Ami Bera

After the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade, Dr. Bera understands protecting women’s access to reproductive health care is more important than ever. In early June 2022, Dr. Bera along with other Democrats in Congress introduced the Affordability is Access Act (HR 7894), a bill to expand affordable over-the-counter birth control options and allowing women to plan their own reproductive lives, on their own terms. He also previously voted for the Women’s Health Protection Act (HR 3755), which would take a critical step in codifying the constitutional protections under Roe v. Wade. Making sure women have the right and access to make their own reproductive health decisions is imperative to women’s equality.

Since being elected, Dr. Bera has consistently stood up for women while Republicans across the country are ramping up their all-out assault on women’s basic health freedoms. There is no place in Congress for those who have repeatedly wasted time and taxpayer money to deny coverage for basic women’s health care like birth control. Dr. Bera knows that preventative care can save lives and millions of dollars, which is why he has vowed to continue fighting to support organizations like Planned Parenthood who provide critical life-saving services like family planning and counseling, birth control, screenings for cancer, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. Additionally, he was named a National Women’s Health Champion by Planned Parenthood for his vision, leadership, and integrity in advancing women’s reproductive care.

Dr. Bera knows that women’s health also begins with safety. He took a stand for women experiencing violence by voting to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. He’s fought to secure funding for groups that help victims of domestic violence get services to help keep them safe and punish their abusers.

Living in Sacramento County, it is obvious that people are hurting. They are trying to do the right thing, to work hard and care for their families. But too often this is not enough. For too many, America’s promise of opportunity is beginning to seem empty.

These challenges are real, but not insurmountable. We need to take bold steps to empower small businesses, reinvest in our children and workforce, streamline government and balance our budgets, restore integrity to our financial system, and capitalize on our region’s unique strengths.

Getting our region and our country’s economy back on track requires strong leadership rooted in commonsense values and practical solutions.

In today’s economy, small businesses employ over half of America’s workers, create nearly two-thirds of all new jobs, and are responsible for over 97 percent of all exported goods. Our economic policy needs to better reflect the central role of small firms in job creation. This means improving access to capital; extending small business R&D tax credits for the long-term; instituting fairer and simpler tax codes for small businesses; and reforming our healthcare system to contain debilitating costs.

Access to capital. Nothing is more important to the success of our small businesses than having access to adequate financing. We need to make loan approval processes simpler and more accessible for the average small business owner; expand existing Small Business Administration loan and micro-loan programs to provide better start-up and long-term financing options; and strengthen the lending power of community banks and credit unions. Additionally, we should consider extending tax credits to venture capital funds with proven track records for seeding successful small business startups.

. Throughout our nation’s history, small businesses have spurred some of our greatest technological advancements. But today, our government is not doing enough to help small businesses invest in the research and development necessary to create good jobs here at home. That is why Dr. Bera continues to fight for small businesses to ensure they are adequately incentivized to improve their competitiveness and drive American enterprise.

The tax reform that passed at the end of 2017, is bad for middle-class Americans and bad for Californians. Not only does it add an additional $1 trillion to the deficit, but it favors corporations and the wealthy in this country over the middle class working families of America. We need tax reform that allows middle class families to not just get by but thrive in our ever-evolving economy. Reform that gives our working middle-class critical deductions and allow Americans to save as well as invest in the future, which is why as your Congressman, Dr. Bera will continue to work towards tax reform that benefits middle-class families.

We must invest in public education and workforce training, so that young people and a transitioning workforce have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed. Improving education must align proper funding with substantive reform to prepare our students for a diversity of careers in a changing global environment. For California to provide the best education in the world once again, we need both sufficient resources and strong leadership. All over the region, education leaders are partnering with business and civic organizations to transform our schools and colleges for a twenty-first century economy. With strong leadership in Washington, together we can ensure that our students are developing relevant skills, and that workers have access to cutting edge apprenticeships, continuing education, and other skill development programs.

Sacramento County is positioned to become a national hub for emerging technologies and industries. In particular, clean energy and health care are consistently recognized for their potential to create thousands of new well-paying jobs in our area. This capacity for growth, however, depends on our willingness to step up and invest in emerging markets. Washington needs to be a partner, not an obstacle, in helping entrepreneurs start new businesses and create jobs in Sacramento County.

That is why Dr. Bera continues to advocate aggressively to make sure our local entrepreneurs and businesses are at the front of the line to gain from green initiatives, while also ensuring that resources are allocated and implemented in the smartest, most efficient ways possible. As someone who has lived and served in this area his entire career—working closely with businesses, non-profits, and state and county services—Dr. Bera knows first-hand what our region has to offer, and he is committed to bringing folks together to achieve our region’s economic potential.

