HOULAHAN TAKES ON ISSA OVER PROTECTING DEMOCRACY, WOMEN’S RIGHTS, HEALTHCARE, AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN 48th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

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East County News Service

November 2, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – Stephen Houlahan is a former Santee City Councilman and registered nurse who led successful effforts to block a dangerous liquified natural gas pipeline through the 48^th Congressional district that he is now running to represent.  That seat is currently occupied by Rep. Darrell Issa. The contrast is dramatic—and Houlahan says he’s running to restore freedoms, protect our democracy, and bring home federal dollars to underground power lines that have sparked wildfires and caused insurance rates to skyrocket.

The contrast couldn’t be more clear.

• Issa voted against certifying the 2020 election results and opposed efforts to investigate the Capitol insurrection.  Houlahan says a peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of democracy, and has won endorsement from National Security Leaders of America, a bipartisan group of retired military leaders and cabinet officers.
• Issa is coauthor of a bill to outlaw abortion nationwide, with no exceptions even to save a mother’s life.  Houlahan wants to restore women’s reproductive freedoms taken away when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
• Issa voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Houlahan wants to fight to bring home infrastructure dollars to improve storm drainage infrastructure, repair the dangerous El Capitan dam, and improve fire safety.
• Issa has opposed clean energy investment.  Houlahan  backs rebuilding the energy grid, including undergrounding power lines to protect our backcountry.
• Issa voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Houlahan wants to protect it and expand Medicare to cover those 55 and up, also adding a MediKids program to cover 4 million uninsured children.
• Issa, one of the wealthiest members of Congress, has been accused of corruption including most recently failing to timely report hundreds of thousands of dollars in treasury bonds, a potential violation of the Stock Act.  Houlahan says he will stand against corruption and for transparency, calling for tougher penalties on insider trading by members of Congress and a need for honest leadership.

In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine also aired on KNSJ radio,  Houlahan also shared his views on the economy and inflation, immigration and border security NATO, the Israel-Gaza conflict,  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and more.

Q: Please tell us about your background, experience, and your primary goals if elected to Congress.

“I’ve been a registered nurse for over 25 years and my background is in critical care,” he says, adding that he has expertise in Medicare, including working as an analyst. He served from 2016-2020 as a Santee Councilman and as Vice Mayor in 2019.  As the president  of Save Santee, he led the group’s successful efforts to halt a liquified natural gas pipeline proposed to run through the district and stop Quail Gas power plant from being built next to Mission Trails Regional Park. He also fought successfully to get State Route 52 designated as a scenic highway.As a city councilman, he says he made sure to fully fund firefighters and keeping underground storm drains clear, preventing flooding that happened in other local areas. Married and a father, he’s also coached youth soccer and baseball.

Asked his highest priorities if elected, he says, “The first thing is we need to bring back women’s rights. We need to codify Roe v. Wade. I want to expand Medicare for those 55 and up and for children. I have a plan called MediKid. And I want to make sure that Social Security is there for everyone as they age.”

Q:  Congressman Issa called the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade a “great day.”  He has consistently voted against reproductive rights for women, has a 0% rating from Planned Parenthood and a 100% rating from pro-life, anti-abortion groups. He’s also opposed requiring insurers to cover birth control for women. How do your views on women’s reproductive health differ from your opponent’s?

“My views could not differ from my opponent any more. He is actually the coauthor for a nationwide ban on abortion everywhere. So don’t be fooled.  No exceptions. They’re taking a very hard line and it’s wrong...As someone who’s been a nurse for 25 years I understand the complexities of pregnancy and childbirth...I know how amazing it is to have a child...but also how difficult it is to lose a child,” he says of miscarriages. I am absolutely for women’s rights. Women’s rights are human rights.”

Q: As a nurse, what’s your assessment of our nation’s healthcare system and how it could be improved, and how do your views on healthcare compare with your opponent’s?

