Ro Khanna Veterans Day Town Hall Meeting at Newark Memorial High School

@RoKhanna Veterans Day Town Hall Meeting 2:00 pm at Newark Memorial High School

2:02 Alan Nagyy, Newark mayor--leads the Pledge of Allegiance--and quickly introduces  Ro Khanna

Ro recognizes 3 WWII vets (includes Purple Heart Fil-Am vet)

Short poem for Vets Day "Awakening"

Good News: Ro talks about the passing of a bi-partisan bill to give training to vets to enter the private sector

• Veteran Apprenticeship and Labor Opportunity Reform (VALOR) Act
• VALOR ACT OPENS UP DOORS FOR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS

2:14 Ro's opening remarks

• Talks about proposed tax cuts.  Don't give tax cuts to those who are allegedly create jobs.Cap on Mortgage Deduction? No!
• The budget has a real chance to pass. Ro is concern about preserving State and Local tax credits.
• Ro comments on sexual harassment--zero tolerance for SH in government. Alabama can do better than Roy Moore,
• Situation in Yemen. Why does CA-17 care about Yemen?   Because we have conscience. Stop funding the war. Use money for healthcare at home.
• ONLY AMERICANS CAN STOP AMERICA’S WAR ON YEMEN
• LAWMAKERS DEMAND U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM SAUDI-LED WAR IN YEMEN
• RELEASE: REP. KHANNA WINS DEBATE ON U.S. INVOLVEMENT ON YEMEN AND STRIKES COMPROMISE WITH HOUSE LEADERSHIP
• RELEASE: REP. KHANNA LEADS BIPARTISAN ACTION TO STOP US MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN YEMEN
• Opening up for Questions: no party politics because Ro represents all of CA-17.

Q1: Extended public Thank You for Ro's bill H.R.1889 - Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act .  How do we stop Trump's terrible attack on the environment?

RK1: I have seen any administration so blatantly disregard science. Call out Sec. Pruitt dismantling his dept. We must build coalitions to protect the environment. (20 GOP reps support climate change science). Strengthen state and local law. Trump does not speak for us on environment. Dems cannot compromise on the environment--basic form of humility in keeping with religious traditions.

• NYTimes: How Scott Pruitt Undermines the E.P.A.’s Mission 
• Ro Khanna on The Environment and Climate

Q2: What is the status on the 7500 dollar tax credit on electric vehicles?

RK2: Ro supports the credit. Will check on the status.

• Electric vehicle $7,500 tax credit expected to go away with new House tax bill [Updated]

Q3: How to stop gun violence?

RK3: Ted Lieu says "No more moments of silence--we must act!" We want bipartisan support of 5 day waiting period to buy guns; no action on weaponized guns. We need massive pressure on Congress to. Act; not a single bill on gun control have even come to the floor.

• Rep. Ted Lieu says he won't participate in gun violence moments of silence any more
• Gun waiting periods could save hundreds of lives a year, study says
• H.R.4052 - Keep Americans Safe Act
• Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence

Q4: Ban on Syrian refugees and others

RK4: Confusion on extreme vetting, Refugees are already vetted. Profiling these counties are antithetical to our values.

• state.gov: U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
• VOANews Explainer: Refugee Process
• STATEMENT: REP. RO KHANNA ON ANTI-MUSLIM ORDER ISSUED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP

Q5: We have ceded tax conversation to the GOP; Dems need to take the conversation back.

RK5. Comments about the GAIN Act. We don't care about revenue neutrality; We need to give tax relief to the middle class who will spend in their local community (thereby creating more jobs); investor class moves money our of the country. Anti-Trump msg is too easy.

• Ro Khanna on The Economy
• H.R. 3757 GAIN Act

Q6: Why is there so much partisanship?

RK6: Personal relationships across party lines help heal the divide. Why hyper-partisanship? We need to actively look for commonality (Congressional members reflect their communities). Partisanship maintains current leadership in power. People must demand cooperation.

• Here’s a suggestion for Congress: Try bipartisanship
• TWO CONGRESSMEN OFFER A BIPARTISAN PLAN TO ‘DRAIN THE SWAMP’
• Vox: How to break the two-party hold on American politics

Q7: Investment in DSL and Hi-speed fiber--not everyone is connected

RK7: Break up fiber monopolies. Fiber to the last mile; support net-neutrality; demand investment in fiber infrastructure

• Ro Khanna on Internet and Technology

Q8: Concern about the exodus from the State Dept. How do we retain expertise?

