Scott Peters

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From securing federal dollars for San Diego’s biomedical research industry, to promoting small business and free trade, I’ve spent my time in Congress passing legislation that encourages economic growth both nationally and at home in San Diego. We are over a decade removed from the Great Recession, however, America continues to face challenging new realities in a changing world. In order to build an economy that brings opportunity to working people, we need to support the innovators who are creating the jobs of the future. We must also support our workforce by giving them the skills they need to compete for those high-quality jobs. By reforming our immigration system, making smart investments in research, education, and infrastructure, and fixing our complicated tax code, we can create economic growth that leaves no one behind. Unfortunately, our federal budget is upside down because too many in Congress are more focused on holding on to problems for political gain than on solving them. I’ll continue to work with anyone to balance the budget over time with sensible tax policy and smart cuts.

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International trade is vital to the economic growth of San Diego and the entire nation. In the 114th Congress, I was one of only 28 House Democrats to support the passage of the Trade Promotion Authority, allowing the Administration to complete the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations. This was crucial for reducing barriers to U.S. exports and maintaining competitiveness in the Asia Pacific, preventing China from setting trade rules for the region.

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Ensuring fair wages is essential for building a thriving economy. In the 116th Congress, I co-sponsored and helped pass a federal $15 minimum wage bill out of the House. Although it did not become law, this bill would have matched California’s rate to support workers nationwide. Additionally, I co-sponsored a bill to create a regional minimum wage, adjusting pay based on local living costs. This approach recognizes the diverse economic landscapes across the country and ensures that wages are fair and adequate for all workers.

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I have voted to increase military pensions, cosponsored the Veterans Pension Protection Act, and continue to oppose privatizing veterans’ benefits. In the 115th Congress, I introduced and passed legislation that was included in the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, to provide education and job training benefits to guardsmen and reservists. We made a promise that these benefits would always be there to assist those who served our country. Since being elected, my staff and I have focused on providing the highest level of service to veterans who are having difficulty navigating the federal bureaucracy. As a result, more than $1.6 million in benefits owed to them have been restored to San Diego veterans since I first took office.

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The unemployment rate for our veterans has recently fallen, but the unemployment rate specifically for Afghanistan and Iraq veterans aged 18 to 24 is high in San Diego, and above the rate for non-veterans. In the 114th Congress, I offered and passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that encourages the Department of Defense to prioritize the hiring of veterans for military construction projects like those I’ve secured funding for at Coronado and Miramar. I introduced the Veterans Employment Transition (VETs) Act to provide incentives to businesses for hiring recently discharged veterans, and voted for improved on-the-job and apprenticeship programs through the VA. In the 116th Congress, I also introduced an amendment to the Rights For Transportation Security Officers Act to examine how the TSA recruits veterans, helping service members transition to civilian roles that align with their skills. I will continue to support programs that provide job training and help our service men and women re-enter their lives as husbands, fathers, mothers, and wives.

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I support the GI Bill because it rewards young people who are eager to earn a college education after serving their country. In 2018, I introduced and passed legislation to make sure all Purple Heart recipients receive their full GI Bill education benefits – regardless of active duty length. I voted to ensure veterans have access to in-state tuition rates, and for the Veterans Education Equity Act to make sure veterans get the same benefits whether they attend public or private institutions. In 2018, I introduced and helped pass a bill to provide guardsmen and reservists the same educational and employment benefits, regardless of whether their service was voluntary or involuntary.

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Our veterans need to know their Congressional representative will stand up, fight, and preserve these programs and benefits. When I arrived in Congress, it was clear that we had allowed far too many veterans in need to fall through the cracks. Our system isn’t perfect yet, but I’ve worked across the aisle to move forward with commonsense solutions, and we’ve begun to address the gaps and improve services. During the Trump administration, I offered and helped pass an amendment to prevent any decreases in funding for veteran homelessness programs. In the 116th Congress, I introduced the Veteran HOUSE Act, which expands eligibility for veterans with other-than-honorable discharges to participate in the HUD-VASH voucher program. This legislation became law as part of the annual defense bill at the beginning of 2021. In 2023, I continued my advocacy for San Diego’s homeless veterans by urging the VA San Diego Healthcare System to address why many HUD-VASH vouchers in the county were not being utilized. With continued cooperation, we can make sure that we’re ready with the services our veterans need and deserve as they return home.

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I am committed to ensuring the VA has the resources and support it needs to provide the best possible level of service. I consistently opposed attempts by the Trump administration to privatize the VA. We need a culture at the VA from the top to the bottom that is focused on serving veterans, not the bureaucracy. But forcing veterans into a for-profit health care system is not the answer. To strengthen the VA, I helped pass legislation to reform the veterans’ appeals process and repair the claims backlog. I’ve also supported legislation that removes barriers to firing poorly performing VA employees.

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Social Security and Medicare are contracts between the government and generations of Americans that we must not break. Men and women who have spent a lifetime working hard, providing for their families, and saving for retirement deserve the security of knowing that the benefits they’ve earned will be there for them.

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As a member of Congress, I believe we have a moral obligation to future generations to embrace the clean energy revolution.

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The economy, especially in San Diego, runs on brainpower. If we don’t educate our children, our nation won’t be able to compete for the jobs of the future. We need to make sure our K-12 education system is preparing our kids for college and ensure that any student who qualifies and wants to go to college, can afford to do so. I introduced bipartisan legislation to provide an incentive for employers to help cover the cost of their employees’ student loan bills — called The Employer Participation in Student Loan Assistance Act. This legislation was included in the CARES Act of March 2020 and received a five-year extension under the FY 2021 federal spending package signed by President Biden. For those who do not choose a four-year degree, we must work toward establishing our community colleges as centers for skills training and placement.