“The verdict is in, and Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, was a complete success....Having medical insurance is so very important especially when you hit your 50s. We need to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to be covered. Congressman Issa voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He has never, ever been a supporter of the importance of healthcare for all. We can’t go back to the 1800s era of social Darwinism where only the strongest survived...I am a big supporter of Medicare. I want to expand it to those 55 and over,” not as a mandate, but an opportunity for those who want it, he adds.  He also wants to expand Medicare for children with a program he calls MediKid.  He wants that repealing the ACA would harm those with pre-existing conditions, which is nearly everyone. Preventative care for children leads to healthier outcomes and pays for itself overtime, he says.

Q: Issa voted against certifying votes in the 2020 election and against creating an independent commission to investigate the January 6 capitol insurrection. Protecting our democracy is once again a major election issue in 2024, with Trump, whom Issa has supported, threatening to arrest his political opponents, praising Hitler’s generals for their loyalty to a ruthless dictator, and stating that he does not support our Constitution. Can you please share your views on what steps should be taken to protect the integrity of our elections and to preserve our democracy?

“The first step is for people to vote for me and get Congressman Issa out of Congress. He has failed to fulfill his Constitutional duty,” Houlahan says. ”A peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.”  He notes that Issa has opposed investigation of the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol.  “I am actually endorsed by the National Security Leaders for America, which is a bipartisan group of all retired generals, retired admirals, and retired cabinet members. There are many hundreds of them and they endorsed me because of Darrell Issa’s terrible record on this.

Q: Many voters cite the economy and inflation among their key concerns. What are your views on the state of our economy, how to improve the economic outlet for Americans, and bring down inflation?

Inflation was a worldwide phenomenon post-COVID, he notes, but adds, “Our economy is actually the envy of the world right now,” he says. “If you look at the stock market, it’s at record highs so it has bounced back,” adding that the Federal Reserve has lowered interest rates and unemployment is at an all-time low.  While prices are still too high, he says, competition is needed to reduce them.  Issa has been “a monopoly maker,” he says, adding that Issa has not supported competition to bring down prices. “I am a big supporter of the $50,000 incentives put forth by Kamala Harris for new small businesses” to help spur competition in the marketplace.  He also supports $25,000 housing incentives backed by Harris to help some first-time homebuyers,  noting that he was helped by a smaller incentive under the Obama administration that helped him buy his first home. He also supports inclusionary housing nationally.

Q:  Darrell Issa is one of the richest men in Congress and was recently caught up in a scandal of late reporting that he divested hundreds of thousands of dollars in treasury bonds, allegedly violating the Stock Act. Do you think we need more teeth in that law, since it’s only a $200 fine?

A: Absolutely. Insider trading is likely the only reason someone like Darrell Issa would want to be in Congress. He’s extremely wealthy and he is not serving the residents of the 48^th Congressional District. He is using his status in Congress to make himself much richer. That is not okay. There should be more teeth...Darrell Issa has done so many things that are unscrupulous over the year...he’s just not the right person to represent this district.”

Q:  Darrell Issa was the only member of the San Diego County Congressional delegation to vote against the infrastructure bill, which brought major funding to repair dams, roads, and bridges in other districts.  Would you prioritize fighting for funding for infrastructure in East County, to prevent flooding as we saw in January and repairing or replacing the aging El Capitan earthen dam that has been rated so dangerous by the state that it cannot be filled to capacity?

A: “Absolutely. As a city councilmember I prioritized infrastructure, filling potholes, fixing drainage. That’s what government is supposed to be doing...Darrell Issa has done absolutely nothing. He votes against any type of infrastructure and hasn’t brought any money home.  He never visits the district and doesn’t live in the district...he just doesn’t care.” Of the dam, he says, “We’ve got to get that fixed” before we have “a catastrophe.”

Q:  Immigration is a hot button issue in this election, with Donald Trump calling for rounding up millions of immigrants into detention camps and deporting them.  San Diego has among the highest number of international border crossers, including in rural East County areas.  How would you balance concerns over immigrations from a security standpoint versus concerns of others over humane treatment of migrants and asylum seekers, including families?

