Currently holds the office of U.S. House of Representatives - California 17th Congressional District until January 3, 2027.
Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives - California 17th Congressional District in 2026 California Primary Election.
View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.
Get StartedSupport a women's right to choose. Ro has a 100% pro choice record and served as Board Member of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, because he believes that the government should not get between a woman and her doctor. Learn more
When research shows that members of minorities are stopped more often by law enforcement officers than Caucasian individuals, it is essential that we increase our safeguarding of all individuals’ equal protection under the law. I strongly support the Racial Profiling Prevention Act currently in committee in the House of Representatives. The bill would direct the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to states that enact and enforce laws actively prohibiting state or local law enforcement officers from using race or ethnicity as a factor in law enforcement decisions. Learn more
The ban on transgender individuals serving in the military is narrow-minded and wrong. The arguments that it is too expensive or that transgender troops will impact the readiness of our Armed Forces is simply not true. I was proud to cast my vote to block funding for the ban, and will continue my work on the Armed Services Committee and in Congress to reverse this ban and ensure that anyone who wants to serve their country is able to, regardless of their gender identity. Learn more
Expand job training and retraining programs. I’ve talked to many veterans in the Bay Area who have had a difficult time finding employment after returning home. In many cases the certifications that service members receive in the military don’t translate to private sector jobs. By giving these certifications standing in the civilian sector, we can match veterans to job openings for which they are already well prepared. Additionally, the government has an imperative to increase our investment in job training and retraining programs for veterans through private-public partnerships with community colleges and companies. Learn more
Make our district a hub for advanced manufacturing to create good paying jobs. Learn more
Promote STEM and STEAM curriculum. Focus on technology, science and creativity for all students, share job opportunities in the STEAM fields. Encourage and support girls and under-served groups to enter the field. Learn more
Support increased funding for K-12 education; including programs for special education, music, art, upgrading technology, unfunded mandates, and Head Start reimbursement rates. Learn more
Support the EPA in holding local polluters accountable. Develop alternative energy to reduce our carbon footprint and tackle climate change. Learn more
Reduce mercury and selenium emissions at Lehigh Cement Plant. Learn more
I support regulating the size of magazines. A shooter that has to reload his weapon can be the difference between life and death for a victim trying to escape. Learn more
I support banning AR 15s and a broader assault weapons ban. AR-15’s have been used in mass killings such as Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, and Stoneman Douglas. We cannot allow more deaths caused by these dangerous weapons of war. Learn more
I support Medicare for All and remain committed to making it a reality. I supported HR 1384, which would guarantee health care for under a single payer system. This would involve removing Big Pharma profits, hospital monopolies and facility fees from the equation, saving nearly 17 trillion in fees. Learn more
I support legislation to allow for the importation of drugs from nations that we trust. I was an original co-sponsor of legislation to allow for the importation of Canadian drugs. In 2014, Americans spent 1,112 per person on prescription drugs, nearly 400 more than Canadians. Learn more
While it is important to retain our standard of granting refuge to those able to demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country, we should also cut the bureaucratic inefficiency from the asylum process. We should eliminate the one-year deadline for filing an asylum application and expand who is qualified for “derivative” asylum status to include the children of the spouse in addition to the grandchildren of the individual given asylum. These changes would extend our capacity to improve human rights to individuals around the world who suffer at the hands of unjust governments and state actors. Learn more
Build a rapid-bus transit lane in municipalities and invest in state of the art buses and more bus routes. We need to provide buses as an option for everybody and not just individuals who work at big companies and have private bus service. Learn more
Establish a mass transit system on Highways 85, 101 and 237. We need transit to go to where the jobs are. Many local West and North Valley Mayors have called for such a transit system, including light rail running down the median on 85. Learn more
Specifically limiting the reach of the National Security Administration (NSA) is a critical first step – but I believe we need to go farther. That’s why I’ve proposed a comprehensive Internet Bill of Rights. The primary goals are to ensure net neutrality, protect citizens from warrantless government mass surveillance, and provide consumers with more control over their personal data. Learn more
Post government spending online. With the national debate over the federal budget and current levels of deficit spending, federal agencies need to post spending data in a standardized and downloadable format. It is commonsense that Americans should be able to access information on how their tax dollars are spent – and it’s an initiative that has bipartisan support. If we improve the quality of data submitted to federal spending databases, we can make better use of analytics to weed out waste and fraud. Learn more
Protect the retirement age. Learn more
Make sure that seniors get every penny of the benefits that they worked for, and oppose efforts to slash Medicare and Social Security. Learn more
Institute mandatory paid parental leave. To qualify for job-protected medical or family leave, individuals currently have to meet a list of requirements, including working for their employer for at least 12 months and accruing 1,250 hours of work over the past 12 months. If they are granted leave, it is usually unpaid. Learn more
We should raise the minimum wage to 15 – what it would be if it had kept up with inflation over the past 40 years – and index it to inflation thereafter. Learn more
Increase wages and benefits to address the high cost of living in the Bay Area and increase the minimum wage. Learn more
View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.