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At Five Star Bank
community is at the heart
of what we do.
Every day we strive
to have thoughtful solutions
for our customers and help
our communities prosper.
Honest dialogue about
the issues affecting the region
is vitally important
to that prosperity.
We are proud to be part
of the conversation
and hope you'll join in.
♪
>>Welcome to Studio Sacramento
Today's episode was developed in
partnership with our local
chapter of the American
Leadership Forum
The 2012 Elections were
historic in many ways.
One of the most discussed
issues is the continued
impact of demographic trends
on the changing face of
leadership in America.
Among the newcomers in the
113th Congress is Dr. Ami Bera.
Dr. Bera defeated longtime
Congressman and former
Attorney General Dan Lungren
in one of the most closely
contested races in the country.
The son of immigrants,
who rose to Sacramento's
Chief Medical Officer and
later as a Professor of
Medicine at UC Davis,
embodies a new generation of
leaders in public service.
Dr. Bera joins us today on
Studio Sacramento to tell us
his story and his thoughts
on the future of Sacramento
and the nation.
Welcome Congressman Bera.
>>Scott, I'm glad to be here.
>>So tell us,
after all of this time,
two races,
how does it feel for it all
to be over?
>>You know,
I'm glad that all those
commercials that were on
television are off the air.
Um, yeah . . .
>>Made you famous.
>>Well,
it did raise my name ID
a little bit.
You know,
on that day that I got sworn
in January 3rd, um,
you know,
it was just an incredible
honor to . . .
to be able to walk on the
floor of the House of
Representatives . . .
get sworn in.
And then look up in the
gallery and see my dad.
He came here, you know,
in the 1950's as an
immigrant with nothing more
than just a dream of
creating a better life.
To watch his son,
in one generation,
get sworn into the House of
Representatives . . .
that was pretty remarkable.
>>Tell us the story of your
family.
>>You know, my parents,
you know, came here
in the late 1950's.
You know, really again,
like generations of
Americans have, you know,
immigrated here.
Wanted to create a better life.
They landed in California.
Um, my father's an engineer,
my mom became a public
school teacher.
I'm a lifelong Californian . . .
grew up in Southern California
going to our great
public schools.
You know,
I'm a product of our
community colleges and then
went the University of
California Irvine for
undergrad and med school.
>>Yeah,
>>I shared this with folks . . .
I paid $393 a quarter to go
to med school.
So, I could work part-time,
take out student loans and
go to four years of
undergrad and four years of
med school and graduate with
less than $10,000 of debt.
>>You know,
we've fallen a long way.
>>We sure have.
>>Yeah.
>>I mean . . .
and the reason why I talk
about is, you know,
this state and this country
made investments in me and
my family,
and in generations of
Californians and Americans,
and we have to get back to
that context where we're
investing in ourselves again.
We're creating that
opportunity.
None of that was a handout.
You know,
I worked incredibly hard to
get into college and get
into medical school,
but the opportunity existed.
And again,
I think our greatest asset
is our people.
>>Well, you know,
it gets back to this whole
question . . .
there's an ongoing debate in
this country about the
takers versus the makers.
>>Right.
>>But if there aren't any
takers do you end up
having makers?
I think that's kinda where
you're going.
>>Yeah, and again,
I wouldn't say I was a taker.
I would say the country and
the state made an investment
in me.
Now the dividend on that
investment is,
I was able to reach my full
potential.
Was able to become a doctor,
and, you know,
the way you pay if forward
is making sure I'm investing
in that next generation
through our tax system.
And then making sure as . . .
at the federal level and the
state level,
we're strategically making
the right investments.
>>It sounds so reasonable.
What do you think drives the
divide in being able to have
a conversation that crosses
partisan lines in order to
get together on doing what's
best for the country?
>>Well I think so much has
been driven by the politics
of winning and losing.
Where it's like, OK,
if I can't win then I'm
gonna make you lose.
