Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Yuh-Line Niou for US Congress NY-10

Candidate Name: Yuh-Line Niou

Office Seeking Election for: US Congress NY-10

Website: https://www.nioufornewyork.com/

1. Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district.

As the Assemblymember for the 65th District since 2017, I have spent years supporting my constituents and advocating for permanent progressive change — from winning historic tenant protections and criminal justice reforms to moving the needle on environmental protection and worker justice. I am proud to have been recently endorsed by the Desiree Alliance, a national coalition of current and former sex workers advocating to fully decriminalize sex work.

Now I am running for Congress to build a district and a nation that lives up to its promise of inclusion and equity at a time when the LGBTQ community is facing a surge in bigotry and violence. We will only get there if we fight together and build a coalition so large and so loud that no one can ignore us. I know that works because I’ve built those winning coalitions to protect LGBTQ+ rights in Albany, and I’ll build even stronger coalitions in Congress.

I believe that the diverse communities of NY-10 deserve an advocate who has lived their lives, understands their concerns, and will fight for their futures. I currently represent more voters in NY-10 than any other candidate, and I’ve proven I can turn progressive priorities into real public policy. We did it in Albany passing the Adult Survivors Act and securing dedicated funding for community organizations fighting bigotry and hatred, including attacks targeted at transgender New Yorkers simply trying to exist in peace. We did it to pass landmark sexual harassment legislation, and to roll back the horrible “Walking While Trans” law. We won that fight and many others because I understand what it takes to build winning, district-wide coalitions that advance our agenda and empower communities the status quo wants kept out of politics.

This is not a time for a candidate who represents the same go-along, get-along approach, another tired clubhouse politician, or a candidate unwilling to stand and fight when the going gets tough. It is a time for action. Republicans are working every single day to make our nation less representative, less democratic, and less just. If we don’t bring twice their energy to all of our efforts, we risk taking the United States to a dark and authoritarian place. I refuse to let that happen. I came to office by standing against the corrupt old guard of our party, and voters in NY-10 know they can trust that I will be here for them even when the fights get difficult, and I look forward to introducing the rest of Congress to the vibrant and diverse voices of New York’s 10th District.

2. Do you now support or have you ever supported an openly LGBTQ candidate for public office?

Not only have I supported many of the incredible LGBTQ+ candidates who make our party vibrant, I also have the distinction of being the first LGBTQ+ Asian lawmaker elected to the state legislature, so LGBTQ+ representation and the issues within our community are always at the front of my mind.

3. If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly).

Just this session I introduced the Rivington Act, legislation that prevents the historic wrong of the city’s taking of Rivington House from LGBTQ+ New Yorkers who had been told they had a permanent right to remain there. This legislation will ensure that never happens to another long-term care facility again.

I was also part of the coalition that passed GENDA in 2019, which banned conversion therapy in New York State and expanded protections for the LGBTQ community under New York’s Human Rights Law. I was also a main supporter of repealing the “Walking While Trans” law, and have been a leading voice on the decriminalization of sex work. It is a point of pride that The Desiree Alliance, a group fighting for sex worker justice on the state and federal level, has endorsed my campaign for Congress.

4. What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?

I have worked closely with LGBTQ organizations both within and outside of my district during my time in the Assembly. These include the Trevor Project, where I have regularly headlined fundraisers and advocacy events to raise awareness about the terrible treatment of LGBTQ New Yorkers under the Trump administration and the continued, rising level of violence against trans New Yorkers. I have also partnered with students and faculty at the CUNY Center for LGBTQ Studies to raise awareness about the injustices faced by LGBTQ New Yorkers in our university system, alongside the NYC Commission on Human Rights.

I’ve attended Stonewall Democratic Club meetings and used my platform as an openly queer elected to ensure the organizations fighting for dignity and justice for LGBTQ New Yorkers are heard and respected. You may have seen Team Niou handing out literature and supporting our June primary candidates at the Pride march!

5.

If applicable, what LGBTQ organizations have you allocated funds to?

6.

Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?

I have signed onto many budget letters for our LGBTQ community organizations with my colleagues asking for different amounts of funding throughout the years.

Yes! I am a queer woman.

7. Have you marched in Pride? Which marches and for approximately how many years?

I have marched in Pride every year since I was in college. In New York, I’ve participated since 2010. During our most recent pride, Team Niou was out in force across the district joining in festivities, handing out literature and reminding people to vote for our June Democratic primary candidates!.

8. Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?

Yes, many members of my senior team including my Campaign Manager identify as members of the LGBTQ community, and members of our digital team also identify as LGBTQ. My office staff has multiple queer identified members and gender queer and gender non conforming volunteers on our team.

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

Yes!

