Positions

California Congressional Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- I will always stand for women's health issues, including access to contraception and the right to make one's own reproductive choices.

Budget

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

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

3. Other or expanded principles
- We must always protect America, defend our interests and values, support human rights, and be resolute against terrorism. However, I strongly believe that war must be a last resort, not the first resort, and that we must exhaust diplomatic solutions before resorting to military engagement. I will oppose unnecessary military intervention overseas and believe we should prioritize the use of force where our own national security is at stake.

Campaign Finance

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- I will fight for fundamental campaign finance reform to reduce the corrupting influence of money in politics. We must explore all reform alternatives, including a Constitutional amendment, to curtail and reverse the damage done by the 2010 Citizens United and 2014 McCutcheon Supreme Court decisions. I also strongly support efforts that would allow states to enact their own public financing laws.

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. Other or expanded principles
- I do not support Trump's tax cuts for big corporations as a means to promote growth.

Education

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- I will fight the Trump Administration?s desire to privatize public education. Instead, I will advocate for our local public schools to get the resources they need to hire and keep excellent teachers, reduce class sizes, and invest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs. We need to focus on training and retraining teachers, especially in STEM, special education, and bilingual instruction.

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

3. Other or expanded principles
- I believe strongly in the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is driven by human activity. I will be an outspoken opponent of any and all efforts by the Trump Administration to undermine our global leadership on climate and sustainable energy policy issues. I already have been greatly disturbed by Trump?s efforts to undermine environmental protections to aid the fossil fuel industry.

Guns

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- As former Congressmember Gabrielle Giffords said, "In the absence of a Congress ready to act to reduce gun violence, we will keep working to create a different Congress." I support banning assault weapons, high-capacity ammunition magazines, and expanding Brady background checks to all gun sales, including those made over the Internet and at gun shows. We must also fund research into gun violence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health Care

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- If elected to Congress, I would strongly advocate for Medicare for All and join those supporting H.R. 676. According to Physicians for a National Health Program, 95 percent of all households would save money under such a program. Patients would no longer face financial barriers to care such as co-pays and deductibles, and would regain free choice of doctor and hospital, and doctors would regain autonomy over patient care. In the near term, I believe we must work to repair and strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I believe that President Trump?s wanton neglect of the ACA is unconscionable.

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

3. Other or expanded principles
- I will be a strong advocate for comprehensive immigration reform and a path to citizenship for law-abiding undocumented immigrants. I believe we must reduce our immigration backlog and allow our country to attract the world?s brightest and highest-skilled workers to help us better compete in a global market.

Marijuana

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- I support the will of California voters who voted to approve the legalization of marijuana.

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

3. Other or expanded principles
- We must always protect America, defend our interests and values, support human rights, and be resolute against terrorism. However, I strongly believe that war must be a last resort, not the first resort, and that we must exhaust diplomatic solutions before resorting to military engagement. I will oppose unnecessary military intervention overseas and believe we should prioritize the use of force where our own national security is at stake. I will support efforts to fight international and domestic terrorism without sacrificing our privacy rights or human rights.

Administrative 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.
- 1) Accelerating Sustainable Energy and Environmental Protection2) Providing Affordable Healthcare Coverage for All3) Achieving World-Class Education