U.S. House of RepresentativesCandidate for District 4

For too often, this important discussion has defaulted into an ideological fight over new taxes or arbitrary spending cuts. We need to start by working to make our government smarter and more efficient--with regular financial and performance audits of every federal agency to eliminate waste, integrate new technologies and increase efficiency so our tax dollars go further. Similarly, we need an annual cost/benefit analysis of the $1.5 trillion we spend every year through our tax code so we can eliminate loopholes and subsidies that do not benefit middle class families, or create real solutions for today’s problems.  We can apply the savings from these efforts as a down payment on comprehensive infrastructure modernization that is only growing more expensive each year.  I would also support creating a National Infrastructure Bank that to help state and local governments secure low-cost financing for the most important projects, like roads, rail, water storage and other projects. From there, I believe we should consider additional public and private financing methods and incentives, recognizing that they will be at least partially offset by the economic gains that these investments will bring to our economy, and our communities.

The Affordable Care Act isn’t perfect, and I want to work to make it better.  I would support adding a public option to the existing insurance exchanges to expand choice, grow access to coverage and improve affordability. This will protect people who may like their existing private plan, expand choices in communities with limited private options, and add the market competition we need to expand coverage and reduce premiums.  On rural healthcare specifically, I support legislation to enable more full-service hospitals to transition into outpatient clinics, will work to expand rural broadband so that more communities can access telemedicine, and support value-based metrics to increase reimbursement rates in communities with lower patient loads, as well as tax and loan forgiveness options to incentivize more medical professionals to work in underserved areas.  I support HR 3 which would reduce drug prices by allowing Medicare to use its market power to negotiate lower costs, cap out-of-pocket costs for families, and to allow for the importation of safe, lower cost alternatives from other countries.

First, I won’t use this issue to divide Americans and score partisan points.  Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle know the most cost-effective way to secure our border is by fixing a broken immigration system  that only invites more chaos.  This should include investing in more border agents, technology, immigration judges and physical barriers where they make sense, as well as accessible legal pathways for skilled workers, children, military families and legitimate asylum seekers.  And we must reform our visa system and labor laws to meet the needs of our economy without inviting more unlawful immigration or shortchanging American workers.  The bi-partisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act was an important step forward in this regard. 

I don’t think this is a question of issues so much as it as a question of leadership.  Too many career politicians put their party bosses and special interest donors ahead of the communities they were elected to serve.  As a businesswoman who pioneered new tools to help make businesses competitive and help workers access middle class jobs, I didn’t ask if something was a Republican or Democratic solution.  I focused on bringing people together and finding the right solution for our community.  From healthcare and taxes, to infrastructure and protecting our communities from wildfires, we need to set partisanship aside and put our community first.  And that’s exactly how I’ll serve in Congress.    

California’s growing homelessness problem is a function of many factors, including a lack of affordable housing (particularly in high demand communities), economic and environmental disruptions that have displaced large numbers of families, and insufficient leadership in coordinating the work across all levels of government, non-profits, churches and the private sector.  The federal government plays a key role in directly funding grant programs and other initiatives that must support evidence based models that have proven to break the cycle and lead people to self-sufficiency-- including mental healthcare treatment, drug and alcohol abuse prevention and treatment, rapid rehousing initiatives and  especially addressing the national shame of homeless veterans..  In the past, there was also a significant federal investment in the creation of new housing, and part of the growing population of homelessness can be traced back to ending that investment. On the housing supply side, the federal government can play a role by working with the state government to streamline red tape and regulation, and promoting construction of more affordable units by modernizing and expanding the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)..  This Reagan Administration initiative has helped privately finance millions of new units but was undermined by the 2017 tax reform bill.

Yes.  Too many middle class families in our district were shortchanged  by the 2017 tax reform bill’s cap on State and Local Tax Deductions (SALT deduction cap) and certain wildfire and property losses.  These provisions alone are costing many families in our district and across California thousands of dollars every year.  I will actively work to roll back these middle class tax hikes by restoring these critical deductions.  I will also work to expand tax credits and incentives that bring good paying jobs and innovation to our district.