Indivisible San Francisco (ISF) believes that elections should be decided by the candidates' positions on issues rather than attack ads, personal slanders, dark money, gerrymandering, and voter suppression. So we asked ISF members to pose questions on crucial political issues that they wanted each candidate to answer. We compiled them into a common questionnaire that was sent to both campaigns. Below are the answers provided by the Speier and Osmena campaigns to our issue-oriented questions.

Unfortunately, despite numerous efforts to reach them the Osmena campaign failed to respond, so her answers are indicated by "N/A" for Not Available.

For many questions the Speier campaign provided more extensive answers. To see those answers, click on the "Yes" or "No" answer (click on "Back" to return to the question grid).

For information on state and local races click here.


ISF Issue Questions

Speier

Osmena
Will you vote for legislation to close the many Fair Housing Act of 1968 loopholes that allow continued systemic racial discrimination in housing? YES : There are a number of problems with the way in which the Fair Housing Act is enforced and a different President, coupled with changes to the law, would help to integrate housing. More N/A
Will you support legislation requiring Justice Department review of all police killings of non-white people? YES : I believe there needs to be increased scrutiny of all police killings More N/A
Will you vote for legislation to eliminate privatized “for-profit” prisons? YES : I have a lot of experience with these prisons and think that they ultimately do an injustice to both the taxpayers and to the cause of justice. N/A
Will you vote for legislation to replace prison sentences with GPS tracking, community service, job training, and mental health treatment for nonviolent offenders? YES : I am the author of the first law in California to authorize GPS tracking. N/A
Will you vote for legislation to repeal the “Hyde Amendment” that prohibits/limits federal funding for abortion? YES : In my judgment, the Hyde Amendment denies equal protection to poor women and is an affront to basic health standards. N/A
Will you vote to defend and maintain funding for the family planning and health care services offered by Planned Parenthood? YES : I have always supported funding for Planned Parenthood and other family planning non-profits. More N/A
Will you vote for legislation to ensure marriage rights for LGBTQ people and prohibit discrimination against them under the guise of “religious liberty?” YES : I have proudly opposed discriminatory ballot measures, voted for equal rights for LGBTQ persons, married dozens, and will always be an outspoken critic of those who would discriminate against others. More N/A
Will you vote for legislation to create a national single-payer “Medicare-for-all” type health-care option? YES More N/A
Will you vote for legislation that fully funds and expands the VA and opposes privatization of VA services so that all veterans get the care they need? YES : I am dedicated to fully funding the VA and to ensuring that all necessary services are conveniently available through VA facilities. More N/A
Will you vote for legislation to establish a national $15/hour minimum wage for all workers, including “tipped” and domestic workers? YES : The so-called “tip credit” allowed in some states results in poverty-level earnings and opens workers to exploitive business practices, including widespread sexual harassment. N/A
Will you vote for legislation that protects Social Security by removing the income “cap” and requiring everyone to pay SSI taxes on all forms of income? YES : This is essential to sustaining the Social Security system. N/A
Will you vote to repeal the 2017 Tax Scam Bill, increase the capital gains rate to equal that for earned income, and restore a fair and progressive tax system? YES : I voted against the 2017 tax scam bill and am committed to bringing progressive taxation back to the tax code. N/A
Will you vote for legislation that would put in place a guaranteed minimum income? UNSURE : This is a very complex topic and not one that I’ve thoroughly researched. I have no opinion on it at the moment. N/A
Will vote for legislation to restore net neutrality? YES : This is essential to our democracy because throttling access allows ISPs to select winners and losers based upon who has the most money to pay. More N/A
Will you vote for legislation to end all subsidies to the fossil-fuel extraction industry? YES N/A
Will you vote for legislation to reinstate the EPA environmental-protection policies that have been reversed by the Trump Administration? YES : If we get a Democratic majority in Congress, we can look at the damage done by the Trump administration and fashion legislation to prevent future administrators from taking these types of actions. N/A
Will you vote for legislation to level the playing field for renewable energy by taxing fossil fuels and providing incentives for renewables? YES : While in the state legislature, I voted for California’s landmark cap and trade system that did precisely this. N/A