The role of government is not to solve all our problems, but to create a context of opportunity for individuals, families and communities to work hard, succeed, and shape the life they desire. That is why Dr. Bera has spearheaded federal policy to balance our budget and aggressively reduce government waste and inefficiency, so that we can get the most out of every taxpayer dollar and address the great challenges of our day: protecting our country, investing in a new economy, and ensuring the education and health of our children and workforce.

Government debt is the single greatest threat to long-term, sustainable economic recovery and job creation. It is time to return to an ethic of responsibility and fiscal toughness so that our children can be safe and prosperous for generations to come.

We also need to prioritize smart investments in our economy that depend more on creative private-public partnerships and less on taxpayer dollars. Now more than ever, community needs can be served through non-governmental means. We need to leverage public resources by creating a context for social entrepreneurs, private philanthropy, non-profits, faith groups, and civic organizations to most effectively serve the common good.

Hold Wall Street Accountable. We need to restore commonsense values to our financial system, so that corporate CEOs and hedge fund financiers are just as accountable for their actions as Main Street business owners.

End bailouts, golden parachutes, and outrageous CEO bonuses. Oversized financial institutions and their executives have been rewarded for recklessness for too long. Taxpayers must never again be responsible to bailout massively consolidated—“too big to fail”—banks, while CEOs get away scot-free with Golden Parachutes and million-dollar bonuses.

Close corporate loopholes. For years, our federal tax policy has been laden with loopholes that allow the rich to get richer, while siphoning off billions of dollars that could be helping middle class American families and small businesses. We need to expose corporate loopholes and close down offshore tax havens, so that corporations and their executives pay their fair share.

End credit card scams. Too often, consumers are victims of deceptive credit and loan contracts that they don’t fully understand and can’t afford. We need financial protections that increase transparency and prevent credit card companies from the trick and trap practices largely responsible for the recent epidemic of bankruptcies and foreclosures nationwide.

Central to our national mission is the mandate to build for future generations.  We now know, however, that many of our present patterns of development and growth are both economically and environmentally unsustainable. That’s why Dr. Bera believes the long term health, security and prosperity of our nation and world require a transition in how we think about our relationship to energy use and natural ecosystems.

The challenge to create a clean energy future is not only about preserving the earth’s beauty and resources for our children and grandchildren; it is about generating millions of new jobs, jumpstarting our economy, and improving the health and quality of life for our families and communities. America can lead the way in this shift to a cleaner, more sustainable future. But we need to embrace forward-looking policies that recognize the critical intersection between environmental sustainability, economic growth, national security and public health.

Climate Change, Jobs and the New Energy Economy 

For the first time in our post-industrial history, it is possible to power our economy more efficiently and with greater economic gains by employing clean energy technology and practices.  This development means we can now harness market forces to confront the dual threat of climate change and energy dependence.  That is why Dr. Bera supports strategic policies and investments to promote this crucial transition from a carbon-based and energy dependent economy to one that is clean, self-sufficient, and can generate millions of good-paying jobs across every skill and education level.

Investing in Efficiency and Innovation.  The path to a new clean energy economy requires notable increases in energy efficiency and greater access to renewable energy sources.  To achieve this we will need to invest in multiple sectors of our economy.  Specifically, we should focus on increasing the fuel efficiency standards of our cars and trucks; retrofitting commercial buildings and homes; and long-term extensions of the production and investment tax credits, incentivizing further research and development in solar and wind.  By taking these steps we can immediately create hundreds of thousands of manufacturing, installation, and maintenance jobs.

Education and Workforce Training for the New Energy Economy.  The path to a clean energy future will require a skilled workforce of engineers, scientists, computer programmers, technicians, builders, electricians and mechanics, all working together to rebuild and power a cleaner, more efficient society.  We must focus on our investments in public education and workforce training, so that young people and a transitioning workforce have the knowledge and skills necessary to design and build the infrastructure of the new energy economy.

It is a sad fact that much of our current energy policy is skewed to the interests of big oil companies who spend billions of dollars to manipulate public perception and buy off career politicians. Even worse is the proposed offshore drilling plans in federal waters off the California coast that will be both a disaster for our environment and economy. That is why in Congress, Dr. Bera continues to stand up to these companies and their lobbyists, and instead supports policy rooted in sound evidence and the best interests of the American people.

No on Offshore Drilling.  The potential benefits of offshore drilling are easily outweighed by the profound risks posed to our oceans and coastal economies.

Smarter, Safer Alternatives.  The transition from a carbon-based to a clean energy future will not happen overnight, and so we must continue to explore the smartest and safest measures to maximize domestic oil and natural gas production.  Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques, for instance, can yield as much as ten times the amount from existing oil fields as is projected to come from offshore projects, and the benefits are immediate as opposed to the decade or more it takes to generate new oil flow offshore.  While this approach is not a long-term answer, it represents the potential for realistic and fruitful compromises as we continue to develop clean and renewable technology solutions.

