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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Caucuses/Former Committees

Member, Armenian Caucus

Member, Arts Caucus

Member, Awareness Caucus

Member, Beef Caucus Specialty

Former Member, Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Member, Bi-Partisan Refugee Caucus

Member, Boating Caucus

Member, Center Aisle Caucus

Member, Community College Caucus

Member, Congressional Hispanic Caucus

Member, Congressional Soils Caucus

Co-Chair, Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus

Co-Founder, Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus

Co-Founder, Congressional Water Caucus

Member, Crop Caucus

Former Member, Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Member, Frozen Food Caucus

Co-Chair, House Victims' Rights Caucus

Member, Human Rights Caucus

Member, Methamphetamine Caucus

Member, Rail Caucus

Member, Rural Cooperative Caucus

Former Member, Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy, and the Environment, United States House of Representatives

Former Member, Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, United States House of Representatives

Member, Water Caucus

Former Member, Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Member, Wine Caucus

Education

  • BA, Political Science, California State University, Fresno, 1974

Professional Experience

  • BA, Political Science, California State University, Fresno, 1974
  • Professor, Kenneth L. Maddy Institute, Fresno State University
  • Chief Executive Officer, Costa Group, 2002-2004
  • Administrative Assistant, Assembly Member Richard Lehman, California State Assembly, 1976-1978
  • Special Assistant, Representative John Krebs, United States House of Representatives, 1975-1976
  • Farmer, Costa Brothers Dairy, 1959-1974

Political Experience

  • BA, Political Science, California State University, Fresno, 1974
  • Professor, Kenneth L. Maddy Institute, Fresno State University
  • Chief Executive Officer, Costa Group, 2002-2004
  • Administrative Assistant, Assembly Member Richard Lehman, California State Assembly, 1976-1978
  • Special Assistant, Representative John Krebs, United States House of Representatives, 1975-1976
  • Farmer, Costa Brothers Dairy, 1959-1974
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, California, District 16, 2004-present
  • Candidate, United States House of Representatives, California, District 16, 2018, 2020
  • Senator, California State Senate, 1994-2002
  • Assembly Member, California State Assembly, 1978-1994

Former Committees/Caucuses

Member, Armenian Caucus

Member, Arts Caucus

Member, Awareness Caucus

Member, Beef Caucus Specialty

Former Member, Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Member, Bi-Partisan Refugee Caucus

Member, Boating Caucus

Member, Center Aisle Caucus

Member, Community College Caucus

Member, Congressional Hispanic Caucus

Member, Congressional Soils Caucus

Co-Founder, Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus

Co-Chair, Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus

Co-Founder, Congressional Water Caucus

Member, Crop Caucus

Former Member, Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Member, Frozen Food Caucus

Co-Chair, House Victims' Rights Caucus

Member, Human Rights Caucus

Member, Methamphetamine Caucus

Member, Rail Caucus

Member, Rural Cooperative Caucus

Former Member, Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, United States House of Representatives

Member, Water Caucus

Former Member, Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee, United States House of Representatives

Member, Wine Caucus

Current Legislative Committees

Member, Agriculture Committee

Member, Committee on Foreign Affairs

Member, Natural Resources Committee

Member, Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber

Chair, Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture

Member, Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • BA, Political Science, California State University, Fresno, 1974
  • Professor, Kenneth L. Maddy Institute, Fresno State University
  • Chief Executive Officer, Costa Group, 2002-2004
  • Administrative Assistant, Assembly Member Richard Lehman, California State Assembly, 1976-1978
  • Special Assistant, Representative John Krebs, United States House of Representatives, 1975-1976
  • Farmer, Costa Brothers Dairy, 1959-1974
  • Representative, United States House of Representatives, California, District 16, 2004-present
  • Candidate, United States House of Representatives, California, District 16, 2018, 2020
  • Senator, California State Senate, 1994-2002
  • Assembly Member, California State Assembly, 1978-1994
  • Member, Blue Dog Coalition
  • Member, Congressional Organ and Tissue Donation
  • Board Member, Fresno Historical Society
  • Board Member, Fresno-Madera Agency on Aging
  • Former President, National Conference of State Legislators
  • Member, Sigma Alpha Epsilon
  • Member, Steering Committee, Fresno County Farm Bureau

Other Info

Astrological Sign:

Aries

— Awards:

  • Friend of the Farm Bureau Award,
  • US Chamber of Commerce "Spirit of Enterprise" Award,
  • Donald E. Santarelli Public Policy Award,
  • Commander of the Order of Merit, Portugal, 1996

Reason for Seeking Public Office:

I went to Congress for one reason: to fight for the people of our Valley. That's what I'm doing.