Will you insist on compliance with the War Powers Act and vote for legislation that repeals the open-ended “Authorization for the Use of Military Force” (AUMF)? YES : It is the responsibility of congress to authorize the use of military force. I will continue to support and call for a limited and narrowly defined AUMF. N/A
Will you vote for legislation similar to S.200/HR.669 banning the first-use of nuclear weapons without a congressional declaration of war? YES : I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 669. N/A
Will you vote for legislation to cut bloated defense spending so we can use those funds for health care, education, job training, housing, and infrastructure? YES : Yes. In addition, through my seat on the Armed Services Committee, I continue to fight to abolish wasteful weapons systems, which would cut billions in wasteful spending. The best example of this is the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), a program I’ve managed to reduce in terms of ships to be purchased. N/A
Will you vote for legislation to negate or circumvent the effects of Citizens United? YES N/A
Will you vote for national legislation to ban restrictive voter ID requirements and restore voting rights to convicted felons? YES N/A
Will you vote for legislation requiring secure, voter-verifiable voting systems and create a government agency to protect the integrity of U.S. elections? YES : The Department of Homeland Security is the most likely US agency to seriously take on this job. N/A
Will you vote for a Constitutional amendment stating that free, high-quality, public K-12 education is a fundamental human right of American children? YES : This would have no effect in California because our constitution already has this type of amendment in it. N/A
Will you vote for legislation to reduce student debt and increase financial aid with a long-term goal of tuition-free public colleges? YES : I believe that college costs too much. More N/A
Will you vote for legislation such as the Dream Act that that provides an expedited path to citizenship for DACA youth and their families? YES : I have repeatedly done so. N/A
Will you vote for legislation to protect and retain family reunification programs, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and the Diversity Lottery? YES : I led a Congressional delegation of 25 members to the border to shine a spotlight on the horrific Trump policy of family separation. N/A
Will you vote for legislation to simplify the immigration process and eliminate multi-year or decade-long waits for visas or permanent residencies? YES N/A
Will you vote for legislation prohibiting child-parent separation & indefinite family detention, detention camps on military bases, and for-profit detention facilities? YES : I led a Congressional delegation of 25 members to the border to shine a spotlight on the horrific Trump policy of family separation. More N/A
If Trump is impeached and removed from office, will you support legislation or action to remove judges appointed by the Trump Administration? NO : Legislation, instead of a constitutional amendment, on this matter would almost certainly violate the constitutional guarantee of lifetime appointment of federal judges and impeachment of judges is already well covered in the provisions and precedents that currently exist. More N/A
Will you support the impeachment of President Trump for malfeasance in office, abuses of power and breaches of the public trust? YES : I have already said that he has obstructed justice and engaged in other acts that merit impeachment. More N/A
Will you publicly declare that firing Mueller or impeding his investigation is an impeachable offense? YES : I have done so already. N/A
Will you vote for legislation requiring that candidates for federal office including President and Vice-President provide five years of complete tax returns to voters prior to balloting? YES : In my judgment, this must be a constitutional amendment as the constitution sets the standards for the office of President, whether it is age or origin of citizenship, etc. N/A
Will you vote for legislation requiring universal background checks of gun buyers, regardless of where the gun is purchased -- online, in a store, or at a gun show? YES : This is my legislation, HR 3411 (2015/6) More N/A
Will you work to reinstate an assault weapons ban? YES : I was a coauthor of California’s law on this subject and co-sponsor legislation in Congress on this matter. More N/A
Will you commit to at least 3 town-halls each year if you are elected to represent us? YES : I’ve done 12 (and counting) in this two year period, including what I believe was the nation’s largest in 2016 with 1900 attendees. More N/A
  1. Will you vote for legislation to close the many Fair Housing Act of 1968 loopholes that allow continued systemic racial discrimination in housing?
    Speier YES

    There are a number of problems with the way in which the Fair Housing Act is enforced and a different President, coupled with changes to the law, would help to integrate housing.