Building Healthier Communities, Protecting our Resources 

The transition to a clean energy future is not only about reducing energy dependence and combating global climate change; it is about improving the health and quality of life for our families and protecting our environment.

That is why Dr. Bera continues to work closely with county and city officials, developers, business and community leaders to ensure our region has a voice to fight for the resources we need to implement the development goals. We must continue to accelerate these efforts to create more livable and energy efficient communities.  In the process, we can continue to support the health and quality of life of our families, while also transforming our region into a national leader in the new clean energy economy.

Dr. Bera has spent his professional life caring for people and educating the next generation of doctors. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed how our healthcare system is not adequately designed to handle the level of care Americans need. Unfortunately, our healthcare system consistently puts bureaucracies before the health of our patients. Dr. Bera has witnessed medical costs skyrocket without seeing patient care improve. And Dr. Bera has treated patients who would be healthier if they could have afforded basic preventive care. This is the result of an industry which continues to put profits before patients.

The chaos in Washington has hurt our healthcare system and left millions without coverage. Too often, politicians in Washington, D.C. are focused on scoring cheap political points instead of serving the pressing needs of their constituents. Rather than putting the health of our citizens first, some members of Congress advocate passing costs onto our seniors by turning Medicare into a voucher system. Breaking this promise is both morally intolerable and fiscally irresponsible. Moving forward, we must work together so that all Americans have access to the best health care in the world.

The legislation signed into law makes strides to reform our broken system. However, the law fails to adequately address runaway costs. As a doctor, Bera understands in real terms how this legislation can impact caregivers and patients. We must reduce waste and fraud, empower the doctor-patient relationship, and improve the health of the American people.

Healthcare is not a privilege, but rather a fundamental right that representatives on both sides of the aisle need to come together to address. That is why Dr. Bera is leading the bi-partisan effort in bringing about universal coverage to ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable healthcare.

Health care costs too much. Retail charges are too high, and insurance premiums have become unaffordable for too many individuals, families, and small businesses. As it stands, the law fails to adequately address rising costs. In Congress, Dr. Bera will identify and address the causes of rising costs, like fraud and wasteful practices. It is within our grasp to ensure that quality care is available and affordable for all.

Two of the biggest drivers of cost in our system—waste and fraud—can be readily addressed by instituting more communication, transparency and accountability. This does not require increased government control: we can equip caregivers, medical staff, and patients with the tools to monitor the system themselves. Shared information, increased consumer choice, and market competition are powerful forces in reducing costs.

Advancements in technological and scientific knowledge will transform medicine once more, dramatically lowering costs and raising outcomes. We can empower physicians and patients with the information they need to make the best treatment decisions by expanding electronic decision support. We can create a claims processing system for physicians, as we have for pharmacists, banks, and investments. We can invest in tools that save on administrative costs while preventing criminal and wasteful fraud. But to solve these pressing problems, we need leaders who care more about fixing our healthcare system than winning petty political battles.

As a Doctor and UC Davis faculty member, Dr. Bera understands the importance of investing in stem cell research. Too many people suffer from agonizing, debilitating, and life-threatening illnesses. But Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart disease, paralysis, and Parkinson’s are tragedies that we can avoid. One day, families may never again be left to watch helplessly and hopelessly while a loved one suffers. But these miraculous achievements will not come about on their own. We need diligent research, American innovation, and the will to succeed to create a new era of medical—and humanitarian—breakthroughs. Investing to make sure these innovations take place in the United States will not only make our country stronger and healthier, it will create jobs in Sacramento County.

For decades, Medicare has allowed our seniors to retire with dignity. By assuring care to aging Americans, Medicare establishes the financial security necessary for a strong and prosperous economy. As a doctor, Dr. Bera understands that we have a lot of work to do in order to improve the efficiency and sustainability of Medicare. But recklessly shifting costs to our seniors is simply intolerable. In Congress, Dr. Bera will continue to protect Medicare, while aggressively attacking the waste and fraud that currently threatens the program’s long-term solvency.

Health care is not a luxury—it’s a necessity. Getting sick shouldn’t mean bankruptcy or a second mortgage. Our nation deserves a healthcare system that enables opportunity and prosperity. The diagnosis is clear: we need to put patients before profits to ensure that we have the best healthcare system in the world.

Dr. Bera believes we must be tough and smart not only about challenges we face today, such as securing our borders and fighting terrorism, but also about the emerging threat of nuclear proliferation. That is why as Vice Ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs committee, Dr. Bera continues to maintain critical relationships with foreign allies around the globe to ensure we don’t rush into a war as a result of careless decision making or fringed relationships. If we keep our country strong with sensible policies that foster energy independence and economic competitiveness, we will be better positioned to confront our national security challenges.

