On the Issues
Realizing Justice
Economic, racial, environmental and social justice are inextricably bound together. In Congress, Ritchie is committed to championing justice for working people in NY-15. Communities like the South Bronx are plagued by disinvestment and neglect. Ritchie will center his fight for justice on the communities that have been left behind.
The greatest asset that I bring to public life is the wisdom of lived experience. I don't come from a political family. I don't come from privilege. I don't have fancy degrees but I know what it's like to grow up in poverty. Those lived experiences not only inform who I am, but are going to motivate much of what I do in Washington, D.C.
Support the Green New Deal
The Green New Deal is not only an agenda for environmental justice, but it is also one for economic justice and racial justice. Severe pollution is lethal in communities like the Bronx, where 20% of children have asthma -- 12% higher than the national average. We have to radically restructure the American economy and society around renewable energy. Black and Brown communities are on the frontlines of the environmental crisis, and they must be prioritized in our agenda to fight climate change.
Reimagine & Reform Criminal Justice
Ritchie believes that it is vital that we reimagine our criminal justice system, and he has consistently advocated for greater oversight mechanisms of law enforcement because the NYPD cannot be trusted to police itself. In Congress, Ritchie will fight for community-based alternatives to policing, like Cure Violence. He also believes that the answer to our gun violence epidemic is to reduce the number of guns and to reduce access to the guns available.
Reproductive Justice
Access to a safe and legal abortion is vital health care, and Ritchie remains committed to fighting for reproductive justice and the right to choose as essential elements of gender equality. Forty-three percent of adults in NY-15 rely on Medicaid for health insurance, meaning that they are ineligible for abortion coverage due to federal law. This is why we must repeal the Hyde Amendment, which disproportionately harms Black and Brown women and transgender and non-binary individuals.
Immigration Reform
After years of Donald Trump’s racist and xenophobic immigration policy, Ritchie is ready to fight for an agenda that lifts up the millions of immigrants who come to our country seeking a better life and to build up our nation. Not only do we need a pathway to citizenship for the millions of undocumented individuals, but Ritchie also believes we must make our health care, educational, and vocational programs more inclusive because too often these programs discriminate based on immigration status.