    The President’s father was sued by the Justice Department, in 1973, over allegations that he discriminated in housing against African Americans. This was five years after the federal Open Housing Act was passed. We cannot count on this President to voluntarily enforce the Fair Housing Act without also having a Congress that does real oversight of HUD and the DOJ. Today, if we had a fair President and a different law, lenders would be rewarded for making loans in areas where housing affordability is difficult and where local governments actively promote integration through construction programs and zoning laws that are inclusionary in their purposes. Racial and economic segregation in housing damage America by reducing educational opportunities and health outcomes, and by making it more difficult for Americans to create ties across class and ethnic boundaries.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  2. Will you support legislation requiring Justice Department review of all police killings of non-white people?
    Speier YES

    I believe there needs to be increased scrutiny of all police killings

    I believe there needs to be increased scrutiny of all police killings, but I’m not convinced that the current DOJ and its leadership would provide this necessary increased oversight. Unjust killings of any human being, regardless of race, by the police under color of authority are a violation of state law and federal law and should be severely punished. I abhor the unjust killing of all human beings under color of authority. If the Justice Department’s civil rights division is properly staffed and the Attorney General is wise and sensitive to the presence of racial discrimination in America, then having the Justice Department conduct widespread investigations is a good idea. However, if the Justice Department is under the authority of an AG who is blind to racial and most other types of injustice, as is true at the moment, then the legal precedents and standards of that AG will infect present and future evaluations of violence against communities and perpetuate the injustices beyond the term of the present administration. Under these circumstances, I think that that it would deliver a more just outcome to call for an investigation in specific circumstances. Then, the force of public scrutiny, and Congressional oversight through a Congress with at least one branch under the Democrats, can keep pressure on the Justice Department to do a fair investigation and hold the perpetrators accountable while minimizing the risk of establishing widespread tainted precedents and practices.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  3. Will you vote for legislation to eliminate privatized “for-profit” prisons?
    Speier YES

    I have a lot of experience with these prisons and think that they ultimately do an injustice to both the taxpayers and to the cause of justice.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  4. Will you vote for legislation to replace prison sentences with GPS tracking, community service, job training, and mental health treatment for nonviolent offenders?
    Speier YES

    I am the author of the first law in California to authorize GPS tracking.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  5. Will you vote for legislation to repeal the “Hyde Amendment” that prohibits/limits federal funding for abortion?
    Speier YES

    In my judgment, the Hyde Amendment denies equal protection to poor women and is an affront to basic health standards.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  6. Will you vote to defend and maintain funding for the family planning and health care services offered by Planned Parenthood?
    Speier YES

    I have always supported funding for Planned Parenthood and other family planning non-profits.

    I am a leader in this area of public policy and have spoken on the House floor about my own choice to terminate a difficult pregnancy despite wanting to continue the pregnancy to full term. The right to reproductive choice is a core right, arising from the right of privacy.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  7. Will you vote for legislation to ensure marriage rights for LGBTQ people and prohibit discrimination against them under the guise of “religious liberty?”
    Speier YES

    I have proudly opposed discriminatory ballot measures, voted for equal rights for LGBTQ persons, married dozens, and will always be an outspoken critic of those who would discriminate against others.

    I am a practicing Catholic but this nation’s laws apply to everyone equally and the use of religion to justify discrimination in commercial transactions or the provision of public services violates the constitution. “Deeply felt religious beliefs” were precisely the beliefs that justified racial oppression for generations. We must never return to that time in America’s history or permit that rationale to be used against any minority.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  8. Will you vote for legislation to create a national single-payer “Medicare-for-all” type health-care option?
    Speier YES

    Redirecting current expenditures for private health insurance into a national pool to pay for Medicare for all will be essential to creating a single-payer/Medicare-for-all system. We must also be careful to allow, as Medicare does at the moment, such integrated systems as Kaiser to continue to exist and to operate as outstanding providers of high quality, affordable, healthcare.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  9. Will you vote for legislation that fully funds and expands the VA and opposes privatization of VA services so that all veterans get the care they need?
    Speier YES

    I am dedicated to fully funding the VA and to ensuring that all necessary services are conveniently available through VA facilities.

