America’s infrastructure is all about you: It’s the roads you drive on, the bridges you cross, the water and sewer systems that serve your home, the schools your kids learn in, the energy grid that powers your community, and more. All of those are in desperate need of repair or replacement. America simply hasn’t kept up with the times in maintaining the bones and muscles that keep us moving. The good news is, the solution is all about you, too: Building new roads and advancing our renewable energy production would mean a ton of new, good-paying jobs for working Americans – a leg up for our economy, and a boost into the middle class for many.

Unfortunately, President Trump’s infrastructure plan is much like his hotels and casinos – it looks shiny and exciting on the outside, but inside, it cuts corners and takes advantage of working Americans. It puts most of the burden on already-strained state or local budgets while privatizing too many public resources, selling our nation’s backbone to the highest bidder. Instead, I support a plan that includes a federal investment five times bigger than Trump’s to fix our roads, bridges, transit, airports, ports, waterways, rail, and schools. It brings high-speed Internet to every corner of the nation, creates more than 16 million new good-paying jobs, safeguards clean air and water, prepares us for the impacts of climate change, puts our kids in the quality schools they deserve, and turbo-charges our economy.

I do all I can to support extending BART to Livermore – I had a hand in creating the Tri-Valley San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority that’s exploring how best to connect BART to ACE, which would help reduce the terrible auto traffic now clogging the Interstate 580 corridor. That means more time that commuters can spend with their families or at work rather than stuck on the road; a smoother flow of cargo through this crucial pipeline to and from the Bay Area’s ports; reduced air pollution; and some relief for the region’s affordable housing crisis. It also would benefit BART, both by creating the opportunity to develop a maintenance yard on the eastern end of the blue line, where most of the trains begin the morning commute, and by taking advantage of the system’s reverse commute capacity by bringing commuters to Livermore-area jobs near the new station.

Instead of undermining the Affordable Care Act with administrative and regulatory tricks, we should be seeking ways to shore it up and make it even stronger and fairer – it’s been a boon to millions of formerly un-insured American families. But I believe we should be designing a single-payer, universal Medicare for All system. It’s time for us to catch up with the rest of the world and ensure that no American dies or goes bankrupt for lack of health care.

Our nation desperately needs comprehensive immigration reform that includes border security, a path to citizenship for those already here, and a fair and smart system going forward for dealing with both legal and undocumented immigration. But while we work on that, we must act immediately to protect Dreamers, who were brought here through no choice of their own and have never saluted any flag but America’s. They’re our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers, and they deserve to be protected.

In my first term, I co-founded the United Solutions Caucus, bringing together members from both sides of the aisle to discuss issues and find common ground where we can work together. Most bills in which I’m involved are bipartisan, and I’ve been the lead House Democrat on two Republican-authored bills that President Trump has signed into law: the Rapid DNA Act of 2017, to help local law enforcement use new technology to speed up justice, and the Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act of 2017, to combat identity theft.

I will continue to seek out opportunities to work with my colleagues to solve problems.

We can take advantage of the unique opportunity to partner with the federal government and capitalize on the nation-wide infrastructure rebuilding plan being enacted by the new administration in Washington. Part of that plan includes an investment of $200 billion in federal funding (leading to approx. $1.5 trillion in total investment at the state, local, and private level). And even better, much of the decision-making around these investments will be returned to state and local governments. Along with this, the infrastructure plan will also eliminate the usual regulatory barriers which have previously prevented most infrastructure projects from being completed efficiently (i.e. on time and under budget—a rare thing in California these days).

Taking all the above in consideration, we need representatives in Washington who will work to accomplish what we—the residents of the 15^th district—feel is most important for us. As your elected representative, I will work to secure funding to accomplish the following improvements:

• Relieving congestion in the 15th District: Highways 680, 880, and 238.
• Creation of a BART extension to Livermore and the Central Valley.
• Expanding our vital water supplies. (Lest we forget, water = food and jobs.)
• Improving our highway interchanges.
• Improving and upgrading our electrical grid.
• Working to cut the permitting process and repeal outdated regulations.

We need to take a fresh look at California regulations that benefit no one but bureaucrats and result in slow approvals for projects that would strengthen California's economy and way of life. It’s no secret our infrastructure is falling behind because of the failure to update and maintain systems that were built and implemented 50 years ago. Our economic success depends on the efficiency and quality of our transportation, water, and energy systems.

If elected, one of my top priorities will be to secure the necessary funding and regulatory reform necessary to bring California’s infrastructure up-to-date. After all, California now has the 6^th largest economy on the planet. Isn’t it time we took steps to ensure that it also has a robust and reliable infrastructure worthy of its economic prowess?

Healthcare reform should lower costs, raise care quality, and ensure basic health services for all Americans.  Reform must cover pre-existing conditions and low-income families. It should give states flexibility to solve local issues. It must stress the central role of the private sector. We should build on the current health care system and avoid restrictive single-payer systems. New coverage types, such as health care sharing (members share bills), should be promoted. Consumer choice must range from full coverage to catastrophic plans.  New plans such as concierge care (flat fees for doctor visits) increase access. Medical device taxes must be eliminated. Firms can then shift tax savings into research that may lower treatment cost. Malpractice laws should be changed to reduce costs. Prescription drug costs must be addressed. Companies sell new drugs overseas at a fraction of the price Americans pay.  We must make fair pricing of drugs a top trade priority to lower U.S. prices.

Firt Priority: Protecting our nation's borders—land, air, and sea—from the illegal entry of people, weapons, drugs, and contraband is vital to our homeland security and economic prosperity. Second: Empower Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to first deport those with serious criminal records. Third: Bi-partisanship plan for dealing with DACA and illegal immigrants already here in the U.S.

Until we stop the pattern of neglect and the denial of basic humanity toward our neighbors, our great country will remain divided.  Elected officials and Leaders need to set an example in civility.