Civil Rights

Our nation was founded on the principle that everyone is entitled to the same unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In Scott’s service to San Diego, that means ensuring respect for all. Discrimination has no place in a nation as great as ours. Scott will continue to oppose policies fueled by hateful rhetoric that marginalizes Americans. That means standing up for women in school and in the workplace and supporting our LGBT community because no one should be targeted for who they are or who they love. Scott will continue to ensure our minority communities have a voice and that refugees and immigrants have the same opportunity to build a better life in America, just as our ancestors.

Fighting for Equality

Every American is granted the same rights under our Constitution, which says that everyone is created equal. We've come a long way in the fight for equality, but we still have more work to do. Scott is fighting to ensure you can marry who you love, that you receive equal pay for equal work, and that survivors of sexual assault and harassment have stronger protections and greater access to legal remedies.

• Introduced an amendment that became law to affirm President Obama’s action to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT employees.
• Cosponsored the Equality Act, which would include gender identity and sexual orientation as two identities protected under federal civil rights.
• Cosponsored and helped pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen the Equal Pay Act and give women more tools to challenge unfair pay.
• Supported reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which provides for increased protections for victims of domestic violence. The legislation includes expanded protections for Native American women, LGBTQ individuals, students, and immigrant women.

Strengthening Voting Rights

Among our most basic, sacred rights as Americans is the right to vote. While our nation has taken great strides in the fight for equal voting rights and access, there is still so much more we can do. Americans across the country still face discrimination and disenfranchisement at the ballot box. Securing our democracy against efforts to undermine our elections and ensuring every eligible American can cast their ballot remains one of Scott’s main commitments.

• Cosponsored the Freedom to Vote Act, which would ensure Americans can request a mail-in ballot, have access to drop boxes and at least two weeks of early voting, and can register to vote on Election Day.
• Cosponsored the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which restores protections under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It addresses the discriminatory state laws aimed at suppressing voting passed after Shelby County v. Holder by creating a nationwide formula to only focus on states that have recently passed discriminatory voting laws.
• Cosponsored the Automatic Voter Registration Act, which requires state motor vehicle registries to submit identifying information of individuals to the state's election official. The bill provides an opportunity for individuals to opt out.
• Cosponsored the Expanding the VOTE Act, which would give jurisdictions the resources to provide more translations of election materials to ensure everyone, regardless of their English proficiency, can equitably exercise their right to vote.