tonight on "kqed newsroom", we talked to congress member to get assaults on the russian invasion of ukraine in the u.s. is responsive are. his recent trip to the ukrainian border where he met with refugees. and san francisco voters decide who will feel a vacant assembly seat, we will talk with the two candidates . plus, did you know fortune cookies have californian roots? the golden gates fortune cookie factory is this week's edition of some the beautiful. coming to you from tranter headquarters this friday, april

1st, 2022. hello and welcome to "kqed newsroom", i am scott shafer and for priya david clemens. in just a few minutes we will be talking to 2 candidates vying to feel a vacant assembly seat in san francisco. first, they richly travel to the ukrainian border for a firsthand look at the devastation. among the group, a bay area congress member. he is calling on present button to do even more to help ukraine and those fleeing the conflict. he joins us now from washington, d.c. by skype. let's start with your recent visit. how did that affect your view of the conflict and what the u.s. should or should not be doing? >> it is heartbreaking, scott. you and your viewers have seen the images on tv but nothing

can describe scene dozens of women from their home country landing in a new country with one piece of luggage in a couple of kids second behind. it strikes you there is no man, they are back fighting and they're anxious and scared and they have to pull it together because their kids are dependent on them. after spending a day with them and working at a world central kitchen, can back resolve to do everything i could in congress to make sure that putin fills in his effort and that those women and children can return to their country. i'm wondering what it asked the u.s. to do that we are already doing? >> they are very grateful for the assistance we are providing. i was struck by a young woman named alice from san francisco who have flown over there because she is a native russian speaker and was wish, helping

refugees. they say that americans are stepping up across the world to step out but there asking, i met with ukrainian members. i support doing that. by giving them a no fly zone that they can enforce, by giving them antiaircraft missions and they have the ability to ski there skies free. >> you do not support with the presidt of ukraine has doing to have more active involvement with nato planes to keep the skies clear? >> i support giving them the planes they can play but at this point, not to enforce a no fly zone of our own. i don't want to take that, i think putin goes up the ladder of atrocities and we should never take anything off the table. right now, they have capable pilots, they just need more planes. also, moving in the

antiaircraft utility so they can keep russia's planes out of their air space. >> you have asked president biden to do more, what you have in mind? >> first, think we have to consider what we do about u.s. businesses that are still in russia. i hope that public sentiment effort calls them out. there are a number of businesses that are in russia. i think we have to consider deposing russia's missions across the world. disconnecting russia from the table of nations is part of the plan to isolate them and show them there is a price to pay. we don't take on russian oil anymore but our european allies do. working with them to make sure they can have their own energy and independence in case that is the next sanction. >> a federal judge in washington this week allowed your lawsuit against president

trump for the attack on the capital to go forward. you might have a chance to question him under oath. what you want to ask him, especially given his record of lying? >> i would like to know everything he did and what he knew about the violence that was going to occur, whether it was conversations he had with te groups that were coming to washington. the president had tweeted weeks before that it was going to be wild. he has some foreknowledge. what about the intelligence reports? i know what i was briefed on. after you learn what he knew, then you want to know what he did and what he didn't do. he did incite and aim the violence of the p. there is a lot we can learn. >> congress member, thank you so much for joining us and stay safe. in just over two weeks, semper cisco voters will decide who is going to replace david

hsu representing the eastern half of the city. matt haney and david compos, both are democrats but only one will head to sacramento to tackle issues like affordable housing, homelessness and a whole lot more. they both join me now, good to have you here. i want to begin by asking the same question, why you and not your opponent? >> this campaign is really not about me, it is about the fact that we have a government that is failing our residents and semper cisco in the whole state of california. i believe the reason that is taking place is the way we elect people. we have a super majority of democrats in the state legislature. they promised when they got elected that they would pass medicare for all. if you look at why the super

majority has not voted. i believe it is because of the way that got elected. they promised medicare for all but their campaigns were funded by people who actually opposed medicare for all. we have a system that is rigged . we are running a campaign that is trying to change the system. you see it here, he is promising he is going to pass medicare for all and yet his campaign is funded by the very people that opposed medicare for all. i think the reason why the system has not addressed the issues for the state is the reason they are funding it. >> okay, i will give you chance to respond. >> we have huge challenges in our city and state, housing is far too unaffordable. there are thousands of people who live on our streets and the state doesn't have a plan or ccountability on homelessness. we need to be opening mental

