Election 2026: League of Women Voters 3rd Congressional Dist. Candidates

0:00 My name is Sally Carpenter-Hale, and I'm a member of the League of Women Voters of Clark County, a nonpartisan group focused on voter education. On August 4th, voters in Southwest Washington will select nominees to represent the Third Congressional District. Because we have so many candidates for this position in the primary election, we conducted individual interviews rather than holding a traditional forum with all the candidates together. We interviewed eight of the nine candidates. Unfortunately, one of them, Austin Braswell, did not respond to our repeated efforts to contact him. Each candidate was asked the same questions by a League member and given 60 seconds to answer each one. My name is Sally Carpenter-Hale, and I'm a member of the League of Women Voters of Clark County.

0:54 On August 4th, voters in Southwest Washington will go to the polls to select nominees to represent the Third Congressional District. Joining me today is one of those congressional candidates, Marie Glusenkamp-Perez. Welcome to you. Glad to be here. As a reminder, you'll have 60 seconds to answer each of the following questions, and so let's get started. Great. What skills and abilities would you bring to Congress, and what issues would you prioritize? Well, I think one of the issues in Congress is that you have a lot of people who have just a real lack of understanding of implementation, of what it takes to actually run a small business, pay attention to the world around them.

1:41 They have lived in sort of a silo without understanding of what it's like to try to get a spot in daycare, to try to make payroll, to build a house, to earn a living. I'm a big believer in dirty hands, clean money, that the way that you make your living and show up for your community really matters. In Congress, I have been a real champion for finding the middle ground, having not just a war of ideas, but an actual focus on utility to your constituents and figuring out how you can make life better for ordinary people and rebuild a deliberative democracy again. Thank you. Specifically, how would you address immigration, and how would your approach affect communities, employers, and families in Southwest Washington?

2:38 Well, my dad immigrated here from Mexico, and I grew up in the immigrant community, and so I saw the way that this is a real challenge, people who don't get to see their kids, who don't get to go home for holidays, and how that has eroded, you know, our shared unity as a nation, and so I'm a big believer in the systemic immigration reform. There are some great proposals out of the Farm Worker Modernization Act. You know, I think we want to be a country that has secure borders where we know who and what is coming in and out. And, you know, a system that is oriented purely around, you know, removing people for civil penalties and not focused on the legislative fixes that allowed easier to remove criminals, people who should not be here.

3:32 That's a real problem and so it's not just about the removals, it's about the balancing of systemic immigration reform. To provide examples of how you would collaborate with others across the aisle, what actions would you take to reduce political division in Congress and among your constituents? Yeah, I think leading with humility and curiosity is pivotal here. No party has a monopoly on the truth or on good ideas and so trying to figure out and how do you take the sort of proper nouns out of the debate and drill down on where terms are being used differently. I'm in my second year in Congress and I serve on the Appropriations Committee, and I passed the second most number of amendments of any Democrat on that committee for two years.

4:17 Now in a row. So I have a really strong proven record of being able to influence policy in the minority, and also delivering from my district things like shop class and junior high, improving pain management strategies for miscarriage protecting vote by mail, ensuring that our federal dollars are being spent prudently, that our schools have healthy food in them, that our farmers have access to these markets. There is work up, down, and sideways that needs to be done, and I think continuing to fight on the same ideological warfare, it's not what I was sent to do. What energy sources do you support that will provide adequate power for the future? What can Congress do to ensure the reliability of the country's electrical grid?

5:08 Yeah, energy use is going up, and the reliability is a real problem. I think it's almost a victim of its own success. We expect the lights to turn on because they've always turned on, but that takes strong investment in not only the trades programs, ensuring that we have the linemen and the utility, you know, when I visit my PUDs, I see a lot of gray hair and ensuring that we are investing in the generational transfer of skills and knowledge to have the workforce to maintain these systems. You know, we have a real gift in our hydropower system that's one of the cleanest sources of energy we can have, ensuring that we have invested in its maintenance, that it's not being held captive by any kind of, you know, partisan warfare from the administration.

5:54 BPA is self-funding and ensuring that that money is going to deliver values for ratepayers. We are so blessed, especially when we look at power costs in places like Texas where they don't have these kinds of benefits of hydro. Should Congress continue to ensure the viability of the Social Security and Medicare programs? If so, please explain how you would finance these programs. If not, why not? We absolutely need to ensure the solvency of these programs and one of the solutions you'll hear a lot, purported solutions, is decreasing the age of which people can receive the benefits that they paid into their entire adult life. And it's true that some people are living longer in America, but that is not universally true. A lot of people like the trades community that I come out of, people are not living longer and balancing the solvency crisis at the Social Security trust fund on the backs of people who have

6:51 worked hard all their life is not an acceptable solution. There are a lot of really interesting proposals. Right now you only pay into Social Security on the first $174,000 that you earn. If we brought those taxes back for people earning more than $400,000 a year, you would resolve something like 63% of the solvency crisis in the Social Security trust fund. Does the United States have a responsibility to become involved with conflicts in other countries? Please provide concrete examples to help us understand where you would draw lines. Well, it is absolutely imperative that we defend the Congressional War Powers Act and that Congress has to say in which conflicts we are engaged in and that is a strategic decision that is in the long term interest of America. It's important that our interests are

7:48 represented. We've seen so much incursion from countries like Russia and China and Ukraine, and it's so important that we are protecting our allies and our interests abroad. And that we're doing this for the benefit of American interests, that we are ensuring that we have partners, that there is a liberal democracy in the Middle East, but I've been resolute in voting against the President's actions in Iran and saying that Congress needs to have a say when we're making these large investments and that it's supporting our domestic industrial base and our sovereignty as a country. Washington is one of the states that is now taxing residents on income above $1 million. Does the federal income tax system need major reforms? Why or why not?

8:44 Well, it's always really bothered me. When I look at how I was paid working at the shop, the shareholder dividends are hardly taxed, whereas your wages as an employee are taxed heavily. And so it really bothers me when executives somewhere else are not paying the same ratio of their income on these passive income sources. And so I actually led a bill on closing the carried interest tax loophole. You know, it's important that we are spending our tax dollars prudently for the benefit of all Americans, that we're not, you know, paying for our infrastructure, or, you know, our public safety net on the backs of working people, more than on people who are at the very highest income spectrum.

9:34 You know, we need a fairer system. We need to ensure that those dollars are being spent prudently. And, you know, I support many of these goals, but I'm bothered by the fact that there's not, in black and white, assurances that those thresholds won't creep downwards. What are your thoughts on proposed changes to our current election system, such as eliminating mail voting and requiring proof of citizenship? Well, like 80% of Americans, I believe that U.S. citizens are the ones who want to determine the outcome of U.S. elections. And so I fully support demonstrating and proving that you are a U.S. citizen before, you know, you're registering to vote.

10:18 We also know that vote by mail is the gold standard in election security. There is a paper ballot. There is a secure chain of command. And I've met with many of our auditors, and these people are real patriots who are diligent in their work and take this duty very seriously. It is one of the most secure, and, you know, especially if you are someone who is in the trades, if you are somebody who has young kids, if you live far away from a polling station, if you travel for work, vote by mail, make sure that your voice is heard. And that does not need to be a partisan position. I think it's more of a regional question. Many Western states use vote by mail, and people rely on it, and we know that it works to ensure that the voices of all U.S. citizens are heard in our elections. What role should the federal government play in major regional infrastructure projects like the I-5 bridge replacement? And how would you advocate for Southwest Washington in that process?

11:18 We are seeing our infrastructure fall apart around us. There has been a real lack of attention and investment in the nuts and bolts of how our lives and our economies work. And, you know, our people are paying the price, sitting in traffic at these bottlenecks, the cost of goods, sitting on traffic. So I fought hard. I brought back $2.4 billion for the I-5 bridge crossing, you know, and also fought hard on cost controls. You know, I demanded that the Coast Guard approve a fixed fan bridge, not one of the movable ones, but a fixed fan, and that alone saved probably $2 billion off the cost of that bridge. But the best bridge is the bridge that gets built. And so there's a fine line between ensuring that the federal government is making these investments and that our dollars are going for the long-term benefit of our citizens without necessarily being involved in the color of the bridge.

12:11 There's certainly a boundary there, but my job is to advocate for the interests of my constituents and ensuring that their voices are heard in these long-term infrastructure investments. What role do you believe the federal government should play in ensuring access to affordable health care? Well, we absolutely need to pay more attention to the ways that -- I mean, we spend more on health care than almost any other developed nation, and the benefits are receding, you know. When I fill my prescriptions at a pharmacy benefit managed pharmacy in Washington, D.C., it cost me $128. If I do it at my independent pharmacy in Stevens in Washington, it's like $28. And you ask yourself, where is all of this money going?

