Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Erica Vladimer for US Congress NY-12

Candidate Name: Erica Vladimer

Office Seeking Election for: US Congress, Congressional District 12 (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Roosevelt Island)

Campaign Address: 217 E. 70th Street #1978, New York NY 10021

Campaign Website: www.ericaforny.com

Campaign Telephone: (347) 90-ERICA

Campaign Social Media Handles (Facebook/Twitter):
- Twitter: @EricaForNY
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EricaForNY

Campaign Contact (name/phone/email): Sharon Haseman, Email: Erica@ericaforny.com, Phone: 603-277-0353

Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district:
My personal and professional experiences as an attorney, advocate, and activist have brought me to this moment and, taken together, make me the best qualified candidate to represent NY-12.

I know firsthand how our government continues to shut out the very people who deserve to have a seat at the head of the table, leading the thoughtful, yet possibly uncomfortable, conversations we desperately need if we are to become a more compassionate, inclusive, forward thinking society and government.

I am committed to building a life and career in public service. Prior to attending law school, I participated in AmeriCorps Public Allies, a non-profit leadership training program that solidified my intention of attending law school to focus on education policy. Upon graduation, I accepted a NYS Senate Fellowship, and had every intention of staying in state government for the long haul. Unfortunately, I resigned in 2015 after being sexually assaulted by my boss, State

Senator Jeff Klein. It would take almost three years before I knew I had to speak out about this life-altering experience and the systemic culture of harassment that allowed it to happen. In the months that followed, I co-founded the Sexual Harassment Working Group (SHWG) along with six other former state legislative staffers who experienced sexual harassment, assault, or retaliation at the hands of elected and appointed officials. With the guidance and support of experts, advocates, and other survivors, we released a set of policy recommendations in June 2018, and successfully advocated for the first New York state hearings on sexual harassment in the workplace in 27 years. In August 2019, Governor Cuomo signed the Harassment Free New York agenda, a package of reforms championed by the SHWG and other advocates that have long fought for stronger workplace protections.

It is not just this experience that has prepared me to represent NY-12 in Congress. As someone with a debilitating, chronic disease in endometriosis, I know the value of Medicare For All; as a person with hundreds of thousands of dollars in crushing student loan debt, I recognize the economic and social barriers all loan carriers face when trying to achieve the American Dream -- or what has now become the American Burden; as an aunt to a 17-month old, I’ve watched my sister struggle to find affordable childcare while also trying to cut living costs because she can’t afford to take unpaid time off to bond with her baby; I also refuse to stand idly by and watch our planet succumb to the climate crisis, hoping that my niece and her generation will be the ones to fix it.

Most importantly, I am keenly aware that when elected, I am not representing myself; I am representing my neighbors and community. Their experiences are the ones that will be centered through my representation; their voices will be the ones to lead our conversations as we fight for a more just society.

Do you now support or have you ever supported openly LGBTQ candidates for public office? Yes

If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBT community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly).
Although I have yet to be in a position to introduce or co-sponsor legislation, my efforts with the Sexual Harassment Working Group led to the creation of the Harassment Free NY legislative package, which strengthened protections for workers across New York from all forms of harassment and discrimination, including harassment and discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation and gender-identity.

What LGBT organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?
I’ve volunteered with the New York Transgender Advocacy Group on numerous occasions, and they were also integral in helping the Sexual Harassment Working Group draft our policy recommendations.

If applicable, what LGBT organizations have you allocated funds to?
Not applicable

Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBT community? Yes

Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?
I have attended the Queer Liberation March with the Reclaim Pride Coalition.

Have you employed openly LGBT individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?
Not applicable; I was not in a position with hiring authority prior to running for office.

