Justice & Civil Rights

Voting Rights

Protecting the right to vote is at the core of our democracy. However, numerous states have introduced and passed dozens of laws to suppress the vote and, shockingly, to manipulate votes that are cast. Congress cannot allow these brazen attempts to upend the democratic process go unanswered.

Rep. Eshoo is proud to have voted for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act which restores the provisions of the Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. This legislation ensures that states with a history of voter suppression cannot change their election procedures without pre-clearing these changes with the Department of Justice to ensure they don’t disenfranchise voters of color.

Rep. Eshoo supports several policies to expand voter participation in our democracy including:

• making voting easier with automatic voter registration and no-excuse voting by mail in every state;
• prohibiting purging of voter rolls;
• ensuring no one has to wait in line for more than 30 minutes to vote; and
• making Election Day a federal holiday, which is legislation Rep. Eshoo first introduced in 2018.

Police Reform

The video of George Floyd being smothered to death in June of 2020 shocked the conscience of so many Americans and motivated them to demand change. Rep. Eshoo is committed to doing everything necessary to root out racism and brutality in law enforcement.

Rep. Eshoo is an original cosponsor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which includes many critical reforms:

• Mandates implicit bias training for federal law enforcement officers and for state and local officers whose departments receive federal funds;
• Prohibits racial and religious profiling by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies;
• Eliminates qualified immunity, a legal principle that shields officers who engage in misconduct from lawsuits;
• Bans the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants by federal law enforcement agencies and by state and local law enforcement agencies that receive federal funds;
• Establishes a nationwide police misconduct registry.

Rep. Eshoo will continue to support legislation that directly addresses racism in policing, reduces mass incarceration, and restores the trust between law enforcement and communities they serve.

Combatting Anti-AAPI Hate

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a highly disturbing increase in bigotry and violence directed toward the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. As the proud Representative of hundreds of thousands of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California’s 18th Congressional District, Congresswoman Eshoo is doing everything she can to rid our community and our country of anti-AAPI racism.

Rep. Eshoo cosponsored and voted for the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act which fights anti-AAPI bigotry by directing the Justice Department to expedite review of hate crimes; strengthens hate crimes reporting by local, state, and Tribal agencies; and raises awareness about hate crimes related to Covid-19. This critical legislation was signed into law by President Biden in May 2021/

LGBTQ+ Equality

Congresswoman Eshoo believes all Americans deserve equality in their personal and professional lives regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Throughout her public service, she has worked for the extension of equal rights, the repeal of discriminatory laws, the elimination of hate-motivated violence, and improved health and well-being for the LGBTQ+ community.

Rep. Eshoo is proud to be an original cosponsor of the Equality Act which extends the anti-discrimination provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity. If enacted, this important legislation would establish strong protections against discrimination in employment, housing, education, and public accommodations for LGBTQ+ Americans. The Equality Act passed the House with Rep. Eshoo’s support in February 2021 and now awaits consideration in the Senate.

Women’s Rights

Since her election to Congress in the Year of the Woman, Rep. Eshoo has championed the interests of women throughout the country and around the world on the most significant social, economic, and health issues across the public policy spectrum.

Rep. Eshoo is proud to have voted for the original Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994 and has strongly supported it since. Most recently, Rep. Eshoo voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) on March 9, 2022. The VAWA Reauthorization makes significant changes to update and improve VAWA including:

• Boosts funding for domestic violence prevention and support organizations;
• Establishes trauma-informed, survivor-centered training for law enforcement and first responders;
• Strengthens protections for incarcerated women; 
• Takes steps to ensure communities of color are included in all VAWA programs;
• Expands Tribal jurisdiction to ensure justice for Native women and children; and
• Increases access to essential support services, such as healthcare and safe housing for survivors.

Rep. Eshoo also supports legislation to remove the timeline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, to address the gender pay gap, and to codify Roe v. Wade’s protections.