As a member of Congress, I will make creating jobs priority number one. To remain competitive in the global economy we must invest in technology, provide both grants and tax incentives for R&D, and prepare our next generations for the jobs of the future.

Instead of cutting funds for education, we should be adding opportunities — in science, technology, engineering and math; in music and the arts, which are an important economic presence in the Los Angeles film and music scene; and by beefing up vocational education so that good, well-paying jobs are available to students who don’t wish to pursue higher education.

Maximizing our energy independence, which is critical to our national security, will also create California jobs. We need to continue to press for renewable energy — it’s clean, it doesn’t contribute to climate change, it saves money for households and business alike, and it does not distort our foreign policy decisions.

We also have to focus on growing our small businesses, which traditionally generate far more jobs than the more visible larger employers.

The Secretary of State’s office is the first stop for virtually anyone wanting to do business in California. The office provides many online and in-person resources and services. I added some very practical services — such as warning businesses about potential scams that are intended to entice a small business to pay a large fee for filing something that is either free, or very low cost.

I have also worked hard to reduce document fraud. I sponsored legislation to crack down on people who use official government documents to fraudulently claim they are entitled to certain rights and privileges.

And I removed all social security numbers from UCC filings, which are used when someone finances a car or a boat. Identity theft and fraud are sectors where I've actually gone to great effort to prevent job growth!

Getting America’s economy moving again will require smart investments at the same time as we address our deficit in a responsible way. We need to be responsible with our spending, while also conducting a thorough review of federal tax incentives and loopholes. Programs, policies and tax laws that are supposed to create jobs, but don’t, should be eliminated!