The League of Women Voters held a candidate forum featuring Jim DeBello and Rep. Scott Peters, who are both running in the 52nd Congressional District.
The first question of the debate was, “What will be the biggest issues facing the next Congress?”
DeBello and Peters had very different responses.
Rep. Peters was first to answer, and he spent the majority of his two minutes discussing his perceived faults of the Trump administration. He opened by saying that “the administration failed” and said the focus should be on stock piling personal protective equipment and making sure we don’t run out of basic pharmaceuticals. He ended by saying that “we need a new president.”
DeBello, on the other hand, did not use his two minutes to bash President Trump, and instead discussed what we need to do to come back from this pandemic. “It’s clear to me that economic recovery is job number one as we enter the next Congress,” DeBello said. He stressed the need to reopen the economy safely and get people back to work. He also mentioned that jobs in the transportation and hospitality industries will not be making a quick comeback so we need to be “creative” and “innovative” when it comes to education. His proposed way to do that would be to provide choice and vocational training because “it’s all about job recovery.”
When asked what the first piece of legislation the candidates would introduce to Congress would be, DeBello again focused on education, saying “I believe in the possibility of choice and opportunity in America… We are a great American Dream still.”
“We need to focus on our schools, on education that will help in the 21st century.”
Peters had a different choice of priority legislation to bring to Congress. He focused on climate change, saying a bill he’s working on would “abate one of the biggest risks we face but would also create jobs.” He cited U.N. requirements as one of the driving factors behind the legislation and said a bipartisan approach is important.
There is some irony here, as Peters has notably failed to sponsor any significant legislation that has passed during his time in Congress. “Scott Peters, in his eight years [in Congress], hasn’t passed a single bill that he’s authored” other than the “naming of a federal courthouse.” This limited record gives voters little confidence that Rep. Peters will follow though with any legislation, as he has not done so yet.
When asked about the most important issue facing constituents, Peters said he believes it’s housing. “If we don’t get more housing here, we will continue to grow outward and cause more pollution.” Towards the end of his time he added that bringing investment to San Diego to create jobs is also important, specifically mentioning San Diego’s military contracts.
By contrast, DeBello said that “the skyrocketing homelessness” is the biggest issue faced by residents of the district.
“It’s a blight, it’s unfortunate. We need to give these folks a helping hand, not a handout.”
DeBello stressed the need to get the homeless off the street “the proper way” through rehabilitation and intervention. He noted that we have one of the highest populations of homeless and the second highest population of homeless veterans. “It’s inexcusable,” he lamented. Mental health and substance abuse issues affect 80% of homeless people, and DeBello says that we can help in those areas, but it’s going to take teamwork at federal, state, and local levels.
You watch the debate in its entirety below.