13:00 So it's absolutely about ensuring that we have access to health insurance, and it's also about ensuring that we actually get to see our doctors, that they're not spending all their time filling out paperwork, that the money is actually going to the benefit of patients and Americans and not to the dividends of these big, you know, publicly traded pharmacy companies, and that there's accountability, and the federal government absolutely needs to pay a role in that. Finally, please answer the following questions with a simple yes or no. Would you vote for legalizing abortion nationwide? Yes. Would you vote to abolish the Electoral College? No. Would you support the update to the Voting Rights Act that has been introduced in Congress? The John Lewis Voting Rights Act? Yes. Will you accept the results of the election no matter who wins?

14:00 Yes. Great. Thank you so much for your time today. Thank you so much for your work. I really appreciate you all. My name is Sally Hale. I'm a member of the League of Women Voters of Clark County. On August 4th, voters in Southwest Washington will select nominees to represent the 3rd Congressional District. Joining me today is one of those candidates, Brent Henrich. Welcome to you. Well, thank you for having me, Sally. As a reminder, you will have 60 seconds to answer each of the following questions, so let's get started. What skills and abilities would you bring to Congress, and what issues would you prioritize? I think that my skills at reasoning and problem solving are two of the strongest skills that I bring.

14:56 I've worked a career in retail and the theater industry all the way up until I was a project manager, and that job had me traveling around the globe, working past language barriers, societal barriers. It also had me experiencing other countries' and nations' infrastructure, where I used high-speed rail across Europe, experienced French healthcare without a deductible or a copay. That really shows me what we could be doing better in this nation. I want to make sure the government is investing in healthcare and getting us to a universal single-payer system, and I also want to make sure that we're doing the job of government, which is infrastructure investments and making sure that we have safe roads and bridges for commerce to move around on. Specifically, how would you address immigration, and how would your approach affect communities,

15:56 employers, and families in Southwest Washington? Well, I think the number one thing we need to do right now is we need to absolutely dismantleize and redirect that funding to the immigration courts. For far too long, we've had far too many people that are here that are technically undocumented simply because they've not been able to get their day with the immigration court. We need to get those courts funded so we can get those backlog of cases cleared. I know that we do need immigration reform in this country, but right now we have people that were running around spending billions of dollars trying to arrest and throw out of this country that simply are in that state because we haven't processed them. So I want to make sure that we're able to clear those backlogs, that we're able to go forward,

16:51 and that we are a nation of immigrants and that we continue that way, but do so in a controlled manner. Provide examples of how you would collaborate with others across the aisle. What actions would you take to reduce the political division in Congress and among your constituents? Well, I feel that we're talking about everyday issues that are affecting everyone. My campaign is concerned with healthcare costs and wanting universal healthcare, that we're worried about government accountability and making sure that where there's oversight of the presidential administration, that we're talking about education and infrastructure, and that we need to tax the rich and pay their fair share. We're talking about everyday issues that concern everyone. I think everyone's able to come to the table and talk about that.

17:48 Right now, I don't think that you could get something passed through that says the sky is blue if you're doing it in a partisan way, so we do need to reach across. But at the same time, that doesn't mean we need to enable fascism just because we want to say it was bipartisan. What energy sources do you support that will provide adequate power for the future? What can Congress do to ensure the reliability of the country's electrical grid? I'm not an energy specialist. I believe that we need to move to renewable energy resources. We need to harness wind and solar. We need to push for a lot more rooftop solar to get the ground that's already covered producing energy. Beyond that, I want to talk to specialists and see what they think is the best.

18:44 We're lucky here in the Pacific Northwest to be able to produce hydroelectric power, but they can't do that in Phoenix, Arizona or in other desert areas. So I just want to make sure that I'm talking to specialists that can help me inform and make a better decision on that topic. Should Congress continue to ensure the continued viability of the Social Security and Medicare programs? If so, please explain how you would finance these programs. If not, why not? Congress must ensure the continued of Social Security. We know that we need to simply remove the income threshold on Social Security withholding, and that will further fund the program. This is the Americans' money. This isn't an entitlement. This isn't a handout.

19:43 This is a withheld and being returned, and we have an obligation as a country to make sure that we continue it going forward. We also know that in the Reagan administration they decided to tax Social Security. That never should have happened. Democrats need to unite and say that we are going to remove all taxes on Social Security and return it to the way that it was supposed to be. Does the United States have a responsibility to become involved in conflicts in other countries? Please provide concrete examples to help us understand where you would draw lines. We have an obligation to get involved when NATO and the like are involved, when our treaties say that we have to. I believe that we get involved in things far too often when that's not the case.

20:41 Currently, we've got a situation where we're in an illegal war in Iran because Trump decided to follow Israel's lead, and Congress did not express their powers for over 100 days, allowing us to sit and continue in this illegal war. I think there's too much outside influence, specifically AIPAC, over our foreign policy. And I'm not taking a cent from AIPAC, and they will not be advising me in how we should support going forward militarily. Washington is one of the states that is now taxing residents on income above a million dollars. Does the federal income tax system need major reform? Why or why not? Well, I support the Washington millionaires tax. It only affects income over one million dollars in the state on your actual recorded income.

21:40 The federal income tax code absolutely needs reform. We need to make sure that we're taxing the rich and make them pay their fair share, along with corporations. Somehow, Citizens United made corporations people, but corporations are paying nothing in income tax. That is unacceptable. We need to be raising the tax rate on the rich. We need to be raising the rates and setting minimum tax rates for corporations. We cannot fund this country on the backs of the working people. Right now, we need to be able to be giving the working class a tax cut and fund that by taxing the rich. What are your thoughts on proposed changes to our current election system, such as eliminating mail voting and requiring proof of citizenship? I think we all know in this state that we have the gold standard for election systems,

22:37 which is mailed in marked with our hand paper ballots and signed by us that are all verified by our county assessors. The only change that I would like to see is an option for the state and the state alone. I'd like to see ranked choice voting in all of our elections. I believe it gives people a better voice and better representation. But the federal government does not have a role and should not have a role in elections that is delegated to the state. And right now, these talks at the federal level of controlling elections are unconstitutional, unconstitutional and ridiculous. What role should the government play, the federal government play in major regional infrastructure projects like the I-5 bridge replacement? And how would you advocate for Southwest Washington in that process?

23:35 Well, I don't think that there is a better definition of federal infrastructure than something like I-5 bridge. I mean, it's connecting Oregon to Washington on the major interstate that connects our country to Canada, to the north and Mexico, to the south. That that's about as federal as it can get. I want to make sure that when I get to Congress, I'm advocating for every dollar that I can for that project. But I want to make sure that I don't come in and try and stir the pot. I trust the people that have been working on that project from our local leaders, our leaders in Olympia and leaders in Salem. I know they need funding. What they don't need is my ideas. What role do you believe the federal government should play in ensuring access to affordable health care?

24:30 I believe that that there is no greater thing right now that we need to be doing and working towards than getting to a universal single-payer health care system where every single person in this country has access to medical care. I was in France. I injured myself and got a metal sliver in my hand. It took some corralling, but a coworker grabbed me, took me to a local doctor's office. We went in, saw the doctor, doctor removed the metal splinter, cleaned the wound, put a Band-Aid on it, gave me a spare Band-Aid because the swelling was going to go down and I was going to have to change the Band-Aid later. I never saw a bill. I never saw anything from that entire doctor visit. I simply got the care I needed. We need that kind of care in this country. We know that getting preventative care is far less expensive than emergency care.

25:27 So I want to make sure that that becomes a reality. Finally, please answer the following questions with a simple yes or no. First, would you vote for legalizing abortion nationwide? Yes. Would you vote to abolish the Electoral College? Yes. Would you support the update to the Voting Rights Act that has been introduced in Congress? If you're speaking of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, yes. Will you accept the results of the election no matter who wins? Yes. Okay. Thank you so much for your time today. Thank you for yours. My name is Sally Hale and I'm a member of the League of Women Voters of Clark County. On August 4th, voters in Southwest Washington will select nominees to represent the Third Congressional District.

26:27 Joining me today is one of those candidates, John Rocco. Welcome to you. Thank you very much, Sally. Thank you very much. And thank you to the League of Women Voters. Thank you. As a reminder, you'll have 60 seconds to answer each of the following questions. Okay. Let's get started. What skills and abilities would you bring to Congress and what issues would you prioritize? It's kind of interesting because back in 1980, I went to Washington State, Boy State, and I was elected to be the House of Representatives whip. And that was kind of an early thing. I always was a public speaker in Hawaii. I was on TV for a couple of times. For events that were organized in terms of Catholic Charities, there was bills to actually shut down Catholic Charities nationwide. And so I organized a couple of events and a demonstration about that, and it hit the media, and it actually did have a national artifact, some of the stuff we did.

