very heart of my campaign, which is why I wholeheartedly support its passage in the United States Congress. The BBB would lower costs for working families and seniors, reduce taxes on our families with children, invest in our teachers and schools, and create new green jobs to help combat the climate crisis. By making the tax code fairer so that the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share, we can finally move toward an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top.
We need to make a big investment in our people. Unfortunately, due to the obstruction of Republicans and a small group of corporate Democrats in Congress, the Build Back Better bill was cut down to a fraction of what it should have been, leaving our seniors, our students, and working families without crucial aid. This means that we still have a lot of work ahead of us, even after we pass the BBB.
We need to make a big investment in our people. Unfortunately, due to the obstruction of Republicans and a small group of corporate Democrats in Congress, the Build Back Better bill was cut down to a fraction of what it should have been, leaving our seniors, our students, and working families without crucial aid. This means that we still have a lot of work ahead of us, even after we pass the BBB.
Medicare For All
The United States spends more on healthcare per capita than any other country in the world, and yet more than one out of ten Americans have no health insurance at all, and another two out of ten are underinsured. Here in Hawai‘i, more than half of all health insurance plans are provided through an employer. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit Hawai‘i, many workers lost their health insurance along with their jobs, which put a spotlight on how insecure this system of employer sponsored health insurance really is.
We are the only high-income country in the world that is failing to provide this basic service to our people. In Congress, I will join the fight to pass the Medicare For All Act to guarantee health care for all people regardless of age, income, employment, or immigration status. For Hawai‘i, this means lifting the burden of expensive medical bills, a primary cause of bankruptcy for many on fixed income and will result in significant savings to the state.
We are the only high-income country in the world that is failing to provide this basic service to our people. In Congress, I will join the fight to pass the Medicare For All Act to guarantee health care for all people regardless of age, income, employment, or immigration status. For Hawai‘i, this means lifting the burden of expensive medical bills, a primary cause of bankruptcy for many on fixed income and will result in significant savings to the state.
Affordable Housing
Hawai‘i has the highest median home prices and highest median rent of any state in the country. At a time when what we need most is more affordable housing, all of our attention seems focused on building more hotels, resorts, and expensive condos for out-of-state tourists and investors who treat our home as their personal playground. It is vital that we reverse this trend. We need to ensure that our residents get priority when it comes to housing.
When I am in Congress, I will work toward securing an increase to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to allow our state to invest in more affordable housing for our people.
When I am in Congress, I will work toward securing an increase to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to allow our state to invest in more affordable housing for our people.
Supporting Workers and Their Right to Organize
The rights of workers in America are under attack. From wage theft, to unsafe working conditions, our generation is witnessing a period of unprecedented decline in our labor rights. The United States and Hawai‘i once had a proud tradition of organized labor that fought to give workers better wages and benefits, reasonable work schedules, and workplace safety standards, but today, the number of workplaces that are protected by a union is at a record low.
While there are workers all over the country who are fighting against the tide by going on strike or organizing to form a union, large corporations are using their considerable resources to spread anti-union propaganda and are exploiting the loopholes that exist in our labor laws to engage in union-busting. As a Member of Congress, I will continue to fight for the rights of workers by passing the PRO Act, which will protect the rights of workers to organize and advocate for their own best interests.
While there are workers all over the country who are fighting against the tide by going on strike or organizing to form a union, large corporations are using their considerable resources to spread anti-union propaganda and are exploiting the loopholes that exist in our labor laws to engage in union-busting. As a Member of Congress, I will continue to fight for the rights of workers by passing the PRO Act, which will protect the rights of workers to organize and advocate for their own best interests.
Raising the Minimum Wage
Despite having the highest cost of living of any state in the country, Hawai‘i has repeatedly failed to increase our minimum wage to a livable wage. This cannot continue. If we want our people to be able to stay here, then we need to make sure that everyone can make enough money to thrive here without having to work multiple jobs. One job should be enough. In Congress, I will work toward raising the federal minimum wage to at least $15/hour.
