What they say and what they did

Supports workers' right to a fair wage, join a union, collectively bargain, and work safely.

“Congresswoman Garcia believes that every worker, regardless of their industry, has the right to earn a fair and living wage, join a union, collectively bargain, and safely work free from hazards or harassment.”⁴

Wants to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to require paid rest breaks for construction employees.

“The Congresswoman has previously introduced legislation, which would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require paid rest breaks for construction employees, ensuring that construction employees are guaranteed at least a 15-minute paid rest break for every four hours of work.”⁵

Would prohibit employers from discriminating against job applicants purely based on their age.

“The Congresswoman has also introduced the Protect Older Job Applicants (POJA) Act of 2023 in May 2023. This bill would prohibit employers from discriminating against job applicants purely based on their age.”⁵

Supports preventing workplace harassment and ensuring workers can seek accountability and justice.

“The Congresswoman is a co-lead of the BE HEARD in the Workplace Act of 2024, which would take necessary steps in preventing workplace harassment and ensure that workers can seek accountability and justice.”⁵

Supports expanding labor protections and prohibiting employer retaliation against employees organizing.

“The Congresswoman is an original cosponsor of the Protecting the Rights to Organize (PRO) Act of 2023, which would expand labor protections relating to employee’s rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace. This bill would further prohibit employers from taking adverse actions against an employee, including employees with management responsibilities, in response to that employee participating in protected activities.”⁵

Supports policies that benefit working families, such as permanently expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC).

“Additionally, the Congresswoman supports expanding upon tax policies that benefit working families, such as permanently expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC), which significantly helps a significant number of her constituents.”⁵

Supports maintaining Houston’s claim as the energy capital of the world.

“She secured a historic $1.2 billion grant for a Hydrogen Hub for the Houston region to maintain Houston’s claim as the energy capital of the world.”⁶

Supports prohibiting discrimination in housing.

“The Equality Act, commonsense legislation that would explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs, credit, and jury service.”⁷

Supports reducing prescription drug costs.

“She supported the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which was passed in the House in December 2019 and will significantly reduce the costs of prescription drugs across the country.”¹⁰⁸

Supports lowering prescription drug costs.

“She supported the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act, which passed in the House in May 2019.”¹⁰⁸

Supports preventing pharmaceutical companies from blocking lower-cost generic drugs.

“The CREATES Act, which she also cosponsored, would prohibit pharmaceutical companies from engaging in conduct that blocks lower-cost generic drugs from entering the market.”¹⁰⁸

Supports bipartisan bills aimed at reducing the cost of prescription drugs.

“That is why Congresswoman Garcia has supported other bipartisan bills in the House aimed at reducing the cost of prescription drugs.”¹⁰⁸

Supports requiring negotiation of insulin prices.

“HR 3 would require the Secretary of HHS to negotiate the price of insulin within the first year of implementation.”¹⁰⁸

Worked to expand local community clinics and Medicaid.

“As a County Commissioner, she worked to expand local community clinics and as a State Senator appealed to state leaders to expand Medicaid in the state.”⁴

Wants to improve and expand access to care.

“Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia understands that improving and expanding access to care is a top priority for the 29th District of Texas.”⁴

Supports protecting the Affordable Care Act from efforts to undermine it.

“In Congress, she has repeatedly voted to protect the Affordable Care Act from efforts to undermine this landmark legislation.”¹⁰⁸

Supports protecting people with pre-existing conditions and lowering health care costs.

“She cosponsored the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019. This bill would protect people with pre-existing conditions, lower health care costs for consumers, and reverse the Trump Administration's harmful actions to sabotage the Affordable Care Act.”¹⁰⁸

Supports expanding access to health care and maternal health services for immigrants.

“She was also an original cosponsor of the HEAL for Immigrant Women and Families Act, which expands access to health care and maternal health services for immigrants by removing legal and policy barriers to health insurance coverage.”¹⁰⁸

Supports improving mental health resources for LGBTQI+ youth.

“The Pride in Mental Health Act, which would create a new program at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) focused on improving LGBTQI+ youth mental health.”⁷

Supports implementing a comprehensive healthcare plan for the country.

