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Republican Congressman Mike Garcia and former Assemblywoman Christy Smith, a Democrat, are vying to symbolize a northern Los Angeles County district that features Lancaster, Palmdale, Santa Clarita and a sliver of town of Los Angeles.
The race is one in every of 10 key California contests within the Nov. 8 midterm election that would decide the stability of energy within the Home of Representatives. The previously Republican district has turn into bluer, as L.A. residents have moved in looking for reasonably priced housing.
Smith’s solutions are drawn from a questionnaire despatched to candidates in aggressive California congressional races; the responses have been edited for readability and size. Garcia didn’t reply, so details about his views have been collected from his congressional file, public feedback, marketing campaign web site, social media and information protection of the race.
UPDATED Oct. 19, 2022 | 4:35 PM
Why ought to voters select you?
Smith Smith mentioned she and Garcia maintain “enormously contrasting visions” and criticized his congressional file, together with votes towards certifying two states’ electoral ends in the 2020 presidential election and opposing the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, in addition to his file on abortion coverage.
Smith famous that in 2020 she “got here inside 333 votes of unseating Garcia in one of many closest congressional contests within the nation.”
Garcia Garcia’s marketing campaign web site says he’s “standing as much as the profession politicians in Washington and combating for the problems Californians care about: placing a cease to inflation, getting our financial system again on monitor, and guaranteeing the safety of our nation and our neighborhoods.”
What about your experiences make you most certified?
Smith Smith highlighted her work as a coverage analyst on the U.S. Division of Training, in native and statewide schooling associations, because the chair of the profitable bond marketing campaign for the Newhall College District and within the state Meeting.
She emphasised laws she authored that grew to become legislation, together with measures to enhance constitution faculty accountability, faculty affordability, protections for householders and to make it simpler for trafficking victims crimes to get restitution.
“I used to be capable of shepherd historic investments in emergency administration and likewise secured $700,000 for the Free Clinic of Simi Valley, $450,000 for the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Middle and $397,000 for Faculty of the Canyons,” she mentioned, including that she serves on the Delta Stewardship Council.
Garcia Garcia’s marketing campaign web site factors to his legislative file, which incorporates introducing a invoice to roll again the SALT and native tax deduction cap, which he says “unfairly punishes Californians for his or her zip code” and one which proposed the creation of a Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration program to make it simpler to detect wildfires. The payments have been referred to Home committees.
What could be your high legislative priorities?
Smith Smith mentioned her priorities included “rising the center class by combating for good, family-sustaining jobs, entry to well being care and advantages, paid household depart, and the proper to affix a union; defending democracy by fortifying voting rights and guaranteeing everybody’s entry to the poll field; and codifying reproductive rights.” Combating local weather change, investing in “renewable power and water sustainability infrastructure; bettering the American public faculty system and increasing financial alternatives”; passing gun security laws; and strengthening voting rights are additionally on her listing.
She mentioned one of many first payments she would introduce would make the Baby Tax Credit score everlasting and added she would work to go measures for reasonably priced housing, household depart and reducing healthcare and prescription drug prices. “I might additionally sponsor a invoice to make sure that each American public faculty receives funding to cowl the price of a full-time social employee or counselor to assist alleviate vital little one and household psychological well being wants.”
Garcia Garcia’s marketing campaign web site lists strengthening the financial system, reducing taxes for Californians, lowering crime, securing the border, reducing the nationwide debt and combating towards “Democrats’ harmful socialist agenda” as amongst his high priorities.
UPDATED Oct. 20, 2022 | 6:32 AM
On abortion
Smith “Supporting reproductive rights has been one of many centerpieces of my political profession. As a girl who’s a high-risk, near-death first being pregnant survivor, and had an advanced choice to hold a second being pregnant to time period, I’ve been a stalwart advocate for larger entry to companies in my neighborhood and can proceed to defend a girl’s proper to unfettered entry to protected, authorized abortion companies, together with now codifying abortion rights into legislation.”
Garcia Garcia is a co-sponsor of the Life at Conception Act, which as written would ban abortion nationally with no exceptions. The invoice launched within the Home says that “the proper to life assured by the Structure is vested in every human being in any respect phases of life, together with the second of fertilization.”
Earlier than the Supreme Court docket’s choice in June reversing Roe vs. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling guaranteeing a nationwide proper to abortion, Garcia signed onto an amicus transient asking justices to overturn Roe.
The day the choice was introduced, Garcia put out an announcement saying abortion was now a difficulty for the states.
“If you’re involved over your abortion rights, name your state assemblyman or senator because the legislation now falls beneath the steerage of Sacramento,” he wrote.
After the first election, his marketing campaign indicated in an announcement to The Occasions that he supported exceptions to abortion bans in circumstances of rape, incest or threats to the mom’s well being — a departure from the Life at Conception invoice.
On the Jan. 6 rebel and falsehoods in regards to the 2020 presidential election
Smith Smith criticized Garcia’s vote to dam the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election, calling it “a flagrant assault towards the rule of legislation, the peaceable transition of energy and in the end American democracy.” She mentioned votes towards certification have been extra disturbing after the “revealing” hearings by the Home Jan. 6 choose committee investigating the rebel.
Garcia Garcia was one in every of seven California members of Congress who voted to overturn 2020 presidential election outcomes. Garcia voted towards certifying Pennsylvania and Arizona’s electoral votes hours after the Jan.6 Capitol riot and he opposed the impeachment of President Trump over his position within the rebel, in addition to the formation of a Home committee to research the Capitol assault.