Defending the Jones Act
Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, commonly known as the Jones Act, is a law that requires that the shipment of goods between US ports must be carried out by companies that are owned by US citizens, with ships that are made in the US and crewed by US citizens.
The Jones Act ensures that hundreds of thousands of good union jobs stay in the hands of American workers, which is why I oppose any effort to weaken this important piece of legislation. Doing so would only contribute to the outsourcing of American jobs to low-wage countries with weaker labor protections for their workers, forcing US shipping companies to compete with these foreign companies in a race to the bottom, similar to what happened to our manufacturing industry in the wake of NAFTA.
The Jones Act ensures that hundreds of thousands of good union jobs stay in the hands of American workers, which is why I oppose any effort to weaken this important piece of legislation. Doing so would only contribute to the outsourcing of American jobs to low-wage countries with weaker labor protections for their workers, forcing US shipping companies to compete with these foreign companies in a race to the bottom, similar to what happened to our manufacturing industry in the wake of NAFTA.
A Progressive Tax Code
I believe in prioritizing people and the needs of everyday working families over the profits of corporations. “Trickle down” economics has never benefited the working class.
I support comprehensive tax reform to improve our tax system, making sure that the rich and large corporations pay their fair share in taxes while we provide relief to our working families.
I support comprehensive tax reform to improve our tax system, making sure that the rich and large corporations pay their fair share in taxes while we provide relief to our working families.
Ensuring Our children's future
With many young people leaving Hawai‘i in search of better opportunities elsewhere, I envision a future for our youth that we can all believe in. We must do more to ensure our children's future and the success of the next generation. As someone who has attended and graduated from public schools - from elementary school to law school - and with both of my children attending public school, I am a strong believer in the importance of a good public education. I am committed to supporting our educators and students by bridging the funding gap in public education and making sure that every school has the resources they need to teach our children.
Supporting Teachers
It is important that we invest in the next generation and prioritize the education of our children and grandchildren. This begins with supporting our teachers and schools. In Hawai‘i, we continue to grapple with teacher shortages as many teachers struggle to do the work that they love while also making ends meet. The average annual salary for an elementary school teacher in Hawaii ($65,060) is slightly less than the national average, which is not nearly enough to live in Hawai‘i - the state with the highest cost of living in the country. I will push for increasing teacher pay and benefits, similar to how we take care of our military personnel, with an emphasis on increasing home ownership for our teachers.
Paid Parental Leave
Learning is a lifelong journey that begins at birth, and our first teachers are our parents. In recognition of this, I support paid leave for parents during the first year of their child’s life. This is not only the right thing to do, but it is also a scientifically proven fact that parental leave is tied to better health outcomes, lifelong developmental progress, and socio-economic benefits for both the parents and the child.
Universal Preschool & Childcare
Preschool is another crucial step in our children’s lives before they enter kindergarten and studies show that families with access to preschool programs enjoy lifelong health and economic benefits. We must continue to fight for universal preschool and childcare as the costs are a major burden that many families are faced with here in Hawai‘i.
Higher Education and Student Loan Debt
I support making vocational schools, community colleges, and state universities tuition free. Our young people are the future of our country and our state, and we have an obligation to make sure they are able to get the education they need to carry us forward without the punishment of a lifetime of crippling student debt. To that end, I also support the effort to cancel all existing federal student loans. I join my voice with those of progressives in Congress and around the country in calling for President Biden to sign an executive order to eliminate all student loans owed to the federal government.
Protecting our most vulnerable
My entire legal career has been committed to public service. From advocating for our seniors to helping our most recent immigrants, I believe that the strength of our community is measured by how we treat our most vulnerable.
Expanding Social Security
After a lifetime spent working, our elders deserve a dignified and comfortable retirement. It is a tragedy and a failure of our system that so many of our senior citizens are forced to work well past their retirement age, often in low-paying jobs, because their social security check is much too small to cover all their needs. This is especially true for our elders here in Hawai‘i, where the high cost of living and limited retirement benefits are forcing them to leave the islands and relocate to the continent.
Our elders deserve better, and once I get to Congress I will work with my Democratic colleagues on legislation that would increase benefits and ensure that social security is sustained for decades to come.
