SOMERTON, Ariz.-
U.S. Congressman Raul Grijalva visited Yuma County today to discuss community issues in Somerton and San Luis. We sat down with the congressman to talk about a variety of topics and to find out what residents in the desert southwest should be looking for in 2016.
“2016 is going to be a very interesting year, ” said Grijalva at his district office in Somerton. The congressman said for 2016 immigration reform will be a hot topic for border towns. Grijalva says, “For a border region like Yuma, the issue of immigration, border security is still going to continue to be a burning issue.” Issues like border security and infrastructure needs would bring an economic gain to Yuma by allowing more exports to Mexico. “It would be a net gain for the state of Arizona.”
Congressman Grijalva says there are three other points that need to be looked at and will play a big role in the upcoming election; Affordable education for those going to college whether it be to a University or to a community college and universal pre-kindergarten, the impact we are making on the environment, and the economy. Grijalva believes the economy will be the popular topic for the presidential candidate.
About six months ago, Congressman Grijalva was the first U.S. Congressman to publicly endorse Democrat Presidential Nominee Bernie Sanders and he said he did so because of their views of corporate America. “I did that because I agreed with his economic message and I agreed that the system is rigged and you have to do something about investing in our people to make us the nation we have to be and the nation we can be.”
When talking about Republican front runner Donald Trump, he compares Sanders with Trump saying both candidates appeal to voters who are angry and frustrated, but in completely different ways. “There is a genuine shared frustration and anger out there among the voters and Bernie is channeling that saying, ‘this is what we should do’, Trump is channeling that by saying, ‘this is what they did to us’. It’s a whole different way to look at it,” said Grijalva.