Phil Gardner 2020 Questionnaire – US House District 10

The Urbanist Elections Committee invited candidates in the Seattle metropolitan region to fill out our questionnaire and participate in our endorsement process. We based our endorsement decisions on the responses and follow-up interviews.

Below is the response from Phil Gardner, who is running for US House, Washington District 10.

What housing reforms are necessary at the federal level? How would you achieve them? (200 words or less)

The Puget Sound region has been one of the fastest growing areas in our country over the past decade. There have been benefits to that growth – including an additional seat in Congress (WA-10) – but growth has also caused many long-time residents and working families to be squeezed by the rising cost of living. A primary driver of the rising cost of living is the cost of housing, and higher housing costs result in more of our neighbors living without permanent housing. I’d continue Congressman Heck’s work on our national housing shortage, specifically finding ways the federal government can incentivize or pressure local governments to adopt denser zoning regulations, supporting the construction of more units of public housing, and promoting policies that can spur transit-oriented development. I’ll also keep defending Sound Transit from attacks by the Trump administration and local Republicans who don’t believe in the mission of the transit agency and constantly seek to undermine its work. In Congress, I’ll use my first-hand experience to continue Congressman Heck’s work leveraging federal resources to address the urgent housing and transit needs of the Puget Sound.

Do you support campaign finance reform?If yes, what form and why? (100 words or less)

Yes. Not only do I believe we must reverse Citizens United, but we need a series of reforms to our democracy and the way Washington, D.C. works to restore power back to the people, not large corporations and wealthy individuals. That’s why I’ll be excited to support the For the People Act, H.R. 1, when it is re-introduced in the next Congress.

How do we ensure everyone in America has quality health care and can afford it? (200 words or less)

There are many solutions being put forward to get us to universal coverage and contain costs. Some suggest adding a federal public option, which would allow anyone to buy into a Medicare-type program. I wish this provision was included in the Affordable Care Act when it passed ten years ago. Others suggest bringing the whole country under a single-payer system. With Congressman Heck’s retirement, the South Sound has an opportunity to send another health care champion to Congress. Whoever we send will be a first-term member with selective influence, especially over monumental issues like health care. Having been in the rooms of major decision-making in Congress, I’ll have a leg-up navigating Congress’ policymaking labyrinth and delivering real results. At the same time, it’s important to be honest by stating something refreshing few candidates are willing to say: I won’t be able to get exactly what I want. With that in mind, I believe an issue as personal and complicated as health care is best approached with the following principles. I support reform that: Covers everyone in this country. Lowers prescription drug costs. Ends surprise medical billing. Reduces the profiteering in our health care system Lowers or eliminates out-of-pocket expenses

What lessons about government revenues and fiscal priorities from the wake of 2008 would you apply in responding to the Covid-19 crisis? (200 words or less)

American families experienced a slow, sluggish recovery after the Great Recession, a phenomenon many economists attribute to fiscal austerity measures at the state and local levels and insufficient spending on the federal level. Already we are hearing similar calls to dial down federal investments in our public health infrastructure and social services. If elected, I will be entering Congress at what is likely to be the depths of a recession or depression. I will advocate for strong, consistent federal investments so that we can shorten the recovery and get families back on their feet. Importantly, I will advocate for automatic triggers for safety net programs to ensure that Congress does not pump the breaks of fiscal stimulus too early before recovery is realized. I will also push for federal financial support to state and local governments so that they will not have to lay off their employees and cut critical services for vulnerable people.

To get your vote, what must a transportation funding package include? (100 words or less)

I believe a transportation funding package must take bold action to address the climate emergency. I will work with the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to modernize the energy grid, invest in energy efficient infrastructure, and put our transportation sector on the pathway to zero carbon pollution. We also must prioritize transit, cycling, and pedestrian projects but ensure the funding is distributed in a way that addresses equity and social justice.

What should be the federal strategy to solve homelessness nationwide? (200 words or less)

The federal government ought to support communities who are on the frontlines of this work. I’ll fight to increase funding for HUD’s McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants, the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program, and the Continuum of Care (CoC) program. I’ll also continue the work I’ve done alongside Congressman Heck on his Housing Task Force, aimed at identifying nationwide problems in our housing market that are causing housing shortages in communities across America. The best way to end homelessness is making sure everyone has a home, and that means we need more housing units and more support from elected leaders to make it happen.

Is a Vision Zero goal of eliminating road deaths achievable nationwide and should we make it a national priority? If not, why? If yes, what do we need to do to get there? (150 words or less)

Yes. I absolutely believe that a Vision Zero goal of eliminating road deaths is a worthy and achievable goal. More than 15 cities and states in the U.S. have adopted Vision Zero goals, so I believe it’s important to look to those localities to learn what works and how to dedicate federal resources. As a first step, I’d cosponsor the Vision Zero Act, which allows states to use existing federal funding streams to implement Vision Zero plans.

Do you support a Green New Deal? What does a Green New Deal look like to you? (150 words or less)

Yes. The Green New Deal provides a vision for how we can solve the climate crisis while rebuilding the middle class and investing in communities left behind by globalization. For these reasons, I will enthusiastically co-sponsor the resolution when it is re-introduced in the next Congress. The authors of the Green New Deal will be the first to admit the document is a series of principles that we should be working towards, but isn’t necessarily a specific piece of legislation meant to comprehensively make climate policy. Turning good ideas into good legislation is the next urgent step we need to take, and it’s where I put my focus while serving as a top staffer in Congress for nearly a decade. One bill I’d support is H.R. 763, a carbon pollution fee and dividend plan. It alone won’t be enough, but it’s a good place to start.

How should your Congressional caucus wield power? Is the wiser strategy to gravitate toward a political center or define a strong position away from it and pull people along? And are there reforms you support to level the playing field for groups you see as disenfranchised? (200 words or less)

Our politics should be driven by our values, and our priorities should be driven by the urgency of the problems we need our government to solve. I am a proud progressive and a proud Democrat and will always promote progressive and Democratic values: open government, honesty, a belief in science, social justice, racial equity, inclusivity, compassion, long-term thinking, and use of our collective power to relieve human suffering. The House Democratic Caucus should use our power and influence to promote these values and prioritize the urgent needs of middle and working families in our country: a stable job with benefits, quality health care, safe and secure housing they can afford, and a government whose word they can trust. In order to secure these gains in the long run for every American, we must never let up our fight to root our corruption in Washington, D.C. and protect the right to vote for every American.

The Urbanist Elections Committee’s Take: Vote Doglio

Read our full endorsement here.