10. What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBTQ issues, pro choice legislation, criminal justice issues and the Resist Trump Movement have you attended?

I have been an active voice, an inspired fundraiser, and a staunch advocate of LGBTQ organizations who have fought against the dehumanizing, exclusionary language of the Trump administration. I have also led on criminal justice reform, and continue to stand behind the long-term promise of both bail reform and urgently-needed prison reform. I have not forgotten Layleen Polanco, the transgeender woman who died at the Rose M. Singer Center at Rikers Island, or the long list of transgender and LGBQ New Yorkers who have faced physical, psychological, and sexual abuse while detained pretrial at Rikers Island. That prison facility remains one of the most violent places a transgender or queer person can be sent, and I consider it one of New York’s most important missions to close that jail before even more marginalized people suffer preventable abuse and death.

Whenever the pro-choice or LGBTQ community has called on me to lend my voice or my passion to the fight, I have cleared time in my schedule to participate and provide organizing support. LGBTQ New Yorkers know I am one of them, and they trust me enough to reach out to my office for help even when they do not live in my district. Our fight does not stop at the lines of Senate District 29, and I will continue to march, speak, and fight for greater social justice for all.

11. Will you advocate for legislation to mandate the review of sentences of incarcerated individuals aged 55 and older who have served in excess of 15 years to determine if they warrant release?

Yes, I have been a parole reform advocate in Albany since 2016 and co-sponsored legislation in Albany to address elder parole issues. I look forward to continuing my advocacy for these absolutely necessary reforms.

12. Will you advocate for legislation that would ensure those appearing before the New York State Parole Board are considered for release from prison based on who they are today and not exclusively based on the nature of their crime?

Yes, I strongly support including records of rehabilitation in any parole decisions and co-sponsored legislation with that goal during my time in Albany.

13. Do you commit to visit constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons such as Bedford Correctional Facility? When was your last visit to visit incarcerated constituents?

Yes, I have visited correctional facilities multiple times during my service as a State Assemblymember, most recently Rikers in September 2021.

14. Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests in relation to the issues of clemency and parole?

Yes. I have participated in a number of rallies and demonstrations alongside RAPP, Clean Slate NY, and others.

15. Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?

Yes!

16. Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work?

I do. I co-sponsored Sen. Julia Salazar’s legislation fully decriminalizing sex work and have been a vocal supporter of fully legalizing and safely regulating sex work to end the violence and exploitation that come from forcing people to operate in a dangerous and completely unmonitored shadow marketplace. I am also proud to have been recently endorsed by the Desiree Alliance, a national coalition of current and former sex workers advocating to fully decriminalize sex work.

17. Will you oppose any legislation that promotes the Nordic model?

Yes. Sex work is work. Under our existing system, sex workers are criminalized for simply doing their jobs, which overwhelmingly impacts women of color and LGBTQ individuals–people who are regularly discriminated against when it comes to housing and employment. My stance on decriminalization is informed by the advocacy of impacted communities. Sex workers and advocates have overwhelmingly organized in support of decriminalization–not the Nordic Model. As a legislator, it is my duty to listen to and represent the interests of my constituents and to prioritize the needs of our most marginalized with my voice, platform and votes.

18. What proposals will you advocate for the protection of immigrants and further New York as a Sanctuary City?

We have almost had immigration deals so many times in our recent past, only to have them scuttled by special interests and extremist Republicans who vilify migrants and drive inaction in Congress. My parents immigrated here with me, and I know the challenges they faced as legal immigrants. The struggle among our undocumented neighbors is even more acute, and I have always been a proud and vocal supporter of both immigration reform and, more importantly, immigration justice. That is why I was one of the loudest voices calling on New York to end any cooperation with ICE in its efforts to terrorize migrant families in our communities.

Our undocumented immigrant community deserves a pathway to citizenship, yet these young children who came here through no choice of their own are now being punished by a Republican Party that would rather use them as political props than help them succeed in the country they know as home. I will defend our undocumented community and work to expand DACA protections and pass the DREAM Act.

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

The Supreme Court has made clear in recent decisions that they intend to end the separation of church and state, and tip the balance heavily toward state support for religious schools. I completely disagree with their ruling and the idea that a secular government has any role playing favorites in religious education or religious observance. We must rebuild and fortify the wall of separation our Framers envisioned, and we can only do that through coalition-building and strong legislation that will stand up to the challenges of a politically compromised Supreme Court.

20. Do you support the establishment of safe consumption spaces?

Yes. Harm reduction practices such as this verifiably save lives.

21. Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC members? Please identify all candidates

No, I have never endorsed any members of the IDC. I endorsed all of the challengers. Alessandra Biaggi, Jessica Ramos, Julia Salazar, John Liu, and Robert Jackson.