Our elders deserve better, and once I get to Congress I will work with my Democratic colleagues on legislation that would increase benefits and ensure that social security is sustained for decades to come.
Protecting Reproductive Rights
I am a firm believer in a woman’s right to choose. Decisions concerning a woman’s reproductive healthcare are between her, her family, her doctor, and her faith. The efforts being made by anti-choice politicians in several states around the country to strip these rights away are deeply troubling, and I would make it a priority to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act in order to write the principles of Roe v. Wade into federal law. I oppose the Hyde Amendment.
Access to birth control and other reproductive health services should be guaranteed to everyone who needs them, which is one of many reasons that I support the passage of the Medicare for All Act.
Access to birth control and other reproductive health services should be guaranteed to everyone who needs them, which is one of many reasons that I support the passage of the Medicare for All Act.
Support for LGBTQ+
Discrimination in any form against our fellow Americans over who they are and who they love is wrong. In Congress, I vow to support our fellow Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans friends and family members. I support amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through the passage of the Equality Act, which would ban discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Immigration Reform
As an immigrant to the United States, I know first-hand the promise of this country and what it means to so many around the world. We must never lose sight of the fact that many of us trace our family histories as settlers on the lands of indigenous people or as immigrants seeking a better life. Our national identity has been shaped by immigration from every corner of the world from the start, and this is part of what makes our country strong and unique in the world - “Out of Many, We Are One”.
In recognition of this, I support the American Dream and Promise Act with the aim of keeping families together and providing a pathway to citizenship for those who have called this country home since their childhood.
In recognition of this, I support the American Dream and Promise Act with the aim of keeping families together and providing a pathway to citizenship for those who have called this country home since their childhood.
Ending Houselessness
More than one out of every 200 of our neighbors in Hawai‘i are houseless. As anyone who has spent any amount of time walking this district can attest, scenes of people living in abject poverty and misery are tragically commonplace.
We live in the richest country in the world. People are not un-housed because we lack the resources to care for everyone. Not providing housing for our most vulnerable is a choice we make through our public policy.
Helping our un-housed neighbors requires a holistic approach. It will require making mental healthcare free and available to everyone, putting more resources toward treatment for people suffering from drug addiction, but most importantly, we need to guarantee housing for everyone as a human right. We have the capacity for all of this, and these are the things that I will fight for in Congress.
We live in the richest country in the world. People are not un-housed because we lack the resources to care for everyone. Not providing housing for our most vulnerable is a choice we make through our public policy.
Helping our un-housed neighbors requires a holistic approach. It will require making mental healthcare free and available to everyone, putting more resources toward treatment for people suffering from drug addiction, but most importantly, we need to guarantee housing for everyone as a human right. We have the capacity for all of this, and these are the things that I will fight for in Congress.
reforming our justice system
As a country, we must be willing to confront our checkered history in order to live up to our words when we pledge “with liberty and justice for all.” This begins by acknowledging the existence of systemic racism and sexism in our government and our society. In Congress, I will work to break down these barriers and continue the fight for the soul of this country so that we can serve as a shining example of democracy, human rights, and prosperity to the world.
Access to Justice For All
Speaking as a former Legal Aid attorney, I wish I could say that we have a fair and just legal system that treats everyone equally under the law. Unfortunately, that is far from the truth. It is a sad fact that our justice system gives starkly different treatment to people depending on the color of their skin and how much money they have. I understand the importance of providing civil legal services and access to justice for ordinary people, our seniors, and our most vulnerable. A person may be in danger of losing their home, their family, or their livelihood and are forced to navigate the legal system on their own if they cannot afford an attorney. In Congress, I will draft legislation that ensures access to Justice for All.
Policing Reform
Our criminal justice system is broken. The United States has a prison population of more than 2 million, which represents the highest per capita incarceration rate of any country in the world. Racial disparities in our policing practices and our court system disproportionately impacts low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. The way to combat crime is by reducing incarceration rates and investing in our communities to make them stronger.
