I introduced the sustainable Water Supplies Act (H.R. 4862) that would expand an existing pilot program allowing the Bureau of Reclamation to lease excess storage capacity in Los Vaqueros and other non­federal reservoirs in order to provide more operational flexibility for the Central Valley Project. I am also a proud cosponsor of the Drought Recovery and Resilience Act of 2015 (H.R. 2983), the Water Recycling Acceleration Act of 2015 (H.R. 2993), and the California Water Recycling and Drought Relief Act (H.R. 3045). Each of these important bills would facilitate Bay Area efforts to address water shortages caused by drought.

 There is broad bipartisan consensus that our nation’s immigration system is broken. I strongly supported President Obama’s executive actions to begin to address our broken system, including deferred action programs that have helped millions of unauthorized immigrants come out of the shadows and work legally in the US. I strongly support comprehensive immigration reform that keeps families together, creates a roadmap to citizenship, and prevents unscrupulous employers from taking advantage of our broken immigration system. Any immigration proposal must protect U.S. workers and reduce immigrant worker exploitation to gain my full support. Regardless of status, all workers have a right to robust workplace protections and employer oversight.

As your member of Congress, the safety and security of the United States is my top priority. I support President Obama’s efforts around the world to engage diplomatically, not only with our traditional allies, but with nations that historically have opposed the U.S. We must provide leadership through the identification of workable, long­term solutions to our most pressing national security challenges. This means we can’t rely only on traditional mechanisms to protect our homeland

 It is sometimes disheartening to observe actions in Congress that are clearly aimed at gaining partisan advantage rather than addressing the challenges our nation faces. I have a long history of working with partners of all backgrounds and perspectives to improve the lives of Californians in the Bay Area. I bring that roll­ up­ the­ sleeves mentality to Washington D.C. where I have partnered with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to discuss ideas and differences, and work to craft legislative solutions.

The first part of the question is the most vexing. The Federal government’s overreach through a variety of laws is most likely the principle barrier to the efficient, economical and environmentally responsible courses of action to mitigate future droughts. Too many bureaucracies with narrow interests to include the Bureau of Land Management, The Army Corps of Engineers, The EPA, just to name the obvious. Clearly use of Colorado River water needs some Federal involvement in that the water impacts multiple states as well as the U.S. relationship with our neighbor Mexico.

That said much of California’s watershed lies within the borders of California and should be managed by Californians. Further, there is no shortage of water available to California. With hundreds of miles of Pacific coastline there is more than enough water available for desalination.

California’s water problems can be solved by:

·         Conservation

·         Drip farming as opposed to sprinkler and flood farming

·         Building and expanding reservoirs

·         Restoring overused aquafers

·         Recycling waste water

·         Desalination

Legislation that I would support is that which would untie California state government’s ability to manage its own water resources. Water management in California is primarily a state and local government’s issue, not a Federal issue.

The United States of America has been and still is today a magnet and a magical place for many impoverished, persecuted victims of social unrest, war or those who feel economically oppressed. In short, they come to the United States seeking freedom and opportunity. What the United States offers is a level of safety and security not found elsewhere. The United States is a safe haven for capital. It is a safe haven for refugees. Much of the United States is in fact owned by foreign nationals and foreign governments because the U.S. has a legal system that is clear and an enforcement mechanism that is robust. All underpinned by the most creative and dynamic economy the world has ever seen. The good news is that the U.S. economy is well regulated and very robust. The bad news is that our immigration laws are no longer well-regulated and enforcement is not robust. Respect for our borders and laws must be restored in order to bring credibility to those seeking to immigrate lawfully and for those that are here lawfully. To not enforce our immigration laws is to heap disrespect on those who followed the law and that is corrosive to the fabric of our society. Immigration laws must be fixed, enforced and done so with respect to those who have immigrated lawfully. All persons entering the U.S. must have a valid entry permit/visa.To obtain an entry permit or visa each individual must undergo an appropriate background check. Entry permits and visas are issued at U.S. consular offices and embassies. Permits and visas require photo ID, fingerprinting and related biometrics. Visa overstays, as in the past, will be repatriated by immigration authorities. Qualifications for green card immigrants must be revised to selectively admit those who can add value to our community. The availability and number of H1B Visas permitted must be reviewed to ensure only required skills are being sought and only at market competitive levels of compensation. 

Robert Gates, Leon Panetta and Chuck Hagel, all former Secretaries of Defense since 2008 have stated that our military has been substantially degraded over the past several years. Some recent facts:

Out of 276 F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters in the Marine Corps inventory, only about 30% are ready to fly, according to statistics provided by the Corps. Similarly, only 42 of 147 heavy-lift CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters are airworthy.

U.S. military spending has dropped from $691 billion in 2010 to $560 billion in 2015. The cuts came just as the planes were returning from 15 years of war, suffering from overuse and extreme wear and tear. Many highly trained mechanics in the aviation depots left for jobs in the private sector.

So the first priority is to get the military back to mission ready status. This involves recruitment, training, refurbishing existing equipment, bringing new systems on line and research and development. The United States is losing its technological advantage relative to those that are seeking to marginalize the interests of the U.S. and our international security partners.

Terrorism is not new to the U.S. and our allies. We do know how to defeat terrorism and have done so in the past. Support for the sixteen agencies that compose the United States Intelligence Community, is the key to monitoring and interdicting would be terrorists.

Seek common ground to advance the interests of all Americans. Work to compromise without sacrificing Constitutional principles. Do the right thing regardless of party.