Robert Garcia, CA-42 candidate, 2026 primary election questionnaire – Orange County Register

Ahead of the June primary 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. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.

Name: Robert Garcia

Current job title: U.S. Representative

Age: 46

Political party affiliation: Democratic

Incumbent: Yes

Other political positions held: Mayor of Long Beach

City where you reside: Long Beach

Campaign website or social media: robertgarcia.com

From voter ID to war powers and from immigration to tariffs, Congress has tackled many issues over the past year. What do you, though, see as the top three issues impacting Californians, and what specifically could you do as a lawmaker to address these issues? (Please answer in 250 words or less, and keep your response to future proposals.)

Affordability: Prices are too high for working-class families. We need to support programs that both uplift people’s wages and lower costs. We need to ease regulations, make sure housing is affordable, support 21st-century job training programs to get people into good-paying jobs, build more clean energy to cut costs, cut tariffs that make goods more expensive, and fight back against large corporations taking advantage of the American people.

Climate change: Our district has one of the most beautiful coastlines in the entire country, and we must protect it. That’s why I am fighting to stop any new offshore oil development off of California’s coast. We also need to make sure we have clean air and water, and stop the Trump administration’s rollback of environmental regulations to give corporations a handout to pollute our public lands.

Eliminating corruption: In my time as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, we have shown that we are ready to hold accountable anyone who is harming the American people. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Democrat or a Republican; we must root out corruption wherever it exists.

Speaking of voter ID, the president has implored Congress to approve legislation that would require people to show proof of citizenship in order to vote. What role do you believe the federal government plays in telling states how to conduct their own elections, as dictated by the U.S. Constitution? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

The federal government’s role is to protect our democratic process and ensure that we can all exercise our right to vote without obstruction, not pick and choose who gets to cast a ballot. The Constitution is clear that the fundamental right to vote cannot be restricted by undue burdens. To register to vote, a person must already be a U.S. citizen and provide a Social Security number.

Election security is important, and our elections are some of the safest and most secure in the world. The proposal before Congress right now would not make our elections safer, but could make it harder for a woman whose married name does not match her birth certificate to vote. States have always conducted their own election procedures, and it should be kept that way.

What, in your opinion, should the federal government focus on when it comes to immigration policy? For example, do you place a priority on border security, visas for high-skilled workers, refuge for asylum seekers, etc., and why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

I am an immigrant to this country, and I strongly believe in a secure border and enforcing our immigration laws. I also strongly believe that our government should provide a clear pathway to citizenship to the people who have come to this country and have been good members of society. I profoundly believe in the promise of America: that anyone who comes here, works hard, and follows the rules should have the same opportunities I did. What’s clear is that the Trump administration’s immigration policy is inhumane and must be changed. ICE is out of control, arresting, beating, and in some cases killing U.S. citizens and immigrants alike. This has to stop. In my role as ranking member on the Oversight Committee, I have worked hard to expose these abuses and will continue to fight for accountability and justice for those who have been harmed.

It’s been over a year since Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the federal government for supplemental disaster aid to help Southern California communities rebuild after the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires, but neither President Donald Trump nor Congress has acted. What would you do to push for the funding, besides writing letters to the Trump administration or the leaders of Congress? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Disaster relief should be bipartisan across the board, and it has been up until this administration. Democratic presidents have provided aid to Republican states and vice versa. The fact that disaster relief has become a political issue is a sign of how far this administration has fallen from upholding American values.

We have been investigating both the administration’s efforts to obstruct and politicize aid, and their mismanagement of FEMA.

Do you support a ban or restriction on congressional lawmakers and their families from buying or selling individual stocks? Why or why not? And what would you propose to ensure lawmakers aren’t using their positions to engage in insider trading? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Absolutely. The first bill I cosponsored when I got to Congress was a stock trading ban for Members of Congress. I still strongly support and cosponsor these proposals today. Members are elected to serve their communities, not to make money trading on insider information. Trust in our government is at an all-time low, and this is one important way we can begin to rebuild it.

Do you support stronger regulations on pollution and carbon emissions? If so, how would you ensure those regulations aren’t overly burdensome on small businesses or lower-income families? And if not, how do you propose lawmakers protect the environment and curtail the impacts of climate change? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Climate change is an existential threat to the safety and well-being of the entire global community. When I was mayor of Long Beach, I led initiatives to make the city greener and more sustainable. In Congress, I have led multiple bipartisan efforts aimed at reducing emissions from ships off our coasts, leaded aviation fuels, and ending offshore drilling. My district is home to some of the areas most heavily impacted by carbon emissions and pollution in the country, and also some of the best coastlines in the world. I understand the importance of protecting the environment, and therefore public health, on a very tangible level.

I believe every person in the United States should have the right to a safe, clean, and sustainable environment. I know that coastal communities especially need Congress to defend our oceans, beaches, and wetlands to protect these rights for every American. More clean energy can lower our energy bills and create jobs. We do not need to choose between a healthy environment and a strong economy. As long as we work alongside our business community, we can create common sense environmental policy that will not overburden businesses.