And I think the mandate in
the 2012 election is that
the country expects us to
work together to find
common ground.
And then to build on that
common ground.
We've done it before.
Look at the, you know,
the great Speaker of the
House Tip O'Neil.
You know,
was able to work with
President Ronald Reagan to
revamp our tax system.
To strengthen social security.
Speaker Newt Gingrich was
able to work with President
Bill Clinton,
not only to balance our budget,
but to actually create
budget surpluses.
Let's get back to this
context where we're putting
country first.
>>So far since you've walked
the floor of the House, um . . .
what's sort of the mood and
atmosphere there about
having those sorts of
dialogs?
>>Well,
look at the two big pieces
of legislation that we've
passed in our first two
weeks in session.
We passed Hurricane
Sandy relief,
which was long overdue for
the families that are
suffering in the northeast.
Um,
that was done in a
bi-partisan way.
It was majority Democrats
with about 30 Republicans
coming across.
And then we passed,
you know, last week,
one of our signature pieces
of legislation that I ran on
the no budget-no pay
legislation,
as well as an extension of
the debt ceiling.
You know, that, you know,
passed with about 80
Democrats breaking with
leadership . . .
going across the aisle and
voting with the Republicans.
I was proud to say that I
was one of those that,
you know,
just realized this is the
thing that we should be
dealing.
We've got to put a budget
together.
And the budget is core to
what our job is.
It tells us what our
priorities are.
How we're gonna use the
taxpayer's resources.
And if you don't have a budget,
how are we ever gonna be
able to address the debt and
deficit?
>>When you ran you had never
held elective office except
back in college.
>>Right.
That's correct.
>>And most people start with
fire district or school
board or something like that.
You went to, essentially,
the equivalent of
the "big show".
What was the fire in the
belly that drove you to run
for Congress?
>>The fire in the belly was
there are real conversations
that we need to be having
at the federal level
within Congress.
You know,
when we talk about
healthcare,
the conversation we really
should be having is how we
address the cost of
healthcare.
Talk to any individual,
small business owner or
large business owner,
and it's the cost that is
making our system
unsustainable.
You know,
the affordable care act is
not how I would have started
approaching this.
>>Really?
>>It lays a framework,
but I would have made the
cost argument.
I would have brought the
business community in and
partnered with it.
And until we get
costs under control,
it's gonna be very difficult
to compete with the rest of
the world.
>>Well let me throw a
thought at you.
A recent discussion on this
issue on cost really says
that some of the impediments
that Congress has put in
place keep costs up,
because you can't combine
and create economy's of scale.
There's very little vertical
integration in healthcare.
>>Absolutely.
>>So you got 10 pairs of
shareholders, 10 CEOs,
10 back offices . . .
how do you get at that?
Well, so,
one thing that the
affordable care act does
start to do is . . .
it does start to lay a
framework for integrated systems
where you now have the
health plan,
the hospital system and the
medical group all in
alignment.
Now we've gotta make sure
the incentives are towards
better healthcare,
not towards higher
consumption.
That requires us to have a
real conversation.
I can say this is a doctor . . .
we've gotta move away from a
fee for service system where
the more you do,
the more you make . . .
towards a system that says,
you know,
how do I practice in the
most efficient manner.
You know, there . . .
and that's not gonna be
easy, because . . .
>>As a former Public Health
Officer and someone who's
followed this subject,
obviously,
professionally and
personally for years . . .
can you name two or three
things that we as average
citizens are going to see as
benefits and improvements
over the coming years from
the passage of the Care Act?
>>Well, so here's a simple one
prevention is now covered
under Medicare.
So that's not only gonna
save lives,
it's gonna lower costs.
It's much better to,
you know, cover, you know,
cancer screening.
Diagnose the cancer when we
can treat it and save the life,
as opposed to waiting until
the disease is far advanced.
So by actually covering and
then encouraging prevention
we should not only improve
health,
we should lower costs and
become more efficient.