If you receive our endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements? Yes

What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBT issues, pro choice legislation, criminal justice issues and the Resist Trump Movement have you attended?
I’ve attended dozens of conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBT issues, pro-choice legislation, criminal justice issues and the Resist Trump Movement. I attended the pro-choice protest in Foley Square in May of 2019 when states across the country were seeking to implement abortion bans. I’ve also attended multiple Resist Trump Movement events through my local Indivisible chapter and with my local political club, Four Freedoms. Just last week, I attended a rally with Our Progressive Future, VOCAL-NY, Make the Road, and other organizations to call on DA Katz to uphold her promise in not seeking cash bail. I’ve also attended press conferences with organizations such as Girls for Gender Equity, that provides direct services and advocates for stronger policies to protect girls and TGNC students of color.

If elected or re-elected will you become a member of the “Squad?"
Congress member Tlaib was quoted as saying that “Squad” stands for “a new era of what government should be about, [with] people on the ground, making sure that corporations are not seeping into our democracy and tainting the process.” If Jim Owles is defining “Squad” to mean the same, then hell yes, I will become a member.

Have you ever been arrested?
If so please explain why and outcome of arrest. I look forward to representing a district in a city that passed the Fair Chance Act, which makes it illegal for most employers in New York City to ask about the criminal record of job applicants before making a job offer, and in a country where college applications no longer ask for an applicant’s criminal history.

Will you advocate for legislation to mandate the review of sentences of incarcerated individuals over the age of 55 who have served in excess of 15 years to determine if they warrant release?
Yes, and I will seek to ensure that any process by which incarcerated individuals seek to be released under this law is fair and just.

Do you commit to visit constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons such as Bedford Correctional Facility? Yes

Do you believe sincere remorse, risk of reoffending and actions taken while incarcerated should be considered over the original crime in determinations of parole? Yes

Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests in relation to the issues of clemency and parole?
No, but I look forward to in the future, and to championing bills such as the Fair and Timely Parole Act and the Elder Parole Act that have been introduced here in New York on a federal level.

Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals? Yes

Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work?
Yes, I believe in full decriminalization.

If an incumbent, did you vote for HR 1865 in 2018? Will you introduce and or support legislation to amend HR 1865 so that sex between consenting adults, with monetary exchange, is legalized?
This would include the use of ads and on-line contact. If elected, I will introduce legislation that decriminalizes sex work and allows the use of ads and online contact. I would also work with organizations such as Decriminalize Sex Work to move towards a legalized model that ensures sex workers are not exploited.

Do you support a national law legalizing gestational surrogacy? Wii you introduce such legislation?
Yes, I support a national law. Before introducing a bill, however, I’d want to work advocates and experts that have been fighting for federal legalization to ensure I am as knowledgeable as possible, and can advocate to the best of my ability when garnering support with my colleagues.

What proposals will you advocate for the protection of immigrants and to further New York as a Sanctuary City?
First and foremost, we need to stop tearing families apart, and locking up children, women, and men in immigration camps where they are subjected to unhealthy, dangerous, and deadly conditions. The first step in doing this is to decriminalize crossing the border. We also need to immediately abolish ICE as we know it to exist today. This means re-envisioning how our government works with and supports those crossing the border. We should retrain ICE agents for them to become “case workers” who provide humanitarian, social work style support. We should also expand access points, staffing these access points with case workers, attorneys, interpreters, and humanitarian living conditions. We need to drastically increase the number of immigration judges- actual judges - as well. As we humanize crossing our border, this will provide more opportunities have meaningful public discussions about how we can strengthen and grow our commitment to our communities.

Will you advocate, including introducing legislation, to remove public funding from religious schools? Yes.

Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces? Yes

Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC members? Please identify all candidates I have never endorsed any member of the IDC.
In full disclosure, I canvassed for Senator Klein, my former boss who in March 2015 came to sexually assault me, back in the summer of 2014, just after my hire -- part of the voluntold aspect of my employee responsibilities. Although I wanted to publicly endorse IDC challengers in 2018, my life circumstances made it quite difficult: my JCOPE investigation was underway, and the Sexual Harassment Working Group felt it was best that we remained as nonpartisan as possible. I did, however, campaign for Senator Gounardes in my personal capacity.

Will you commit to hiring a member of the LGBT community to serve as a liaison to the community? Absolutely.

Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBT representation among your staff? Without question.

