English The World’s Greatest Deliberative Body™ is searching for a Californian who enjoys spirited debate, deliberating on presidential appointments and sometimes passing actual legislation.

Candidates must be willing to split time between California and Washington D.C., and are encouraged to apply for this position twice. QUALIFICATIONS: * The ability to either parse dense

legislation and policy proposals, or to hire staff members who can * Hiring experience a plus: You will be required to approve or reject the president’s judicial, cabinet and diplomatic

appointments * Because the U.S. Senate runs on seniority, new members can expect to have very little say about anything, so patience is a virtue * Though the U.S. Constitution requires that

certified in November until Jan. 3, 2023) and for the standard six-year term (beginning in January).  Let us explain: In 2021, the prior holder of this position, Kamala Harris, took a

position elsewhere in Washington D.C. This gave Gov. Gavin Newsom the opportunity to appoint current Sen. Alex Padilla. The U.S. Constitution’s 17th Amendment specifies that appointees to

the Senate should serve “until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.” In May 2021, the California Legislature passed a law calling for the replacement vote

to take place during the regularly scheduled election this November. That’s why California voters will be asked to hire a senator to fill the remainder of Harris’ term — which ends in

January and has drawn fewer candidates — and to hire a senator to serve the next term. Could different applicants be hired for the short-term job and the longer-term position? It wouldn’t be

the first time. But Padilla, who has the backing of the entire Democratic establishment, is the clear favorite after winning more than 54% in both races in the June primary. Of the 20

candidates who lined up to unseat him, only one candidate emerged from the pack to square off against the incumbent in November: Republican Mark Meuser. A conservative lawyer, Meuser has

lost to Padilla before — a bid for Secretary of State in 2018.       CALMATTERS IS NONPARTISAN AND NONPROFIT. We are dedicated to keeping Californians informed on critical state news. We

can’t do that without support from people like you. APPLICANTS * Democratic * Republican * American Independent * Green * Libertarian * Peace & Freedom * No Party Here’s where Alex

Padilla, applicant for U.S. Senator, stands on some of the biggest questions facing California.  Applicant Mark Meuser declined to answer the questions. Key Topics Where Candidates Stand on

the Issues Abortion, gay rights Environment Housing/homelessness Guns/Justice Internet/social media Political reform and democracy <?xml version="1.0"

encoding="UTF-8"???> California’s Democratic leaders positioned the state as a sanctuary for people seeking abortions in advance of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe vs.

Wade. Some say that the ruling could also lead to the court reconsidering its ruling that made gay marriage a constitutional right. Bills to codify abortion rights and gay marriage in

federal law are before Congress.  Do you support enshrining Roe vs. Wade, or abortion rights in general, into federal law? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla We must protect women’s

reproductive rights and freedoms by making Roe the law of the land. I’m a proud co-sponsor of the Women's Health Protection Act in the Senate that would codify Roe v. Wade into federal

law. I will continue fighting to protect the right to choose at the national level, and I will work to ensure that access to abortion services are protected in California and for those who

travel here from out of state. Do you support writing same-sex marriage into federal law? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla The right to marry who you love shouldn’t be up for debate. We

must pass legislation at the federal level — such as the Respect for Marriage Act and the Equality Act — that protects the civil rights of all LGBTQ+ Americans, including the right to

same-sex marriage. Should California become a “sanctuary state” for abortion rights? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla I’m proud of California’s leadership in protecting the right to an

abortion for all. Our message to women across the country is clear: Our doors are open — and we will protect your right to make decisions about your own body and future. I recently co-led

the introduction of legislation to protect abortion providers in states such as California where abortion remains legal, and I’m a proud supporter of Proposition 1, which would enshrine the

right to an abortion in our state Consitution. Does the federal government’s pandemic aid, including health care subsidies, need to continue or be revived? Expand All Collapse All Alex

Padilla Many Americans are still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the federal government has an important role to play in that recovery. That includes extending the

Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium subsidies so families can afford health care. I’m proud we successfully included this extension in the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act, which

will help keep premiums low for millions of Calfornians. And the reality is, many health and income disparities existed long before the pandemic, which is why I’ll continue to advocate for

long-term solutions such as making the child-tax credit permanent, Medicare for All, and universal basic income.  How can the federal government help lower the cost of living and reduce

inflation? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla I’m proud the Senate recently passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which will lower health care premiums and prescription drug costs for

millions of Californians, while enacting a historic deficit reduction to fight inflation. I will continue working to lower costs for families, including by advocating for policies like the

child tax credit, affordable housing, universal child care, paid family and sick leave, cracking down on exorbitant oil company profits, and Medicare for All. Should the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers build more reservoirs in California? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla As California records some of its driest years in history, we have to accept that our current climate is

fundamentally different and what worked in the past may no longer work today. I’m working on securing funding for new ways to conserve water. I helped secure $8 billion in water

infrastructure investments for California in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These investments will be used for projects that include groundwater restoration, regional water reuse, and

sustainable desalination. I’m also working on securing federal funding for stormwater reuse and groundwater recharge projects. As we address worsening droughts, I will continue to focus on

solutions that are dependable for the long-term. Do you support allowing states including California to have stricter rules on greenhouse gas emissions? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla

Absolutely. I successfully worked with the Biden administration to restore California's ability to independently regulate vehicle emissions, and I’ve called on the EPA to set more

stringent greenhouse gas emission standards at the national level. What additional steps should the federal government take to address climate change? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla

