Loretta Sanchez has made news headlines for doing the “dab” during the senate debate alongside opposing candidate Kamala Harris; unfortunately, although her intentions were only to lighten the mood, this and other controversial statements by her have overshadowed the many effective policies she has laid out and hopes to achieve as she runs for Senate in this election.

        Education, homeland security, and healthcare are just a few of the many topics Sanchez hopes to address and combat in the Senate. When it comes to education, Sanchez is a prominent advocate for giving children a fair shot at success by providing funding for programs like the Federal Pell Grant, which helps college students pay for schooling through scholarships and easily receive loans. As a congresswoman, she introduced the Middle Class Chance Act, which strengthened the Federal Pell Grant by raising the maximum award and increase the amount of time a student can access the awards.

        Sanchez is the most senior female member of the House Homeland Security Committee. She believes in securing America’s border without compromising our citizen’s civil rights. The candidate for senator guided key maritime security provisions through Congress in the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act (SAFE PORT ACT) of 2006. This legislation has provided California with economic stability through the secure movement of goods.

Additionally, Congresswoman Sanchez believes that every American, namely every child, deserves to have equal access to quality healthcare. She has had an active role in helping children receive healthcare through School Based Health Centers and supporting the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization bill.

        Unfortunately, according to a Los Angeles Times review of Sanchez’s attendance, the senate candidate has missed more floor votes in the House — more than 1 in 5 — than all but two other members in 2015. Sanchez said that she doesn’t remember missing a lot of Homeland Security Panel meetings, but added that her responsibilities on the Armed Services Committee expanded greatly when the ranking Democrat was away from Congress because of two hip surgeries.

It is important to note that both new policy ideas and previous work factor into being an exemplary candidate. Many voters will be taking all of this into account this coming election day.