Policy Positions

2021

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes

2. Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare?
- Unknown Position

Campaign Finance

1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

Crime

1. Do you support the protection of government officials, including law enforcement officers, from personal liability in civil lawsuits concerning alleged misconduct?
- No

Defense

Do you support increasing defense spending?
- Unknown Position

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

3. Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
- Yes

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Yes

Energy and Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

Guns

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

Health Care

1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No

2. Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19?
- Yes

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No

2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)?
- Unknown Position

2. Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts?
- Unknown Position

Trade

Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)?
- Yes

California Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test

Abortion

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should always be legal.
- X

3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- X

5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- X

6. Dilation and extraction or "partial-birth" abortion procedures should be legal.
- X

7. Medicare, Medicaid, and federal subsidies should be prohibited from being used on abortion procedures.
- No Answer

Budgetary, Spending, and Tax

Indicate what federal funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.1) Budget Priorities2) Defense Spending3) TaxesIndicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.Family Income TaxesOther TaxesDeductions/Credits

1. Agriculture
- Slightly Increase

2. Arts
- Maintain Status

3. Defense
- Slightly Increase

4. Education
- Slightly Increase

5. Environment
- Maintain Status

6. FEMA
- Maintain Status

7. Homeland security
- Greatly Increase

8. International aid
- Maintain Status

9. Law enforcement (Federal)
- Greatly Increase

10. Law enforcement (State)
- Maintain Status

11. Medical research
- Slightly Increase

12. National parks
- Slightly Increase

13. Public health services
- Slightly Increase

14. Scientific research
- Slightly Increase

15. Space exploration programs
- Maintain Status

16. Transportation and highway infrastructure
- Greatly Increase

17. United Nations
- Maintain Status

18. Welfare
- Maintain Status

19. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

20. Armed forces personnel training
- Maintain Status

21. Intelligence operations
- Slightly Increase

22. Military hardware
- Maintain Status

23. Modernization of weaponry and equipment
- Slightly Increase

24. National missile defense
- Maintain Status

25. Pay for active duty personnel
- Slightly Increase

26. Programs to improve troop retention rates
- Slightly Increase

27. Research and development of new weapons
- Slightly Increase

28. Troop and equipment readiness
- Slightly Increase

29. Less than $12,000
- Greatly Decrease

30. $12,001-$40,000
- Greatly Decrease

31. $40,001-$100,000
- Slightly Decrease

32. $100,001-$180,000
- Maintain Status

33. $180,001-$350,000
- Maintain Status

34. $350,001 and above
- Maintain Status

35. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

36. Capital gains taxes
- Slightly Decrease

37. Cigarette taxes
- Slightly Increase

38. Corporate taxes
- Maintain Status

39. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status

40. Inheritance taxes
- Eliminate

41. Charitable contribution deduction
- Slightly Increase

42. Child tax credit
- Greatly Increase

43. Earned income tax credit
- Slightly Increase

44. Medical expense deduction
- Greatly Increase

45. Mortgage deduction
- Slightly Increase

46. Student loan credit
- Greatly Increase

47. Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
- Yes

48. Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?
- No Answer

Campaign Finance and Government Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

1. Support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
- No Answer

2. Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
- No Answer

3. Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
- No Answer

4. Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
- No Answer

5. Support prohibiting ads containing candidates' name that are paid for by third parties from airing 60 days before a primary and 30 days before a general federal election.
- X

6. Support instant run-off voting (IRV).
- X

7. Support designating Election Day as a national holiday.
- No Answer

8. Support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations.
- X

9. Support limiting the President's use of signing statements in order to prevent an alternative interpretation of the bill.
- X

10. Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege.
- X

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

1. Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- X

2. Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- No Answer

3. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- X

4. Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
- X

5. Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
- No Answer

6. Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
- No Answer

7. Support strict penalties for internet crime (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
- X

8. Require that crimes based on sexual orientation be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

1. Support the federal government funding universal pre-K programs.
- X

2. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- No Answer

3. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
- No Answer

4. Allow teachers and professionals to receive federal funding to establish charter or magnet schools.
- No Answer

5. Increase funding for the Pell Grant program.
- X

6. Decrease interest rates of Stafford Loans.
- X

7. Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
- X

8. Ban university financial aid officers from owning stock in or accepting gifts from student loan lenders.
- No Answer

9. Require universities to disclose financial relationships with lenders.
- No Answer

10. Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
- No Answer

11. Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
- X

Employment

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.

