Condemning racism is necessary, but it is not enough. Congresswoman Porter believes that we all have a responsibility to strive for equality by identifying the ways in which racism pervades our society and its institutions—and fighting back. Recognizing that police brutality has led to far too many deaths and far too little justice, particularly for people of color, Congresswoman Porter cosponsored and voted for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in 2020, and again when it was reintroduced in 2021. This legislation would hold officers accountable if they violate our laws, end racial profiling, and build trust between law enforcement and communities by increasing federal oversight of potential constitutional violations, such as excessive use of force. She also backed the Bend Toward Justice Act, which would make it easier for victims to get justice in criminal cases involving civil rights violations. 

Congresswoman Porter supports the Ending Qualified Immunity Act, which would close gaps in our justice system that allow law enforcement officers who violate constitutional rights to evade accountability. She also voted for the Cooling Off Period Elimination Act, which would reduce delays for investigations in cases where officers shoot or kill on the job. Congresswoman Porter’s Mental Health Justice Act would help communities create mental health first responder units to respond to certain emergencies, reducing violence against individuals with disabilities and mental illnesses. 

Congresswoman Porter understands that we need to address the racism that exists in institutions beyond the justice system. In her first year in office, Congresswoman Porter helped introduce the Medical Education for a Diverse America Act, which would allow language and cultural training to count towards enrollment requirements for medical students, preparing future doctors to provide better care for patients of color in Orange County and across the country. Congresswoman Porter also wrote an amendment adopted by the House to require the collection of data on the number of uninsured Americans by race and gender. She also cosponsored H.Con.Res.19, which supports a U.S. Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation to understand the long-term harms of slavery and racism that we still see today.

As a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congresswoman Porter is committed to supporting the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. She’s spoken out about the disturbing spike in anti-Asian racism tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of rising hate crimes against the Asian American community, she worked on legislation that would investigate hate crimes and introduced a bipartisan resolution with Republican Congresswoman Michelle Steel condemning these acts of bigotry. Congresswoman Porter hosted a town hall with community leaders to discuss how we can support our AAPI neighbors amid increasing acts of hate. 

Congresswoman Porter knows we need to have difficult and reflective conversations with ourselves and our communities about the biases and disparities that underpin racial injustice. She joined members of the Christ Our Redeemer African Methodist Episcopal Church for frank conversations about the challenges facing communities of color in Orange County. Congresswoman Porter held a virtual town hall with Song Richardson, a nationally recognized expert on racial justice and legal scholar, to discuss how we can make our community more inclusive and safe for people of color.