>>One more . . .
one more thing about just
being in Congress for the
first time . . .
what's a typical day like
for you?
>>Yeah, the days are long.
So, you know,
when we're back in
Washington D.C. usually my
first meetings start around
8:00 or 8:30 am.
And, you know,
now I've got my assignment,
so the committees are
starting to form and . . .
>>And those are again?
>>I'm on the Committee on
Foreign Affairs,
along with the Sub-Committee
on Asia and the Pacific,
and the Sub-Committee on
Africa and Global Health.
And then also the Committee
on Space Science and
Technology . . .
the Sub-Committee on
Research and the
Sub-Committee on Space.
So, you'll go from
committee meetings,
which is really where a lot
of the work gets done,
and our sub-committee
meetings.
You know,
our voting schedule . . .
the bells will go off and
then you'll have to go to
the House floor and cast
your votes.
And then you've got
constituents and folks that
are coming out to . . .
to meet with you.
And so forth.
And, you know,
our goal is to be as
accessible as possible to
the public.
>>When, um, you are part of a,
one might say a "boom",
of Indian-American, ah,
citizens who are moving into
public service.
On a bi-partisan basis
there's Kamala Harris, ah,
on the Republican side,
Governor Nikki Haley . . .
you have Bobby Jindal, um . . .
what's going on in the
Indian-American community
that's bring all of this
participation.
>>Well I think it's a natural
progression of, um,
you know . . .
we benefited from the best
of what America's had to offer.
You guys shared the story of
my father and mother
coming here.
You know, they built a life
they gave me the means to
become a doctor and this is
just the next step in giving
back to America.
So, you know,
and it's a story that's,
you know,
told throughout history.
You know,
you had your
Italian-Americans,
your Irish-Americans, um,
the Jewish community
and so forth . . .
the African-American . . .
So, I think it is just
this broadening.
And America is at its best
when . . .
because of our diversity.
>>And . . .
and what do you think,
you know there's a lot of
focus on the demographic
shift that's going on in the
country and its impact on
the national elections,
and what it's continued,
sort of,
impact is going to be over
the next coming years.
What do you see as going on
in this country in terms the
changes that you see
evolving because of this shift?
>>Well, look at the makeup
of Congress.
This is most diverse
Congress in our history.
>>Really?
>>It is. So . . .
and if you look and the
Democratic Caucus,
the 209 Democrats that are
in House of Representatives,
it is now a majority women,
minorities and LGBT members.
So that is the majority of
the Democratic Caucus.
So there's this change in
face of America.
And we should embrace these
diverse perspectives.
You know, again,
if we bring these varied
cultural views,
we bring these varied life
experiences to the table,
we're gonna have a very
robust conversation that
really is reflective of . . .
>>Well what are the big
conversations in the 113th
Congress that you're hoping
to make sure happen?
>>You know,
both nationally and here in
our region, in Sacramento,
we're still, you know,
just coming out of a
difficult four years.
So, you know,
the recession hit our region
in Sacramento quite hard.
>>Yes.
>>And we've got to make sure
this recovery continues.
So, you know,
we've got to continue to,
you know . . .
we still have, what,
a 7.8% unemployment rate in
California?
We have close to a 10%
unemployment rate so we've
gotta start creating jobs
and getting people back to work.
Um, you know,
we've got some major issues
in Congress with regards to,
you know,
how we address out debt . . .
how we address our deficits.
And that's where, you know,
again,
this conversation about
creating a real budget
starts to put us a path to
address the debt and the
deficit.
Um, so those are . . .
>>One of the things that, ah,
Speaker Boehner and others
in the majority have spoken
is that,
is the creation of a budget
or the passage of a real
budget this year . . .
>>Yeah.
>>because they believe that
that's gonna force a
conversation.
You talked early . . .
earlier about the investment
that's necessary in order to
help people reach their full
potential in this nation.
>>Uh huh.