“Now, she's working with her colleagues in the House of Representatives to implement a thoughtful and comprehensive healthcare plan for the country.”¹⁰⁸

Supports ensuring all people have access to quality healthcare, regardless of citizenship status.

“It's important that all people have access to quality healthcare, regardless of citizenship status.”¹⁰⁸

Supports protecting American’s rights to access contraception.

“The Congresswoman is an original cosponsor of the Right to Contracteption Act, which would protect American’s rights to access contraception and protects providers to be able to provide these contraceptives.”¹⁰⁸

Wants the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve coordination of breast and gynecologic cancer care for women veterans.

“Congresswoman Garcia proudly introduced legislation that improves veterans’ health care, such as the Veterans’ Cancer Care Coordinator Act of 2023. This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the coordination of breast and gynecologic cancer care for women veterans.”¹¹²

Supports a woman’s right to access healthcare.

“She has also been a fierce advocate for reproductive rights, supporting several pieces of legislation to protect a woman’s right to access the healthcare she needs.”¹⁰⁸

Supports prohibiting government restrictions on access to safe abortion services.

“The Congresswoman is an original cosponsor for the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023, which would prohibit the government from restricting a women’s access to safe abortion services, and the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, which would prohibit states from interfering with an individual’s ability to get out-of-state abortion services.”⁷

Supports increasing federal and state funding for institutions of higher education, particularly community colleges and MSIs.

“She supports increasing federal and state funding for institutions of higher education, particularly community college systems and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).”¹²¹

Fought to hold for-profit colleges accountable and prohibit predatory student loan practices.

“To help tackle the student loan crisis for college graduates, the Congresswoman sought to hold for-profit colleges accountable to ensure students receive a return on their educational investment and prohibit predatory practices of student loan debt collection by private and public lenders.”¹²¹

Supports strengthening and expanding student debt forgiveness programs.

“She also fought to strengthen and expand existing student debt forgiveness programs, such as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).”¹²¹

Supports clearer FAFSA applications and financial aid notification letters.

“The Congresswoman is an original cosponsor on the Equitable Student Aid Access Act, intended to make the FAFSA application and financial aid notification letters clearer for prospective college students.”¹²¹

Supports expanding Pell Grant eligibility and incentivizing state investment in higher education.

“The Congresswoman has previously cosponsored the College Affordability Act, a landmark piece of legislation intended to transform higher education by expanding Pell Grant eligibility, incentivizing states to invest in higher education institutions, as well as providing free community college tuition.”¹²¹

Supports expanding access to early childhood education programs and improving K-12 public schools.

“Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia is passionate about expanding access to early childhood education programs and improving K-12 public schools in her district.”¹²¹

Supports a grant program to prepare teachers to effectively instruct English learners.

“She is a cosponsor of the bipartisan the Reaching English Learners Act, which would establish a grant program and preparing future teachers to effectively instruct English learners and helping close the gap, so that English-language learners in Texas and nationwide can succeed in early childhood education programs and in elementary and secondary schools.”¹²¹

Supports increased access to care-based services, including childcare, early childhood education, and elder care.

“She supports the wellbeing of working families putting their children through school, and has cosponsored the Child Care for Working Families Act, and the bipartisan the Care is an Economic Development (CEDS) Act, supporting increased access to care-based services, including childcare, early childhood education, disability and long-term care, and elder care.”¹²¹

Wants to strengthen the Summer EBT program to fill gaps for low-income students when school is not in session.

“She is a cosponsor of the Stop Child Hunger Act of 2023, which would strengthen the newly established permanent Summer EBT program, filling the gaps for students from low-income families when school is not in session.”¹²¹

Calls for trauma-informed methods of school discipline to protect students of color, students with disabilities, and English-language learners.

“The Congresswoman has also previously introduced the No Kids in Cuffs Resolution, which calls for the implementing trauma-informed methods of school discipline and improving upon existing school discipline measures, specifically those that disproportionately target students of color, students with disabilities, and English-language learners.”¹²¹

Wants for-profit institutions to prepare students for gainful employment.