Who did you support for office in the following races A) mayor and Public Advocate in 2014 B) President in 2016 C) Governor and Attorney General 2018?
While I would be happy to discuss any specific questions Jim Owles would have in regards to these races, I do not see the relevance in this question, which seeks answers to very private and personal stances. That said, I pride myself on supporting only those candidates I believe represent my mission of achieving a more compassionate, inclusive, forward-thinking society.

Describe any federal legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the ongoing effects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination
I believe companies with poor track records on diversity and equal pay should not have access to federal contracting opportunities. Additionally, we should ban contractors from asking applicants for past salary information and criminal histories. I also believe we need to strengthen the EEOC’s oversight power and capabilities, allowing it to have a more robust public presence and ability to research the intersection of racism and other types of discrimination. We also need to make it easier to hold landlords and banks
accountable when violating the Fair Housing Act.

I also fully support H.R. 40 to create a national commission to study and develop proposals for reparations for African Americans. I would, however, also support the strengthening of the bill so that the Commission is required to hold public hearings (the bill says the Commission may hold hearings).

We also need increased federal spending to combat racial disparities in education, and need to reinstate oversight by the U.S. Education Department on suspension practices by schools and school districts.

What legislation or other policy changes do you support in order to make college and graduate school affordable for poor, working-class, and middle-class Americans and to alleviate the crushing loan debt that many students and alumni are facing?
I fully support making public college (and vocational/technical/trade school) tuition-free, but intend to take the conversations further in redefining college. Too many college students spend almost half of their time, and a lot of their money, completing general education requirements that should be provided during high school. College should go beyond basic general education to equip students with workforce skills.

We should also be thinking beyond tuition; the cost of college today must books and fees in addition to living costs such as food and housing. The average college student today does not live in a dorm, attend full-time and graduate in four years, the way we assess and finance college costs must account for this.

More so, we need to address to crippling debt that graduates currently hold. Too many professionals struggle to build their lives in ways we were told college would let us: accept a job we like, put a down payment on a house, be able to make mortgage payments on that home, start a family… yet student loan payments force many of us to put those goals on hold. We need to couple free public college and trade school with student loan/debt forgiveness.

Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Please elaborate.
I fully support single payer, universal health care, which is reflective of the belief that healthcare is a human right. As an adult, I can now appreciate how fortunate, lucky and privileged my parents were to never have to worry about my hospitalizations, extensive tests and dozens of medication being covered; no parent should ever have to think twice about getting the best medical treatment for their child.

Twice in the last 6 years, I’ve had to “hold out” from seeing a specialist for my endometriosis because I had to wait for my employer-provided health insurance to kick in; access to health care should never depend on whether you’re employed, have been employed for a certain amount of time, and can afford to have a monthly premium taken out of your paycheck for the “right level” of care.

Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services.
I fully support universal access to reproductive and sexual health care, and the full repeal of the Hyde Amendment. If elected, I would immediately sign on to the EACH Woman Act, which ensures equal access to abortion coverage for all pregnant people, regardless of income. I would also support and fight for any legislative protections that seeks to maintain and increase funding to organizations that provide family planning and reproductive care services such as Planned Parenthood.

Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real estate? I am not accepting any donations from corporate PACs, predatory real estate or lending firms, fossil fuel companies or any companies that invest in them, or big finance corporations and the special interests they serve.

Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations complicit in the Trump agenda?
Absolutely. Of note, the current representative still has not, and seemingly refuses to return contributions from Trump himself. In addition, the world’s largest investor in the fossil fuel industry, BlackRock, is the current representative’s biggest contributor.

What additional information would you like Jim Owles to consider when we are making our endorsements decisions?
If elected, I won’t only focus on policy reforms; my legislative experience -- and successes -- has shown me that it is just as important that we change the processes in which we n. We need a process that prioritizes inclusion, that is open to the public, and does not rely on the old trope of “it’s always been done this way.” It’s time to get the whispered voices of special-interest fat cats out of the halls of Congress and ensure representatives are only listening to and acting on the best interests of their constituents.