Jennifer Cross for Maryland’s 3rd District

Real accountability. Real representation.

Policies I support:

Here are the policy areas voters in Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District discuss most which I will push for when elected to Congress:

–Civil rights & personal freedoms policy (equal reproductive rights, federal forms reform to be in accordance with the Plain Writing Act the federal government websites hypocritically claim they adhere with, eliminating the Equal Employment Opportunity unless they reword it to be in accordance with the Plain Writing Act of 2010, equal protection)

–Housing policy (affordability such as making it illegal to impose unreasonable qualifying criteria, zoning incentives, first-time buyer support or buyer support if you have had a bankruptcy/other financial crisis)

–Healthcare policy (cost controls, access, veterans’ care, mental health)

–Public safety policy (crime prevention funding, emergency services)

–Education policy (federal school funding, publicly funded financial education, on-the-job training in lieu of college degree in any DoD/DoW funded dept or agency, special education, facilities/supplies for teachers)

–Transportation & infrastructure policy (roads, safer transit, union support, safer working conditions, stronger public ownership, stronger safety regulation, higher terms of funding for public transit, non-hackable broadband)

–Environmental policy (Chesapeake Bay protection, flood mitigation/potential flood walls made of thick carbide to protect against beach/bank erosion, better drainage systems)

–Economic & labor policy (fair wages, workforce training such as federal agency on-the-job training, small business training to promote more successful free enterprise, dropping Congress to minimum wage if they shutdown the government without a retroactive pay when they start it up again, union protections, worker safety)

–Veterans’ policy (VA access including if a veteran gets in a car accident the 1st responder is required to give the veteran the option call a VA ambulance or an ambulance willing to drive that veteran to a VA ER, making it a law that states if anyone accuses any veteran of being homicidal or suicidal where it’s untrue/found to be untrue that results in a consequence which permits the NSA to crawling over their accuser (even if it’s a law enforcer, doctor, judge, lawyer) like a mosquito (the NSA) detects blood, credit score reset once per lifetime, all benefits governed by qualifying criteria set by the DoD/DoW’s veteran definition not the VA, further benefits, such as invitation employment (regulated by the Pentagon’s compliance office for the NSA/NASA/DARPA/etc with congressional oversight)

–Tax & fiscal policy (working-class tax relief/credits/incentives, protection of public service cuts, small business tax relief/grants/direct public investment, sustained public investment in transportation, infrastructure, education, and public services; budget responsibility to protect workers and retirees from cuts that undermine wages, benefits, and workplace safety during economic downturns; predictable federal revenue streams to support safe public transportation to ensure reliable service and a long term stable workforce; fiscally promote economic stability by maintaining strong automatic stabilizers, retirement system protections, and avoiding budget decisions that force layoffs or service reductions; responsible federal spending that strengthens public transportation, preservation of unions and union jobs, and prioritizes well paid careers that strengthen local economies; side-hustle tax relief/incentives, permanent property tax relief)

The federal government will have bad days with me in Congress because most likely what I bring forward will be items that will cause many of the “experts’ ” faces to start twitching. They will be forced to acknowledge that they knew about the discrepancies or commit perjury to the Committee. Upon that acknowledgment, with the current presidential administration, if they’re employed by the federal government I can easily see President Trump firing them. Then, that department or agency would suddenly get scrutinized. Changes will happen like dominoes. Sometimes being a person who hasn’t served in public office has its advantages. I will push with a ferocity because I do that anyway. If one way doesn’t work, I will reword and try a different approach. I will keep rewording it until I get it passed. For me, there’s more than one way to storm a castle. Where there’s a will, I will find a way!!! I think every US citizen/voter should understand how laws are made.

Steps to pass an idea into a law: (1) A member of Congress formally submits the idea(s) written as a bill to Congress by placing it in the “hopper” aka the House or presenting it to the clerk if it’s from the Senate. Then, it get read for the first time and assigned to a committee like Veterans Affairs, Judiciary, Agriculture, etc. (2) The assigned committee may hold hearings to gather testimony from experts, citizens, or agencies; then the committee might amend the bill by marking it up; then vote to report it out to the full chamber. “If” the committee approves it, a written report goes to the chamber explaining the bill and its purpose (3) When it gets reported out, the bill is scheduled for debate. Members debate on the bill and propose further amendments. Then it goes to the Floor Vote as follows: House-by an electronic roll call and the Senate-by voice vote, division, or roll call. “If” it passess by a majority vote, it moves to the next segment referred to as “The Other Chamber” which consists of the above process repeating itself as follows: House to the Senate or the Senate to the House. The other chamber can either pass it “as is” and that means it then goes straight to the President or amend it which requires reconciliation….or reject the bill. (4) If the House and the Senate versions differ meaning members from both chambers are the conference committee and they have to work out a compromising version of the bill. The “final” conference report goes back to both chambers for an up or down vote. No further amendments are allowed . (5) Once both chambers approve the same version, the bill is enrolled and sent to the President. The President has 3 action options: 1-Sign the bill and it becomes law. 2-veto it and it gets sent back to Congress with the reasons. Of which Congress can override a veto with 2/3rds votes in both chambers. 3– Do nothing which isn’t the end of the world “if” Congress is in session because that bill will become law after 10 days automatically if the President’s action is to do nothing. But if the President does nothing when Congress is adjourned, that bill dies and it is then called a pocket veto. (6) If the bill gets signed by the President or a veto is overridden, the bill is given a Public law number, Published in the Statutes at Large, and Codified in the United States Code by topic area.

