Part 1: Carba-Who? Our Congressman’s Identity Problem

By Bob Smith, Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Who is Salud Carbajal Politically?

Members of Congress do more than vote. They join caucuses that signal how they operate and what kind of legislator they are. On the far left, you have The Squad. On the far right is the House Freedom Caucus.

In the middle sit the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group designed to bridge the gap. Its structure is unique. Members are paired across party lines, and legislation is intended to move forward with bipartisan support from the start.

In theory, it is one of the most effective places in Congress to get things done. Many of its members are those the bases complain about, because they will frequently vote across the aisle. They also generally get the most legislation done in Congress for the same reason.

Rep. Carbajal is a member of that Caucus.

What has that delivered for the Central Coast?

The Gap Between Rhetoric and Results

The Problem Solvers Caucus is built to move legislation forward.

We regularly hear about new proposals and policy ideas. But introducing a bill is not the same as advancing one.

If you review Rep. Carbajal’s record on Congress.gov, you will find many introductions and co-sponsorships, but very few of his authored measures – aside from post office dedications – ever advance through committee.

That is difficult to reconcile with membership in a caucus specifically designed to get things done. At some point, voters must ask a simple question: Is this producing results for the Central Coast, or just political rhetoric for Rep. Carbajal?

Just to be clear, we can make a comparison of Problem Solver members on each side of the aisle that were both first elected in the same year of 2016, Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01):

New Democrat Coalition

Rep. Carbajal is also a member of the New Democrat Coalition. This is a left-of-center caucus designed for moderate voices within the Democrat Party, focusing on bipartisan problem-solving. This caucus promotes balanced energy policy, economic growth, secure borders, quality education, and relief for the middle class.

How are those priorities performing on the Central Coast?

Energy policy in California is anything but balanced. Costs are double the national average and continue to rise as supply is constrained and reliability becomes more uncertain.

Economic growth is moving in the wrong direction. Businesses are leaving. Investment is slowing. The cost of building, hiring, and operating, continues to increase.

The middle class is being pushed out. Housing costs have outpaced incomes, and opportunity is becoming harder to find locally. We are near the top in poverty, with the cost of living factored in. California is leading the nation in outmigration, with affordability as the number one reason.

If your platform is economic growth and middle-class relief, but the middle class is evaporating or leaving, something is not working.

In Santa Barbara County, only 38 percent of students meet English language arts standards, and just 28 percent meet math standards, placing us in the bottom ten states in the country.

We have the highest adult illiteracy rate in the U.S.

At the same time, California spends roughly three times as much per student as other states. Education is the largest element in the California budget.

We are locked into a system that is producing worse outcomes despite dramatically higher spending.

It is not a funding problem.

It is a leadership problem.

The New Democrat Coalition also advocates for secure borders and immigration reform. Yet in practice, California has moved toward policies that limit enforcement and cooperation. Congressman Carbajal has aligned with those positions, including Biden’s open border policy, and has authored no federal legislation on comprehensive immigration reform.

During the Obama administration from 2008–2016, roughly three million removals occurred nationally, including significant enforcement activity in California, which carried 10-year felony reentry bans. Yet there is little visible record of Santa Barbara County Supervisor Carbajal opposing those enforcement policies at the time, while today he aligns himself with anti-enforcement political movements and rhetoric.

Given his personal connection to immigration, voters should reasonably expect leadership on comprehensive reform. Yet his legislative record in this area remains limited. For example, his only immigration proposal to grant legal status to parents of armed service members has not advanced beyond committee after five terms.

Representation or Results?

This is where the question “Carba-who?” becomes more than a slogan. If Rep. Carbajal is a genuine bipartisan moderate, as his caucus memberships suggest, we should see clear examples of him breaking with the party and criticizing policies here in CA that negatively impact the issues his caucuses advocate.

After 10 years in office, voters should be able to clearly answer a simple question: What problems have been solved for the better?

Has affordability improved?

Has energy become more reliable or less expensive?

Is it easier to build, hire, and grow?

Are schools producing better outcomes?

Is insurance more obtainable?

If Congressman Carbajal were leading major legislation and shaping national policy discussions, we would probably see evidence of it beyond local press releases on Meet the Press, Bill Maher, CNN, or any mainstream show.

We don’t.

Fine. I’m perfectly okay with our congressman staying off television and keeping his head down in the Capitol if he were delivering results for the Central Coast.

But that’s not happening.

What we do see consistently is a focus on national political conflict rather than measurable outcomes here on the Central Coast. Unfortunately, the Central Coast is in serious need of pragmatic problem solving: the exact kind of person who should be in the Problem Solvers Caucus working across the aisle with the party in power.

If you are holding your breath for our congressman to solve big problems or emerge as a top-tier leader, I advise you to take a breath.

The Central Coast does not need louder rhetoric, more partisan theater, or another decade of waiting for results that never arrive. It needs leadership that understands how to build coalitions, move legislation, attract investment, and deliver measurable outcomes for the people who live here. It needs an actual problem solver.

Next Article: Part 2: The Solutions, in “What About Bob?”

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Bob Smith is a retired Navy veteran and candidate for California’s 24th Congressional District.

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