President Donald Trump has significantly increased spending for the U.S. Department of Defense. Would you, as a member of Congress, approve additional dollars for the military if the president were to ask for more funding? How would you ensure that any military spending does not end up putting the American people or national security in harm’s way? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

The United States has the strongest military in the world, and we should. However, we do not need endless spending going toward the Department of Defense. The Pentagon is the only Department which has never passed an audit. We are spending hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer money that we cannot account for, that we have no way to track, and that could be spent on many basic services that would benefit everyday Americans much more. I strongly believe that the United States should not be spending more money on foreign wars, and we should not be invading or bombing other countries — we should be focusing on addressing the key issues our communities are facing.

Under what specific circumstances do you believe the U.S. should engage in a war? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

The Constitution is absolutely clear that Congress has the power to declare war, not the President. The U.S. should only engage in a war if the President comes before Congress and makes a compelling enough case to earn our support. If we are directly attacked by a foreign adversary, we should respond.

However, Congress should not sit by while the administration jumps into costly overseas conflicts with no plan and no accountability to the people. We spent thousands of lives and billions of dollars on forever wars, which made us less safe. I do not support any action that would put U.S. troops in combat without a very good reason and a clear plan of action.

Do you believe a president should seek congressional approval before engaging in military action overseas? Why, or why not? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

I am a firm believer in the Constitution, and the Constitution mandates that only Congress has the power to declare war. We should not be allowing President Trump and his administration to engage in military action without making his case clear to the American people. If he wants to seek authorization to use military force on a foreign nation, he needs to come before Congress and explain why. Because he has failed to do so, we are now seeing an escalating conflict in Iran and the Middle East that is affecting more and more people and costing U.S. taxpayers more and more money. It is not sustainable.

Congress, in theory, is supposed to serve as a check on the president through budgetary, legislative and oversight powers. Do you believe Congress has fulfilled that obligation during the past two administrations, with one being a Democrat and the other a Republican? Why or why not? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Congress has served as a strong check on presidential power in both of the previous administrations. The issue now is that President Trump’s new administration has learned from its previous experience and is hammering away at every check and balance that we have in this country. They have chipped away at judicial independence, expanded the powers of the Executive Branch, and replaced key positions across the federal government with loyalists to the President rather than the Constitution. The American people want us to stand up for them and fight back.

I believe that Congress’s powers of oversight are especially important now, which is why I am proud to help lead the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Many key administration members have previously undisclosed affiliations with Jeffrey Epstein and his high-profile criminal network. Multiple people, like former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Cory Lewandowski, are being investigated in connection with allegations of corruption and misconduct. Federal agents are terrorizing communities across our country. I strongly believe that Congress should use its oversight power to hold anyone harming the American people accountable, whether they are a Democrat or a Republican.

Governments around the world are increasingly considering an age ban or other restrictions on social media use among young people, citing mental health and other concerns. Should Congress adopt such restrictions? If so, what specific restrictions do you propose? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Protecting our children and their mental health is critically important. We must also respect the autonomy of families to make their own decisions about what their children consume and how they use technology. I believe safeguards should be put in place to ensure that children are not being targeted online or intentionally fed materials that are dangerous to their mental and physical health, but outright bans are rarely an effective tool to stop children from doing something.

Congress needs to meaningfully engage on this issue to help keep children safe online. Any legislation should be focused on real impact rather than political points.

Statistically, violent crime rates in California are on the decline, yet residents still don’t feel safe or at ease in their communities. How do you see your role in Congress in addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

Statistics don’t make people feel safe. I have talked to my constituents on the streets, on the phone, and in town halls, and what makes people feel safe is seeing their parks and roads maintained, their trash picked up and streets cleaned, their mail delivered on time — basic, everyday services that are well-funded and running smoothly. Congress has broad power to improve the lives of everyday people through programs that benefit Americans, and I believe we should use it.

I want us to stop spending money on costly and illegal foreign wars, tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, and masked federal agents on our streets, and instead use those funds to better our communities. I have brought millions of dollars to my district that go towards creating better and safer streets, building safe places for children to play, and making housing more affordable. I strongly believe our number one priority needs to be making groceries, healthcare, and housing affordable.

There are term limits to serve in the California Legislature, but none to serve in Congress. Would you advocate for term limits for House members? Why or why not? If you support term limits, how many years maximum should a House member be allowed to serve? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

I believe that new, younger members of Congress contribute to a meaningful change in how the institution functions and the legislation we are able to pass. I encourage more young people to run for office and seek positions of leadership. That is why I ran for the lead position on the Oversight Committee despite only being in Congress for a little over two years (at the time). My colleagues in the Democratic Caucus agreed and elected me to the position by a large margin.

I think we, in Congress, need to have serious conversations on what term limits might look like, and understand that the American people want change.

What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)

After putting myself through college working as a waiter, I can memorize an entire party’s order without writing it down, and balance several plates and trays at a time without fumbling. It’s hard to do!