Civil Rights & Racial Equity

Advancing Civil Rights & Racial Equity

Rep. Spanberger knows that injustice, bias, and racism continue to exist in Virginia and across our country. The results of inequity and bias impact everything from school suspension rates, to housing access, to health outcomes, to medical interventions, to job opportunities and promotions, to criminal sentencing, and even to air quality and drinking water safety.

Rep. Spanberger believes that working with intentionality to root out structural racism and change biased policies is required of every legislator, and she is committed to applying an equity lens to the legislation she reviews, votes on, and introduces.

Protecting Voting Rights

A bedrock principle of our democracy is equal rights under the law for all Americans, and Rep. Spanberger is working in Congress to make sure the rights of all Americans are respected, enforced, and protected.

One of the most fundamental rights in our country is the right to choose your elected officials through free and fair elections, and Rep. Spanberger supports ongoing initiatives to strengthen voter rights and to counteract efforts across the country that seek to disenfranchise voters. This priority includes pushing for the full restoration and modernization of the Voting Rights Act.

Reforming the Criminal Justice System

As a former federal law enforcement officer, Rep. Spanberger recognizes the critical importance of keeping our communities safe and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions that harm others.

She also knows that for far too many Americans, injustices pervade our criminal justice system and later endanger their ability to receive a quality education, find fulfilling employment, or support their families. In Congress, one of Rep. Spanberger’s priorities is to help pass meaningful, bipartisan criminal justice reform, including legislation to reduce mass incarceration, end the school-to-prison pipeline, and treat drug addiction like a public health issue — not a crime.

Combatting Discrimination & Championing Equal Rights

Rep. Spanberger firmly believes that no American should face discrimination based on the color of their skin, where they are from, how they choose to worship, what disability they have, or whom they love. This priority includes advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment to guarantee legal equality for women and men in the U.S. Constitution.

Rep. Spanberger strongly supports marriage equality, and she will continue to fight to make sure that no citizen is denied government services, loses a job, or faces any other form of discrimination. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, she is pushing back against efforts to take away rights from women and the LGBTQ+ community.