1. Increase funding for national job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today?s job market.
- X

2. Reduce government regulation of the private sector.
- No Answer

3. Encourage employers to offer child care services, flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
- X

4. Increase the federal minimum wage.
- No Answer

5. Support the right of workers to unionize.
- X

6. Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
- No Answer

7. Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
- X

8. Include gender identity in federal anti-discrimination laws.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environment and Energy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

1. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
- No Answer

2. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
- No Answer

3. Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
- X

4. Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
- X

5. Strengthen fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
- X

6. Support domestic oil exploration in areas that are currently restricted.
- X

7. Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels.
- X

8. Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
- X

9. Support research and development of nuclear reactors as an alternative energy source.
- X

10. Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits under "cap and trade" laws.
- X

11. Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming.
- No Answer

12. Support international voluntary emission targets to limit global warming.
- X

Gun

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.On (c) and (d), indicate what levels (#1-6) you support for the following categories.

1. Allow individuals to carry concealed guns.
- No Answer

2. Ban the sale, ownership or possession of handguns except by law enforcement and other government officials.
- No Answer

3. Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- Slightly Increase

4. Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- Maintain Status

Health

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

1. Implement a universal healthcare program to guarantee coverage to all Americans, regardless of income.
- No Answer

2. Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
- X

3. Allow the importation of prescription drugs into the United States.
- X

4. Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
- X

5. Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
- X

6. Support expanding child healthcare programs.
- X

7. Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government.
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Immigration

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.

1. Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
- No Answer

2. Establish English as the official national language.
- X

3. Support a temporary worker program.
- X

4. Support harsher financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
- No Answer

5. Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.
- No Answer

6. Illegal immigrants should have to return to their countries of origin before being considered for citizenship.
- No Answer

7. Illegal immigrants should be given a pathway to citizenship.
- X

8. Support merit-based visas over family-based visas.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

International Aid, International Policy, and International Trade

International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international aid.International PolicyIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international policy.International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

1. Support the United States granting aid to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
- X

2. Support the United States granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
- X

3. Eliminate United States aid for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
- No Answer

4. Aid granted by the United States should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

6. Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
- Yes

7. Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
- Yes

8. Should the United States impose greater international sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates?
- Yes

9. Should the United States support the Lebanese government against insurgent forces?
- Yes

10. Should the United States maintain its troop levels in Iraq?
- No

11. Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
- No Answer

12. Should the United States apply greater economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea if it fails to abide by its agreement to suspend its nuclear program?
- Yes

13. Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan?
- Yes

14. Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan?
- Yes

15. Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes?
- Yes

16. Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan?
- No

17. Should the United States decrease military support for Pakistan?
- No

18. Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan?
- Yes

19. Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Yes

20. Should the United States provide economic and military support to the Transitional Government of Somalia?
- Yes

21. Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses?
- Yes

22. Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo?
- Yes

23. Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China?
- No Answer

24. Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela?
- No Answer

25. Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements?
- Yes

26. Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade?
- Yes

27. I support the United States formally recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
- I believe that the President should agree to Iraq's request to schedule the withdrawal of the U.S. troops. Now that Iraq is earning billions of dollars in oil revenues, they should pay for infrastructure projects such as water and sewer systems, schools, and roads, rather than pass these costs on to the U.S. taxpayers.

National Security

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.

1. Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
- Yes

2. Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications, to prevent future terrorist attacks?
- Yes

3. Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
- Yes

4. Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
- Yes

5. Do you support pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to United States national security?
- Yes

6. Do you support the creation of a federal identification card system?
- Yes

7. Do you support long-term use of National Guard troops to supplement the armed forces in assignments overseas?
- No

8. Should the United States expand its missile defense shield?
- No Answer

Social

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

1. Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
- No Answer

2. Do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman?
- No

3. Do you support federal funding for research on existing embryonic stem cell lines?
- Yes

4. Do you support federal funding to create lines of stem cells from new embryos?
- No Answer

5. Should the federal government consider race and gender in government contracting decisions?
- No Answer

6. Should the federal government continue affirmative action programs?
- No Answer

7. Should the federal government regulate internet gambling?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social Security

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.

1. Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts that they manage themselves.
- No Answer

2. Ensure the viability of Social Security by increasing the payroll tax.
- No Answer

3. Decrease benefits paid to retirees.
- No Answer

4. Support proportional increases of Social Security benefits based on the cost of living index.
- No Answer

5. Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits.
- No Answer

Welfare and Poverty

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.

1. Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
- X

2. Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
- X

3. Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
- X

4. Abolish all federal welfare programs.
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

Please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- No Answer

2019

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Unknown Position

2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- Unknown Position

Campaign Finance

1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Unknown Position

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Yes

Energy & Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

Guns

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

Health Care

1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No

2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No

Marijuana

Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Yes

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- No

2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- No

Congress Bills
Endorsements
The Fresno Bee
Speeches