hospitals. our communities and neighborhoods are struggling. it is in that context we need leadership that is proven in that can deliver and has been on the frontlines of these issues and delivered results. úthat has been my career with 1 years. i took on these tough issues and delivered. we need our state and we can't send someone up there who is running on what they are against and platitudes and slogans. we need someone who is about solutions and can bring people together. that is why i'm running and i think that is the difference. >> in many ways, the two of you agree, there are shades where you land on the same. let's talk about that. there was a bill by the south bay to create it to move

forward. it did not come up for a vote in the community it was in. democrats run the table up in sacramento. would you have forced a vote? would you have forced the members to vote even though you knew you didn't have the vote? >> i think you should be commended for the work has done but i strongly disagree with his decision not to have a vote. problem. hat illustrates the that decision was driven by the fact that maybe they didn't want to put their colleagues on the spot. the colleagues the promised that they would vote for medicare for all. that captures what this campaign is about. the fact that you have politicians running for office that say the right things but take money from the people that are against the very things there promising. when they get elected, they vote with their pockets and not for the people.

i think we are seeing this is resonating with voters. they want someone who is more concerned about them and not their fellow politicians. >> if you were go up to sacramento are you saying that i will get it done? why you? this has been voted on for about 20 years. >> he has been the biggest champion for medicare for all and he has given me his endorsement. i also have the support of the california nursing association. we need to take on the big interest and get this done. the reality is, we cannot rely on a healthcare system that is driven by profit. i have been very clear about that. i have run outside

organizations and worked in the building. i have seen how we can build power. i ran the student association. we can build a coalition that can move this. that is why the author of the bill wants me up there as his partner to get it done next time. >> you have been very clear that this is a corporate money problem. people are probably promising one thing. there are many different legislatures, democrats and semper cisco are not the same in san diego or fresno. sounds like you would go up there you have to go vote this way because it is best for the state. >> i think there is a way to be strong and collegial with your colleagues. i just got elected last year

with support from people from all over the state. they did that even though i have been very clear about my convictions. the reason why the money is important is time and again we have seen that case that the politician says, i am for something as they're getting money from the people that are against it. the supervisor has received $145,000 from the people that are against medicare for all. $45,000 directly to his campaign. when that has happened in san francisco, they don't do what they have promised. i have a majority of the board of supervisors supporting me because they have seen what i've delivered. medicare for all, they beat the state to the punch.

>> what are your thoughts about that in terms of single-payer? let's do what we can to fix the system we have. we may never have it but we have medicaid, medi-cal and all of these things. what would your priority be on an issue like healthcre? >> we have to move forward single-payer and fight hard for it. we have to expand coverage for folks right now. people are paying too much out of pocket for co-pays and too muchwhen they need drugs for a sickness. these are thgs we can address right now and we have to fight in the liver for. in my role as a supervisor, i have done the big things in the small things and taken on corporations. we passed a ceo tax. i delivered things like 24 hour

bathroom. the reality is, doctors and dentists who are supporting me and many did her oak work during the pandemic. he sought their endorsement and he didn't get it. that is why he singing a different tune. >> i want you to address your critics or critics say about you. david, a lot of people say, smart guy, good guy, not practical enough. alienates people. blaming politicians for not getting it passed. how do you address that criticism that you're more interested in sort of the ideology of things? >> i address it by pointing to the things that i have accomplished in san francisco. making health care universal and passing 100% renewable energy.

protecting our sanctuary policies. things that required a super majority. i think the reason why someone like the president pro tem is supporting me because she has seen my ability to bring people together. the fact that you try to be collegial and work with people doesn't mean that you don't stand on principle. i think that is the difference. that is why how you run your campaign illustrates what you will do when you are elected. >> matt, some critics will say you are a show horse another workhorse. six supervisors are endorsing him and not you. not so ick to roll up your sleeves and get work done. >> there has been analysis done that i have passed more legislation than my colleagues.

i've been very effective in passing some of the biggest landmark policies over the last couple of years. guaranteeing mental health, building more housing, delivering the big and small things in creating a new department of sanitation, bringing in more money for affordable housing. these are results. i represent a hard district and i have delivered on these issues. i have the support of three of my colleagues. it is not that big of a difference. i also have the president of the board of supervisors and tremendous support from working people from labor and have built a huge coalition of people including someone who endorsed me. >> let's move to another issue, rent control, renters rights.

the legislature passed a bill yesterday that would extend renter protection until june 30th. it would have expired today for those who already applied for rent help. scott weiner both voted against it, how would you have voted on it? >> i would have followed the lead of these two representatives. i think they are right. we need to protect renters. i think the reason why he is endorsing me is because he knows my commitment. to renters in this race, there is a clear choice. they just got in the mail a piece of mail that says the choice is clear, funded by the realtors who put in hundreds of thousands of dollars. if you are a renter, just know that the people that are trying to go after tenants in the city are behind the other candidate.

