Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below.
Current job title:Representative, California’s 49th Congressional District
Political party affiliation:Democrat
Other political positions held:None
City where you reside:San Juan Capistrano
Campaign website or social media:MikeLevin.org
What is the single most important issue this district faces, and what can Congress, realistically, do to address it? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
The most important issue in our district — and across the country — is the skyrocketing cost of living. Gas, utilities, healthcare, groceries, housing, and other bills are far too expensive. In South Orange County and North County San Diego, we pay more than people in most other regions.
Bringing down costs should be an effort
Bringing down costs should be an effort that elected officials of both parties can get behind. The people we represent are demanding it.
I’ve been particularly focused on addressing the cost of electricity, which has increased twice as fast as inflation over the last year. I’ve introduced legislation — the Energy Bills Relief Act — to reduce electricity costs with policies that prioritize those of us paying utility bills before energy companies and their profits. It would crack down on energy price gouging, provide aid to those struggling with bills, and stretch our infrastructure further by making it more efficient. Congress should be taking up these policies immediately.
I’ve also been fighting to restore the tax credits that helped millions of Americans keep their health insurance coverage and reduced costs across the healthcare system. When these tax credits ended, thousands of our neighbors lost coverage and all of us are paying more for our healthcare as a result.
Housing is increasingly unaffordable and remains top
Housing is increasingly unaffordable and remains top of mind for many Californians. What is one federal policy you’d push to make housing more affordable? How would you measure whether that policy was actually successful? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
Earlier this year, I was proud to help pass the bipartisan 21st Century Road to Housing Act, which will make it easier to build new housing and will crack down on large institutional investors buying up single-family homes. It also included a provision I fought for that would ensure that no veteran is denied housing assistance because of their disability benefits.
While this law was an important first step, there is much more we need to do to lower costs for families. I am a long-time supporter of the HELPER Act, which would create a home loan program for first responders and educators without down payments or monthly mortgage insurance premiums. I have also supported legislation to create a refundable tax credit for first-time homebuyers to help families achieve the American dream. These steps are not the whole answer – we need to go further to increase the housing supply and make it easier to build. But as costs continue to increase in California, these bills will give families tools to make a first home more attainable.
Concerns about the use of surveillance technology have
Concerns about the use of surveillance technology have intensified recently, often relating to license plate readers made by Flock Safety. How can Congress balance the use of these technologies in public safety cases while limiting infringement on an individual’s right to privacy? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
Many of our neighbors are justifiably concerned about the quick proliferation of Flock cameras and other automated license plate readers. The framers of the Constitution enshrined privacy protections that are our right and a unique part of our American identity. We as Americans do not expect our cars to be tracked every time we get behind the wheel.
At the same time, I’ve long fought to give our local law enforcement officials the tools and resparency. I’ve brought home federal funding for new police cruisers, vehicle dash cams, and more
I’ve reached out to every city in my
I’ve reached out to every city in my district to take an inventory of their Flock cameras, and I’m in the process of meeting with local law enforcement officials to discuss exactly how the cameras are used and the privacy protections that are in place.
My greatest concern is that law enforcement outside of our communities have access to the license plate data from within communities. While I understand the law enforcement value of information sharing, I also believe that widely shared license plate photos are much more ripe for privacy abuse.
What should immigration policy in the U.S. look like five years from now? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
In the short term, we need a change
In the short term, we need a change in immigration enforcement priorities. The administration must end its indiscriminate mass deportation campaign, which has swept up countless immigrants who are just trying to make a living and have not committed any crime. The administration’s immigration operations have also resulted in the killing of American citizens like Alex Pretti and Renee Good, along with others in communities across the country.
Congress must then reform our immigration system and put in place policies that treat immigrants with dignity and preserve the legal pathways to citizenship that have helped to make our country the strongest economy in the world. We must also invest in a secure border.
I’m proud to lead the effort in Congress to pass the Dignity Act, legislation I’m working on with colleagues from both parties who are serious about fixing what’s broken in our immigration system. Our bill strengthens border security, protects Dreamers, and creates a fair, legal path for people who are contributing to our country. It shows we can enforce the law and treat people with basic decency at the same time. We don’t have to choose between order and humanity. We can have both.
Would you like to see any changes
Would you like to see any changes to Medicare, Medicaid or prescription drug policies? What specifically would you change, cut or fund? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
I constantly hear from constituents across my district who have seen their premiums skyrocket this year. Too many are having to choose between health care, food, and their utility bills. In January, the enhanced tax credits for health insurance premiums expired, putting an estimated 3 million people in California at risk of losing coverage. I have consistently fought to extend these tax credits that helped keep health insurance affordable for millions, and in January I joined colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass legislation through the House to do just that. I am deeply disappointed that the Senate has failed to act, and my constituents are paying the price.
I have also supported legislation to allow firefighters, law enforcement officers, and other first responders to buy into Medicare starting at age 57. Our first responders put their lives in harm’s way, and many are forced to retire before they are eligible for Medicare. This legislation would give first responders peace of mind and ensure that no retired first responder is struggling to pay for health coverage.
Increasingly, we’re seeing communities push back on data
Increasingly, we’re seeing communities push back on data centers opening in or near their neighborhoods. Environmentalists complain about the amount of water and energy that data centers need to operate. Residents complain about relentless noise pollution. And others worry about losing agricultural land to these centers. On the other hand, the tech industry emphasizes the role of data centers in supporting cloud computing and artificial intelligence. As a policymaker, how would you balance the concerns of critics with desires to ensure that the U.S. remains a leader in innovation? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
I’m working to ensure that the electricity bills we pay for our homes are not subsidizing the AI profits of big tech companies.
