Ahead of the March primary, The Orange County Register compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide
Name: Tom McGrath
Current Job Title: Senior chemical engineer
Political Party Affiliation: No party affiliation
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: None
City where you reside: Huntington Beach
Campaign website or social media: www.thomaspmcgrath.com
How much assistance should the U.S. provide — military and/or financial — to foreign countries at war, like Israel or Ukraine? What, if any, should be the litmus test for American allies to receive assistance from the U.S.?
The U.S. should support Ukraine’s war against Russia for as long as the Ukrainians continue to fight. Withdrawing support would discourage allies and encourage actions by other authoritarian regimes such as an invasion of Taiwan by China. The bulk of U.S. defense spending is to deter our primary adversaries, Russia and China. Supporting Ukraine weakens Russia without U.S. boots on the ground, and we receive comprehensive data regarding Russian tactics. As of late December, Congress had not approved the $61.4 billion Ukrainian aid package, of which at least $25 billion would go to U.S. companies and military personnel.
Aid to Israel is warranted to quickly and humanitarianly resolve the conflict with Hamas and not leave Israel vulnerable to other adversaries such as Hezbollah. Long-term aid should be based on a commitment by Israel to work toward a two-state solution which will also require a Palestinian commitment. Neighboring states (e.g., Egypt and Jordan) could be enlisted to facilitate Palestinian participation.
A litmus test for American allies to receive U.S. assistance should include abiding by all treaties. For non-treaty allies and countries with shared democratic values, U.S. assistance to repel an invasion or deter an invasion threat is warranted. Economic assistance to developing countries promotes greater growth and stability and less migration. The U.S.-led world order since World War II has resulted in no major wars and general stability and economic growth. The U.S. should continue to engage with allies and talk to adversaries and not retreat into isolationism.
Border security continues to be a concern for many Americans. What is one proposal, that you believe could get bipartisan support, to address the border?
Primary drivers of immigration, and U.S.-Mexican border security issues, include people fleeing persecution, violence and lack of employment. People seeking work are not eligible for asylum in the U.S. and become a large portion of illegal immigrants. A November 2023 analysis of Border Patrol and immigrant encounters and U.S. job openings by the Cato Institute determined: “The unsurprising conclusion is that the strength or weakness of the U.S. labor market can explain much, and I’d wager most, of the flow of illegal immigrants across the southwest border,” and noted, “There simply are not enough temporary work visas available in enough sectors of the U.S. economy for legal migrant workers to meet the demand so illegal migrant workers meet it.” Thus, I would propose policies, crafted for bipartisan support, to allow many more seasonal/temporary workers and only issue visas in the worker’s home country to dissuade illegal border crossings.
As AI technology continues to rapidly expand, what do you see as the federal government’s role in creating and enforcing a regulatory framework?
AI has provided advancements in many areas and has the potential for ever greater and more valuable impacts. However, in 2023, AI leaders expressed concerns about potential risks. An open letter was signed by 1,000+ researchers and leaders advocating an AI development moratorium because AI technologies pose “profound risks to society and humanity.”
Geoffrey Hinton, “The Godfather of AI,” left Google to speak out about AI risks, including use as a misinformation tool, elimination of many jobs, use by bad actors and eventually a risk to humanity as AI systems intelligence exceeds human intelligence, possibly in the near future. Thus, there is a need for the government to develop and enforce AI regulations. European Union policymakers recently agreed to “risk-based approach” regulations that require AI tools with the greatest potential to cause harm to provide greater proof of risk assessments. Such an approach could be a starting point for U.S. regulations.
The role — and size — of the U.S. Supreme Court has come under scrutiny in recent years. Do you believe more justices should be added to the nation’s highest court, or would you support any kind of reform, like term limits?
I would support the Supreme Court Biennial Appointments and Term Limits Act recently introduced by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island; Cory Booker, D-New Jersey; Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut; and Alex Padilla, D-California. Under this proposed act, “a new justice would take the bench every two years and spend 18 years participating in all Supreme Court cases, after which the justice would be limited to hearing a small number of constitutionally required cases.”
Each president, with the advice and consent of the Senate, would then regularly appoint two Supreme Court justices, during the first and third years of each four-year presidential term. Such an approach would provide a balanced representation of the evolving electorate and is intended to reduce the partisan politics that occurred during recent Supreme Court appointments. Another consideration is that three of the last eight justices died while on the bench, resulting in sometimes prolonged vacancies. Eighteen-year terms would generally result in younger justices and orderly transitions.
What is one environment or climate policy you’d champion if elected?
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change by steadily reducing fossil fuel use balanced by increased supply of energy from renewable (e.g., solar and wind) and other low GHG emissions sources (e.g., hydrogen and nuclear) to maintain U.S. energy security. Use market forces to promote lower GHG emissions and fossil fuel use by implementing a progressive corporate “carbon price” ($/GHG emissions) with a border adjustment fee for imported goods from energy-intensive industries such as steel, aluminum and chemicals. The border adjustment fee is applied as such that both domestic and foreign producers pay the same carbon price. For example, if the U.S. has a $20/ton carbon price and the foreign market has a $10/ton carbon price, the fee would be $10/ton of GHGs required to produce the product. This addresses competitiveness concerns for U.S. companies and incentivizes global reductions in GHG emissions and fossil fuel use.
The George Santos saga made for numerous memes and “SNL” skits. But what is one thing Congress should take away from the former congressman’s expulsion from the House?
The Santos saga is one of many reasons the public’s trust in Congress is so low. (American’s approval of Congress’ job performance was 13% in an October 2023 Gallup poll). Congress needs to reestablish public trust in the institution and its members. All candidates, incumbent and non-incumbent, for the House and Senate, should be required to complete a federal form with basic information about education, job history and other notable activities and experience, and then sign the form to attest to the truthfulness of the information. If false information is discovered, the candidate should be disqualified from the election. The forms should be available to the media and public.
2023 was a year for labor in California. What is one policy you’d champion to support workers, if elected?
I have not studied this issue in any depth. I will do some homework and discuss policies to support workers on my website.
If you are an incumbent, tell us the most significant accomplishment of your most recent term. If you’re a newcomer, tell us how you, as a freshman, would stand out.
I am a no party preference/independent candidate and would very likely enter the House of Representatives as one of the few independents. Thus, I would stand out on that basis alone, and being an independent in a narrowly divided House could provide some leverage. It would be more important to stand out based on actual legislative accomplishments.
My goal as a representative is to pass meaningful legislation that prioritizes the prosperity and well-being of today’s youth and future generations. A key area is mitigating climate change causing greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring energy security. I have been an engineer and manager for 35 years on projects to characterize and reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the U.S. energy industry. This experience would help me “stand out” during the development of legislation to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and passing such legislation would be an accomplishment.
Describe your political philosophy in 10 words or less.
Fiscally conservative, socially liberal. Long-term outlook on policy impacts.
What is your go-to campaign trail snack or drink?
Healthy trail mix with nuts and fruits and the occasional glazed donut.
