Editorial: Eshoo, seeking 15th term in Congress, still knows her stuff
Her understanding of health care, voting rights, biotechnology and women's issues far surpasses that of her challenger.
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In 1992, when Anna Eshoo ran for Congress, we noted that she “has worked diligently on health care as a (San Mateo County) supervisor, and she knows her stuff.”
Thirty years later, as she runs in the Nov. 8 election for a 15th term in Congress, that’s still true. Eshoo’s understanding of health care, voting rights, biotechnology and women’s issues far surpasses that of her challenger, Saratoga City Councilman Rishi Kumar.
At some point, Eshoo, who turns 80 on Jan. 3, will retire and give way to a successor to carry on her work protecting our democracy and advancing Silicon Valley’s needs. Kumar is not up for the task. He has had a hard time just getting along with his colleagues on the Saratoga City Council and would be ineffective in Washington.
Regardless of whether Democrats retain control of the House and Senate following the midterms, the challenges facing Congress will be immense. The region needs smart, respected and experienced leaders to set us on the right course.
Voters in the 16th District should send Eshoo back to Washington. The newly drawn district stretches from Pacifica at the north end to Los Gatos at the south. It includes Campbell, Mountain View, Palo Alto and a slice of San Jose.
Eshoo is chair of the House Subcommittee on Health. But it’s not the number of bills she has passed that tells whether she is a successful leader. It’s in what actually gets passed and what gets rejected. She authored portions of the Affordable Care Act and the bill that played a major role in the rapid development of vaccines to combat COVID-19.
If reelected, she would continue advocating for universal health care and fighting for her bill to create the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health to foster biomedical innovation for fighting deadly diseases.
Kumar repeatedly claims that Eshoo is in the pocket of Big Pharma, which has given more money to her than any other member of Congress. But Eshoo demonstrated her independence when she helped move legislation allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, which pharmaceutical companies have fought for years. Biden signed that legislation that was part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Kumar, a mechanical engineer, is a progressive Democrat. He advanced to the general election by garnering 16% of the vote, edging out Republican Peter Ohtaki, in the June primary in which Eshoo received 48%.
When Kumar ran against Eshoo in 2020, we said it was questionable whether he deserves another term on the Saratoga City Council, much less a seat in Congress. He has done nothing since then to change our minds. If Kumar has been unable to develop a working relationship with his fellow council members in eight years of office, we don’t see how he can develop the necessary support to get any of his ambitious promises passed in Congress.
Kumar pledges to expand Medicare, rein in Pentagon spending and crush “big money in politics.” Those are worthy goals. But Kumar also has a habit of taking credit for the work of others. For example, he still maintains that he stopped eight different San Jose Water rate hikes. But it is the California Public Utilities Commission that has the authority to accept or reject rate hike requests — not a Saratoga city councilman.
The 16th District needs a respected, experienced member of Congress for the tasks at hand. That candidate is Anna Eshoo. Voters should reelect her.