113th Congress: Eric Swalwell, D-Calif. (15th District)

By Hannah Hess, CQ Staff

Eric Swalwell believes his East Bay constituency is counting on him to work across party lines more often than his “hyperpartisan” predecessor, 20-term Rep. Pete Stark.

“Voters are going to expect a new direction now,” Swalwell says.

He lists reducing the federal debt among his budgetary priorities and says he wants to put “business and government on the same page.”

Swalwell supports rewriting the tax code to reward domestic manufacturers for keeping jobs in the United States, and he wants to provide tax credits to cover the moving expenses of plants that close overseas production to move back to U.S. soil. Coupled with stricter enforcement of trade rules, Swalwell believes his “made-in-America tax code” would increase jobs and allow small businesses better access to export markets.

Vowing to be a “champion for renewable energy,” Swalwell will push for more federal spending directed toward private companies developing renewable-energy technology. He also aims to ensure funding for his district’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, one of the top anti-terrorism, energy and nuclear weapons research facilities, and would like to see the military become more reliant on new technology. Swalwell hopes for a seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee or the Science, Space and Technology Committee.

The Transportation and Infrastructure panel would be a good fit as well; Swalwell wants to extend Bay Area Rapid Transit service to Livermore.