    The present administration is dedicated to the privatization of the VA and this will inevitably lead to poorer quality outcomes and more expensive operations.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  10. Will you vote for legislation to establish a national $15/hour minimum wage for all workers, including “tipped” and domestic workers?
    Speier YES

    The so-called “tip credit” allowed in some states results in poverty-level earnings and opens workers to exploitive business practices, including widespread sexual harassment.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  11. Will you vote for legislation that protects Social Security by removing the income “cap” and requiring everyone to pay SSI taxes on all forms of income?
    Speier YES

    This is essential to sustaining the Social Security system.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  12. Will you vote to repeal the 2017 Tax Scam Bill, increase the capital gains rate to equal that for earned income, and restore a fair and progressive tax system?
    Speier YES

    I voted against the 2017 tax scam bill and am committed to bringing progressive taxation back to the tax code.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  13. Will you vote for legislation that would put in place a guaranteed minimum income?
    Speier UNSURE

    This is a very complex topic and not one that I’ve thoroughly researched. I have no opinion on it at the moment.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  14. Will vote for legislation to restore net neutrality?
    Speier YES

    This is essential to our democracy because throttling access allows ISPs to select winners and losers based upon who has the most money to pay.

    Typically, very wealthy forces will have the most money to get their message out to the public and therefore there will be an even more unbalanced system of messaging than at the moment. Net neutrality is essential to a healthy democracy.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  15. Will you vote for legislation to end all subsidies to the fossil-fuel extraction industry?
    Speier YES

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  16. Will you vote for legislation to reinstate the EPA environmental-protection policies that have been reversed by the Trump Administration?
    Speier YES

    If we get a Democratic majority in Congress, we can look at the damage done by the Trump administration and fashion legislation to prevent future administrators from taking these types of actions.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  17. Will you vote for legislation to level the playing field for renewable energy by taxing fossil fuels and providing incentives for renewables?
    Speier YES

    While in the state legislature, I voted for California’s landmark cap and trade system that did precisely this.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  18. Will you insist on compliance with the War Powers Act and vote for legislation that repeals the open-ended “Authorization for the Use of Military Force” (AUMF)?
    Speier YES

    It is the responsibility of congress to authorize the use of military force. I will continue to support and call for a limited and narrowly defined AUMF.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  19. Will you vote for legislation similar to S.200/HR.669 banning the first-use of nuclear weapons without a congressional declaration of war?
    Speier YES

    I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 669.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  20. Will you vote for legislation to cut bloated defense spending so we can use those funds for health care, education, job training, housing, and infrastructure?
    Speier YES

    Yes. In addition, through my seat on the Armed Services Committee, I continue to fight to abolish wasteful weapons systems, which would cut billions in wasteful spending. The best example of this is the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), a program I’ve managed to reduce in terms of ships to be purchased.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  21. Will you vote for legislation to negate or circumvent the effects of Citizens United?
    Speier YES

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  22. Will you vote for national legislation to ban restrictive voter ID requirements and restore voting rights to convicted felons?
    Speier YES

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  23. Will you vote for legislation requiring secure, voter-verifiable voting systems and create a government agency to protect the integrity of U.S. elections?
    Speier YES

    The Department of Homeland Security is the most likely US agency to seriously take on this job.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  24. Will you vote for a Constitutional amendment stating that free, high-quality, public K-12 education is a fundamental human right of American children?
    Speier YES

    This would have no effect in California because our constitution already has this type of amendment in it.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  25. Will you vote for legislation to reduce student debt and increase financial aid with a long-term goal of tuition-free public colleges?
    Speier YES

    I believe that college costs too much.