>>How do you see that
conversation playing out
when we have such tremendous
debt loads,
but yet there's an argument
to be made potentially for
investment as well?
>>Absolutely, so,
right now the budget
conversation and the debt
conversation seems to be
about revenue or spending cuts.
There's a third component
that you just touched on
which we have to talk about.
It's about growing our . . .
our . . . our, um, economy.
We're at about a 1% GDP.
Historically we've been at a
3% GDP,
and we've gotta get back to
that level of growth.
That does come about by
strategic investments.
So, you know, just as any of
us in our own household,
sometimes we'll make
investments on the front-end
knowing that it will be two
or three years and we'll get
that dividend on the
back-end.
Let's make those smart
investments and let's have a
conversation.
That shouldn't be Democrat
versus Republican.
>>What top of mind for you
would be the areas that you
would like to see the most
investment,
new investments go into?
>>Well, you know,
let's bring it here locally.
You know,
let's look at the assets in
our region here in
Sacramento.
You know, we've got the top
agricultural university in
the country, if not the world,
in UC Davis.
We sit at the heart of one
of the richest agricultural
regions in the world.
There's no reason we can't
invest and start bring those
industries here and make us
the Silicon Valley of the
agricultural sector.
>>It's interesting that you
raise that.
A healthcare executive
recently shared with me his
opinion in that while a lot
of people look at the
healthcare sector,
because of the tremendous
investment that we have in
healthcare within this
region,
has sort of the wave of the
future, he argued,
as a healthcare executive,
that he thought that in
comparison,
agriculture presented a
bigger opportunity than
healthcare.
Your reaction?
>>I would absolutely agree.
We talk about biotechnology,
we talk about healthcare but
that can be replicated in a
number of areas and a number
of municipalities are competing
to dominate that space.
But we,
you can't replicate the
agricultural region that's
here in the Central Valley.
You can't replicate a
university like the
University of California, Davis.
And then look at the number
of PhD's that we're
graduating on a,
we've got a very educated
workforce so it's a win-win.
And you know it's talking to
Chancellor Katehi a few
weeks ago,
it very much fits into the
model of what she'd like to see.
This public-private
partnership where academia
is working with industry.
>>And she's been very
successful in bringing
research dollars in
institution.
>>Yeap.
>>But you know there's almost
an upstairs downstairs
problem within this region.
UC Davis and its leadership
have been extremely
successful in bringing
research dollars into the
region.
Particularly from the
federal government and
private sector as well.
But you know,
Sacramento is known by many
as a misfit in terms of not
being able to claim its fair
share of federal funding
from grants, programs,
things like that.
As a matter of fact,
some say that while our
congressional delegation is
very vigorous in fighting
for us back in Washington,
our Senatorial delegation
only stops by here on
election years.
>>Well sometimes the playing
field does seem to be tilted
toward Southern California
and the Bay Area.
I think we've got a unique
opportunity here though.
You already got myself,
Mrs. Matsui, Mr. Garamendi,
Mr. McNerney,
Mr. Thompson and if we came
together as a regional
congressional delegation
there's five members there
who can really start to push
an agenda.
Let's take it even one step
further,
what if we were able to get
the local city electeds,
the county elected and our
state representatives share
in a regional conversation
along with the congressional
representatives and actually
laid out what our one or two
priorities are for the
coming year or this
legislative session and then
each of us has a role.
At the congressional level
it could be advocating for
the grants and the funding.
At the state level it could
be streamlining the process
to those funds,
get to the frontline as
quickly as possible.
And the county and city
could be zoning issues or
whatever the topic area is.
If we align those incentives
we could actually really
accomplish something.
>>So in other words what
you're saying is that we
could have a bigger voice if
we found a way to work a bit
more collaboratively.
>>Absolutely.
>>Does the congressional
delegation or do you all
ever sit down and put
together an agenda so to
speak?
>>You know we meet as a
California delegation.
