As growing economic inequality continues to leave more Americans working harder but earning less, expanding the social safety net and ensuring access to affordable healthcare has become more critical than ever before. Americans spend significantly more than any other nation on healthcare, yet receive worse healthcare and outcomes than the people of most other western nations. It’s clear we need a system that prioritizes people, rather than profits for insurance and pharmaceutical companies that have been allowed to exploit the system at our expense.

 

Chris has fought policies that hurt everyday families. Chris voted against additional taxes on the pensions of senior citizens that would shrink the fixed incomes keeping many retirees out of poverty. Chris has also taken a public stand to preserve and expand Social Security, which has been proven to be the most effective means of keeping people out of poverty.

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To help local residents access healthcare Chris secured $1 million to help Waimanalo Health Center build a brand new larger health facility to serve our community.

 

When some residents were denied coverage, Chris passed a law barring health insurance companies from discriminating against them by unfairly denying medical coverage.

 

After suffering a stroke himself, Chris passed legislation to require competing hospitals to work together, share data, and standardize stroke care, which has since decreased cases of disability and increased survival rates in Hawaii.

 

As many public facilities are outdated, Chris created a new effort to renovate public facilities specifically to improve the air quality and other factors affecting the health of workers and visitors in buildings throughout the state.