    While everyone should pay at least something towards college, free tuition and a reduction in other college costs to free this country’s students and families from a lifetime of crushing debt is essential both to the families and to the development of our economy.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  26. Will you vote for legislation such as the Dream Act that that provides an expedited path to citizenship for DACA youth and their families?
    Speier YES

    I have repeatedly done so.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  27. Will you vote for legislation to protect and retain family reunification programs, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and the Diversity Lottery?
    Speier YES

    I led a Congressional delegation of 25 members to the border to shine a spotlight on the horrific Trump policy of family separation.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  28. Will you vote for legislation to simplify the immigration process and eliminate multi-year or decade-long waits for visas or permanent residencies?
    Speier YES

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  29. Will you vote for legislation prohibiting child-parent separation & indefinite family detention, detention camps on military bases, and for-profit detention facilities?
    Speier YES

    I led a Congressional delegation of 25 members to the border to shine a spotlight on the horrific Trump policy of family separation.

    Forced separations and prolonged detentions are inhumane in any instances where the detainee is not identified as being a threat to the community. A tiny fraction of immigrants pose such a threat—far smaller than the general population as a whole. What the Trump Administration did to children and to their families was a violation of our constitution, our traditions as Americans, and international standards of decency. Many of the immigrants were asylum seekers who were lawfully seeking asylum and should never have been placed into prolonged detention

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  30. If Trump is impeached and removed from office, will you support legislation or action to remove judges appointed by the Trump Administration?
    Speier NO

    Legislation, instead of a constitutional amendment, on this matter would almost certainly violate the constitutional guarantee of lifetime appointment of federal judges and impeachment of judges is already well covered in the provisions and precedents that currently exist.

    In my judgment, politically-motivated removal of federal justices, aside from being unconstitutional, would inevitably morph the American judicial system into one in which the victor of a given election delivers retribution to the losers through unjust incarcerations and executions. This is one of the major ways in which nations move from democracy to dictatorship and is therefore a terrible idea/suggestion.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  31. Will you support the impeachment of President Trump for malfeasance in office, abuses of power and breaches of the public trust?
    Speier YES

    I have already said that he has obstructed justice and engaged in other acts that merit impeachment.

    If the Mueller investigation establishes, as I think it will, conspiracy with foreign agents, tax evasion, and obstruction of justice, then the time for impeachment will arise. We have to be careful to justify all actions with evidence and not fall into the same practice of the President by simply making politically-motivated charges unsubstantiated by facts. I’m trying to develop the facts.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  32. Will you publicly declare that firing Mueller or impeding his investigation is an impeachable offense?
    Speier YES

    I have done so already.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  33. Will you vote for legislation requiring that candidates for federal office including President and Vice-President provide five years of complete tax returns to voters prior to balloting?
    Speier YES

    In my judgment, this must be a constitutional amendment as the constitution sets the standards for the office of President, whether it is age or origin of citizenship, etc.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  34. Will you vote for legislation requiring universal background checks of gun buyers, regardless of where the gun is purchased -- online, in a store, or at a gun show?
    Speier YES

    This is my legislation, HR 3411 (2015/6)

    I am a fierce supporter of gun safety legislation and proudly proclaim my F rating with the NRA.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  35. Will you work to reinstate an assault weapons ban?
    Speier YES

    I was a coauthor of California’s law on this subject and co-sponsor legislation in Congress on this matter.

    I feel very deeply about this topic and have, for decades, worked to enact this and other sensible gun safety measures.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back

  36. Will you commit to at least 3 town-halls each year if you are elected to represent us?
    Speier YES

    I’ve done 12 (and counting) in this two year period, including what I believe was the nation’s largest in 2016 with 1900 attendees.

    I regularly do more than three per year.

    Back

    Osmena N/A

    Back