Op-Eds
Small businesses — those with fewer than 100 employees — fuel San Diego’s economy. They represent 98 percent of our firms and nearly 60 percent of our workforce. For a long time, the general narrative around supporting small business has been a call to action for people to “shop local.” That’s great, but it’s not enough.
Last week, the Trump administration announced its intent to roll back fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks sold in the United States through 2026, and to eliminate states’ authority to set their own, more stringent pollution standards. The move is backward looking for American business, consumers and the environment.
“You mean it gets better?” a female veteran asks Olga, a certified peer specialist working at the Department of Veterans Affairs. For the last decade, Olga has served as an integral part of the VA’s peer specialist program in Dallas.
During district work periods, the days there are no votes in Congress, I spend my time visiting local businesses and attending events throughout San Diego, and hosting meetings in my office with constituents. Meeting new people throughout my district and hearing how the federal government is helping—or hurting—them is one of the best, and most important, parts of the job.
The United States entered the 21st century as the world’s undeniable economic leader.
San Diegans celebrate our partnership in the national defense. We’re a home port for Navy vessels and a center of Marine Corps recruiting and training. We’re an officially designated Coast Guard City. We’re home to shipyards for construction and repair, companies that specialize in unmanned vehicle technology, and a center of cybersecurity excellence.
When I was first elected to Congress in 2013, I met with retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Ronne Froman, who had formerly commanded Navy Region Southwest in the congressional district I represent. I told her I planned to form a veterans’ advisory committee and asked her to lead it. In her no-nonsense Navy fashion, she promptly turned to me and said, “Scott, that’s a terrible idea.”
BY SCOTT PETERS
America is founded on the promise that if you work hard and play by the rules then you will have a fair shot at making a better life.
In February, in his joint address to Congress, President Trump promised to work with both parties to promote clean air and clean water. The president’s actions, however, do not reflect the words he delivered to us that day. Among his first actions: appointing an Environmental Protection Agency administrator who made his name trying to block that very agency from keeping our water clean.