Congressman Huffman talks politics with Willits High School students
On Monday, Feb. 3, Willits High School government and economics teacher Trish Silva-Brown welcomed United States Congressman Jared Huffman to the school for an hour-long “conversation” and Q&A with students. The visit was part of the Congressman’s ongoing series of school visits throughout the second district to help expose students to congressional work and answer questions.
“I’m pretty excited about your generation,” said Huffman. “As your Congressman, I want to give you a chance to have a civic dialogue with an elected official and member of the United States Congress. We can talk about anything that’s on your mind.” Before he accepted questions, however, he talked told the audience a little about what he does as a Congressman and why he thinks it’s important for students to stay engaged.
“This is a heck of an historic time, I would say, that we are living through right now. Some of the problems that I’m wrestling with in Washington are not things that I necessarily wanted to go and work on when I ran for Congress in 2012… I arrived in one of the most dysfunctional periods in our history when it comes to the United States Congress and our government in general. We are in a time of conflict and partisanship and dysfunction…” said Huffman. “But I will say this, I recognize how important these issues are. This is a really consequential time to be in the national arena so while I’m frustrated by some of the lack of productivity, I continue to feel like the work that I’m called to do is super important and historic. And, we’re going to look back on these times as a really critical moment for our country.”
Huffman also told the students that he has been impressed recently with their generation and cited two examples. The first reference was regarding what the young people in Parkland, Florida did after the tragic school shooting in their community. “They were so impacted and determined not to live in a world where they and others had to be constantly afraid of gun violence, that they really found their voices and they made a huge impact. They changed the law in the state of Florida, which I don’t think has passed any kind of gun safety reforms in decades.” The second example Huffman mentioned was what teenagers have done to bring about awareness and combat climate change.
The Congressman invited students to participate in three programs supported by his office. The annual Congressional Art Contest allows high school students submit their original works of art, which are judged by a panel of, and the winners are displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year. The second opportunity for students he mentioned is an annual Congressional App Challenge where students are recognized for the computer skills. Lastly, Huffman said he also supports a Veteran’s History Project that “is a great program that looks great on your resume and is a great experience.” For the project, a student is matched with a Veteran who has served their country and after a series of interviews, the student tells the Veteran’s story. “It’s been a really enriching experience, in part for the Veterans who in some cases haven’t even opened up and spoken about some of these things in a long time, but also for the young people who learn a lot about our country and do a great service by being part of that oral history project.”
With those details out of the way, Huffman invited the students to ask him questions, which included: Why did you voted yes on the two articles of impeachment? Huffman said he agreed that Trump’s actions were an abuse of power and an impeachable offense. What’s your response to PG&E’s blackouts? Huffman believes that because the utility neglected its infrastructure for a long time, they are responsible for the fires. He said hopes for a more resilient power grid sooner rather than later.
What is your current opinion on the controversy over abortion? He believes in reproductive choice. What is your opinion regarding the direction of stem cell research and cloning? “They are tough moral and ethical questions… I don’t have a great answer for you. I don’t have it all figured out yet.” Do you support the death penalty? Huffman said he does not support the death penalty because it’s a “flawed” system with systematic biases and inherent discrimination. Who do you plan to endorse for the 2020 election? “I have not endorsed… I’m nervous. I feel like the 2020 election is by far the most consequential one of my lifetime… I’m really concerned about infighting and division among the Democrats…”
Is overpopulation related to climate change? Huffman said he doesn’t think we have to “confront population head-on as a part of confronting the climate challenge and other things.” He added that he wasn’t sure that was the way to approach it because “as we have raised standards of education and standards of living around the world, we have seen this wonderful thing that happens… family sizes decrease, women start working and having careers and aspirations beyond just having lots and lots of babies. So, I think that probably a better way to approach the population challenge.”
Do you support mandatory vaccinations? Yes, with some exceptions. What do you think about immigration laws? “I am one who thinks this country should continue to embrace immigration as part of something that makes us great,” said Huffman. Do you think people with mental illness and substance abuse issues should be treated as criminals. “It depends on what they’re doing, obviously… For the most part, most people who suffer from these things want help and want to get better.” What’s your opinion on the (border) wall? Huffman said he believes it would be better to focus on the main points of entry where most of the security issues and people seeking asylum and other entry into the county are presenting. “That would be a far better thing than building this wall in the remote parts in the Rio Grande Valley where, frankly, you are not going to change the immigration situation all that much.”
Huffman also fielded questions about the implications of the EPA’s environmental rollbacks, the biggest challenges facing agriculture, whether military spending should be cut, whether entitlement programs relate to national debt, whether people moving out of California could affect the next election, and many others.
By: AURA WHITTAKER
Source: The Willits News
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