Ahead of the June primary election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
Name: Erskine Levi
Current job title: Retired History Teacher
Age: 62
Political party affiliation: Republican
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: Member of the 48th Assembly District Republican Central Committee, 2016 – 2020 and School Site Council (elected position) for quite a few years during my career.
City where you reside: Glendora
Campaign website or social media: levi4congress.com
From voter ID to war powers and from immigration to tariffs, Congress has tackled many issues over the past year. What do you, though, see as the top three issues impacting Californians, and what specifically could you do as a lawmaker to address these issues? (Please answer in 250 words or less, and keep your response to future proposals.)
1. Voter ID/Election Integrity.
2. Crime & Immigration.
3. Sanctuary State & City Status.
I would help ensure that the SAVE Act is pushed through and/or the Reform California Initiative is passed. I will introduce legislation to strengthen criminal laws and for prisoners to serve their whole sentence. Eliminate getting off early for good behavior. Maybe for “good behavior” we can give them a cash amount to start a new life. (Details later on this topic.)
I will introduce legislation to end sanctuary states and cities in California and the whole country. This would also require local and state law enforcement to cooperate with federal officials (ICE) to deport illegal immigrants.
Speaking of voter ID, the president has implored Congress to approve legislation that would require people to show proof of citizenship in order to vote. What role do you believe the federal government plays in telling states how to conduct their own elections, as dictated by the U.S. Constitution? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I back President Trump’s SAVE Act legislation. We need election integrity to be able to vote in all our elections. If the state of California won’t do this, then the federal government needs to step in (per the U.S. Constitution). The states can still run their own elections.
One needs picture IDs for everything else in life: buying a weapon, medical, buying game tickets, and if you even get stopped by a police officer/Deputy Sheriff, they are going to ask for identification. Are all these events racist? I think not. It is racist to say that a group of people is too stupid to get an ID.
What, in your opinion, should the federal government focus on when it comes to immigration policy? For example, do you place a priority on border security, visas for high-skilled workers, refuge for asylum seekers, etc., and why? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
We need to keep our border closed and enforce current immigration laws. If people want asylum, then we enforce the “Remain in Mexico” (or their own country) policy. We will determine if they need asylum. I propose that we place mini courtrooms at border openings so the backlog doesn’t get too long for processing.
We should never just release illegal immigrants into our country to wait for a court date. ICE should continue to work on the deportation of criminal illegal immigrants.
It’s been over a year since Gov. Gavin Newsom asked the federal government for supplemental disaster aid to help Southern California communities rebuild after the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires, but neither President Donald Trump nor Congress has acted. What would you do to push for the funding, besides writing letters to the Trump administration or the leaders of Congress? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
If elected, I can propose legislation to investigate what happened to the monies already set aside for disaster relief. We need to prosecute anyone connected with possible fraud and theft in this area. Show the example!
Do you support a ban or restriction on congressional lawmakers and their families from buying or selling individual stocks? Why or why not? And what would you propose to ensure lawmakers aren’t using their positions to engage in insider trading? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
People should be free to buy and sell stocks, even if they are lawmakers. I’m not part of the FBI, but maybe if any lawmaker makes past a certain amount in stock trading, they should be able to keep a ledger/electronic record to keep track of money made (dates/times, etc.). We need to figure out the level to start logging this information down and it should be inspectable by law enforcement authorities. Authorities need to use current investigative techniques to catch insider trading.
Do you support stronger regulations on pollution and carbon emissions? If so, how would you ensure those regulations aren’t overly burdensome on small businesses or lower-income families? And if not, how do you propose lawmakers protect the environment and curtail the impacts of climate change? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
We all should be stewards of our environment and strive to “keep the place clean!” More needs to be done to prevent raw sewage from spilling into our oceans and making it unsafe to swim/recreation. We need to find a form of cleaner energy, but we can’t just get rid of current forms of energy (oil, gas, coal) until we can find a good, usable, workable replacement.
President Donald Trump has significantly increased spending for the U.S. Department of Defense. Would you, as a member of Congress, approve additional dollars for the military if the president were to ask for more funding? How would you ensure that any military spending does not end up putting the American people or national security in harm’s way? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
We need to have the most well-equipped, powerful military on the planet if we want to keep America safe from domestic and foreign threats. I am pretty sure that the request and uses can be itemized for all of us to look at (transparency), and in general, would authorize the military budget overall.
Under what specific circumstances do you believe the U.S. should engage in a war? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
If there is a clear and present danger for sure against us and our allies from enemies abroad.
Do you believe a president should seek congressional approval before engaging in military action overseas? Why, or why not? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
The last war that Congress actually declared was WWII. We have had the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the first Gulf War and the War on Terror (Afghanistan) all without a congressional declaration of war. This was done by both Democrats and Republicans, and nobody argued. Why are they arguing now?
Don’t forget about all (many) short military events we’ve had and still nobody was arguing, I think it’s just TDS (“Trump Derangement Syndrome”). President Obama launched over 500 drones, killed 3,000 enemy combatants, over 200 civilians, including two Americans, during his eight-year presidency, and nobody scoffed on either side of the aisle!!
Congress, in theory, is supposed to serve as a check on the president through budgetary, legislative and oversight powers. Do you believe Congress has fulfilled that obligation during the past two administrations, with one being a Democrat and the other a Republican? Why or why not? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Yes, checks and balances are a big issue. Yes, both Congresses under the last two presidents, and I would say all of the former presidents, have had congressional oversight. I believe, though, that there is a lot of infighting within both parties and against each other. Sometimes it is really hard to get things done under these circumstances.
Governments around the world are increasingly considering an age ban or other restrictions on social media use among young people, citing mental health and other concerns. Should Congress adopt such restrictions? If so, what specific restrictions do you propose? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Yes, there should be an age ban on any kind of social media. Students have claimed that they have to have a phone, in case of an emergency, to call parents or other authorities. OK, children under 18 and still in school get a flip phone that only makes outgoing calls, not incoming calls. If there is an emergency outside the school, parents can call the school office to let their kids know and call them down to the office. The office can have a “kill switch” to turn off their phones if needed. The phones can be turned back on after school is over.
Statistically, violent crime rates in California are on the decline, yet residents still don’t feel safe or at ease in their communities. How do you see your role in Congress in addressing the underlying issues that make Californians feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
I don’t trust how authorities say that crime is on the decline. One can play with the numbers all one wants. You can’t reclassify crimes to be able to say crime is dropping, and it doesn’t help that Gavin Newsom has closed down prisons and let more prisoners free due to “overcrowding issues.” Residents don’t feel safe, because it isn’t safe. There is a reason they feel this way. Go into the inner cities, and you will notice more bars on businesses and private homes. So there is a reason they have this protection. Almost all of the cities that have a high crime rate is a Democratic-led city. They want to defund the police, so what do you expect?
There are term limits to serve in the California Legislature, but none to serve in Congress. Would you advocate for term limits for House members? Why or why not? If you support term limits, how many years maximum should a House member be allowed to serve? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Yes, I believe in term limits. Three terms as a congressmember and two terms as a senator. (Six years in the House, and 12 years in the Senate.) Maybe this will give them a sense of urgency to get legislation done faster!
What’s a hidden talent you have? (Please answer in 250 words or less.)
Amateur magician. I can do public speaking without getting nervous, and I have a sense of humor and dry jokes that I continue to laugh at myself!