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Growing a Strong Economy

As much of the United States has recovered from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression in 2008, and unemployment levels have plunged, Zoe continues fighting to give Santa Clara families and businesses tools to grow their enterprises.

Zoe knows prosperity is more than a profit report. Prosperity begins with San Jose Main Street stores, Silicon Valley's global technology leaders, and working families alike thriving and creating opportunities for the whole Valley.

Achieving the American Dream

Zoe knows more remains to be done to drive the kind of economic growth that not only puts Americans to work in good jobs, but creates future opportunities for our children to live the American Dream.

Following the economic downturn in 2008, Zoe worked hard to address the housing market collapse to stop responsible Americans from losing their homes. Zoe also fought to protect working American families and our economy from the unethical banking practices which triggered the financial crisis.

While the economy has since rebounded from the foreclosure crisis, the high cost of housing in our region has become untenable. This continues to be a severe problem for a wide range of families, but it is even more impossible for those families just trying to make ends meet. Families will never be able to slowly build wealth and security if they are constantly being crushed by the costs of keeping a roof over their heads.

Zoe was an early supporter of the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act, which was enacted in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and provides grants to States to increase and preserve the supply of rental housing for low-income families, including homeless families. She supports strengthening the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, which assists in financing more than 100,000 units of affordable housing every year, and Zoe has also consistently supported increases to the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conforming loan limits for high-cost areas like Santa Clara County. These loan limit increases are essential in boosting the availability and affordablility of mortgages in regions like ours.

There is much work that still needs to be done to make housing more affordable. Zoe has cosponsored a resolution to support robustly funding programs to increase access to affordable housing and affirming the right of all renters to a safe, affordable, and decent home.

Zoe has likewise opposed the Trump Administration's efforts to eliminate programs which provide crucial funding to help encourage homeownership among low- and middle-income families across the country.

Bringing down the costs of rent and home ownership will require strong partnerships between federal, state, and local governments and stakeholders. Zoe will continue to support federal efforts to make housing more affordable.

A Stronger, Innovative Economy for the 21st Century

As the elected Chair of the 39-member California Democratic Congressional Delegation, Zoe has worked with her colleagues to help California with investments in infrastructure, transportation, and clean American energy programs that put people to work in jobs that can't be sent overseas.

Zoe has also proposed legislation to ensure a free and open Internet that boosts U.S. ecommerce and has called for measures to increase U.S. innovation to compete in the global economy. She has authored legislation like the IDEA Act (H.R. 2161) to help American companies attract the best and brightest students, create American jobs, spur innovation, attract investment in America, while better protecting U.S. and foreign workers.

Sometimes what a legislator stops from happening can be as important as bills that are passed. Zoe was the leader in the effort to defeat the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which experts judged the single biggest legislative threat to a free Internet ever seriously considered by Congress.

Instead, by focusing our efforts to help our economy innovate, grow and thrive, Zoe believes we can create opportunities for everyone to reach their full potential of the American Dream.

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