27:27 So this public speaking ability, as well as being able to hone it on important issues, for example, rail. Nine out of 10 people in Vancouver do not want rail, and yet it's being pushed. The Vancouver City Council doesn't want rail, and it's still being pushed. So I tend to figure out how the people feel, and I promote that. I sit here and I represent the heavy issues that will have a large impact. That's what I do. Thank you. Specifically, how would you address immigration and how would your approach affect communities, employers, and families in Southwest Washington? In terms of ICE, I really feel like there are people that need to be brought out of the country. Deep criminals, people that are coming in here and just using the system for their own benefit to cheat our social services system, to cheat our federal government, to cheat the state systems. They need to be removed.

28:27 People that just come in and, for example, we have quarterbacks that will be playing football and their homes are broken into by these international workers. There are definitely people that need to be removed. However, at the same time, I work for CIMAR, which was started by the son of a migrant farm worker. CIMAR, the majority, you know, it's a health, behavioral health organization, as well as a medical health organization, dentistry. The majority are Caucasian who are served, but it specializes in Latinos. The person that started it was a migrant farm worker's son. He is a gem. There are many gems. The woman that cleans the offices here, she is a gem. They're hardworking people that add to our country. They can stay. But the ones that are leeches, that are causing crime, that are just causing disarray, no, no, no, deport, deport. Provide examples of how you would collaborate with others across the aisle.

29:22 What actions would you take to reduce the political division in Congress and among your constituents? Well, you know, I think the best example of that is actually CIMAR, because, you know, this is a institution that is really for promoting a social justice agenda. I'm conservative. At the same time, though, we meet because I work at CIMAR and I have the importance of all people having need for behavioral health services. And that is a joining issue for me and my employer, even though my employer traditionally has supported, you know, individuals for social justice. I'm not really so much for social justice. In fact, my main issue is remove the E.I. from the U.S. Army. In the 250th anniversary of our country, we need really good generals. We can't say, oh, we need this kind of general, this kind of general. No, no, no. We need the best generals for our country. Francis Bacon, the Swamp Fox, Daniel Green.

30:22 These icons that formed our country was because they were the perfect best generals. And we need to do that in our army. So I work with the things that we were united with, like, for example, CIMAR working for all people. Thank you. What energy sources do you support that will provide adequate power for the future? What can Congress do to ensure the reliability of the country's electrical grid? That that's an interesting question. And, you know, I brought back to Hawaii. There was a time this was a fun. I was giving people tours of Hawaii. You know, it's one of those off jobs. It was really fun. I had the opportunity to give an individual tour with his family in my car, just the three of us, just the four of us. And he showed me the wind farms that he helped to he says, I I'm not sure exactly what he did, but he was involved in such natural resources that we can have.

31:21 Obviously, you know, in our country, we have gas, but, you know, we have Tesla also electricity. There are such new technologies that are coming up. Who knew, you know, 15 years ago that that there'd be all these electric cars, Tesla, RIB and others. You know, there's always developing new technologies. We need to focus on technologies as well as realize that, yes, we need maybe need hybrids. We still have a dependency on those big diesel trucks to run our country to transport things, et cetera. But we need to keep on working on having these new technologies will add to the future and really make it sustainable. Should Congress continue to ensure the continued viability of the Social Security and Medicare programs? If so, please explain how you would finance these programs. If not, why not? Definitely. I mean, this is a promise, you know, generations of people thought, oh, my Social Security will have that and, you know, I'll have my Medicare.

32:20 And I used to work with my dad and my dad was a surgeon and I did the billing for him for about four years. And so many people are dependent on the Medicare and the DSHS. You know, I did to strike her also for the Army, that kind of thing. But so many people are dependent on that. You can't just pull the rug on these people. They would they were looking at that coming in. Now, having said that, how we finance that our country really is strong. I think, you know, this takes me back to before we became a country. What the America was prospering so much without regulation. And then the British said, gosh, we need to take chunks out of this. We need to tax the stamps. We need to tax the teas. We tax this. They want to touch us. But when you remove regulation, you can really have the economy going. And we can see ways that the younger generation can pay for these things. It really will take some work, though, because one thing that I see is that there was a time,

33:18 for example, when my dad spoke about it, when physicians with Moonlight work a couple of places. You're out of time. OK, sorry about that, sir. Does the United States have a responsibility to become involved with conflicts in other countries? Please provide concrete examples to help us understand where you would draw lines. This is where I draw the line. Right back there is a picture of New York City, the Twin Towers, when they still existed. It's very interesting, you know, this current conflict. I believe that. We need to make sure America is safe. There is something that there's a premonition in the past. Ever since I was 18 years old, drones. And when I was 18, I had this premonition of drones existing. They didn't exist yet. Our country is completely terrible to the same type of drones that are going over Ukraine, that are going over Iran right now.

34:17 There's new technologies and we really need to be very involved internationally in sealing the technologies so that we are always on top of things. You always have the best standards of technology and that we can manage conflict so that we aren't starting things, that we are really to manage and be a big influence for a universal peace. Now, having said that, there are people that hate America. We need to do things about that, but we need to push the peace. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. Washington is one of the states that is now taxing residents on income above a million dollars. Does the federal income tax system need major reform? Why or why not? I think it was really great that the income tax system was simplified. And I don't agree with this million dollar taxing of people because I'll just say it straight.

35:12 I as a youth in my 20s, my wife and I were invited to the hall dreams residents. It was a wonderful thing. They are the ones that don't want donated the twenty five million to Seattle University for their new museum. We got to see the collection in the 90s when it wasn't quite so big yet. These millionaires look what they did. They did this for Seattle U and they will continue to do nice things with the money. If, for example, for Bill Gates Foundation, they're encouraged to do positive things. If you just tax them and taxes, they were going to take their money. We know better what to do with them. And the government does know if they are philanthropic, if a billionaire is philanthropic, they can do better things with the money than the federal government. What are your thoughts on proposed changes to our current election system, such as eliminating mail voting and requiring proof of citizenship?

36:04 Well, I was actually working in San Francisco at the time when an election happened and I was completely surprised that they don't take ideas. There is no idea. You cannot present idea and people could just rotate in. That's just inviting fraud. I mean, just the basic basic if if you are a member of a high school and you invite, you know, say I'm a member of Chahal's WFS Bearcats, say, hey, come over. Let's bring some people from Centralia over because I want to be the House representative here. Yeah, bring 50 people. I'll win. I mean, that's exactly what we can do right now. There needs to be some basic measures so there's not cheating. Just like high schools. What role should the federal government play in major regional infrastructure projects like the I-5 bridge replacement? And how would you advocate for Southwest Washington in that process?

37:03 Well, first of all, we need to have real civil engineers. We have wonderful civil engineers at UW, at Wazoo. I was a pre-engineer and, you know, they talk about the bridges and, you know, we have a wonderful bridge that was designed in Ballard that even the Europeans can look at. For a politician and someone, another politician and bounce on a bridge and say this needs to be changed. Civil engineers are the ones that says that. And in terms of a political agenda, rail, I mean, nine out of 10 people in Vancouver don't want it, yet it's being pushed. When something becomes political versus what the people want, what's good for the people, preserving small communities, there's something wrong. There's something wrong when what the people want is not being listened to or whatever other reasons.

37:56 We need experts, civil engineers like UW, like Wazoo, and they can assess what needs to be done versus a politician saying let's do this for whatever reason that we don't quite know. What role do you believe the federal government should play in ensuring access to affordable health care? Oh, wow. You know, I think it's wonderful there's EMR itself. I mean, you know, there was, how this organization was formed was that, you know, the federal government made these grants accessible, you know, to let people have health care. And this is very needed. Basic need is health care. My father was a surgeon and he, I recently had to go to the emergency room in 2022. The ER doctor happened to work with my dad, I know he did, and he told me your dad never asked for a patient, which means that he never asked when an ER patient came in, does this person have insurance?

38:52 Does this person have cash? My dad just served them. And in a certain sense, it'd be really good if there was a generation of young physicians like that. There's mercy missions to other countries, but, you know, if that mercy could be shown here in our country, we really wouldn't quite have a health care problem. Thank you. Finally, we're going to do a lightning round. Oh, no. Oh, boy. Please answer the following questions with a simple yes or no. Okay. All right. Would you vote for legalizing abortion nationwide? No, I'd be statewide. Would you vote to abolish the Electoral College? No. Would you support the update to the Voting Rights Act that has been introduced in Congress? I look at it really closely. I would, I'm on, I need to look at it more. I need to look at it much more. Sorry.