A: “We should never separate families. That’s not acceptable. We should have passed comprehensive immigration reform, reform for the border,” such as the bipartisan bill that Issa voted against. “It’s unbelievable. He makes the border his number one issue and then he votes against it...I believe we need reform. We need more immigration judges. We need more Border Patrol agents. We need those fentanyl scanners..” He calls for a “virtual wall. We need drone technology out there in the far East County” which is geographically too vast to build a wall everywhere. He notes that taxpayers are also paying to care for trauma patients in hospitals who were injured falling off the border wall. “We need to make sure people have their day in court, make sure the border is secure...but we can’t be inhumane.”  He wants to modernizes the Farmworkers’ Act to assure a dependable work force as well.

Q:  What are your thoughts on climate change and how to address its impacts, including increasingly severe wildfires and flooding that have impacted our region and created an insurance nightmare for many homeowners in East County?

A: “If you haven’t gotten your homeowner’s insurance, you’re in for a shock,” he says of rising rates and policies being dropped. “There is an insurance crisis going on, and in the East County and 48^th district it has mostly to do with wildfires.”  He calls for federal investment to put powerlines underground, since powerlines have caused numerous major fires.  “We need to work with the insurance industry as well to make sure that people can afford insurance, because if you have a mortgage, you must have insurance.”  He calls for tax incentives as well to help people on fixed incomes afford to trim trees and clear defensible space. He also believes cameras are needed underground to assure that storm drain infrastructure is working, and says he fought hard to get this done in Santee. “We need federal dollars and unfortunately our Congressman here in the 48^th is bringing in zero federal dollars.”

Q: Whichever party controls Congress after this election could be making key decisions on international policy.  Do you support the NATO alliance set up to provide mutual protection with our European allies? Trump has said he does not support that.

A: “The NATO alliance is absolutely the strongest alliance in the history of the world and I do support that.” Born in Scotland while his father was deployed there, he recalls, “That was all about NATO. NATO is so important. It’s what keeps a tyrant like Vladimir Putin in check.”

Q:  What do you believe is the proper U.S. role with regard to Ukraine and the Russian invasion of this sovereign nation?

A: “We don’t want to yield to tyrants and allow them to invade a sovereign nation like Ukraine. We should do everything in our power to support Ukraine and provide them with the weapons that they need, so that we don’t wind up with American boots on the ground in Europe. We don’t want to go back to during World War II when Hitler cut a deal and took over Poland when he rolled into Austria and annexed it and took over Europe because of lack of action. Putin would do the exact same thing given the opportunity. We must  support Ukraine with every means possible.

Q:  What is your view on the Israel-Gaza conflict and the escalating tensions and military actions across the region involving Lebanon and Iran?

A:  “It’s an absolute humanitarian crisis on both sides.  October 7^th was Israel’s September 11^th awakening; they were attacked brutally, thousands killed.  It was inexcusable. HAMAS is absolutely a terrorist organization and they have done a terrible, terrible thing, and Israel does have the right to defend itself. Unfortunately, now wer’e over a year past that terrible day and there are still hostages being held, and thousands upon  thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have died. So the cost is so very high, and with the war escalating up in Lebanon with Hezbollah and strikes in Iran,this is getting out of hand rapidly.” He likens it to the U.S. invading Afghanistan and Iraq after 9/11, which led to a 20-year conflict only to have Osama bin Ladin finally found and killed in Pakistan. “It’s a matter of engagement. It’s going to take many years to get back to where we were, which was still not a stable situation.”  As for a two-state solution, he says, “Every group of people needs a home. It’s unfortunate now that Gaza has been laid to waste, but it’s time for the killing to end, because generations of children who have gone through this...may well become the next generation of terrorists...It was a terrible mistake for Gazans to allow Hamas to become in charge of their government, but Netanyahu’s right-wing group has been “very militant as well” making the situation challenging.

Q:  Who are your major endorsers, and where can people get more information on your candidacy?

A: “My website is ElectHoulahan.com.” He’s endorsed by National :Security Leaders for America, the California Democratic Party, other Democratic groups locally, Healthcare for All, major healthcare organizations and unions including the AFL-CIO.  “We have amazing backing, a huge grassroots movement...We are the underdog. But we’re bringing in the tides of change..” He says that he loves this district, adding, “I will not be corrupted by all the money and the lobbyists....I just want to serve the people.”