Kate Monroe is one of several Republicans running for Democratic Rep. Mike Levin’s coastal North County and Orange County congressional seat, often considered the region’s most competitive.
To help inform voters, the San Diego Union-Tribune asked all the candidates a series of the same questions about their priorities, positions and campaigns. Their emailed answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
Why are you running, and what makes you the best candidate?
After serving in the U.S. Marines, then serving disabled veterans for a living, I’m now ready to serve the great constituents of CA-49, because so many of my fellow veterans, church congregants and members of Congress I’ve worked closely with have encouraged me to run. So this was never a “plan.” I’m answering a constituent call of duty.
I have an unfair advantage over my Republican opponents, because I possess all three determining factors that primary voters use to decide who they support: Qualifications, experience and electability.
I’m the most qualified and experienced because as a private citizen I’ve accomplished more policy progress locally and in Congress in the past few months than many elected members do in their entire career.
And I’m the most electable to defeat and unseat Mike Levin (D) in November because I can win the suburban mom swing vote, since I’m one of them.
What are the top 3 issues facing this district and California generally?
America is suffering from the Biden-demic, which is a deadly toxic brew of the border-demic, inflation-demic and crime-demic, all of which are compounded by the spending-demic, drug-demic, homeless-demic and war-demic.
Our border is like an open bleeding wound at a very high risk of deadly infection. Enemy countries are surging every terrorist and saboteur they can into the U.S., so when the border is secure again, they will make Oct. 7 and 9/11 look like Disneyland, and we will fondly reflect on how peaceful life used to be before Joe Biden and Mike Levin allowed hostiles to destroy us from within.
Millions were so angry watching “60 Minutes” and Fox News as thousands of migrants walked right around the open end of the fence in San Diego, so I went there Friday and sealed off that gap with razor wire myself!
Politicians talk, but Marines act.
What are the first 3 things you would do in your first term in Congress?
After I’m elected, I will introduce my Performance-based Funding Act and Adoption Acceleration Act. (See below.)
The PBF Act will cut government waste by 50 percent almost overnight, because it will end “pay and pray” funding and require performance metrics to be attained before money is granted.
No more throwing billions at homelessness, only to watch the problem get worse. Otherwise, if problems go away, the money goes away.
Performance-based funding is similar to when you pay a contractor on your house only after certain things are done. Construction lenders are never stupid enough to give all the money in advance to the developer, but that’s what our government does with everything. Under my PBF rules, only when certain metrics are attained is the money released in phases.
This could be the one thing that saves America from driving off the fatal economic debt cliff that’s fast approaching.
What would you do to curb climate change and its effects on California?
California’s biggest climate danger is the inevitable water scarcity. We must seize upon this period of temporary drought relief, and execute my water conservationist-approved initiative to convert retired offshore oil rigs to freshwater-producing desalination plants. This avoids the California Coastal Commission or other lengthy process permits, and environmentalists don’t object to open ocean desalination, as they do shore-based plants a la Huntington Beach. These floating water platforms are safe, clean and mobile, so they can go wherever the need is greatest and pipe fresh water along the ocean floor and over the shore into any city water system, groundwater or reservoir.
How should U.S. migration and asylum policy change, what should guide it, and what specifically will you pursue in Congress?
Revert to three top border enforcement policies of the Trump and Obama administrations:
1. Reinstitute “remain in Mexico” asylum policy.
2. Finish the wall.
3. Deport millions, like President Obama did. (Let’s appoint him director of deportations!)
I will gather other brave members of Congress and create a border security delegation, travel to the border and personally erect barriers across any gaps in the wall. Government officials will have to arrest us to stop us, but if Joe Biden won’t allow Border Patrol to arrest trespassers, how could anyone justify arresting members of Congress trying to enforce the law?
What is your stance on the war in Gaza, and on U.S. involvement in and support of it?
Imagine if we had a policy other than unconditional surrender before defeating Germany and Japan in World War II, or before defeating ISIS during the Trump administration. It would have been a disaster.
If Israel doesn’t finish the job and finish off Hamas completely, they will reconstitute.
Any war crimes committed by Israel should be speedily prosecuted once the war is concluded.
Would you support federal statutory restrictions on, or protections of, abortion rights? Which, and to what extent?
I will introduce my Adoption Acceleration Act. Pregnant women will have a viable alternative to abortion or becoming full-time mothers, because they will be incentivized to give birth for adoption, which is in extremely high demand. This will be the first legislative initiative that both pro-choice and pro-life people can support, because my AAA will greatly reduce abortions without bans. And it’s win/win/win/win: Happy political parties + happy new parents + happy women + happy babies (because they’re alive, not dead).
Would you support or oppose stricter federal gun laws and background checks? Which, and to what extent?
You mean abolish the Second Amendment and confiscate all firearms? That’s a HARD NO! Disarming you does not protect you.
The best defensive weapon that any California citizen could have is me as their member of Congress. Electing me is like hiring premium private security for your rights, and the cost is just one vote. If anyone tries to harm them (or you), they will have to get through this Marine… Kate Monroe.