39:51 Will you accept the results of the election no matter who wins? Oh, this one? Oh, yeah, definitely. All right. Thank you so much for your time today. Thank you. Thank you. Hello, my name is Theresa Torres, and I'm a member of the League of Women Voters of Clark County. On August 4th, voters in Southwest Washington will select nominees to represent the third congressional district. Joining me today is one of these congressional candidates, Mr. John Sali Roman. Welcome. Thank you. As a reminder, you will have 60 seconds to answer each of the following questions, so let's get started. Question one, what skills and abilities would you bring to Congress and what issues would you prioritize? So I guess the skills and abilities that I possess to assume this role would be, you know, my work history.

40:45 I've got 15 years in the energy industry. I'm extremely up to speed on different policies and different things that are affecting the energy industry, especially as we face this oncoming onslaught of data centers that have the high potential of sucking up the extra megawatts that we may have out there. And significantly impacting the ratepayers and other things beyond just just energy, such as water and things like that. My priorities are to get out of this endless war cycle and get some truth to the people so they can make better decisions going forward. Thank you.

41:40 Specifically, how would you address immigration and how would your approach affect communities, employers and families in Southwest Washington? So first, when it comes to immigration, I think it's important to recognize that the immigration that, you know, that we had been that wave of immigration that we had been experiencing over the past years, that is, in my view, directly a result of our policies that are creating an atmosphere in the countries where these people are from, these countries where is their homeland. They would prefer to stay there. But when we have policies as the economic superpower that are absolutely having a negative impact on these different economies in these sovereign countries around the world,

42:37 it creates an issue where they try to escape their conditions and find better ones. And that turns out to be here. Thank you. Provide examples of how you would collaborate with others across the aisle. What actions would you take to reduce the political division in Congress and among your constituents? Yeah, so this is probably one of the biggest things that is facing this government and this country. And in my view, this political divide is a manufactured divide in order to keep the people divided.

43:22 And when we are kept divided and there is no unity between the different factions, if you want to call it that, we are weak and we don't have any word and or say and what happens. And so first, we need to recognize that these issues that are being used to divide us are just for that. We need to move beyond that and we need to look at the bigger picture. OK, thank you. What energy sources do you support that will provide adequate power for the future? What can Congress do to ensure the reliability of the country's electrical grid?

44:14 That's a great question. And with my pretty vast experience working in different capacities and the bulk electric system, it requires a balancing act. And, you know, renewables are great. I support the development and the expansion of renewable energy. But in order to do so, we can't deny the reality of these being intermittent resources, whether it's solar, whether it's wind. And in order to ensure that the people are provided the electricity they need when they need it, we have to ensure that there is energy production available when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining.

45:07 And in order to do that, we have to balance out, you know, our different options for providing the energy needs for the people. OK, thank you. Should Congress continue to ensure the continued viability of the Social Security and Medicare programs? If so, please explain how you would finance these programs. And if not, why not? First of all, absolutely. Social Security and Medicare are some of the bedrock public safety nets that we have to ensure that those people that that aren't fortunate enough to have either put away adequate retirement, even after working an entire lifetime and dedicating their life to providing for their family.

46:04 They should be able to retire with dignity and peace and enjoy life after that service to to working. And, you know, in order to fund that, first of all, we have to look at how much money is allocated elsewhere, for example, one point five trillion dollars used to decimate and destroy with our defense capabilities and warring around the world. And we need to consider our priorities. Thank you. Does the United States have a responsibility to become involved with conflicts in other countries? Please provide concrete examples to help us understand where you would draw the line.

46:57 Once again, this is another example, in my view, of where a narrative has been pushed and has been used to manufacture support for these ongoing crises from Iraq to Afghanistan. You know that the wake of destruction that we are leaving behind us has been left in the name of freedom and democracy, yet I failed to realize or see any sort of result demonstrating the freedom and democracy were purportedly spreading. And, you know, in order to overcome this we have to recognize that the Middle East, and the Arab population is not this terrorist faction that they're made out to be.

47:54 In fact, it's quite the opposite. And until the people of this country are able to overcome that we will remain stuck in this cycle. Thank you. Washington is one of the states that is now taxing residents on income above $1 million. Does the federal income tax system need major reform, why or why not? I mean, absolutely the tax system requires reform and in fact it was recently reformed, but in my view, it was pushed in the direction that does not benefit the vast, vast majority of the American people. For example, in 2025, there were 88 corporations that paid zero federal income tax, and that's with $105 billion in profits.

48:54 And whether somebody believes, you know that this is some type of socialism or, you know, whatever, sort of, you know, I guess, identifier you want to put in there. This is just the reality of, of what we see, you know, and those same individuals are more than willing to put aside the fact that our federal government is invested in Intel and our federal government is highly, highly invested in different weapons manufacturers to support our, our priorities, and it's to the detriment of the American people. Thank you. What are your thoughts on proposed changes to our current election system, such as eliminating mail voting and requiring proof of citizenship?

49:51 I think a lot of this is just a, it's an argument that is not in good faith. We do not have record of a high rate of voter fraud. And we don't have a record of high, high rate of non citizens registering to vote and so this in my view is a non issue. There are a lot of other issues at play, for example, the voter ID law, and the increasing requirements of biometric data. This is just one way to ensure that the vast, vast majority of the American people's biometric data is on record, enable

50:45 our U.S. government to, to more effectively follow in surveillance what we do throughout our daily lives. Hey, thank you. What role should the federal government play in major regional infrastructure projects, like the I-5 bridge replacement? And how would you advocate for Southwest Washington in that process? Again, the amounts of money that we are dedicating to these unjustified and illegal war efforts is just unprecedented. Meanwhile, at home our infrastructure is crumbling we can't even build a bridge on a major interstate crossing the Columbia River remains stuck in limbo for how many years, and funding shouldn't even be a question.

51:43 Our interstate should be absolutely funded by the federal government, the local people of Portland, Vancouver and the surrounding areas should absolutely not incur an additional tax or should not incur a toll. We have the ability as a country to fund the roads, the bridges, clean water, clean air, our Congress simply chooses not to do that. What role do you believe the federal government should play in ensuring access to affordable health care? Health care should be available to every single person that is in this country that is working and that is contributing to this economy and is a member of this society.

52:40 You know, back during the days of when it was during the days of Bernie when he was pushing for Medicare or not Medicare for all but health coverage to get rid of the for profit. You know, insurance that essentially got pushed to the wayside and the health insurance industry which contributes millions if not billions of dollars over the years, one out, and they got a gift in that all Americans are required to pay for their product and the cost of that product continues to rise to this day. Thank you. So now finally please answer the following questions with just a simple yes or no. Would you vote for legalizing abortion nationwide?

53:40 Yeah. Would you vote to abolish the Electoral College? Nah. Would you support the update to the Voting Rights Act that has just been introduced in Congress? It would depend on the update but if it's in the interest of the American people, yes. Will you accept the results of the election no matter who wins? Absolutely. Thank you. We're all finished. Thank you so much. My name is Teresa Torres and I'm a member of the League of Women Voters of Clark County. On August 4th, voters in Southwest Washington will select nominees to represent the third congressional district. Today, joining me is one of these congressional candidates, Kroy Rasband. Welcome. As a reminder, you have 60 seconds to answer each of the following questions.

54:39 So let's get started. First question is, what skills and abilities would you bring to Congress and what issues would you prioritize? Yeah. So my background is primarily in information technology and technology in general. I graduated with an associate's in Science Track 2 from Clark College, which is essentially a fancy way of saying computer science. So I have a lot of background knowledge on technology and kind of a little more understanding what's going on with this AI stuff that's going on. These cables are being built in our regional area. And, you know, what I would bring to Congress is that background and understanding that we have to tread carefully with with AI and building out these data centers. And on top of that, just what I've seen throughout the region, you know, I bring our regional issues up there and how that's affected us.

55:33 The AI data center that's going underneath the power line that's going underneath the Columbia River right now and some talks of AI data center up in battleground, I believe. But, yeah, these are regional issues. And I think my background would heavily help with that in Congress. Great. Great. Thank you. Next question, specifically, how would you address immigration and how would your approach affect communities, employers and families in Southwest Washington? Yeah, so that is part of my platform. It's part of the community, part of it. And, you know, I think we're a nation of immigrants. I think we're treating them right now is, quite frankly, disgusting. My solution for that is I don't think ICE as an entity can currently continue on past this administration.

56:23 I think we need to bring real accountability back into that area. There's no reason that we should be having ICE agents declining Congress people, the ability to inspect these facilities, especially when we have reports of unedible food and undrinkable water. I think if we hire on additional judicial staff and it's on top of administrative staff, we can cut down on the processing times for individuals going through this system. And I think having mandated audits would additionally help in actually ensuring that these facilities are up to par. There's no reason that a federal agent should have the ability to deny a Congress person to inspect the facilities. Thank you. So our next question is, provide examples of how you would collaborate with others across the aisle. What actions would you take to reduce the political division in Congress and among your constituents? Yeah, you know, I think there's a way to be bipartisan without throwing other communities under the bus.