The federal government can and should lead the way in the fight against the climate crisis. We just pushed forward a once-in-a-generation bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, that will do just

that. This historic legislation will lower our carbon emissions and invest billions in clean jobs, reduce pollution, support drought resiliency, bolster wildfire prevention, and preserve

our coasts and public lands. It’s a historic step forward in the fight against climate change — but we know it’s not enough and we need to incorporate climate action into every aspect of

policymaking. That’s why I’m a proud supporter of the Green New Deal. How should the U.S. Forest Service manage its lands to prevent wildfires? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla The

federal government owns 57% of the forests in California, and wildfire prevention is an existential issue for the state. I have led the charge to add additional staff to the Forest Service

so it can conduct additional wildfire prevention projects, and I helped secure significant investments in both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act to fund its

wildfire management efforts. These investments and additional staff will allow the Forest Service to better manage our federal forests to make them more resilient against catastrophic

wildfires. Do you support offshore drilling in California? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla Offshore oil spills have been catastrophic for our oceans, our economy, and our coastal

communities. It’s time for us to get serious about safeguarding our environment and working towards a more sustainable future. That’s why I’ve co-sponsored the West Coast Ocean Protection

Act to ban oil and gas drilling off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. What is the federal role in increasing affordable housing and reducing homelessness? Expand All Collapse

All Alex Padilla Housing is a human right. As we continue to face the historic affordable housing and homelessness crisis, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s going to

take all levels of government working together to tackle this crisis. The federal government has a key role to play in leveraging the unmatched financial resources at our disposal, and I’ve

introduced comprehensive legislation that would make a nearly $532 billion federal investment to address the affordable housing shortage and strengthen proven, locally-developed solutions to

end homelessness. Do you support more federal funding, and if so, what should be priority areas? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla It is critical that we invest federal funds in a wide

array of housing programs to support construction of new affordable housing, which will help relieve the housing shortage at all income levels, with an emphasis on helping our most

vulnerable populations. Should the federal government encourage or require localities to ease zoning restrictions to permit more housing construction? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla

Neighborhood zoning and planning is largely a local and state level issue. I believe the federal government can best support state and local governments by providing additional resources to

help fund the construction of more affordable housing and help people afford their rent, both of which are key pillars of my Housing for All Act. I’m particularly focused on incentivizing

more transit-oriented development to spur more housing construction near transit so that people can live closer to job centers and reduce their reliance on cars and the associated climate

impacts. How should the state respond to the Supreme Court ruling on concealed carry permits? What about Congress? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla The Supreme Court’s decision to

overturn New York’s gun safety law on concealed carry permits will make our communities less safe. If the Supreme Court won’t put the safety of Americans first, we will. We recently passed

the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was signed into law and will enact critical life-saving gun safety measures and make investments in mental health. This is an important first

step, and I’m looking forward to building upon this legislation to advance more common-sense solutions that will save lives. Do you support private lawsuits against gun manufacturers? Expand

All Collapse All Alex Padilla I’m proud of California and of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s leadership on gun safety reform. The laws that we’ve passed in our state are some of the toughest in the

nation, and they’ve proven effective in saving lives. But a patchwork of state laws isn’t a long term solution, and it’s critical that we build on our recent success with the Bipartisan

Safer Communities Act and pass comprehensive gun safety legislation at the federal level. What measures can the federal government take to address crime? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla

I believe it’s important that we ensure our law enforcement agencies have the ability to focus on stopping crime rather than having to respond to non-emergency calls. That’s why I’ve been

proud to secure over $5.5 million in federal funding for community crisis response service programs to support mental health and improve public safety across the state. Should the Federal

Trade Commission or Congress more aggressively regulate social media companies to protect privacy and children? If so, what restrictions would you support? Expand All Collapse All Alex

Padilla As a father of three young children, I share the concerns of many parents when it comes to the potential dangers of social media. It is critical that we take steps to protect our

children online while maintaining the privacy and encryption protections that are critical to so many internet users. This is not an easy balance to strike, and it’s one that my colleagues

and I in the Senate are currently working through. Do you support changing or abolishing the Senate’s filibuster rule? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla I unequivocally support abolishing

the Senate filibuster rule, and I have tirelessly advocated for its elimination. As long as the filibuster remains in place, Republicans will continue to impede progress on important issues

such as immigration reform, women’s reproductive rights, voting rights and so much more. Do you support making changes to the U.S. Supreme Court — for example, by increasing the number of

justices or adding term or age limits? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla From striking down the right to an abortion to overturning state efforts to prevent gun violence, the Supreme

Court’s right-wing supermajority is rewriting history and undoing hard-won progress. The Supreme Court is facing a crisis of legitimacy, and Congress must work to blunt the impact of these

extreme rulings. We need to thoughtfully rebalance and reform the Court, and I’m open to various proposals to do that. I recently co-sponsored legislation, the Supreme Court Review Act, that

would act as a check on activist Supreme Court decisions, because policymaking belongs in the halls of Congress — not the Supreme Court. What role should the federal government play in

ensuring that elections are free, fair and accurately reflect the will of the voters? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla In the face of escalating attacks on voting rights and the

integrity of our elections, the federal government must step up to ensure that our elections remain free and fair, and accurately reflect the will of voters. I was proud to implement reforms

here in California as the former Secretary of State to make our elections the most inclusive in the nation, and I’ve fought to pass those same reforms at the federal level. I won’t stop

fighting to safeguard our elections and to protect Americans’ access to the ballot box nationwide. Do you believe that former President Trump should face criminal charges in connection with

the attempt to overturn the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 violence at the U.S. Capitol? Expand All Collapse All Alex Padilla Trump must be held accountable. Period. No one is above the law —

not even former presidents. One of the first votes I took was to impeach former President Trump for his role in inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection. The January 6 Committee has provided further

evidence that Trump not only incited the violent insurrection to overturn our election on Jan. 6, he was derelict in his duties as commander in chief by refusing to stop it. I am encouraged

by the steps the Department of Justice is taking to make progress in their investigation to hold those responsible accountable and protect our democracy.