For the first time in decades, our electricity rates are increasing because of skyrocketing electricity demand. Data center construction is driving much of that new demand. Without ratepayer protections in place, when an electricity utility builds new energy generation and transmission infrastructure to serve the data center, those costs are passed on to everyone who receives a bill from that utility. I believe that’s wrong.
I have legislation — the SHIELD Act —
I have legislation — the SHIELD Act — that seeks to put an end to this practice. It would direct states to consider requiring utilities to charge data centers and other facilities that use a lot of electricity to pay their own power bill. The electricity bill you pay for your home or small business should not be subsidizing the massive profits being raked in by tech companies.
There is growing debate about whether political candidates or committees should be allowed to run ads created with the use of artificial intelligence. Recently, we’ve seen videos or images depicting a candidate’s political opponent in disparaging ways – and which some critics say falsely misrepresent their political rival. In your opinion, should there be a strict ban on AI-generated political content? If AI-generated content is permitted, should there be restrictions on its use? What should the terms be, if any? Explain your position. (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
Artificial intelligence is expanding rapidly, and I strongly believe we should encourage innovation while setting strong guardrails to protect jobs, privacy, and national security. One of those guardrails must address the use of AI-generated “deepfakes” to spread misinformation related to our elections. We also know that foreign powers have used social media to influence the results of our elections, and our enemies now have access to unprecedented technology to blur the lines between fact and fiction.
I believe that misleading AI-generated political content should
I believe that misleading AI-generated political content should not be allowed. Agencies across the federal government must work together to create a clear definition of what qualifies as misleading AI-generated content and hold platforms accountable for transmitting this content.
How should the U.S. balance support for foreign allies with concerns about the country’s spending and the risk of entering “forever wars”? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
I support a foreign policy that maintains American global leadership while always keeping our own national interest in mind. When we set the rules of the road globally, Americans are more prosperous and secure. We should not cede the world stage to authoritarians in China and Russia who seek to do us harm.
That means we should support allies who align
That means we should support allies who align with this vision. I’ve staunchly supported Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s unprovoked invasion in part because Russian expansion poses a threat to our service members in Europe and has the potential to pull us into direct conflict if a NATO member is attacked. By providing military support to Ukraine, we advance our national interest while keeping American service members out of harm’s way.
At the same time, these decisions must always be made consistent with the Constitution, which gives Congress control over funding our military and authorizing its use. Donald Trump’s war with Iran was never authorized by Congress and has faced bipartisan opposition. Despite this opposition, Trump has continued to prosecute the war in violation of the Constitution. The American people have paid the price with higher costs at the gas pump.
The Trump administration is aggressively pushing to expand offshore oil drilling and production in California. Do you support this move? Why or why not? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
I strongly oppose the Trump administration’s efforts
I strongly oppose the Trump administration’s efforts to expand drilling off the Southern California coast. Our communities and residents — across the political spectrum — don’t want it because they know it’s economically and environmentally detrimental. It also hurts our military preparedness.
Our coastal economy in Southern California drives tens of billions of dollars in spending. In fact, in Oceanside alone, beaches add $2.8 billion to the economy. Our beaches are not only a big reason why so many of us move here, but they’re also how tens of thousands of our neighbors make a living. Devastating offshore oil spills imperil our marine wildlife and put our coastal economy at risk.
Contrast that risk with the lack of benefits offshore drilling would bring us. New drilling off our coasts would be a drop in the bucket of the global oil market, which would mean nearly no reduction in what you pay at the pump.
Since my first term in the House, I’ve
Since my first term in the House, I’ve championed legislation to permanently ban new drilling off of Southern California. We were very close to passing it into law in 2022, and since then, I’ve remained in the fight. I’m not giving up anytime soon.
The polarization of politics in this country has only grown. If you’re the incumbent of this office, what’s an example of you bucking that trend and cooperating with colleagues you may have political or ideological differences with? And if you’re running to step into this office for the first time, what’s an issue you will work on with those across the aisle to tackle? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
Congress works better when members across the aisle work together. I spent six years on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, where bipartisan work is the rule rather than the exception. Over the past eight years, 35 of my bipartisan bills have been signed into law, the vast majority of which help our service members and veterans access education, employment, and housing. Now that I’m on the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds military construction and the VA, I am continuing that same bipartisan work to bring funding back to our veterans and Camp Pendleton.
I have also found common ground with my
I have also found common ground with my Republican colleagues on even some of the most contentious issues of our time, including immigration and firearm safety. We’ve been able to come together on the fight to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks and on creating a permanent solution to the nuclear waste on our coast at San Onofre. I will continue to work with any House member who is ready to find practical solutions to the problems facing our communities.
Tell us about a time you’ve changed your mind on a political position. What was it, and what changed your mind? (Please answer in 200 words or less.)
Early in my first term, I voted for an amendment that would have changed the voting age to 16 years old. If that amendment came up for a vote again today, I’d oppose it.
I’m a big proponent of civic engagement,
I’m a big proponent of civic engagement, and that was the lens through which I initially viewed the vote. I felt that it was good to have young people engaged in the civic process early, with the hope that they will learn to enthusiastically participate in our democracy.
As my children have grown, my thinking has evolved. There are better ways to get minors engaged in civics than giving them the responsibility to vote when they may not be ready for it.
Bonus question: What is the best book you’ve read this year? Explain why you found it compelling.
I decided to re-read Robert Caro’s multi-volume biography of Lyndon Johnson. Some of the best books on American politics ever, which hold up to the present day. I am hopeful Caro will release the fifth and final volume sometime soon.
