Rep. Scott Peters, a Democrat and incumbent, is running for re-election to Congress representing California’s 50th Congressional District. The 50th encompasses San Diego’s downtown, Balboa Park and coastal neighborhoods and stretches north into Escondido and San Marcos. To help inform voters, the San Diego Union-Tribune asked the candidates a series of the same questions about their priorities, positions and campaigns. Their emailed answers have been lightly edited for clarity. Why are you running, and what makes you the best candidate? I have a proven record of working with everyone to get things done in San Diego and in Congress. I’ve authored and helped pass federal laws to limit what seniors pay at the counter for prescription drugs and to help families pay off rising student loan debt. I’ve passed bills to tackle climate change, to accelerate the nation’s transition to renewable energy and to expand housing opportunities for homeless. I will always fight to protect and expand civil rights, to defend a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions and to make healthcare for everyone more affordable and accessible. I’ve dedicated my career to improving San Diego. Prior to serving in Congress, I served as chairman of the San Diego Unified Port Commission, as San Diego’s first city council president and as an attorney at large organizations and at my own small business. What are the top 3 issues facing this district and California generally? 1. The housing crisis stifles prosperity and quality of life. I introduced a law to leverage federal funds to encourage cities to build more homes. This year, I helped secure $1.25 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program which sent millions to San Diego to finance affordable housing construction and support for first-time buyers. 2. Cross-border pollution flowing from Mexico in the Tijuana River Valley hurts public health, military readiness, border security and our economy. I secured more than $400 million to fix and expand the broken South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant; construction begins this year. I secured funds for scientists to study and report the health impacts of this waste and have pushed Mexico to do its part to fix it. 3. Climate change makes natural disasters more severe and frequent. Republicans and Democrats voted to pass my bill to reduce wildfires. I will work to get it signed into law. What are the first 3 things you would do in your next term in Congress? 1. The Inflation Reduction Act made historic investments to confront the climate crisis, but much of that money might expire if we don’t speed up the planning and permitting process for clean energy projects. I will continue my bipartisan work to speed environmental review and make those investments faster. 2. We must finish the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant to stop cross-border wastewater pollution this year. I will focus on getting regular funding to keep it working at the levels needed to protect San Diego. 3. We cannot saddle our kids with insurmountable national debt and we cannot allow Social Security and Medicare to go insolvent in the next decade. This happens automatically if we don’t act now. I’m pushing for a bipartisan commission to get our fiscal house in order, review spending and revenues and ensure the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share. What would you do to curb climate change and its effects on California? California faces severe climate impacts from extreme weather events. The House recently passed my Fix Our Forests Act to reduce catastrophic wildfires and protect healthy forests that clean our air. I’ve also introduced legislation to protect our iconic sequoia trees and ensure our communities can adapt and be more resilient against the effects of climate change. I led the push to reform our outdated permitting process to make it easier to build the clean energy projects we need without years of burdensome delay, including building additional transmission lines to move renewable energy from where it’s produced to where it’s needed. How should U.S. migration and asylum policy change, what should guide it, and what specifically will you pursue in Congress? San Diegans view our border as an opportunity, not a threat. I supported the Senate’s bipartisan immigration reform bill which Donald Trump killed by telling congressional Republicans he’d rather campaign on the problem than solve it. That bill would have added border security, invested in immigration courts and created a compassionate, orderly asylum process for those with valid claims. In addition to the Senate deal, which Vice President Harris says she would sign, we must improve visa processing times, allow for more legal immigration and create a pathway for citizenship for DREAMers and those who have been here for decades. It’s been nearly a year since Hamas attacks in Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, which has recently escalated conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah that threatens another war. What is your stance on the war in Gaza and what the U.S.’s role in the region should be? As we approach the first anniversary of Hamas’ unprecedented terrorist assault on Israel, I am deeply saddened by the immense loss of life for all involved in the conflict. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire with over 40,000 Palestinian lives lost and where 101 hostages, including seven Americans, remain trapped. The United States must continue to press for a negotiated agreement which ends all violence and results in the release of all remaining hostages. In addition, I support efforts to de-escalate regional tensions and remain firm in my commitment to Israel’s defense in the face of ongoing, indiscriminate attacks. Would you support federal statutory restrictions on, or protections of, abortion rights? Which, and to what extent? A woman should be free to make her own independent, reproductive choices with the advice of her doctor and without interference from politicians. In 2022, I helped the House pass the Women’s Health Protection Act to codify Roe v. Wade and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need no matter where they live. I also voted for the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, to stop my Republican colleagues from criminalizing women who travel across state lines to obtain an abortion. I’ll continue to support legislation that protects the right to abortion care. I’m endorsed by Planned Parenthood. Would you support or oppose stricter federal gun laws and background checks? Which, and to what extent? I’ve voted for every gun safety reform bill since I’ve been in Congress, including the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which became law in 2022. My STANDUP Act also became law in 2022. It is designed to help stop violence in our schools before it happens by teaching students and educators how to spot warning signs and intervene when someone is at risk of harming themselves or others. I support banning assault weapons, prohibiting concealed carry reciprocity, strengthening background checks and ghost gun regulations and more to end the horrible epidemic of gun violence.