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

Yes!

23. Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBT representation among your staff?

Yes! I am proud to have a diverse team on both my government and campaign teams. I understand that a diversity of voices makes for a better workplace, and also improves our perspectives on policy goals. Diversity is our greatest asset in that regard.

24. Who did or do you support for office in the Democratic primary in the following races

A) mayor and comptroller in 2021 B) President in 2016 and 2020 C) Governor and Lt. Governor 2022

A) Scott Stinger (I later rescinded my endorsement), Brad Lander

B) Bernie Sanders (2016), Elizabeth Warren (2020)

C) Ana Maria Archila, Jumaane Williams

25. Describe any federal legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the ongoing effects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination

I strongly support Sen. Booker and Rep. Jackson-Lee’s Reparations Commission, which would produce a nonpartisan report into slavery and discrimination in the colonies and United States from 1619 until today, with the goal of offering actionable reparations remedies to address a truly horrific and generational crime.

Slavery is an indelible part of our nation’s history, and it is not enough simply to acknowledge its vast and immeasurable injustice. We must take concrete steps to make right what our government has acknowledged was not only wrong, but deeply criminal and a crime against humanity. I have been a staunch advocate for reparations, and when I drafted the most recent People’s Equity Budget, that proposal included establishing a state commission on reparations to provide real, actionable solutions for how our state can begin the long process of remedying the atrocity of slavery. I look forward to supporting legislation to expand educational access and education equity not only in higher education, but by advocating for federal standards from the Department of Education that will address the rampant inequality in many of our public schools.

In New York, we’ve seen that the oppression of Native Americans is not a story from history books, but an ongoing reality. Gov. Kathy Hochul shamelessly shook down the Seneca Nation for over $500 million she then used to fund the construction of the new Buffalo Bills stadium – even though a quarter of Seneca Nation tribe members live in poverty and depend on that money to survive. We need strong, targeted, federal legislation to address the historic injustices perpetrated against our Native American communities, including far more support for the reservations across our country that our government has decided it is easier to forget. Restoring land rights is a fantastic start, but these solutions must also address providing these tribes a stable and prosperous future.

We also should be investing in our tribal colleges too!

26. 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 have been a vocal supporter of making SUNY and CUNY free for New Yorkers, and I support Sen. Bernie Sanders’ proposal to make four-year university education free for every American, while canceling the student debt that currently burdens millions of Americans. We currently have a system in place that leads to rigid economic segregation of college populations – this is a completely artificial system that we can reform by guaranteeing equity of access to higher education.

We can not claim to be a democracy built on equality when the most important factor in most Americans’ lifetime earnings – education – is a product that is gated off from many people and sold at a vast profit to those who in many cases can’t afford to pay. I have championed making SUNY and CUNY tuition-free for New Yorkers at the state level, and I am ready to bring this fight to the federal level. The only sustainable way to educate our growing nation is by offering free and open access to our most powerful asset: a quality education that does not burden students down with decades of crushing debt.

27. Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Please elaborate.

Yes! But it is not enough to simply fix our broken system by implementing universal health care. We must also face the stark reality that, even under a single-payer system, patients of color would still face the same systemic bias and racial discrimination they do today. Those patients come from communities of color with less household wealth, worse access to health care services even if they are free, and worse overall community health outcomes.

I would be proud to advocate for federal legislation addressing racial disparities in health outcomes, and creating a clear patient advocacy pathway for patients who have been discriminated against to hold those hospitals and care facilities accountable. We will not have true universal coverage until all patients regardless of their racial, ethnic or economic background are treated equally by the doctors and medical professionals we trust with our lives.

28. Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services.

We now live in a post-Roe America, where women born today have fewer rights than their mothers did. And more attacks are on the horizon. If elected, I will work to codify Roe v. Wade, but the fight for reproductive rights does not stop there. Roe v. Wade never guaranteed accessible and equitable abortion care for all, and I will work to ensure that all birthing people in the United States have access to affordable and equitable reproductive healthcare, regardless of where you live.

I led the charge in Albany to strengthen our abortion protections during the last legislative session, and have been a staunch believer that New York must be a beacon for those who seek

to exercise their fundamental right to obtain an abortion. In addition, I also supported legislation that would require New York to refuse cooperation with any efforts from red states to extradite, prosecute or penalize a woman for traveling to New York to receive an abortion.

Not only am I committed to fighting for the funding to protect abortion in states where it is under threat, I would offer a resolution before the House urging President Biden to immediately lease vacant federal office space to abortion providers in states where abortion is under assault by Republican legislatures. I would also call on the Department of Health and Human Services to make out-of-state travel to obtain an abortion a coverable expense under Medicare, ensuring that those who are most at risk of losing access to abortion rights have a means to exercise their medical choice without facing crushing financial costs.

29. Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real estate?

I always have and always will.

30. Will you refuse money from police and corrections unions?

Yes

31. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations complicit in the Trump agenda?

Yes

32. What additional information would you like Jim Owles to consider when we are making our endorsements decisions?

I am proud of my long history of being endorsed by JOLDC, and as the only queer woman in the race I take seriously the opportunity to be a voice for change and hope among those who have never seen someone who looks or feels like them in public office. This community has welcomed me even when others sought to shame or isolate me, and I look forward to repaying that spirit of inclusivity when I am in Congress.

33. If you resign in the middle of your term, will you let the voters decide? Do you plan to serve your term and not send a vacancy to the county committee?

I am absolutely committed to serving my full term in Congress, and look forward to focusing on my constituents as I have since 2016.

34. Who are you supporting for Speaker/Democratic leader in 2023?

I would like to see who announces their candidacy for this critical role before deciding!

35. In view of the fact that Ed Koch has been documented to have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people with AIDS, and was blatantly racist, would you support a city bill to rename the former Queensboro Bridge? Do you authorize the use of your name for such a purpose?

Yes, I completely agree with this campaign. Ed Koch’s name has no place of honor in this city, and we must rename the bridge.

36. What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?‘

I have said publicly that the Columbus statue should be removed, as that is the clearly stated will of the community – and listening to constituents is government at its most basic. I believe what replaces it should be left up to that community, with an eye towards the spirit of inclusiveness, diversity and speaking truth to power that makes New York such a dynamic place.

37. What is your position on FOSTA/SESTA, passed in 2018? Do you or will you sponsor the Safe Workers Study Act which has been introduced by Elizabeth Warren and co.sponsored by Reps. Barbara Lee and Ron Wyden and a host of other sponsors including Bernie Sanders.

I will make it my top priority to end the criminalization of LGBTQ+ people. I’ll fight with all of my energy to repeal FOSTA-SESTA, which has had an absolutely devastating effect on sex workers. I will gladly follow the lead of Senators Warren and Sanders on this absolutely critical effort.

38. Do you support the class-wide scheduling of Fentanyl-related substances, which groups like Human Rights Watch have argued would worsen pretrial detention, mass incarceration, and racial disparities?

I believe we have tried the severe punishment approach long advocated by police unions and Republicans, and as a nation we have discovered it did not solve our drug crisis. It simply locked people up, created more addicts, and denied basic therapeutic care to people in dire need. Not only that, class-wide scheduling of Fentanyl means that some compounds with unknown potential medical uses would be included in Schedule I, making them almost impossible to study for medical purposes. This is a situation even the Government Accountability Office has acknowledged is a major problem, outside of the clear racial and socioeconomic disparities that would come from treating all Fentanyl-related substances as a single class.

39. Do you support the Green New Deal?

We will not drill our way to climate justice and climate sustainability, but we can easily frack and drill our way into a catastrophe if we continue with the fatal path. As a lawmaker representing Lower Manhattan, the climate crisis is not theoretical to me. I’ve walked through the flood waters and seen businesses destroyed by the cost of repairs. I have spent my career taking action, and I look forward to being a voice for climate change activism in Congress.

I have been so closely connected to the fight for a Green New Deal in New York that supporters have taken to calling the package the Green Niou Deal. And I believe not only in supporting the Green New Deal in Congress, but I would introduce standalone legislation to direct federal investment dollars to New York’s green tech and clean tech industries – and the good-paying, union jobs they bring. Just as our city is a financial capital, it could also be a green tech innovation capital, setting our communities up for economic prosperity that also strengthens our climate.

40. President Biden has not granted a single pardon or commutation. When have you publicly demanded that Biden do more on this issue? Will you pledge to publicly speak out about this in 2022?

Yes, I believe we need a pardon and commutation system that actually have transparent process behind it, and President Biden’s inaction on pardons is a major reason why. I look forward to speaking out about this and a host of criminal justice reform issues when I am in Congress.

41. Do you commit to not supporting Joe Manchin or Kyrsten Sinema? Will you consider supporting a primary opponent?

Absolutely, show me where to donate.

42. Some members of congress indicate they will only support incumbents regardless of their politics and regardless of who is presenting them a primary. Are you one of them?

No. I believe the policy of supporting incumbents right-or-wrong weakens our party and muzzles the internal debates that make our party both intellectually vibrant and morally strong. I do not believe it is appropriate for Speaker Pelosi and Democratic leadership to prop up anti-choice Democrats while expressing their sympathies to people across America who just lost their abortion rights. I believe our party is strongest when we have a vibrant competition of ideas. An incumbency bias only further alienates our party from the people we should be serving.