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Why I’m Running

I’m Jennifer Cross, and I’m running for Congress because Maryland’s 3rd District deserves a representative who listens, understands, and acts.

I have been helping my elderly parents off-on since 2023 due to my mother’s knees and back have instabilities from surgeries due to stem cell injections being expensive and not covered by insurance, these are a few of the injustices seniors are facing. I’m a US veteran and have been hearing about all the problems veterans face (like a broken record). The pandemic has harmed many people financially because there’s several carmakers whose in-house lending repossessed people’s vehicles anyway and the 3 credit bureaus still held it as a ding despite the law saying they weren’t allowed to do that. I was impacted and have disputed multiple times, only to be ignored. I even used lawyers to dispute those and those were ignored by the credit bureaus. It’s like Credit Bureaus gone wild. (OK if you are too young for that joke, my apologies.) Transunion has been sending me little checks from people winning class action lawsuits against them but they still aren’t removing the credit still reporting from the pandemic years. I’m sure I’m not the only person with this problem and I legit do not think Congress has any idea. I spoke with ironworkers and veterans who were complaining about this as an issue. One veteran had 5 non US citizens swear on affidavits that he was not a veteran to qualify for a veteran program to refinance his home during the pandemic. That judge ruled in the non US citizen’s favor despite the fact the veteran’s Dept of Defense ID and Maryland drivers license says veteran. I feel like there is a lot of work to do. He lost all his belongings including military paraphernalia from his service to this country, was all thrown in the dumpster. I know at least one federal judge has been alerted to help him. Federal judges aren’t Congress. I hope I get elected so I can start writing bills and send them through the process regarding all my policies and all the injustices I’ve been hearing about.

I feel like Congress is out of touch with what it is like to be a regular person (like me). I feel like those in Congress who aren’t US veterans, it needs to be mandatory for those folks to have to go to boot camp for a 24 hour day, and then spend 1 week once a month when they’re not in session with a naval ship, on a training base, or something like that. I doubt that would get passed through Congress. They’d be like “You can but the rest of us will sit and drink our coffee and watch.” or they’d tell me “Not all military service is public knowledge.” Of which my response to that would be “Is your military service file redacted and guarded at the Pentagon? Is your DD214 messed up on the dates? I’m just asking. Does your discharge paperwork and files been altered to hide that at National Archives showing that you entered and left without any tuna in the can? I know that’s specific but hypothetically…is it?” Then they’d say “Hmm, that is very specific. OK, let’s see what Hegseth says. He won’t want us messing up his troops!” I think Hegseth would say “Miss Cross, a word.”

I can only guess that those are some of the types of conversations I will have. Maybe I’ll be lucky and get picked to be on committees! I wonder if I can just say PICK ME! Like send over messages to Speaker Mike Johnson “Hi, I know your party controls the house so Republicans get more seats but could you please assign me to a couple committees? Yes, I know I am a person who has never served public office…but did you see my website? I built it myself! And I did my own flyers without Canva. And I beat like 23 other people who were running for my congressional seat in the US House of Representatives. I know the exact room number of Hegseth’s desk at the Pentagon. I’m also a member of DARPAConnect. How about letting me be on a couple committees? Like the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence? Because, sir, I will be able to tell the committee “where” to go look.”

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We want:

• Fair laws
• Protected freedoms
• Honest leadership
• A government that serves people over powerful interests

I stand for accountability, due process, the rule of law, and the rights and liberties of every resident.

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Lived Experience Matters

I am not a career politician. I will only become one “if” the people want me to represent them.

I’ve lived through financial hardship and uncertainty, and I understand the real-life impact of government decisions. That experience shapes how I lead and who I fight for.

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Experience Without Entanglement

My background includes ongoing education in intelligence studies and international relations, along with experience in federal innovation and small-business ecosystems through DARPAConnect.

This perspective helps me understand oversight, innovation, and how federal systems affect:

• Small businesses
• Nonprofits
• Working families

I remain fully independent and accountable only to constituents.

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What You Can Expect

If elected, I will:

• Take constituent concerns seriously
• Work to improve existing laws or create better ones
• Stand up to powerful interests when they conflict with your needs

I won’t shy away from tough conversations.

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What I Believe

Transparency matters.

Courage matters.

Listening matters.

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The Bottom Line

Maryland’s 3rd District deserves to be heard.

I’m ready to make sure it is. With the ferociousness of a car salesperson in need of 7 sold vehicles before the 12th of the month.