A8: It's a bipartisan concern.   We are are not preserving expertise. We need ideas how to retain our diplomatic staff.

• Top State Department Officials Step Down in “Black Friday” Exodus
• The Desperation of Our Diplomats

Q9: Thanks for HR392. There's a huge Green Card backlog.  What's happening?

RK9: having people continually on H-1B depresses American wages because the employer maintains the power; Cultural damage due to mixed msgs to DACA kids--they MUST belong (or we erode the American Dream).

• Ro Khanna on Immigration

Q10: How can we support Social Security? 

RK10: GOP wants tax cuts and cuts to SocSec such as a later retirement.  Problems with labor displacement; prosperity should be shared--we can afford it. SocSec is not an economics question--it's a moral question.

• Strengthening and Expanding Social Security and Medicare

Q11: Question about China's (and Trumps????) initiative to eliminate poverty.

RK11: I need to see the initiative before I comment on it.

• Xi Jinping Vows No Poverty in China by 2020. That Could Be Hard.

Q12: Federal Board job?

RK12: Yeah, Trump's not going to pick me. I love my job because I can speak my mind and my values matches the my district.

• Trump Picks Jerome Powell to Head the Federal Reserve

Q13: Thanks for honoring vets. Concern about ADA and funding education for the Disabled.

RK13: Ro links Trump recent comment in China about "winning" with Trump's disregard for the disabled (and vulnerable). Trump's comment in China. “I don't blame China. After all, who can blame a country for being able to take advantage of another country for benefit of their citizens? I give China great credit.” Ro response: winning is not the only thing that matters; we must expose Trump's Darwinian world view as false.
Follow-up comment: please pursue bi-partisanship. Ro responds, Yes, I will pursue bipartisanship to protect the disabled--give me your contact info.

• 5 Ways President Trump’s Agenda Is a Disaster for People with Disabilities
• DeVos rescinds 72 guidance documents outlining rights for disabled students

Q14: Concern about cuts to Medical Deductions and Alzheimer's funding

RK14: (Thanks questioned for raising his consciousness about Alzheimer's) Want to save money? Close loopholes on corporate tax breaks INSTEAD of cutting medical deductions

• National Alzheimer’s Project Act 
• The Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease

Q15: Please share in a day in a life of Ro Khanna in Wash DC

RK15: It's like high school; bells, entice people with free food to come mtgs; hand out flyers to come to mtgs; meet people (not enough visit people from CA-17--c'mon!).

Q16: Voting interference from other countries?

RK16: documented systematic voter suppression in minority communities is a bigger concern; We need bipartisanship inquiry/action on foreign influence, etc not to litigate (the) 2016 (election) but make sure that interference never happens again.

• VOTER SUPPRESSION, THE BLUEPRINT TO A BROKEN DEMOCRACY

Q17: Why does the Dems do the will of their donors instead of following the will of its people (Bernie, single-payer etc)

RK17: Celebrate the recent Dem wins. There is a lot to be optimistic about. DNC has a biased towards insiders--we need to open up (the party) to competition. 2020 candidate must have grass root support.

• Justice Democrats
• Khanna Slams Feinstein, Urges Others to Run for Senate in 2018
• SNL: Message from the DNC

Q18: Legal immigrants' children will age out of status; Can they be included in Durbin's DREAMER bill?

RK18: We will check--it may be an oversight; inclusion is reasonable.

• Graham, Durbin revive bill to help 'Dreamers'
• Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) | USCIS

Q19: Thanks for supporting the Clean Air Act

RK19: We need need to maintain vigilance

• Ro Khanna on Environment and Climate

Q20: Corporate interest deduction?

RK20: We need to close this loophole for larger companies so we don't have to cut taxes for the middle class.

• RELEASE: REP. KHANNA INTRODUCES THE CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND TAXPAYER PROTECTION ACT
• H.R.2814 - Corporate Responsibility and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2017

Ro Khanna closing remarks: Thanks for the civil discourse; It is more a reflection of out community than your regard for me.

Town Hall ended at 3:32 pm.  Many stayed for follow up chats, photo ops, and to thank the WII vets for their service.

notes and annotations made by Jennifer Gagliardi who attended this Town Hall mtg. Thanks!