Salud Carbajal

Defense / Veterans

Deployed veterans have a 41% higher suicide risk compared to the general population, and mental health services must be easily available for our veterans. We have to implement more programs to ensure that veterans living with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma can get the care they need. Learn more

Whether its reducing VA wait times, increasing accountability and transparency, improving care or helping returning troops transition back into the civilian world, I will honor their service by taking action to improve the lives of veterans on the Central Coast and across our nation. Learn more

I am advocating to expand services for crucial programs to reintegrate veterans into the workforce with resources like job training and housing assistance. Learn more

Education

We must do everything in our power to make college more affordable including lowering interest rates for government backed loans, expanding the Pell Grant program, allowing students to refinance their loans, just like mortgages and car loans, and pushing universities to keep costs down if they want to continue to receive federal research dollars and other aid. Learn more

I also believe we should push for two years of tuition-free community college to allow students to further their education or get the career technical skills they need to compete in today’s global economy. Learn more

Environment / Energy

We must do more to bring wind and biofuel initiatives to market, and encourage more efforts for residents to retrofit their homes so they are more energy-efficient and cost-effective for consumers. Learn more

I will continue saying no to new offshore drilling and keep us moving toward cleaner energy solutions that help create new jobs, like we did with solar power facilities in the Cuyama Valley and on the Carrizo Plain, by guiding projects like our first-ever offshore wind project off the coast of Morro Bay. Learn more

Guns

As a veteran, I’ve seen what weapons of war can do. They have no place on our streets. I support reinstituting national restrictions on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Learn more

I am committed to making sure we keep our communities safe and end our nation’s gun violence epidemic. Learn more

Healthcare

It’s time we start using the government’s bargaining power to reduce the costs of prescriptions. Learn more

Congress needs to focus on improving our health care system and ensuring that everyone can afford lifesaving care and medicine—not on rolling back protections for millions of Americans. Learn more

We need to look at incentivizing doctors and hospitals to operate in rural areas so that all of our seniors have access to care. Learn more

I'm also fighting to strengthen our Medicare and Medicaid programs that ensure millions of older Americans and low-income families are not forced to choose between paying their mortgage or paying for lifesaving care. Learn more

Social Services

We need to strengthen Medicare and Social Security, not put these programs in the hands of the private market. I strongly oppose privatizing Social Security and oppose turning Medicare into a voucher system. Instead, we must find ways to increase Social Security benefits so that we provide additional retirement security to elderly Americans who are living longer than ever and have found it difficult to save for 30 or more years of retirement. Learn more