This is the fourth in a series of Q&A’s with the members of the House of Representatives who represent parts of Orange County.

Congress should take into account the role immigrants play in U.S. food production when considering how to lower prices for consumers, said Rep. Lou Correa, who holds a leadership position among House Democrats.

Correa, D-Santa Ana, said lower grocery prices depend on a multitude of factors, including immigration, particularly in California.

“The agriculture workforce is often undocumented,” said Correa, who serves as the senior whip for the House Democratic Caucus. “We need sensible immigration reform to keep our farm workers working to feed us. These are multifaceted issues that need bipartisan solutions and working across party lines in Congress.”

This year, as legislative work in Washington, D.C., gets underway, we’re reintroducing our readers to the six House members who represent at least a portion of Orange County, veterans and newcomers alike. We asked each lawmaker five questions, tailored to their policy expertise, committee assignments or votes.

Correa, 67, represents California’s 46th Congressional District in Orange County. In the House, he co-chairs the Vietnam Caucus and is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group that bills itself as being more central on the political spectrum and focused on fiscally responsible positions. Correa is a longtime resident of Orange County, who boasts living only 3 miles from his childhood Anaheim neighborhood.

Read on to find out more about what Correa proposes Congress could do to alleviate high prices during the ongoing budget process, how the U.S. could turn to unconventional methods to help veterans and their mental health, and more.

Q: Budget negotiations are underway, with questions mounting over whether conditions could be attached to future disaster relief aid or if a budget deal will include protections for certain federal agencies amid the Trump administration’s efforts to overhaul them. What’s a specific priority for you in this next spending plan? And how do you plan to advocate for it? And how many people in your district would it impact?

A: No conditions on aid for Americans. We didn’t put conditions on aid to Florida, Texas or Georgia — so why for California?

California pays about billions more in federal taxes than we get back. As talks on a budget deal continue, I remain focused on protecting essential services that my constituents rely on — like Medicaid — from proposed cuts by the majority. In my district, 52% of people are enrolled in Cal-Optima. Another 25,270 constituents are enrolled in Covered California, made possible by the Affordable Care Act.

I’ll also pursue a bipartisan, budget-neutral solution that actually benefits people back home, like tax benefits for working, middle-class, hard-working taxpayers on Main Street, along with spending cuts to make sure everyone is paying their fair share.

Q: While the Trump administration’s trade plan plays out, what is one thing Congress could be doing to alleviate prices for consumers? And does that have bipartisan support?

A: I’m concerned about the impacts of a trade war on my constituents. Protecting domestic industries is important, and it has to be done in a way that brings down prices for consumers, from housing to grocery stores to the gas pump. We need to build more housing, especially after the Los Angeles fires. When Canada provides us with 30% of our lumber, we should be careful about imposing tariffs on the same Canadian lumber that we need for our housing.

And lower grocery prices depend on lots of factors, including immigration for our agriculture workforce in the Central Valley. California is the biggest agricultural state in the U.S., and the sole domestic producer of many crops we rely on, including almonds, celery and garlic. The agricultural workforce is often undocumented. We need sensible immigration reform to keep our farm workers working to feed us. These are multifaceted issues that need bipartisan solutions and working across party lines in Congress.

Q: President Trump is seemingly simply bypassing Congress when it comes to enacting some of his earliest plans, including dismantling whole agencies. While Republicans do control Congress, how specifically can House Democrats mount an effort to serve as a check to the new administration?

A: As of this writing, there are now over 55 pending lawsuits against Trump administration executive orders and administrative actions in seven states (and 10 judicial districts), each of which are at different stages of litigation. This will be a battle that continues to be hashed out in the courts.

Congress has the power of the purse. It is our job to write the laws and fund them, and it’s the president’s job to enforce those laws, not rewrite them. And when it comes to passage of critical bills, Democratic votes will likely be needed to pass budget legislation.

Q: During President Trump’s first term, he proposed a deal — at the time to end a government shutdown — that included his demand for border wall funding, along with temporary protection for DACA recipients as a concession to Democrats. With DACA still in legal limbo, would you be open to considering a similar situation, where a funding request is tied to a pathway to citizenship or other protections for DACA recipients?

A: Immigration is about America. It’s about keeping America as the premier economy in the world. I’m open to working with my colleagues to hash out a deal to deliver for America and deliver good for our agricultural industry, our “Dreamers” and our families. We have “Dreamers” who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this nation — and it’s time to do the right thing.

I’ve been pushing for a real, bipartisan solution to the immigration challenge and securing an earned pathway to citizenship since being elected to Congress. I also represent one of the largest populations of “Dreamers” and DACA recipients in the country. I will continue to work alongside my colleagues — Democrat and Republican alike — to find a workable solution that protects “Dreamers” and allows those who’ve been living in the shadows for decades while contributing to our economy a real opportunity at earning the American dream.

Q: You recently visited a clinic in Tijuana where former soldiers take hallucinogenic drugs as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. What did you discover at the clinic? What would you like to see the U.S. — and particularly, your district — emulate, and what warnings did you find there?

A: Many veterans have testified to this miracle cure that I found on my trip to Tijuana. I discovered that the U.S. has more work to do to deliver on our promise to our veterans who come back with invisible wounds after offering to make the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. I went to Tijuana to learn more about this treatment, how the treatment is delivered and learn from impacted veterans who want this treatment available for their compatriots within the country they pledged an oath to serve.

I also discovered that without proper regulation and medical supervision, lives will be put at risk. We’ve made progress in getting the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) to begin studying the impacts of these treatments — but we’ve got much more work to do to make this treatment accessible and safe to those veterans who need it most. I am also working on legislation to spur innovation and research on this issue. We lose nearly 20 veterans each day to suicide. We need to stop this ASAP. Because one veteran suicide is one too many.

Q: Bonus question: Anything else you’d like your constituents to know about your plans for the year?

A: You sent me to Washington to work on your problems and to make your life better. I’m proud to report that a vast majority of my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans alike, work side-by-side, each and every day to make life better for all Americans — despite what you see on TV.