As a first generation American who is a proud product of the American Dream, Dr. Bera finds Donald Trump’s immigration agenda extremely dangerous. Trump has said that many Mexican immigrants are rapists and killers and he wants to charge taxpayers to build a wall between the United States and Mexico. These discriminatory and bigoted attacks, both here at home and abroad, have been carried out with the sole purpose of dividing our country and destroying the melting pot of diversity and opportunity that is the American way. Dr. Bera knows that we need immigration policy that makes our country safe and our economy strong. That means we should both strengthen our borders and encourage the best and brightest who study in the U.S. to stay, work here, and create their companies here. Dr. Bera has been proud to support comprehensive immigration reform that secures our borders, addresses the 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, and adds billions of dollars to our economy.Dr. Bera believes that the gridlock in Washington has continually gotten in the way of mending our broken immigration system and will continue to work across party lines to pass meaningful reform.

Terrorism: Secure America and Defeat Terrorist Organizations

Dismantling terrorist cells and training facilities and stopping terrorism before it starts is critical to America’s National Security. To defeat global terror networks and prevent new ones from arising, we must take a multilateral cooperative approach. That means we must utilize targeted airstrikes when necessary, dismantle their finances, and ensure our partners in the region do their part. But, we must also do a much better job of stopping and countering vicious propaganda campaign that urges attacks on innocent people by combating their use of the internet and social media to recruit new fighters.

A vibrant American economy means more effective American leadership in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. It also translates into stronger relationships with allies and trading partners and greater capacity to address emerging conflicts. We must re-tool our economy for the twenty-first century by reinvesting in R&D, renewable energy, public education, workforce training, job creation, and enhanced access to capital for small businesses. California and the Sacramento region are poised to lead the effort to ensure our continued competitiveness.

A reliance on foreign oil helps fund the same extremists our military is fighting. Dr. Bera knows that there is not enough oil in the United States to drill our way out of this dependence on foreign oil. Dr. Bera believes that transitioning to renewable energy will both create jobs and enhance our national security.

Dr. Bera believes that we must ensure that our intelligence and law enforcement agents have the resources they need to keep us safe from terrorism. American security also means protecting ourselves during natural disasters, such as floods and wild fires. We must continue to engage all levels of government and the private sector in our efforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from all threats against our citizens.

Dr. Bera believes that American security is best served in a world free of nuclear weapons, a bipartisan goal supported by both Presidents Reagan and Obama. The United States must use its intelligence, military capabilities, and work with our partners around the world to control the spread of nuclear weapons and technology so that such weapons stay out of the hands of terrorist organizations and aggressor states. As long as nuclear weapons remain a reality, the United States will maintain a powerful nuclear deterrent to protect our allies and to discourage other countries from nuclear armament.

Dr. Bera believes that Medicare and Social Security are guaranteed promises and the key to a dignified retirement. As a doctor known for making house calls, he knows firsthand how critical protecting Medicare is for seniors.

Since we sent him to Washington, Dr. Bera has stood up to efforts to privatize Social Security, because he knows that after a lifetime of work and service to our community, we owe it to hardworking men and women to fulfill that promise. It’s who we are as Americans.

Dr. Bera has treated hundreds of patients who depend on Medicare and Medicaid and knows that these two programs save lives. He’s stood up to those who want to privatize Medicare and is working across party lines to reduce waste, abuse, and fraud in Medicare to strengthen and protect it for future generations.

Helped lead the push to fix the broken Medicare payment system and preserve access to doctors for seniors

Stood up to prevent a 52% spike in Medicare premiums

Fought to prevent cuts in Medicare Advantage and protect seniors from increases in costs

Voted to protect the disability insurance program from devastating cuts next year and extend its solvency

Estimates show that the amount of fraud and abuse in Medicare exceeds $60 billion annually. Dr. Bera believes that through careful monitoring and aggressive enforcement we can save billions of dollars. Dr. Bera is fighting to close these loopholes, catch these criminals and direct these resources to lower premiums and better care.

Dr. Bera believes that the mistreatment of veterans is a national tragedy, not to mention immoral and un-American. In Washington, Dr. Bera has worked across party lines to get more medical staff into the VA system so that no veteran has to wait for months on end for the care they need.

As a doctor who has cared for veterans in VA hospitals, Dr. Bera is fighting for the thousands of veterans in our community who have defended our nation. His office has helped hundreds of veterans in Sacramento County work through the backlog and complicated bureaucracy to return thousands of dollars in earned benefits, and the medical care they deserve.