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Rep. Panetta talks Trump, DACA, impeachment and more

November 13, 2018

Having received nearly four out of every five votes district-wide, Central Coast Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-20) is cruising to a second term in the U.S. House.

The most recent election results show Panetta getting 79 percent of the vote compared this his challenger Ronald Paul Kabat, who has received 21 percent.

Kabat was out of town on vacation and unavailable, his staff said Wednesday.

Panetta's party will also be in control of the U.S. House, USA Today has said, in contrast to the Republican-held Senate and the Donald Trump Administration.

The Californian spoke with Panetta the day after elections about his plans, as well as what Democrats will be able to do with the House, including as a check on the controversial Trump Administration.

Here are five questions or concerns and Panetta's answers:

1.) What are his plans and priorities?

Panetta focused on immigration reform in his first term.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program came to the forefront because of the Trump Administration's vacillating position on whether to end it.

Trump eventually did choose to eliminate DACA, but many lawsuits were filed to oppose his decision.

On Thursday, a federal appeals court quashed the White House's plan, although the U.S. Department of Justice has signaled it's likely to appeal the decision.

Two more federal courts are also reviewing appeals on DACA.

Panetta fully supports DACA and wants a path to citizenship for enrollees.

He also pointed to other programs for immigrants, such as visas for those undocumented victims or witnesses who cooperate with law enforcement, as threatened by Trump.

He says he wants to work to shore up the Affordable Care Act, which provides access to insurance for most U.S. residents and prevents discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.

"Considering some of the comments made by Republican congressmen, they want to protect pre-existing conditions," he said. "Let's do that: Make sure that's an essential part of our health care system."

On immigration, the House could pass other legislation, such as the Blue Card Bill that would shield undocumented farmworkers from deportation if they could prove they'd worked 100 days over the previous two years in agriculture, he said.

That, and providing Dreamers and DACA recipients a path to citizenship are two issues in which "we could get something done," he added.

But, any legislative immigration fixes would require Republican support, especially in the Senate.

Which brings up...

2.) What's up with The Wall?

Panetta said the "Problem-solvers caucus," a bipartisan congressional organization, has helped both sides understand why their opponents believe in their positions.

"I believe our government works best when we're able to come to the table and work on these together," he said.

In exchange for reforming immigration laws and securing a permanent, legal fix for DACA, Panetta says Democrats could negotiate a plan to strengthen border security.

"That's where you're going to get a balance," he said. "You can talk about an earned pathway to citizenship and border security."

As for "The Wall," Trump's plan to build a barrier spanning the U.S.-Mexico border, Panetta said it's an "unreasonable" and "impossible" idea.

But augmenting border security isn't a deal-breaker, Panetta said. He'd still want to see a study to determine what methods are most appropriate for each section of the 2,000-mile-long border.

"There are certain areas along the border that need infrastructure," Panetta said. "It's not just about a wall."

Nonetheless, previous negotiations on immigration issues have fallen apart. That's why Panetta said, it needs to be a bipartisan compromise by both Democrats and Republicans who understand each others' motivations, such as that problem solvers caucus.

3.) What about the Trump Administration?

For Democrats, winning control of the House from Republicans means much more power to act as a check on the Trump administration, Panetta said.

"In the (current) Congress, you had a party in power controlling the administration, the House and the Senate ... what we saw was a lack of responsibility under Article One," Panetta said, referring to the part of the U.S. Constitution governing the legislature's powers. "Now it's time for Congress to live up to its responsibility under the Constitution."

Many of the House's oversight abilities lie in its committees, which can launch investigations, in some cases including subpoena powers.

Currently, Panetta serves as a member of the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Armed Services Committee.

But which committees he joins "depends on what (the House Democratic) leadership would like me to do going forward," he said.

Many Democratic candidates nationwide had said they won't support Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-12), currently the minority leader, as speaker of the house.

Panetta said he has no problem supporting, noting no one so far is running against her.

"You can't beat somebody with nobody," he said, adding Pelosi is "the hardest working member of Congress I know."

But not all powers rest in the House. After U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned at Trump's request Wednesday, only the Republican-controlled Senate will have a say on Session's ultimate successor.

That new attorney general may have the power to end the election meddling investigation by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller, causing concerns and protests.

Trump has repeatedly called the investigation a "witch hunt."

4.) What about Mueller's investigation?

Congressional and other leaders in Washington, D.C., have made it clear "protecting the investigation is paramount," Panetta said.

"(It's been) made clear to the administration — it will create a crisis if he chooses to fire the special counsel," Panetta said.

But to protect Mueller, Panetta said he has introduced legislation to ensure Mueller's security clearance.

Trump has revoked security clearances before, most notably former CIA director and Trump critic John Brennan.

"(The investigation) needs to be completed without any interference," Panetta said.

That also broaches one more topic on some Trump opponents: Impeachment.

5.) The 'I' word

Polls have shown Americans are divided over impeaching Trump.

A Suffolk University/USAToday poll found 44 percent of Americans say the House should seriously consider impeaching Trump, with 47 against.

Impeachment is premature for Panetta: It depends on what the special counsel investigation reveals in its final report, he said.

"If you're going to do something like that and take those steps as serious as impeaching the president of the United States, then you damn well better have evidence to do that," Panetta said. "That's why we should allow Mueller to complete his investigation."

After the investigation is completed, the House can look at the evidence and determine what action is warranted, Panetta said.

If the evidence shows it does rise to a level of impeachment, "it has to be bipartisan," Panetta said.

In addition, impeachment would not oust Trump: The U.S. Senate would then take up the impeachment and decide whether to remove Trump from office.