IMPACT THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. ONE RACE THAT COULD DETERMINE THE BALANCE OF POWER IN CONGRESS IS CALIFORNIA’S NINTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. THAT’S THE MATCHUP BETWEEN DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENT JOSH HARDER AND THE REPUBLICAN MAYOR OF STOCKTON, KEVIN LINCOLN. ON A NATIONAL LEVEL, BOTH PARTIES SUPPORT A LOT OF MONEY INTO THIS RACE BECAUSE IT COULD HELP DETERMINE WHICH PARTY CONTROLS THE HOUSE. NEITHER OF THESE CANDIDATES RESPONDED TO OUR REQUEST TO DEBATE, BUT THEY DID AGREE TO INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS. WE START WITH KCRA THREE CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT ASHLEY ZAVALA’S CONVERSATION WITH CONGRESSMAN HARDER. WHAT IN THIS UPCOMING TERM, WOULD YOU PUSH FOR IN CONGRESS TO MAKE THINGS MORE AFFORDABLE? FIRST, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PUSHING NOT JUST TO CAP THE PRICE OF INSULIN, WHICH WE’VE DONE, BUT TO CAP THE PRICE OF EVERY SINGLE PRESCRIPTION DRUG AND CAP HEALTH CARE COSTS THAT FOLKS CAN HAVE AN AFFORDABLE VISIT TO THE DOCTOR, GET LIFESAVING MEDICATION THAT THEY NEED. SECOND, WE NEED TO HOLD HIS FEET TO THE FIRE. THIS IS A CORPORATION THAT IS ON THEIR FOURTH STATE INCREASE, SO FAR THIS YEAR. THERE ARE FOLKS HERE IN STOCKTON THAT ARE PAYING MORE THAN THEIR PG&E BILLS, THAN THEY’RE PAYING IN THEIR MONTHLY RENT, OR THEIR MORTGAGE. THAT’S SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE. SO I HAVE AN EFFORT IN CONGRESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CAPPING THESE RATE INCREASES. AND ALSO INTRODUCING MORE COMPETITION TO LOWER PRICES FOR FAMILIES ACROSS OUR REGION. IN TERMS OF AFFORDABILITY, I KNOW HOUSING COSTS. HOUSING PERIOD. AND THE STATE’S HOMELESSNESS CRISIS. I MEAN, WHAT WHAT CAN BE DONE IN CONGRESS? ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS. AND SO WE NEED TO DO TWO THINGS. ONE IS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MANDATING ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR FOLKS THAT NEED IT, BUT MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE GET THAT HELP BACK ON THEIR FEET. AND SECOND, WE NEED A LOT MORE HOUSING. WE NEED THE RESOURCES, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO CUT THE RED TAPE. WE WENT THROUGH A PERIOD IN THE 80S WHEN WE FELT LIKE WE WERE NOT TREATING MENTAL HEALTH THE RIGHT WAY, AND THE PENDULUM HAS NOW SWUNG DRAMATICALLY IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, WHERE WE’VE ACTUALLY PUT A LOT OF RED TAPE TO STOP FOLKS FROM CREATING MORE MENTAL HEALTH BEDS ACROSS OUR STATE, THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. THAT’S A FEDERAL REGULATION, NOT A STATE REGULATION. IF WE DID IT, WE WOULD SEE A LOT FEWER WAITLISTS IN OUR AREA. AND I THINK WE WOULD SEE A LOT FEWER HOMELESSNESS AS GALT. SWITCHING GEARS TO ANOTHER IMPORTANT TOPIC FOR VOTERS IS IMMIGRATION. I KNOW KAMALA HARRIS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS SAID IF SHE’S ELECTED, SHE WANTS TO REVIVE THAT BIPARTISAN BORDER DEAL THAT COLLAPSED EARLIER THIS YEAR. I WONDER, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF IF THAT WERE TO BE REVIVED? ABSOLUTELY. WE ARE A COUNTRY OF IMMIGRANTS AND WE’RE A COUNTRY OF LAWS. AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A DEEPLY BROKEN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD HAVE. AND SHOULD HAVE FIXED THIS YEAR. BUT INSTEAD, FOLKS WANTED TO PLAY POLITICS WITH THEM, WITH ABORTION. I MEAN, CALIFORNIA IS OBVIOUSLY IT REMAINS ACCESSIBLE. THE PROCEDURE IS ACTUALLY BEING EXTENDED TO WOMEN COMING FROM OUT OF STATE. BUT WE’RE SEEING AN INFLUX OF THOSE WOMEN COMING FROM NEARBY STATES WHO DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO THE PROCEDURE. IS THERE ANYTHING CONGRESS CAN DO TO ENSURE THAT CALIFORNIA HAS THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE BEING ESSENTIALLY AN ABORTION SANCTUARY? YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A RACE RIGHT HERE WHERE MY OPPONENT CELEBRATED THE OVERTURNING OF ROE VERSUS WADE. THE REMOVAL OF CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS BY THE SUPREME COURT. AND SO THERE SHOULD BE NOT A DOUBT IN ANYBODY’S MIND THAT WE ARE NOT SAFE HERE IN CALIFORNIA. WE CANNOT BE COMPLACENT AND THAT THERE IS A NATIONWIDE PUSH TO PUT IN PLACE AN ABORTION BAN, NOT JUST FOR ABORTION, BUT ALSO FOR CONTRACEPTION, FOR FERTILITY TREATMENTS LIKE IVF, WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR FAMILIES TRYING TO START YOU KNOW, GROWING THEIR FAMILY. AND SO WE NEED FOLKS TO BE ENGAGED. THESE ARE ALL QUESTIONS WE HAVE POSED TO OTHER CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES IN DEBATES. WE DID REACH OUT TO YOU AND KEVIN LINCOLN TO DO A TELEVISED DEBATE. THE NATIONAL AND DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEES HAVE POURED MONEY INTO YOUR RACES BECAUSE IT IS HIGHLY TARGETED. WHY NOT DEBATE YOUR OPPONENT? YEAH, WE’RE HAPPY TO DEBATE ANYBODY, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. WE’VE OBVIOUSLY DONE A NUMBER OF FORUMS AND ALL THE REST. I THINK IF THERE’S, YOU KNOW, SCHEDULING THAT WE CAN WORK OUT, WE’RE HAPPY TO DO SOMETHING. BUT ULTIMATELY WE’RE GOING TO GO TO VOTERS. WE’RE NOT GOING TO EXPECT THEM TO COME T