We need to rethink policing. Our police are not meant to be social workers or mental healthcare providers, and we need to make sure that they aren’t being burdened with dealing with complex situations that they are not equipped to handle. We must provide additional training to our law enforcement officers in de-escalation techniques, racial and cultural sensitivity, and more in order to restore a sense of trust and community between those who have sworn to serve and protect and the communities they serve. We also need to make sure to hold police officers accountable if they cross the line and abuse their power in the line of duty. In Congress, I will continue to push for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
In recent years, our local police departments around the country have begun to resemble an occupying military force. I do not think that our police possessing military grade weapons, munitions, and vehicles designed for war-zones helps to make our people feel safer in their communities, nor does it help our police officers perform their duties to serve and protect. Tanks do not belong in our communities. I support demilitarizing the police and would vote in favor of the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act in Congress.
We need to rethink policing. Our police are not meant to be social workers or mental healthcare providers, and we need to make sure that they aren’t being burdened with dealing with complex situations that they are not equipped to handle. We must provide additional training to our law enforcement officers in de-escalation techniques, racial and cultural sensitivity, and more in order to restore a sense of trust and community between those who have sworn to serve and protect and the communities they serve. We also need to make sure to hold police officers accountable if they cross the line and abuse their power in the line of duty. In Congress, I will continue to push for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
In recent years, our local police departments around the country have begun to resemble an occupying military force. I do not think that our police possessing military grade weapons, munitions, and vehicles designed for war-zones helps to make our people feel safer in their communities, nor does it help our police officers perform their duties to serve and protect. Tanks do not belong in our communities. I support demilitarizing the police and would vote in favor of the Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act in Congress.
Legalizing Marijuana
The War on Drugs has been a complete failure. Far from cleaning up our society, the prohibition on marijuana has created a lucrative black market source of income for criminals both at home and abroad, while at the same time wasting billions in US taxpayer money. Moreover, the criminalization of personal drug use has been used as an excuse by law enforcement and “tough on crime” lawmakers to unfairly target and disrupt communities of color. Despite similar levels of drug use among people of color and white people, people of color are several times more likely to be arrested and convicted on drug charges.
I have first-hand experience of being pulled over by police for a supposed traffic violation that I came to find was only a pretext for them to detain me and search my car for drugs. Although I was let go after they were unable to find any drugs in my car (because there was nothing to find), the feeling of being violated and targeted because of the color of my skin has not gone away, even after all these years. These types of interactions between police and ordinary people happen every single day, and it is driving an unnecessary wedge between our law enforcement officers and the public.
I support decriminalizing marijuana on the federal level through the passage of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, and I would in turn support legalizing it for recreational use. I also support expunging the criminal records of people convicted of nonviolent crimes relating to marijuana.
I have first-hand experience of being pulled over by police for a supposed traffic violation that I came to find was only a pretext for them to detain me and search my car for drugs. Although I was let go after they were unable to find any drugs in my car (because there was nothing to find), the feeling of being violated and targeted because of the color of my skin has not gone away, even after all these years. These types of interactions between police and ordinary people happen every single day, and it is driving an unnecessary wedge between our law enforcement officers and the public.
I support decriminalizing marijuana on the federal level through the passage of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, and I would in turn support legalizing it for recreational use. I also support expunging the criminal records of people convicted of nonviolent crimes relating to marijuana.
saving our planet
The United States must shoulder the responsibility of leadership when it comes to environmental and climate justice. We must act with the sense of urgency the problem demands and declare a climate emergency. Swift action in this area is crucial for Hawai‘i and for nations across the Pacific, as climate change impacts indigenous communities, politically marginalized communities, and low-income communities first.
The Green New Deal
I support the Green New Deal as a starting point for reimagining the meaning of economic prosperity in the 21st century. In Hawai‘i, this will give us a much needed opportunity to shift our dependency away from tourism and the military toward clean, green jobs in an emerging industry of environmental technology.
