Congresswoman Porter understands that workers power our economy and that we must protect workers against corporate abuse.

Protecting people in the workplace is good for families and good for our economy. Congresswoman Porter introduced the FAIR Leave Act, bipartisan legislation that would close an unfair loophole that prevents married couples from taking the same amount of leave as couples working for different employers. She also joined her colleagues in the House and Senate to introduce the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act, which makes long-overdue updates to employment, leave, and pension protections for part-time workers. 

Congresswoman Porter supports job creation and believes that people working full time should be able to make ends meet. During a Congressional hearing, she did the math to expose how an entry-level employee working for J.P. Morgan Chase cannot afford to live in Orange County. Congresswoman Porter also voted for the bipartisan Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act, which will create good-paying union jobs for millions of Americans.

Unions help guard workers against abuse. Congresswoman Porter voted for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which expands collective bargaining rights, strengthens workers’ access to fair union elections, and closes loopholes that corporations use to exploit workers. When U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh visited Orange County, Congresswoman Porter made sure he spoke directly with local union leaders during his trip to understand their needs and discuss worker protections. 

Congresswoman Porter has stood up for the frontline workers who kept our communities safe during the pandemic. She demanded oversight of relief funds given to businesses, to check if they were used as intended to prevent layoffs instead of lining executives’ pockets. She led her colleagues in calling out CVS for failing to protect its workers and customers by not providing personal protective equipment to employees. She has also introduced legislation to ensure health insurance plans cover mental health and substance use disorders treatment for firefighters, police, public school teachers, and city and state workers.

Supporting workers includes giving them the means to go to work. As a single mother, Congresswoman Porter recognizes that an investment in child care is an investment in our workforce, because it enables parents to participate fully in our economy. She was proud to highlight the contributions of child care workers by inviting Nazy Shahbazian, an Orange County provider, to President Biden’s 2022 State of the Union address. She has also advocated for higher wages for child care workers and released a report showing the alarming economic burden the pandemic has placed on women in the workforce.