On Supreme Court docket circumstances involving LGBTQ rights and gun restrictions
Smith “I’ve lengthy been a champion for LGBTQ+ equality and good, common sense gun security measures and am horrified by the Supreme Court docket’s rollback of hid carry insurance policies and incoming assault on LGBTQ+ rights and can combat again towards them in Congress.”
Smith mentioned she would work in Congress to strengthen “hate crime legal guidelines, elevate federal restrictions on LGBTQ+ people giving blood, totally fund gender-affirming care and companies, finish conversion remedy, guarantee PrEP protection in all private and non-private insurance coverage and go the Equality Act to lastly prolong federal nondiscrimination protections to LGBTQ+ folks.”
Garcia Garcia was one of many 47 Republicans this 12 months who voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which goals to codify similar intercourse marriage rights within the U.S.
“It’s the legislation of the land — it’s settled,” Garcia instructed Fox40 Information throughout an interview in July, noting that the Supreme Court docket dominated on the problem years earlier. “As a legislator… on the federal degree my position and accountability no matter how I really feel about it’s to make sure that these constitutional rights are equally utilized to everybody that it covers.”
Garcia has voted towards new gun restrictions however pushed for faculties have armed cops on campuses.
What’s the federal authorities’s position in attempting to cease mass shootings?
Smith “The federal authorities can and should have a big position in combatting mass shootings. There are all kinds of actions the federal authorities can take to save lots of lives, and I look ahead to constructing a broader coalition of Individuals from any assist these common sense measures, together with enacting Purple Flag legal guidelines, common background checks, banning assault weapons and elevating the gun buying age to 21.”
Garcia Garcia has opposed new restrictions on weapons. In Might, Garcia voted towards the Defending Our Children Act, which seeks to develop the forms of weapons and gadgets which are regulated. The laws handed the Home.
In June, Garcia launched the Strengthening College Safety for College students Act, which seeks to ban faculties from receiving federal funds except they rent two full-time faculty useful resource officers who’re educated and licensed to hold a firearm.
In June, he voted towards the Federal Excessive Threat Safety Order Act, a “pink flag” invoice that handed the Home and seeks to briefly prohibit individuals who have been deemed a hazard to themselves or others from having or shopping for weapons.
In July, he voted towards the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, which handed the Home and goals to make it against the law to import, promote or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon or giant capability ammunition journal.
What’s your opinion about efforts to overtake police funding?
Smith “I imagine that we have to fund police departments to allow them to do the essential work of conserving our communities protected whereas holding unhealthy officers accountable for violating Constitutional rights, and guaranteeing public security with widespread sense reforms that fund, housing, drug rehabilitation and psychological well being companies.”
Garcia Garcia, whose stepfather is a former LAPD officer, has been a vocal critic of overhauling funding for legislation enforcement. His marketing campaign web site says he “has proudly stood with our officers as they’ve confronted cuts in funding, a rise in violence towards police, a wave of progressive backlash, and vaccine mandates that threaten to crush their departments.”
On the Inexpensive Care Act and prescription drug prices
Smith Smith mentioned the Inexpensive Care Act was a step ahead to realizing healthcare as “a primary human proper.”
“Nonetheless, a lot work stays to be accomplished to make sure that all Individuals have entry to complete healthcare via employer-based protection, ACA plans, Medicare, and Medicaid. If elected, I’ll assist laws to develop healthcare protection for all, cut back prescription drug costs and decrease healthcare prices. We have to tackle prescription drug prices by additional opening market competitors whereas guaranteeing affected person security.”
Garcia Throughout his marketing campaign in 2020, Garcia supported repeal of the Inexpensive Care Act. Final 12 months, Garcia co-sponsored the Pre-Present Situations Safety Act of 2021, which aimed to make sure that folks with pre-existing well being situations wouldn’t be denied protection if the Inexpensive Care Act was repealed.
On immigration and the border
Smith Smith helps employee protections and a roadmap to citizenship for immigrants within the U.S., in addition to securing the border.
“Immigration is a humanitarian challenge, and distinct from border safety, which rightly appears to be like to forestall human and drug trafficking,” she mentioned.
“As an alternative of tearing immigrant youngsters from their mother and father, inciting division, and spreading worry, we should deal with immigrants humanely, recognizing that they’re an important a part of our nation’s material and financial engine. As an alternative of partitions and deportations, our therapy of immigrants have to be in line with our core nationwide values and our elementary humanity.”
Garcia Throughout a dialogue on the Home flooring final 12 months Garcia mentioned the American Dream and Promise Act, which goals to supply a path to citizenship for folks illegally delivered to the U.S. as youngsters, “shouldn’t be thought of earlier than addressing our damaged immigration system that led to this very downside.”
“Offering amnesty to Dreamers whereas ignoring the disaster on the border is like cleansing up spilled water earlier than fixing the damaged pipe,” he mentioned.
What’s the federal authorities’s position in coping with the homeless disaster?
Smith “Whereas lots of the options to our area’s homelessness disaster in the end have to be addressed domestically, the federal authorities can play a big position. In Congress, I’ll assist incentives to construct extra reasonably priced housing, equivalent to tax credit and investments in American housing inventory, and offering extra funding for psychological well being companies.”
Garcia Garcia wrote on Twitter that “in relation to the homeless challenges our district faces, some of the efficient means to assist folks is thru charity.” He posted the remark after a tour of a nonprofit in Lancaster that provides companies together with showers and meals to the unhoused. “A lot of success tales…no federal authorities involvement. Simply good Individuals serving to with a hand up, not a hand out!”
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