57:21 I do think there is a way forward, and I think that's by attacking the economic and attacking, but, you know, bringing up the economic sense and the national security sense. One of my policies are as architecture is the Green New Deal that has a whole host themes, transportation, climate change, what have you. But one of the key parts that I feel has been somewhat popular on the ground, at least, is that economic sense, bringing jobs back, renewable energy jobs for building wind turbines, solar panels, what have you. These people at the end of the day want to be able to provide for the family and for the children. And, you know, timber jobs are nice. They're here, but that's a job for you, so to speak. The jobs that I'm proposing would be a job for you, your children, and your grandchildren. And, you know, especially from a national security sense, I just think it's the way forward. Thank you.

58:16 Should Congress continue to ensure the continued viability of the Social Security and Medicare programs? If so, please explain how you would finance these programs. If not, why not? Yes, Congress should definitely keep sustaining Medicare and these programs and what have you. I think the fact that we're cutting them right now is a disaster, quite honestly. The first pillar of affordability that I think we need to tackle is start targeting Medicare. We need to expand the coverage for those who are already on it. And then through a plan similar to those with Warren, we need to close those gaps through a rollout system to children, immunocompromised and the elderly first. And then through a two to four-year time span, we roll that out to the next groups, young adults, average age adults, what have you.

59:08 And we need to keep funding that. We need to fund it aggressively. I think we can fund it through taxing the top one percent, to be quite frank. I know that's kind of the key word right now in a lot of elections across the country. But quite honestly, if we do something like an unrealized capital gains tax on assets of over $100 million a year and combined with a flat wealth tax, I think we can get there. Okay, thank you. Does the United States have a responsibility to become involved with conflicts in other countries? Please provide concrete examples to help us understand where you would draw the lines. Yeah, so that's a tough one. We need to ensure that we are not, you know, not to throw meaningless terms out there, but I don't want to come off as an imperialist that, you know, the U.S. should be involved in every single conflict abroad.

59:59 But I do feel, at least in the Middle East, that we've done quite a deal of damage to their infrastructure there and what have you. And we do have some part to play in helping them rebuild that. I don't think that our role is to be the workplace necessarily. I think that era of the America, America's history has kind of ended with this administration. But I think there's still a path forward. We actually take responsibility for the things that we've done. And, you know, honestly, and speaking in that same vein, I think the way we've treated our allies in Ukraine has been, again, just gross. We've betrayed them. We need to continue that they have the supplies that they need. We promised that to them. And we need to actually make good on our promises or internationally we will lose our standing. Thank you. Washington is one of the states that is now taxing residents on income above one million dollars. Does the federal income tax system need to need major reform? Why or why not?

1:00:59 Yeah, the federal tax system certainly needs reform. I think a lot of us can agree on that. Actually, one of those issues that reaches across the aisle, so to say, you know, it does need reform because we're seeing that, you know, multibillionaires are paying less than an average family. That's wrong. That is always going to be wrong. And we need to ensure that these corporations and the people in charge of these corporations actually pay their fair share in taxes. And to that point, again, you know, any individual has assets of over one hundred million dollars a year. They can start paying on those assets, not just when they actually sell them. And I do think that is possible. I know it's a little controversial, but, you know, we just are barreling down this precipice of losing our democracy, at least my opinion, that it's time to actually start trying innovative ideas again. You know, America is a country of brave people. We're not cowards. And we shouldn't back down from this challenge.

1:01:56 Thank you. What are your thoughts on proposed changes to our current election system, such as eliminating mail voting and requiring proof of citizenship? Yeah. You know, being a Washingtonian all my life has pretty much been voting via mail in ballot. It's how I've grown up, at least. And honestly, it's not a broken system. You know, I think a lot of what we're seeing now is a pressure for this administration to try and get these states to give over that voter data for whatever purposes. I don't think that's right. I think we have a perfectly safe system. And I would love to safeguard that and see it expanded out into the rest of the country, to be honest. And, you know, speaking on how the election system just a little bit, I am for ranked choice voting. I do think, you know, at the state level that is more feasible, but I think it's worth bringing up in a national conversation for certain elections, presidential elections.

1:02:52 I do think that would kind of ease the tension that we're feeling across the nation and actually make sure everyone's voice is heard at the table. And, yeah. OK, thank you. What role should the federal government play in major regional infrastructure projects like the I-5 bridge replacement? And how would you advocate for Southwest Washington in that process? You know, the first thought that came to mind is aggressively, I would advocate very aggressively. But, you know, my policies are in democratic socialism. I believe that the federal government has a duty to pay for a lot of the infrastructure projects. I'm going to be totally quoting something might be update here. But, you know, the American Engineers Association gave the country like a D for infrastructure. And how prepared we are. There is we can invest in our infrastructure again. And if I bridge, it should absolutely be a part of that. And that is what I would advocate for.

1:03:50 I know that the price tag has gone up recently. It's around a 13, 14 billion dollar range. I think we can get the federal government to pay at least a little bit of that and take the burn off of taxpayers here in Washington, because honestly, that's their job. Their job is to care for their citizens and provide that for the states when they need it. And I fight bridge is needed. So I think that's the responsibility. Thank you. What role do you believe the federal government should play in ensuring affordable health care? You know, if we look across the world, honestly, a lot of these first and third world nations have a single payer health care system. And I was just talking about this with someone else. It is kind of an embarrassment, at least from my point of view, that we don't already have a system in place. You know, we are the richest country in the world. And a lot of us like to think we're the greatest country in the world.

1:04:50 So I ask, you know, kind of the question back onto that person. Why can't why can't we afford health care at the federal level? I mean, we spend, you know, millions to billions of dollars in Iran or foreign sea wars. I think we can put some of that money into a health care system run by the federal government. I do understand that there is hesitation. But at this point in time, you know, I've seen people suffering. I myself suffer when I was a child. My family suffered from our wages being garnished by medical debt. And, you know, it's just time to end that. It's time to actually go forward with a solution. And I think that is a Medicare for all solution. Thank you. OK, the last part is just simple yes or no questions. So please answer these. First, would you vote for legalizing abortion nationwide? Yes. Would you vote to abolish the Electoral College? Yes.

1:05:49 Would you support the update to the Voting Rights Act that has been introduced to Congress? Yes. Will you accept the results of the election no matter who wins? Yes. Thank you so much for your time today. No problem. Thank you so much for having me. My name is Teresa Torres, and I'm a member of the League of Women Voters of Clark County. On August 4th, voters in Southwest Washington will select nominees to represent the third congressional district. Joining me today is one of those congressional candidates, John Braun. Welcome, Mr. Braun. As a reminder, you will have 60 seconds to answer each of the following questions. So let's get started. What skills and abilities would you bring to Congress, and what issues would you prioritize?

1:06:38 So I spent 31 years in the U.S. Navy on active and reserve duty, so I bring significant experience in national defense and military affairs. I've run our family business, employs 350 folks here in Southwest Washington for the last 27 years, so I have significant business experience, and I've served the last 14-plus years in the state legislature and the state Senate, so I bring citizen legislator experience. And I think it's important for me to help me understand the issues that are facing voters around Southwest Washington, Washington and our country, and significant skills to help address those issues. The last thing I'd say is that in addition to that, I've been married to my wife Marlo for 37 years. We raised four adult children here in the state of Washington, so we have a lot of experiences that comes with raising a family here in Washington, and the challenges to go with young parents and older parents and even folks our age.

1:07:31 So I think having a wide range of experiences would help me represent the folks of Southwest Washington effectively in Washington, D.C. Thank you. Specifically, how would you address immigration, and how would your approach affect communities, employers, and families in Southwest Washington? So on immigration, I think we are a country of immigrants. I think it's important to have a legal, properly functioning immigration system in our country. I think we've had decades of challenges, particularly on the southern border with illegal immigration, with both Republican and Democratic administrations having challenges there. We've seen success there in this administration. I think it turns out what we had to do is try. Enforce the law, enforce the law as written, and that has been successful. I think there's more challenges when it comes to folks who have already entered the country illegally.

1:08:25 I think the recent refocus on criminal activity is appropriate if we're going to, again, enforce the law as it's on the books today. And I think beyond that, there's opportunity to make the immigration law easier to manage, easier to implement long term, but you've got to start with enforcing the law that's been passed by Congress to date. Thank you. Provide examples of how you would collaborate with others across the aisle. What actions would you take to reduce the political division in Congress and among your constituents? I think if you look at my work as a citizen legislature, I've worked hard on many policies, but you start by not making it personal. Don't engage in personal tax. If you find places where you have common ground, oftentimes you find serious legislators on both sides of the aisle that have very similar goals.