Shut Down the Red Hill Fuel Tanks
The military must take responsibility for its environmental impact here in Hawai‘i and we must demand a better return on our military leases. I support immediately shutting down the Red Hill fuel tanks and moving them away from the aquifer that serves as the primary source of drinking water for the people of our district. I support the recommendations of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply and I stand with the Sierra Club of Hawaii and our community in calling for the Red Hill tanks to be decommissioned. As a matter of public health and safety, the recent leaks and lapses by the Navy have shown that the risks are far too great, and I will continue this fight in Congress.
Support Compact of Free Association (COFA) Residents
Hawai‘i’s residents from the nations that make up the agreement on the Compact of Free Association (COFA) have had to bear the consequences of US nuclear weapons testing, climate change, and environmental damage to their countries. Despite being an integral part of our community, working and raising their families here in Hawai‘i, they are often left out of the political process because of their migrant status. In Congress, I will work to ensure that the United States honors the treaty in good faith and addresses the environmental crisis that is destroying their home islands.
a government for the people
We are at a point in history where we as a people are facing unprecedented threats to our democratic institutions. From organized efforts to suppress voting, to steadily worsening political corruption, to outright attempts to overturn the results of our elections, the United States of America, the world’s oldest surviving democracy, has entered a period of democratic backsliding and decline. For the sake of our country, we have to reverse this trend.
Money in Politics
It is an open secret that, in Washington D.C., public policy is ruled not by the voice of the people of our country but rather by the influence of the big corporations that fund our politicians and their campaigns. The defining characteristic of a successful political candidate is, more often than not, their ability to raise large sums of money for their campaign. A bill does not become law depending on its popularity among ordinary voters, but rather on its popularity among special interest groups and the extremely rich.
This form of legalized bribery is a disaster for our democracy and it is the reason that I have pledged to run a campaign that does not accept donations from corporate PACs. I will answer to the voters of my district and no one else. My campaign is going to be people-powered and people-centered. I envision a government that is by the people and for the people.
I recognize that individual candidates taking a voluntary ethical stand on the issue of money in politics is not enough. Systemic problems require systemic solutions. When I get to Congress, one of my priorities will be to break Washington’s addiction to corporate money by enacting substantial reforms to our campaign finance system. To that end, I will proudly sign my name as a co-sponsor to the We The People Amendment.
This form of legalized bribery is a disaster for our democracy and it is the reason that I have pledged to run a campaign that does not accept donations from corporate PACs. I will answer to the voters of my district and no one else. My campaign is going to be people-powered and people-centered. I envision a government that is by the people and for the people.
I recognize that individual candidates taking a voluntary ethical stand on the issue of money in politics is not enough. Systemic problems require systemic solutions. When I get to Congress, one of my priorities will be to break Washington’s addiction to corporate money by enacting substantial reforms to our campaign finance system. To that end, I will proudly sign my name as a co-sponsor to the We The People Amendment.
Protecting our Democracy
According to several independent trackers of democracy and civil liberties, the United States’ democracy has suffered a steady decline over the past few decades that has only increased in intensity over the course of the previous Presidential administration. We have states that are passing election laws with the goal of making it more difficult to vote and to disenfranchise racial minorities. We have partisan gerrymandering that allows politicians to pick their voters instead of the other way around. We have elected officials who hold a personal financial stake in the policy decisions they are in charge of making.
Our democracy cannot survive under these conditions, and we need to take bold action to prohibit these anti-democratic practices and reverse this trend. I am a strong supporter of the For the People Act, which would go a long way toward remedying these ills.
Our democracy cannot survive under these conditions, and we need to take bold action to prohibit these anti-democratic practices and reverse this trend. I am a strong supporter of the For the People Act, which would go a long way toward remedying these ills.
I want to hear from you
I am not a career politician and I believe the role of a Representative is to be a servant to his constituents. The issues listed on this page represent my core values, who I am as a person, and who I'm looking to fight for in Congress. I am entering this campaign on the idea that our voices have power and that they deserve to be heard by those in power, both here in Hawai‘i and in Washington D.C.
Share your voice by reaching out to me directly at: sergio@sergio4hawaii.com
Join our team of volunteers HERE.
Share your voice by reaching out to me directly at: sergio@sergio4hawaii.com
Join our team of volunteers HERE.