“The Student and Taxpayer Protection Act, also cosponsored by the Congresswoman would ensure that for-profit institutions prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.”¹²¹

Supports increased funding for Head Start programs to provide high-quality education and support for children and parents.

“She supports increased funding for Head Start programs in TX-29 and throughout the country, which offer high-quality education, health, and nutrition services to children from at-risk backgrounds—those living in poverty, in foster care, or experiencing homelessness—as well as employment and educational support to their parents.”¹²¹

Supports reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.

“The Congresswoman voted in favor of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022, which was signed into law by President Biden in March 2022.”⁷

Wants to protect Dreamers, TPS, and DED recipients with a pathway to citizenship.

“It would protect Dreamers, as well as TPS and DED recipients, providing them with a legal pathway towards citizenship.”¹⁶³

Supports a program that would benefit non-citizen spouses of U.S. citizens and Dreamers.

“During the Biden administration, Congresswoman Garcia also urged to use his authority to create the Keeping Families Together Parole in Place program, which would have benefitted as many as 500,000 non-citizen spouses of U.S. Citizens and tens of thousands of Dreamers if not for Republican obstruction.”¹⁶³

Wants to protect borders, expand legal pathways, and provide a pathway to citizenship.

“She believes our immigration system must help protect our borders, expand legal pathways of migration, and provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants who call America home.”⁴

Supports reforming the immigration system to be fair, humane, and orderly, protecting borders and expanding legal pathways.

“Congresswoman Garcia is a strong supporter of reforming our broken immigration system and creating one that is more fair, humane, and orderly. She believes our immigration system must help protect our borders, expand legal pathways of migration, and provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants who call America home.”¹⁶³

Supports reforming the H-2A program and providing a path to legal status for agricultural workers.

“The Congresswoman is a strong supporter of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. The bill would (1) reform the H-2A program to provide more flexibility for employers, while ensuring critical protections for workers; (2) establish a program for agricultural workers in the United States to choose to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment and contribution to the U.S. agricultural economy; and (3) focus on modifications to make the program more responsive and user-friendly for employers and provides access to the program for industries with year-round labor needs.”¹⁶³

Supports providing Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to eligible immigrants.

“Congresswoman Garcia is a big supporter of providing TPS where appropriate to eligible immigrants contribute significantly to our economy and would be unsafe if deported due to extenuating circumstances in their home country.”¹⁶³

Supports reforming the immigration system to be fair, humane, and orderly.

“Congresswoman Garcia is a strong supporter of reforming our broken immigration system and creating one that is more fair, humane, and orderly.”⁴

Opposes policies that demonize hardworking immigrants and their families.

“The Congresswoman will always push back against policies that aim to demonize hardworking immigrants and their families in the greater Houston region and across the nation.”¹⁶³

Wants to prohibit shackling pregnant women in custody and set new care standards.

“She has introduced the Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act, which would prohibit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from shackling pregnant women in its custody and set new standards of care and transparency for the treatment of pregnant women.”¹⁶³

Aims to outlaw discrimination in entry based on religion.

“The Congresswoman has also cosponsored the NO BAN Act, which aims to outlaw discrimination in the entry of immigrants or nonimmigrants based on religion.”¹⁶³

Supports providing permanent resident status to non-citizen veterans.

“She cosponsored the Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2023. This bill would direct the Department of Homeland Security to award permanent resident status to non-citizen veterans who desire the opportunity to apply for such status.”¹¹²

Committed to fighting for equality for everyone.

“As one of the first Latina women to represent Texas in Congress, Congresswoman Garcia is committed to fighting for equality for everyone – no matter their race, sexuality, immigration status, or gender identity.”⁴

Supports prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.

“The Equality Act, commonsense legislation that would explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs, credit, and jury service.”⁷

Supports prohibiting the use of the 'gay panic' defense in federal courts.

“The LGBTQ+ Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2023, calling for a ban of the use of the antiquated and long debunked “gay panic” defense in federal courts.”⁷

Supports requiring colleges to establish anti-harassment policies based on sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.