1:09:16 They often have many, you know, sometimes radically different ideas on how they achieve those goals. But you start with common goals. What can you do to serve the people of our state, the people of our country? And when you start there and then you work, you know, work, you know, to a policy solution from there, I find you have a much better chance of finding common ground, of finding a path forward that represents the individual principles of both the legislators and more importantly, the voters they represent, but also gets to actual results. Gets actual things done. And I think my record in Olympia shows that I've been successful in finding bipartisan solutions to very challenging problems facing our state. Thank you. What energy sources do you support that will provide adequate power for the future? What can Congress do to ensure the reliability of the country's electrical grid?

1:10:08 I think the strategy you've seen over the last year and a half and all of the above strategy that doesn't pick and choose what the best energy sources are, but pursues a strategy that allows the basic economics to determine what is going to get developed, what's going to get built. And then along those lines, I think there's a lot that Congress can do to streamline the permitting and the building of the, I'm sorry, I'm getting interrupted here. There you go. A lot Congress can do to streamline the permitting of energy. We've seen prior to the recent events in Iran, we saw because of this, all of the above energy strategy, significant reductions, most visible at the gas pump. But you got to remember, you know, the prices of fuel that are going into, you know, that you're putting in your car, that also applies to transportation for virtually everything we buy and drives up the cost of living more broadly.

1:11:08 So, I think in all the above strategy, it finds a way to keep energy costs down is good for everybody in our state and our country. Thank you. Should Congress continue to ensure the continued viability of the Social Security and Medicare programs? If so, please explain how you would finance these programs. And if not, why not? Yeah, so absolutely. It's very, very important that, and these are programs that individuals, seniors in particular, have paid into their entire lives. They rely on them for their financial security. It's led to a better quality of life for folks in our country for decades. These are systems that we have to protect. And I think, you know, to do that, we're going to have to continue to look at for ways to run these systems, ensure the benefits, and do it in the most efficient way possible.

1:12:05 Thank you. Does the United States have a responsibility to become involved with conflicts in other countries? Please provide concrete examples to help us understand where you would draw the line. Well, that's a good question. I think, absolutely, you know, one of the fundamental requirements of the federal, our federal government is for national defense. I think that it's important that we have a strong national fence. I think it's equally important that we use that defense to focus on the needs of our country, you know, the benefit of the country and our citizens to protect our country and our citizens. And there are clearly places in our history where we've chosen to do that. I think, you know, the most recent example, you didn't mention in particular, but it's on everybody's minds on the events in Iran. I know, I think you have to be very cognizant of the threat to our country and other folks around the world of an Iran that had a nuclear weapon and ballistic missiles.

1:13:01 At the same time, I think you have to be very cautious. I think the last two and a half decades, if you've taught us, taught us nothing else is that we, we are not, we cannot overcommit ourselves when it comes to involving our military. So it has to be based on actual, actual threats to our country or its citizens. And we need to be very cautious to get involved beyond that. Okay, thank you. Washington is one of the states that is now taxing residents on income above $1 million. Does the federal income tax system need major reform? Why or why not? Yeah, so I would take exception a little bit to your question. The bill passed by the state legislator is an income tax on everyone. It simply currently has an exemption up to $1 million, but there's nothing to prevent and there's every reason to believe based on comments of everyone from the sponsor to many folks who vote on the bill that that will be extended to all Washingtonians.

1:14:00 I think that's wrong. I think that we have been, you know, in our state has been now what 137 years without an income tax. The voters have voted against it 10 times. It very clearly is unconstitutional on the plain reading of the Constitution. So I think, A, it's an income tax that will ultimately affect everyone. And B, it's clearly at odds with our Constitution, the will of people. That said, the federal income tax started much the same way where they claimed it would just be on high earners. Since then, it's been extended to apply to everyone. You know, right now, I think that I don't have any, I don't think there's any immediate changes need to our income tax system. It's what, you know, for good or for bad, it's what our federal government relies on. It's a very progressive system. It's a system that that, you know, requires folks earning more to pay more. And I think based on the changes made in the last year, it's it's in a kind of a stable situation.

1:14:56 And now I think we need to learn to live within our means. Thank you. What are your thoughts on proposed changes to our current election system, such as eliminating mail voting and requiring proof of citizenship? So I think that I mean, I don't I think mail-in voting works for many people. I think there's some civic value in having people come to a polling place. But we made that decision now, you know, many decades ago to allow me for increased mail-in voting in our state to the point that we have all mail-in voting. I think it's a much more important, much more important part of that is to make sure that we have some system for requiring proper identification for voting. That's a that's a requirement that's popular with with voters across the spectrum from Republican to independent. The Democrat is to have some sort of voter identification. I think that's important, but I don't think you have to toss out the mail-in system to do that.

1:15:54 OK, thank you. What role should the federal government play in major regional infrastructure projects like the I-5 bridge replacement? How would you advocate for Southwest Washington in that process? I think the federal government has a key role. I mean, they both in terms of regulating in the case of something like the Interstate 5 bridge that crosses across a state boundary. They also have an important role in helping with the funding. I think where they could play a very valuable role is try to cut through some of the kind of ideological fight we've experienced in our state over the last two decades when it comes to this bridge and get down to the basic needs of the citizens. And especially in the case where they're providing a substantial portion of the pricing, they can help us kind of narrow our our scope so that we're focused on the fundamental needs, the congestion and the safety aspects of that bridge,

1:16:49 rather than things that have become very controversial, such as light rail, and help us avoid these enormous cost increases that we've seen over the last decade to make it to the point where we need a bridge. But if we go forward with a bridge we can't afford, I worry that we're very likely to end up in decades of construction for a bridge we can't afford, rather than a bridge that will do the job and that we can afford to get done quickly and safely and effectively. Okay, thank you. What role do you believe the federal government should play in ensuring access to affordable health care? Well, I think there's clearly a role for the federal government. I mean, if you look at the Affordable Care Act implemented in 2010, since then it really isn't working. I think as its supporters or certainly its detractors intended, we still have seen significant increase in the cost of health care.

1:17:46 I think we need to go back to the drawing board and I think you start with transparency on costs from the delivery of care to pharmaceuticals to make sure individuals to the maximum extent possible, they understand the cost of care. I also think you have to work on the ability for individuals to move their medical information around so they can, they can reasonably move from one provider to the next based on who meets their care requirements the best and what keeps their cost most affordable for them. And that's the starting point I won't pretend to have the exact answer. What I do know is that what we have right now is not working from an access standpoint from a cost standpoint, I believe, in all cases you start with transparency, you start with options for consumers, and then you build a system that responds to that you'll get one that works best for everyone. Okay, thank you. All right, the next few questions are just a simple yes or no. All right, so the first one is, would you vote for legalizing abortion nationwide.

1:18:46 No, I believe that the Dobbs decision properly moved that back to a vote of the states and that our state has decided with an initiative from the people. Just a simple yes or no. Okay, so we have 15 minutes, would you vote to abolish the Electoral College. No. Would you support the update to the Voting Rights Act that has been introduced in Congress. I am not familiar with that. I think the Voting Rights Act has some positive and some negatives and we've seen recent rulings that have changed how it will be implemented around our country. Okay. And finally, will you accept the results of the election, no matter who wins. The candidates, you know, should be obliged to accept the results of the election and if you have a viable grievance, the proper venue for that is the courts and once the courts decide you should, you should accept their decision. Okay, thank you so much for your time today. You bet. Thanks for having me.

1:19:41 Hello, my name is Rachel Bancroft and I'm a member of the League of Women Voters of Clark County. On August 4th voters in southwest Washington will select nominees to represent the third congressional district. Joining me today is one of these congressional candidates, Antony Barron. Welcome to you, Antony. Thank you. It's great to be here. As a reminder, you will have 60 seconds to answer each of the following questions. Shall we get started? Please. What skills and abilities would you bring to Congress and what issues would you prioritize? So, I come from a business background. I'm a career long entrepreneur and business development guy, primarily in advertising and media and advertising agencies.

1:20:26 And I believe that there is a lack of understanding in government today about how to actually grow revenue, grow businesses and enable, as a result, the tax base to grow. We keep talking about raising taxes on everything. And I think that that completely ignores a fundamental question, which is where the tax dollars actually come from, because I think the simple reality is taxes don't drive prosperity. Prosperity drives taxes. And so my key priorities will be how do I enable people to have better jobs, have higher paying jobs? How do we move away from the gig economy that I think has trapped both Gen Z and millennials and especially women?