>>Uh huh.
>>But I actually think we
should meet as a Northern
California delegation and
that is something that we
started to talk about with
Mr. Garamendi,
with Mrs. Matsui and so
they've been great mentors
to me.
>>Uh huh.
>>Now another big issue coming
up in Congress is the whole
conversation that came out
of the recent violence in
Connecticut,
Newtown and there's a big
discussion that's going on
that's actually captivating
the country right now.
What do you think are sort
of the bedrock principles in
having a sensible
conversation on this?
>>Well first off what a
tragedy in Newtown.
You know our heart,
Janine and my heart go out
to the parents and the
families that are suffering.
We should have a conversation
and frame it as how do we keep
our community safe?
I look at this as a Dad.
When I drop my daughter off
at the movies or at school
I don't want to worry
about her safety.
So let's broaden the
conversation about
community safety.
Now a component of that is
looking at our gun
legislation.
A component of that could be
looking at mental health
resources and services.
A component of that might be
what do our kids do
after school and so forth,
you know community
resources.
So it's a broader
conversation of how we keep
folks safe.
And on the topic of gun
legislation there are areas
where you know if you look
at surveys of NRA members.
Three out of four NRA
members agree that we should
close the private gun sale
loophole.
That's common ground.
You know most NRA members
think we should have a ban
on extended round magazines.
There's common ground so
let's at least start working
on the things where we can
find agreement.
>>Well the, in terms of sort of
prognostications for the future,
is it your sense that there
are at least enough people
on both sides of the aisle
to have that conversation or
willing to have that
conversation?
>>You know I think so in light
of the series of tragic events.
We have to have this
conversation.
And again it may not be,
let's take a look at the
existing gun legislation,
it may be that we have the
laws in place but we're not
enforcing them.
It may be that we have the
wrong laws in place and
maybe we should have
different legislation.
Another thing that we
certainly should be able to
agree on is let's actually
collect the data.
Right now Congress is
expressly forbidden the
Centers for Disease Control
to collect data on gun
violence.
>>Really?
>>Yeah, so that is something
that's very much within
our realm.
We can change that component.
So I as a doctor collect
data and send it in to the CDC.
>>Wow.
>>Yeah.
>>So let's talk about how it
is that your work back in
Washington is going to
affect people back in the
district, in the region.
How would you,
what are the issues most top
of mind for you that you'd
like to work on locally?
>>Well, so let's take
a step back,
how I'm approaching these
first three months is we're
going out there and
listening to as many folks
as we can here in this
district.
We've already done four
Congress on the corner in
the first two weeks and we
plan on doing dozens more.
So we'll take the first
three months...
>>What is a Congress on the...
>>The Congress on the corner
is going into a coffee shop
and inviting the community
to come in and just removing
barriers between the
folks that I... that I hope
to represent and their
representative.
And it's about listening you
know sharing what I'm
hearing but then really
spending my time listening
to what their thoughts and
concerns are.
So we'll take the first
three months to do that.
We're meeting with as many
local elected officials as
possible.
Business leaders,
the various chambers of
commerce and so forth to get
a sense of where the
community is at.
There's already lots of
conversations going on here.
Next Economy... SACOG and
the Blueprint and Valley...
>>Well let's talk about,
let's talk about Next
Economy.
>>Yeah.
>>Next economy is the plan for
trying to diversify our
economy away from just being
government sort of focused.
Um how would you like to
partner and work on this
issue?
>>Well so we talked about one
nexus,
the agricultural sector.
Next Economy identifies that
as a real opportunity in our
area.
I see it as real opportunity
area.
It's so it's not about
creating a brand new
conversation.
It's about tapping into a
conversation that's already
taking place and then
elevating it.
>>And in terms of opportunity
area and agriculture is that
just domestic?
>>No.
So...part of the reason why
I'm on the committee on
foreign affairs and the
subcommittee on Asian and
the Pacific is there's a
huge export opportunity for us.