you have a very clear choice, do you want someone who's going to be beholden to all of this money interest that are trying to fight for rent control or are you going to be with the person who is supported by the tenants unit and all of the pro housing organizations in the city? >> matt, i think your build, would you have done what david said? it is better to do something than nothing. >> i think we need to protect san francisco and the stronger laws. i would have voted no. i'm the only renter in this race. if you like at sacramento and representation, about half of households, more than half in san francisco are renters yet less than 2% of our

legislatures are renters. i would be the third. i have defended people who are facing evictions. i've been a strong champion and passed just cause eviction protection. i am going to sacramento to be a champion for renters. that means protecting tenants and aggressively building more housing for affordable housing. >> if you look at the record, it has changed. we supported him for supervisor. at the moment he decided to run for assembly, those decisions changed. what changed? a lot of money has been going to his campaign, hundreds of thousands of dollars from

realtors and developers. the decision has changed. i don't know where he will be a year from now but that change is clear. >> i have been a tenant champion my entire career. i have followed for tenants rights and delivered. we extended tenants rights. i have been consistently pro housing with building more in my district with affordable housing. that is a big reason why i am running. his position has been consistent but consistent against housing. >> when you were on the board of supervisors, you promoted a moratorium on building in the mission district. that was a time we needed more housing. looking back on that, was that the right thing to do? >> i supported that. it is

interesting because i have learned from that. what is interesting is that he is attacking me for that very position even though he himself took deposition. i want to be very clear about housing. the fact that i have said that i am for affordable housing does not make me anti-housing. they want to simply give a blank check to developers and to let them build whatever they want. those of us who want to keep working people in middle income people in san francisco are saying, we should build all kinds of housing but we must build housing that is affordable for the teachers and people who clean our houses and who work in our coffee shops. that is what i believe. being for affordable housing ad being against simply giving developers a blank check is not anti-housing. there is a difference.

>> quick response. >> i hope my track record will stand. we are building thousands of affordable housing in my district, many more than he did in his time. we need housing of all types. 500 units of housing near transit. >> there are a lot of issues around homelessness, in your district and your old district as well. there is a proposal to have the safe injection sites in every county. how are you going to convince someone in trinity county or any other red county to put up an injection site? >> it is being able to work with people. some of the metrics i have passed, whether protecting universal healthcare, we have worked with communities in the different districts to convince

them that doing that was in the interest of their constituents. san francisco has carried too much of the burden when it comes to homelessness. other jurisdictions need to step in. that is why it is fair for us to ask other jurisdictions to do the same. >> every city and county across the state has to do their share. they need to have a plan of how many shelter beds they will have and there has to be an actual plan for accountability we can't solve homelessness just in services go or just in one neighborhood. it is going to take shared responsibility. we finally have a site in my district. it can't just be in the tenderloin. it has to be around the state if people will take

responsibility. >> what would accountability look like? >> there has to be funding connected to doing the right thing. i think i have the record. i'm the one who created it. you should provide incentives. i have the records showing how to get it done. i opened the first navigation center of anyone in the city. i proposed the first injection site. i helped to build thousands of units of supportive housing to deal with homelessness in the county. >> i want to give each of you a final pitch to voters. >> we have really serious challengeshere. we need to send someone to sacramento who has been on the front lines of those issues who will build more housing and who will make sure we get people off the streets into supportive housing and shelter and open

more mental hospitals and get more aggressive about time change. i have that record. i will deliver for san francisco. >> my campaign is about changing the system so it is finally responding to your interests, not the interest of a corporation and big-money. >> a very good, thank you both so much. don't forget to vote. for more information, go to kqed.org . >> denies look at something beautiful takes us to san francisco's chinatown for a delicious tour of the golden gate fortune cookie factory.

that's our show for tonight. i'm scott schaefer. you can find "kqed newsroom" online or on twitter or email us . tune in next week for special edition of "kqed newsroom" and a look at california's plastic problem.

have a great weekend.

♪ geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. tonight on pbs news weekend, the toll of war. following shocking images of civilians killed in the streets outside kyiv, volodymyr zelenskyy because the attacks genocide. then we analyze the latest revelations from the january 6 committee and look ahead as democrats look to wrap up judge ketanji brown jackson's supreme court confirmation this week. our weekend spotlight with music icon darrell hall. he is back on tour and showing no signs of slowing down. >> when you are on the stage for whatever time you are on there, that is when it gets good. geoff: all that and more on tonight's pbs news weekend.