Right now, most regular Americans have very little influence on the laws Congress passes. Research repeatedly shows that there's almost no connection between what the public wants and what Congress actually does. Instead, our elected officials prioritize the interests of elites, businesses, and those who can afford powerful lobbyists, creating a system of legalized bribery. Our government is broken, and we need to take action to fix it.

Shelane is committed to changing this. She supports getting big money out of politics by overturning Citizens United, a law that allows unlimited corporate spending in elections, and ending the revolving door of politicians taking high-paying lobbyist jobs, which grants them undue influence over government agencies. She also aims to stop members of Congress from using insider information to make profitable stock trades. Finally, Shelane supports open primaries to increase voter participation and ensure politicians are accountable to a wider range of people.

Shelane believes her most crucial responsibility as a Congresswoman is protecting her constituents’ individual rights and liberties – for all to pursue a life of dignity without unnecessary government interference. Shelane supports legislation protecting a woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices, upholding 2nd Amendment rights, protecting our civil liberties, and ensuring all people, regardless of religious, racial, or sexual orientation, are protected to pursue a life free of discrimination.

Shelane supports a strong economy for families and future generations. Everyday Americans deserve an economy that works for them. Addressing rising costs of housing, childcare, healthcare, and basic necessities is critical to ensuring the financial security of American families. Both parties are complicit in our soaring national debt, threatening our collective and future prosperity. Shelane prioritizes implementing fiscal policies for long-term economic stability without burdening future generations with excessive debt. She advocates for a balanced national budget, reduced government waste, and responsible spending of taxpayer dollars.

American Democracy is in decline. Partisan polarization, special-interest influence, and election interference erode trust and fairness in our Democracy. Shelane is committed to restoring faith in our institutions by fostering transparency, protecting our voting rights, combating partisan gerrymandering, and holding our officials accountable for their words and actions.

One of Congress’ foremost responsibilities is ensuring strong national security domestically and abroad. Politics should never get in the way of protecting our sovereign territory and securing our borders. Shelane supports securing our borders and implementing sensible immigration reform that recognizes immigrants’ critical importance in our economy and communities. Globally, American leadership and strong international partnerships are vital for conflict mitigation and ensuring safety and prosperity for generations to come. Shelane believes in an integrated, responsible use of diplomatic, intelligence, and military capabilities to address our global national security challenges.

As a veteran who served at Fort Bragg and relies on the VA Healthcare system, Shelane has firsthand experience of the hurdles veterans continue to face in receiving quality healthcare. Access to benefits and health care should be timely and intuitive, not bogged down in bureaucratic confusion. Tragically, veteran suicide remains disproportionately high at 1.5x greater than the general population – this is unacceptable, and Shelane is committed to advocating tirelessly in Congress for veterans’ mental well-being from service to civilian life.

Our society is hurting. Social connectedness to families, communities, spirituality, and nature is declining while addiction, isolation, and mental health crises – especially among young people – are on the rise. Current political divisions and media manipulation contribute to this problem. Shelane believes it’s a national imperative to strengthen our societal well-being by promoting civility, lifelong learning and skills building, holistic health approaches, and incentivized national service.