1:21:15 Women were given a promise of if you go to college, if you get a master's degree, you're going to have a really solid chance of being able to build the life you've built. And I think we've gotten ourselves to a place where nobody actually has stability. Nobody has an ability to consistently have an income and benefits. And I think that's really damaging. I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I will have to stop you in light of the time. OK. We'll move on to the next question. Specifically, how would you address immigration and how would your approach affect communities, employers and families in southwest Washington? We have a bunch of laws on the books today that in theory should deal with the immigration challenge. But in reality, they don't. Right now, we have a government that is using the immigration enforcement as a bludgeon.

1:22:14 And while they haven't sent more people, deported more people than Obama, they've done it in a very aggressive style. But the fundamental problem that we have is that there are a lot of people that are here illegally or in an undocumented fashion that are working today and contributing. And what we need to do is create a pathway to allow them to enter the workforce, not be treated like second class citizens, be able to build their life here. Cascade Party, of which I'm a member, has a plan in which we will have a purple card that will allow people who are here illegally to enter the workforce legally. But they can never have a path to citizenship because of how they entered the country. And I think we just need to take a look at how we're doing it. I think we need to change how we're doing it, and I think we need to move back to immigration policies like we had 60 years ago with the Bracero program.

1:23:09 Thank you. Provide examples of how you would collaborate with others across the aisle. What actions would you take to reduce the political division in Congress and among your constituents? Great question, and one that I think anybody who is getting ready to enter Congress as the freshman congressman is really should be scratching their heads because it is a challenging question. I joined the Cascade Party and left the Republican Party because I felt it was far more A, in line with who I am as a person and as a candidate, but more importantly because it's centrist. And I think there is a large portion of politicians and also voters who are far more centrist than the extremes of the party allow them to be. And as a member of the Cascade Party, I won't be tied to a single party line. I won't have to follow exactly what's being said.

1:24:07 I will be able to work with the constituents and voters within Cascade within the third district to be able to ensure that we're putting forward the policies that make a difference here. Thank you. What energy sources do you support that will provide adequate power for the future? What can Congress do to ensure the reliability of the country's electrical grid? The electrical grid is something that's being increasingly challenged, both with population growth and also as the business world develops more technology that requires us to have greater power. We're looking at a number of things. I know that Trump just approved several billion dollars for the building of nuclear power plants. That is an interesting movement because in theory it's a green power until one day it isn't.

1:25:03 I think what we need to do is really in Southwest Washington take a look at what we have today. We have liquid natural gas power plants that are able to run 24 hours a day. We have hydroelectric that are able to run 24 hours a day. The move to wind power and solar power, while really alluring, has its challenges. If you look at the actual weather, when it's really hot, when it's really cold, the wind doesn't blow. When it's really cold, there generally isn't sunlight. When we have large need for electricity, some of those more green power sources don't provide the electricity. I think we need to have a really balanced approach to it moving forward, leaving in some of the things that we've been trying to remove for a few years. Should Congress continue to ensure the continued viability of the Social Security and Medicare programs?

1:26:00 If so, please explain how you would finance these programs. If not, why not? Absolutely. I think it's something that we need to take a look at because by 2030 Social Security is going to be in real trouble. When I got out of university in the mid-80s, I had a realization, as I think most of Generation X had, that we will never have an ability to know that Social Security would be there. That's a real problem. I think it's a real problem for the generations that have followed, Generation Z and the millennials also. We need to ensure that Social Security is there. We have Medicaid and Medicare. I actually think there is an argument to be made to expand that, to offer universal health coverage to everyone through those two programs. They already ensure 38 percent of the United States.

1:26:54 The money very easily could come from removing, reducing, and pulling back from our international military presence. Right now we have 128 bases around the world that are costing us close to $60 billion a year. If we closed 10 percent of them, we would have more money than the United States spends on health care in a year. Thank you. Does the United States have a responsibility to become involved with conflicts in other countries? Please provide concrete examples to help us understand where you would draw lines. We have a very mixed history on our participation in conflicts. We had two world wars where we participated greatly, and I think those world wars drove great value for the planet. I think after that we started getting into wars that became very difficult and were problematic because we entered them for, I believe, the wrong reasons.

1:27:54 Or at least we had the right reasons, but the implementation was wrong. We are an incredible manufacturing base for high-tech weapons. I think the thing that we should really do is provide the weaponry, the support, and the training, but not the troops. Thank you. Washington is one of the states that is now taxing residents on income above $1 million. Does the federal income tax system need major reform? Why or why not? It does. It needs major reform on the commercial side, not on the personal side. If you take a look at and compare publicly traded companies versus small businesses in the United States, the average publicly traded company pays 6.1 percent in taxes, the average small business pays 28.9. That is truly a reverse tax because the biggest companies are paying the least and the smallest companies are paying the most.

1:28:53 We need to take a look at that, but we also need to have a recognition that there is a hole in the argument about taxing the wealthy, as this 1 percent shows. Anybody who knows or has seen actually how the 1 percent pays taxes doesn't realize that it's not on their personal tax return. It's the companies that they run and own that are paying taxes before the income gets to them. So the discussion of what's fair, I think, really needs to be taken a look at. And I think the best place to do it is by taxing offshore income for large corporations as a start and then changing the Social Security tax so there is no cap on it. Thank you. What are your thoughts on proposed changes to our current election system, such as eliminating mail voting and requiring proof of citizenship?

1:29:51 I vote by mail. I think a great many of us do, whether it's because you're extremely busy and taking the time to actually go to a voting booth is difficult. The reality is, if there had been that much fraud after 2016 or 2020 or 2024, the current administration has had plenty of time to adjudicate those cases. And we haven't seen cases coming forwards. I think there's always going to be somebody that is trying to game the system. There's all there are always going to be people that are acting as bad actors. But the reality is, I think voter fraud in this country is very low. And I certainly don't think that eliminating mail in ballots will be positive for this country.

1:30:41 Thank you. What role should the federal government play in major regional infrastructure projects like the I-5 bridge replacement and how would you advocate for Southwest Washington in that process? The IBR or I-5 bridge replacement has become a boondoggle and it's become a boondoggle largely because we have so many consultants working on it. And every time the consultants submit a new report, they charge for it. And every time they charge for it, they have to make the bridge more expensive so their fees stay in line as a percentage of the total budget. And that's a problem. And that's a problem all the way through projects like that. What we really need to do is sit down and say, OK, what's the minimum we need to do to accomplish this?

1:31:32 Because if you look at all the infrastructure in Southwest Washington, it's not just that one bridge, the roads running east and west through the district, whether it's four or six or 12 need work. So what we need to do is sit down and say we have finite resources. We need to make sure we're investing them properly the same way that anybody does at home. Right. What am I? What are my real priorities? And then we need to stick to those priorities and we need to change one thing in government with which is government never has a sense of urgency. We need to put the sense of urgency to get the projects done. Thank you. What role do you believe the federal government should play in ensuring access to affordable health care? I believe we should have universal health care in this country. OK, thank you. So finally, we have a bit of a lightning round, so I'll just ask you a series of yes or no questions.

1:32:27 Please be mindful to provide a brief yes or no response. Ready? Yep. Would you vote for legalizing abortion nationwide? Yes. Would you vote to abolish the Electoral College? No. Would you support the update to the Voting Rights Act that has been introduced in Congress? I don't know enough about it. Will you accept the results of the election no matter who wins? Yes. Thank you for your time. That's the end of the interview. I appreciate it so much. My pleasure, Rachel. Thank you very much. My name is Rachel Bancroft and I'm a member of the League of Women Voters of Clark County. On August 4th, voters in southwest Washington will select nominees to represent the third congressional district. Joining me today is one of these congressional candidates, Larry Kellogg. Welcome to you, Larry. Hi. Thank you. As a reminder, you will have 60 seconds to answer each of these questions. So if you're ready, we'll go ahead and get started.

1:33:27 Okay. Go ahead. What skills and abilities would you bring to Congress and what issues would you prioritize? I think my skills and abilities stem mostly from how I was born, and I tend to be able to decide, weigh the pros and cons, and I tend to look for solutions to answers. So I think I'm pretty good at that, and that's a skill innate. I was a cargo pilot. I flew around the world. There's no one else in this race who spent as much time outside the United States as I did. A lot of times it was one and a half times around the world every month, and I spent more of my life for a lot of it outside the U.S. than in it.

1:34:16 So I saw a lot of stuff, and I was going to places that were difficult in the United States, the Middle East and other areas, and my priorities would be for the people is a good business climate for the people. The third, get us back to where we should be. And then I think I'm almost done, aren't I? Yes. Thank you. Specifically, how would you address immigration and how would your approach affect communities, employers and families in Southwest Washington? For the immigration is, I think it ought to be done legally. I think the green card system on a lottery is a very fair way to pursue it. The people that come to the United States under the green card are vetted.