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We’ve seen the dangers presented by partisan gridlock in Congress when we repeatedly wait until the last moment to raise the country’s debt limit and we know the harms of shutting down the federal government because we can’t reach a compromise. We can’t continue to consider not paying our country’s bills and risking the basic function of our nation’s finances. I introduced the Protect America’s Credit Act to tie the debt limit increase to the nation’s GDP growth, and the Pay Down Our Debt Act to require a negotiated budget compromise if the debt starts growing faster than the nation’s economy. In 2021, after coming within days of defaulting on our debt, I co-introduced the Responsible Budgeting Act, to reform how Congress tackles the national debt limit and avoid the political theater that threatens the national economy. Combined, these reforms will help keep our credit safe around the world, while still allowing for tough fiscal discipline at home. I was even recognized as a “Fiscal Hero” by a group called Fix the Debt for my bipartisan work in tackling the national debt.

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Achieving equal pay for women is also crucial for economic justice. Women in America earn just 84 cents for every dollar earned by men, with even wider disparities for women of color, mothers, and LGBTQ+ individuals. This pay gap means that women must work longer to earn the same amount as their male counterparts. It’s time to close the gender pay gap and ensure that everyone is paid fairly for their work.

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San Diego’s economy depends heavily on international trade, and I remain committed to ensuring that our trade policies support local businesses and create jobs. By promoting free trade and fostering strong international partnerships, we can continue to drive economic growth and innovation in our region.

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I previously served as the Chair of the Climate Task Force for the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, working to create green collar jobs by advancing policies that promote clean energy, domestic manufacturing, and the development of renewable energy resources. And as one of four co-chairs of the Congressional Algae Caucus, I strongly advocate for research in algal biofuels technology. In the 115th Congress, I introduced the bipartisan Algae Agriculture Act of 2018, which will make certain that algae qualifies for the same investment opportunities as other agricultural sectors.

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Supporting families with access to affordable, high-quality child care is also crucial for our children’s development and parents’ ability to pursue education and career opportunities. In the 118th Congress, I urged the Department of Education to reconsider applications for the Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) grants, leading to UCSD receiving a $487,981 grant in the second round of funding. I also introduced the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act, which would create a pilot program to help law enforcement agencies establish and run child care centers. This bill gained strong bipartisan backing from the Problem Solvers Caucus, emphasizing the need for accessible child care for our police officers. This act will also aid in recruiting and retaining high-quality, diverse officers, particularly women, by addressing one of the critical obstacles to their participation in law enforcement through accessible and affordable child care.

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We must also reform the nation’s tax code to simplify it for the middle class and encourage American companies to create jobs in America. We should work to incentivize companies that build and expand here at home, rather than abroad. I voted to give hardworking Americans a break by making the earned income and child tax credits permanent, and have worked to extend the Research and Development Tax Credit, which incentivizes businesses to invest in innovation. I have supported legislation to repeal the Cadillac Tax, which would have likely unraveled the multi-employer health insurance options that people in San Diego depend on. And at the end of 2015, I helped pass the Omnibus spending bill, which made the R&D tax credit permanent, giving San Diego small business owners a true incentive for new innovation. In 2021, I voted to pass the Build Back Better Act, which included provisions to improve the tax code to prevent tax avoidance and ensure wealthy Americans and large corporations are paying their fair share.

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Equal pay benefits everyone. Supporting and uplifting women strengthens entire communities and boosts our national economy. Throughout my time in Congress, I have consistently supported equal pay legislation. In my office, everyone earns the same amount for the same work because I believe in leading by example. We must address workplace inequities to close the gender pay gap for good.

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PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY: I believe Social Security should be a guarantee for retirement, not a question mark. I will continue to fight any risky scheme to privatize Social Security and expose it to stock market ups and downs, threatening seniors’ retirement plans.

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Investing in research is one of the best ways we can drive American competitiveness and job creation while improving San Diego’s international profile as a growing innovation hub.

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As a nation, we must work toward a long-term energy policy that 1) creates new American jobs; 2) emphasizes greater energy independence; 3) invests in the development of alternative fuels; 4) promotes clean energy technology like wind and solar; and 5) ensures greater national security.

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Additionally, we must immediately end subsidies to oil companies that are among the most profitable companies ever. The fact that oil companies are subsidized by the taxpayers while making record profits – and while middle-class Americans are struggling – makes absolutely no sense. Keeping the earnings and jobs created by American companies at home and ending subsidies will help get us back on the road toward a balanced budget.

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PRESERVE MEDICARE: Medicare is what keeps many seniors from a retirement of poverty. I oppose efforts to cut Medicare and reduce it to a private voucher system that will only create a spike in out-of-pocket healthcare costs for seniors. We can reduce fraud and waste and find ways to reduce prescription drug costs, helping to reduce the overall costs of Medicare.

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We must balance the budget, and we’ve got to do it the right way. In other words, it shouldn’t be on the backs of seniors and the middle class. I only support a budget that simultaneously cuts wasteful spending, tackles our long-term debt, preserves a safety net, reforms the tax code to encourage competitiveness abroad and job creation at home, supports a strong military and makes the investments in infrastructure, education and basic scientific research that will support our country and our children into the next century.

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San Diego has one of the largest populations of veterans in the nation — approximately 240,000. And every year, 15,000 more servicemembers leave the armed forces right here in San Diego. When these Americans volunteered to serve our country, we made a commitment to help care for and support them after their service. This commitment must be honored. As a former member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I will always work across the aisle to achieve the best possible outcomes for veterans and their families. I will continue to work tirelessly to preserve our existing veterans programs, and to improve and expand their reach to help our returning veterans adjust back to civilian life.