U.S. House of RepresentativesCandidate for District 50

America's oldest tradition has been to welcome people from all walks of life to contribute fully and fairly to our nation's economy and way of life. As a nation that is built on the principles of equal opportunity, compassion, and strong family values, it would be counter to our country's character to divide any family that calls America home.

We are a nation of immigrants and laws, that is why I believe Congress must pass comprehensive immigration reform that creates a pathway to earned citizenship for Dreamers, encourages and eases legal immigration, and gives undocumented residents the protections they need to report dangerous criminals, domestic abusers, and other threats to our society without fear of deportation

San Diego already has a wall, and that has reduced apprehensions and crossing by 95%. Spending an additional $35 Billion of taxpayer money on something San Diego Residents already have is fiscally irresponsible. Not only is it irresponsible it takes away critical domestic funding from services such as education, healthcare, and public safety.

During my multiple inspections of the border, the border patrol has asked me for updated equipment and technology like sensors that cost less and prove more effective. Beyond the security benefits, modernizing our border would also expideite commerce with California's number one export market, Mexico, which purchased $5.5 billion in U.S. goods last year according to the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

First and foremost, we should lift the NRA's ban on the CDC to conduct gun violence research.

Beyond that, I believe that we should implement the same protocol the military has successfully implemented when it comes to firearm safety.

• Universal background checks
• Required training for gun owners
• Mental health screening and bans on gun ownership for domestic abusers and individuals on the terrorist watch list

Lastly, if the military has decided to ban the use of carrying private firearms on a military base, then it conversely stands to reason that we should ban military style weapons in civilian life. As Americans we have all agreed that banning civilian access to tanks and rocket launchers is not an assault on our Second Amendment rights. I believe that we can protect our rights while banning other weapons of war.

When I worked at the U.S. Department of Labor, I saw funding for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) increase exponentially as American workers were being displaced due to unfair trade. That is why I believe that we must improve NAFTA while preserving our critical commercial ties with our allies around the world and ensure that we have a more equitable relationship with our partners, which means addressing our current trade deficits with those nations.

I do not support a regressive tax, such as a gas tax, that passes the cost onto the consumer. The way I would fund infrastructure projects would be to simply end the most costly welfare program in America that has burdened taxpayers for decades: Corporate subsidies to the oil and gas industry. It's time that we de-burden the middle class by asking the wealthiest among us to also pay their fair share to the very country that made their success possible.

Congress must fix the ACA, but even with fixes, the only real solution is Medicare for all. Medicare for all can be funded by billionaires paying their fair share, and by ensuring that we allocate the resources to fulfill our commitment to the American taxpayer.

Here's how we can fix the ACA: 

• (1) Lower the cost of prescription drugs by having Medicare negotiate prices.
• (2) Provide a public option to compete with the private sector based on who provides lower costs and higher quality service.
• (3) As a short-term solution, allow individuals ages 50-64 years old to buy into medicare.
• (4) Descheduling cannabis and funding research to examine it as an alternative to often fatal prescription drugs such as opioids, depressants, and amphetamines. Medical cannabis has shown to help wounded warriors, cancer patients, and nonetheless help heal the human brain after years of opioid abuse.