1:35:14 So I think it's fair to everyone. We're also able to allow people from all over the world and other continents the opportunity to come to the United States and fulfill the American dream. And how would it affect people in the United States? Boy, that's a multifaceted question. And so there are times when people are unable to or families, you know, they think it's the immigration is a problem when immigration may be helping us. So, again, you'd have to look at that pretty deeply, but I am generally in favor of immigration. Thank you. Provide examples of how you would collaborate with others across the aisle. What actions would you take to reduce political division in Congress and among your constituents?

1:36:11 I think the one candidate that's probably going to be the best congressperson is the one who goes to the bar and slaps everybody's back and gets drunk. And that seems to be where most business gets done, from my experience. And those of us who were the studious A students wind up working for those C students who are the drunkards in the bar. And you think I laugh, but a lot of it is that intangible, the secondary thing. So the deal is you go to Congress with the with the attitude that you're going to make friends and try to develop relationships with the people there. That, I think, is first and foremost, it's it's it's the unwritten rule. And the other part is I when my kids went to college, I told them you could either be friends with the A students or friends with the kids playing Frisbee on the Commons all day long.

1:37:03 You know what? Which do you choose? And I would do that. You apply that to Congress. I would go there and mentor off of the best Congress people and be friends with those who are doing the good stuff. Thank you. What energy sources do you support that will provide adequate power for the future? What can Congress do to ensure the reliability of the country's electrical grid? That's a good question, because at my home right now where we're sitting, the electricity is coming from a solar array that was facilitated by Clark Public Utilities. So then I in the driveway is an E.V. electrical vehicle that is charged for free off of that the solar array during these better months of the year. And again, I had a federal assistance. We're eager beavers. We're busy beavers. Everybody. We're always building out stuff.

1:38:02 So I see the alternative energy sources as a good way to go. I would pursue it. I'm hopeful that battery technology is in its infancy and will mature to a better deal. But we still need hydrocarbons. And but once that stuff is burned, it's gone. But that's about where I would stay with it is keep producing it. Thank you. Should Congress continue to ensure the continued viability of the Social Security and Medicare programs? If so, please explain how you would finance these programs. If not, why not? Well, you're asking me a question that, you know, a serious expert in that kind of economics could cipher from the data. And every one of us has our own idea.

1:38:57 But we're not the ones who are in there searching through all the data and the reams of information coming through. That's just one of the reasons I would look at it. So I would demure saying a lot of stuff about it. But Social Security is a safety net. It's the bottom safety net for a lot of people. Yes, me running as a center right Republican congressman. One of the things I want to do is encourage a healthy business environment where people earn money and accumulate some wealth. But Social Security is the ultimate safety net. Medicare, the costs are so high and they keep climbing so, so fast. I'm on Medicare. I'm a retiree. But if you're going to have Medicare, you know, we have to pay for it. Middle class has to pay for it. Thank you. Does the United States have a responsibility to become involved with conflicts in other countries?

1:39:52 Please provide concrete examples to help us understand where you would draw lines. On conflicts in other countries, for the people who are isolationists and say we shouldn't be involved, that's not possible. We can't pull it. I didn't see it. When I was walking through Hong Kong as a cargo pilot and I see so many signs that are from American companies that were essentially involving in and the world was adapting our standards. So we may have been losing our industrial might, but our intellectual standards, our business standards were worldwide and people wanted to emulate us until a certain somebody came along. And so to say you're not involved, gosh, look at Ukraine.

1:40:43 We turned our back on Ukraine when and after World War Two or during World War Two, we found we protected the freedom of so many countries, even countries that were our enemies. I could go on. You don't give me time. But, you know, we got to stay involved. Don't have a choice. And I wouldn't draw the line. I don't. That's an individual basis. Washington is one of the states that is now taxing residents on income above one million dollars. Does the federal income tax system need major reform? Why or why not? Well, again, you know, you want is I'm not a tax expert. I go to a tax expert and and the funding. It seems to me that government spending, you don't say you cut it, you prune it because it always grows back. Now, Washington State, they were so eager, this emergency action to put in a millionaire's tax, want to isolate it.

1:41:42 It's picking on the millionaires and they're the ones that own businesses and do a lot. That doesn't seem to me. That seems to sour the business climate here in in Washington state, which punches well above its weight business wise across the nation. What a, you know, Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks. These are worldwide companies. And here we're thwarting the business enthusiasm with this. And it says Constitution by vote, the people will approve of an income tax. And here come the Democrats pulling the shenanigans and they were overtaxed as it is. So and as far as over, we have a progressive sales tax and we have a lower lower overall tax worldwide. I'm I think it's OK, as long as we just don't over soak the rich because it's a that's a false thing.

1:42:38 What are your thoughts on proposed changes to our current election system, such as eliminating mail voting and requiring proof of citizenship? To require proof of citizenship would satisfy or lay the fears of some people on the opposing side. Mail and voting, you know, it all seemed to work pretty good. And people had a lot of faith in our election system until he came along. And you know who I'm talking about, the great I am. He screws up things so badly and and the polls show he's going to lose. So he says, oh, the elections read it's it's unfair, dishonest elections. So I'm like, oh, come on, guys, right now in Washington state, our mail in voting has seemed to work. Gee, the only times we had problems with it was when when Trump instigated people probably are the ones that set fire to the ballot boxes.

1:43:32 So I'm I think the deal is, is if you both sides watch each other going forward, because after the vote, unless you can prove it, you know, gee, how many times do we go to court over 2020? And oh, he doesn't have a problem with 2024, 2018 or 2016. Thank you. What role should the federal government play in major regional infrastructure projects like the I-5 bridge replacement? And how would you advocate for Southwest Washington in that process? Oh, that's a good one. Of course, the federal money, your federal tax dollars come back back to a certain amount, come back to your district to be spent. And right about now, our state government is spending money. I don't know. I think they're giveaways. And then they're pushing mass transportation on people that you don't seem to want to use.

1:44:24 I mean, when I see the buses empty and and I haven't even gone down to see what TriMet, how the ridership is. But, you know, this is a big thing. I'm a broken record. You guys like your cars. You like to drive around. It's your freedom. It's individual transportation instead of mass transit for the masses. And this individualism is what makes America great. We live large folks got to live with. Got to deal with that. So the bridge crossing, I think there needs to be a change in leadership. The guys doing it down there are not convincing the others. And if I had to go up against some of these guys in Clark County and argue with them, well, I think I can do it. But some of that, they're pretty strong on their opinions. Thank you. What role do you believe the federal government should play in ensuring access to affordable health care? What role the federal government access to affordable health care?

1:45:21 I've been around the world and I will tell you places saying that they have medical care comparable to the United States. And you walk in the waiting room and there are people lying there in a gurney. And I've been sent to a Western style hospital when I needed medical care overseas. I mean, people do not understand how how good it is in the United States, but it is very expensive. And the way I look at it is if you work, if you really work, we can get you medical care. I think I think that's doable. But when you're talking about like the last year of life can cost hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars for people who are fighting terminal diseases. And over our lifetime, this health care is maybe one of the biggest single consumer items we will have. And and they and it is extremely good in the United States.

1:46:14 I think it's the middle class. We have to tax up and pay for it and ask economics like, yes, it would contract the economy. But what would be like you're selling either so many pizzas at this amount of money, you know, like twenty five bucks or the same amount of pizzas at twenty bucks because people don't have so much money and they're paying for Medicare. Thank you. We have to move on. Finally, we're going to ask you a series of lightning round questions. So these require just a simple yes or no response. Would you vote for legalizing abortion nationwide? Yes. Would you vote to abolish the Electoral College? No. Would you support the update to the Voting Rights Act that has been introduced in Congress?

1:47:04 Can't answer. Don't know about. No. No. That one. Will you accept the results of the election no matter who wins? I can't answer that. I'm in. And there may be good if there's a good legal thing that goes through the courts, but I'm not going to answer that. Thank you so much for your time today. We truly appreciate it. OK, thank you. Special thanks to our candidates for participating in these interviews and to CVTV for sharing them on air and online. Remember, Washington residents do not need to request a mail in ballot. All registered voters will receive them by July 25th. You can make sure you are registered by going to vote WA dot gov. The deadline for registering online and by mail is July 29th, but you can register up until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

1:48:01 If you go in person to the Clark County office in Vancouver and for information about all your candidates, check out vote for one one dot org. Thank you for watching. And don't forget to be a voter on August 4th. Those who vote in the primary election will choose two of these candidates to move on to the November ballot, make a difference and help decide who those candidates will be.