“The Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2023, which would require colleges and universities receiving federal aid to establish an anti-harassment policy prohibiting the harassment of enrolled students based on their actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, a sex stereotype, and sex characteristics, including intersex traits), disability, or religion.”⁷

Supports enhancing equal rights protections.

“Commonsense legislation that would federally codify and enhance equal rights protections, including the Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act of 2023, the PRIDE (Promoting Respect for Individuals’ Dignity and Equality) Act, the Amend the Code for Marriage Equality Act of 2023, and the Customer Non-Discrimination Act.”⁷

Supports simplifying the process of changing gender markers.

“As a State Senator, she garnered nationwide attention for her formidable advocacy on behalf of trans Texans. This included introducing legislation to simplify the process of changing gender markers, making it a clear and predictable civil procedure instead of the current system, which is uncertain, costly, and burdened by legal and court proceedings.”⁷

Wants to provide veterans with care, services, and benefits.

“As they transition back into civilian life, it is important to provide veterans with the care, services, and benefits that they earned.”⁴

Supports expanding healthcare coverage for veterans exposed to burn pits and toxic substances.

“She proudly voted in favor of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022, in honor of late Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson. This bill established service-connected disabilities and expanded healthcare coverage for veterans who were exposed to burn pits and toxic substances during their military service.”¹¹²

Supports presentations highlighting benefits for retiring service members.

“She has cosponsored the TAP Promotion Act. This bill would authorize Veteran Service Organization representatives to provide presentations highlighting the benefits that retiring service members are entitled to receive.”¹¹²

Supports providing VA benefits eligibility to certain Korean War veterans.

“The Congresswoman voted in favor of the Korean American VALOR Act. This bill would provide VA benefits eligibility to certain veterans of the armed forces of South Korea that served in the Vietnam War alongside American service members.”¹¹²

Supports investments in clean energy transmission and clean energy projects in the Houston region.

“She also voted in support of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), which is the single largest investment in climate and clean energy. The IRA makes significant strides towards advancing environmental justice for all Americans while securing America’s position as a world leader in domestic clean energy manufacturing. As a member of Congress, she has advocated for greater energy investments to the Houston region and clean energy projects while supporting a robust energy economy in Houston.”⁶

Supports investments in clean energy technology to resolve the climate crisis and safeguard economic growth.

“We must recognize the reality that maintaining long-term economic growth, protecting the jobs our children will hold, and remaining competitive on the global stage, requires making investments today in the clean energy technology of tomorrow.”⁶

Fought for clean air and clean water in the Houston area.

“Throughout her career in public service, Congresswoman Garcia has been fighting for clean air and clean water in the greater Houston area.”⁴

Supports the USMCA's environmental provisions.

“The USMCA also included several important environmental provisions: - First-ever articles to improve air quality, prevent and reduce marine litter, support sustainable forest management, and ensure appropriate procedures for environmental impact assessments.”⁶

Supports efforts to combat trade in illegally taken wildlife, fish and timber.

“- Bolster US-Mexico efforts to combat trade in illegally taken wildlife, fish and timber.”⁶

Supports adopting building energy codes to save homeowners money annually.

“She advocated for state and local governments to adopt the latest building energy codes, which would save the average homeowner in Texas $179 annually, by voting for the IRA and by sending a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.”⁶

Supports securing funding for projects that reach all communities, including rural and underserved populations.

“She secured $15 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding with over 589 specific projects to Texas. These projects will help reach all communities in Texas, including rural communities and historically underserved populations.”⁶

Supports robust and modernized mechanisms for public participation and environmental cooperation.

“- Robust and modernized mechanisms for public participation and environmental cooperation.”⁶

Supports protections for marine species like whales and sea turtles.

“- New protections for marine species like whales and sea turtles, including a prohibition on shark-finning and a commitment to working together to protect marine habitat.”⁶

Opposes environmentally destructive border wall construction.

“She also led the fight to halt construction of Trump's environmentally destructive border wall by introducing a bill to prevent state contracts with companies hired to complete the construction.”⁶