If we can open up India's
markets, China's markets,
that's 2 billion people that
they're going to
struggle to feed.
Agriculture is very
important to California's
economy.
I think it's about 35% of
our economy and certainly
here regionally we're
leading this farm to table
movement.
So let's open that up.
We've got a port here in
West Sacramento.
There's certainly real
opportunity here.
And in terms of the export
opportunities,
one of the interesting
things is that because of
the fact that we do have
some issues with
regulation...
>>Yeah.
>>It... someone was on the show
recently who said we make
products and then send them
a thousand miles away to
bring them back to
California.
Which is ridiculous.
So let...part of this whole
conversation is also looking
at our regulatory
environment.
Looking at pieces of law and
legislation that just may be
outdated and make no sense.
>>Uh huh.
>>That is part of this broader
conversation of how we
actually make government
more efficient.
And that's part of this,
the whole debt and the
deficit and efficiency
conversation.
>>Right.
Um the other big issue that
we're also facing that's
related to agriculture is on
water.
>>Sure.
>>And recently Congressman
Garamendi was on the show
talking about the importance
of trying to get water right.
And from your vantage point
are there a couple things
that we should be focusing on?
>>Well water politics make
healthcare look really easy.
>>Boy is that a statement.
>>Absolutely.
>>Uh huh.
>>You know I think John's a
great leader on water
politics and on water and
he's been a great mentor to
me on the issue of water.
As Doris Matsui has been a
great mentor on the issue of
flood control and levee
protection here in the
region.
>>Sure.
>>You know the conversation
that Governor Brown's
obviously introduced is on
the whole diversion of water.
The peripheral canal,
the tunnel,
I think we've got to get
this one right because
that's going to be a massive
infrastructure investment.
At a time when we have
limited resources it would
also be devastating to the
delta if we were to take all
that water and move it south.
My preference would be that
we actually take a look at
the end user.
>>Uh huh.
>>Southern California, um...
the Central Valley and make
sure they're using water
efficiently.
>>Right.
>>Now going back to sort of
being a new Congressman,
you know it always takes a
toll on family.
Your wife Janine is a
physician.
>>She is.
>>And you have a daughter
Sydra who is in high school.
And how are they reacting to
sort of this new world that
you're in?
>>You know we're all going on
this journey together so I
mean they're incredibly
proud and honored that as a
family we're able to serve
our country.
That probably is the biggest
challenge as well,
it is the biggest challenge.
The time away from family.
>>Sure.
>>Obviously high school is a
critical time and it puts an
added burden when I can't do
the carpool the way I want
to or get to the volleyball
games and so forth.
So but we're coping with
it... what it means for me is
a lot of flying back on
weekends when we're out of
session.
>>Alright,
in our final seconds one
quick thing,
when you and Janine want to
essentially get out for an
evening I always ask,
in your last 15 seconds
what's your favorite
restaurant and what's a fun
thing for you guys to do?
>>Um...our favorite restaurant
is actually Mulvaney's.
>>Ok.
>>We get out there and um
again it,
the other thing we do
together as a family is we
actually exercise and do
cross-fit together.
>>Spoken like a real
physician,
Congressman Ami Bera thank
you for coming on the show.
Much success to you.
>>Scott thanks for having me
on.
>>Alright.
Well that's our show.
Thanks to the American
Leadership Forum and to
Congressman Ami Bera for
being our guest and thanks
to you for watching Studio
Sacramento.
I'm Scott Syphax,
see you next time right here
on KVIE.
♪
>>At Five Star Bank community
is at the heart of what we do.
Every day we strive to have
thoughtful solutions for our
customers and help our
communities prosper.
Honest dialogue about the issues
affecting the region is vitally
important to that prosperity.
We are proud to be part
of the conversation and
hope you'll join in.
♪
All episodes of
Studio Sacramento
along with other KVIE programs
are available to watch online
at kvie.org/video