Statesman endorsement: Bipartisanship, problem-solving give Soto the edge over Fulcher

The differences on key issues between incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher and his Democratic challenger Rudy Soto are clear.

If elected, Soto vows to join the House Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group of representatives committed to finding common ground on issues such as health care, immigration and criminal justice reform.

Fulcher, in his freshman term, is a member of the often-polarizing House Freedom Caucus and is among the representatives least likely to vote with or cosponsor legislation with members of the other party. He often has been part of very small minorities on votes, regularly disagreeing with even his fellow Idaho representative, Mike Simpson.

Unfortunately, in Washington’s hyperpartisan political climate, members of Congress are less and less able to even discuss issues in a bipartisan manner, let alone to develop solutions.

Fulcher is too often part of the problem and is not part of the solutions that our country desperately needs.

It’s time to send someone else to Congress to let go of partisan bickering and to bring solutions back to Idaho constituents.

We believe that Soto can be that agent of change, and he earns the Idaho Statesman’s endorsement in Idaho’s 1st Congressional District.

Stark differences in backgrounds

Soto, 35, is a veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation, a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C., and legislative director for the National Indian Gaming Association.

Born and raised in Nampa, Soto is the son of a Mexican immigrant and a first-generation college graduate.

He has done prior work in Washington, has familiarity with the federal government and has proven that he can fund and run a competitive campaign.

Fulcher, 58, worked in sales and marketing around the world for high-tech companies, including Micron. He’s a seasoned politician, serving first as a state senator for 10 years and now at the federal level, so he is well-versed on the issues.

But we disagree with Fulcher on a number of issues, and we have little confidence that he is willing or able to reach across the aisle to compromise and find solutions.

Our health care system still needs to be fixed. We have no discernible policy on immigration. Our infrastructure is crumbling and needs to be improved. Our national debt is $26 trillion, and our annual budget deficit has been running about $1 trillion per year, more than $3 trillion this year.

Health care solutions

On the key issue of health care, Soto and Fulcher diverge. Soto favors a “public option” so that no one finds themselves without health insurance or access to health care.

Fulcher told the editorial board in an interview that he would vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, favoring “personalization, not socialization” of health care, less regulation, more transparency and more market-based solutions.

Soto is most compelling when talking about health care reform and his personal reason for running: His father, laid off from his factory job, lost his health insurance, got sick and was diagnosed with cancer. Because his cancer was considered a pre-existing condition, his father was unable to purchase health insurance and had to rely on painkillers as he struggled to obtain affordable treatment in time. He died just months later.

“I believe that health care is a right, but that to me is the same as (asking), do I believe in peace?” Soto said in an interview with the editorial board. “Yes, I believe in peace, but I served as a combat troop, and so it’s about how do we get there? So for me, when it comes to approaching this in a pragmatic way, that’s a lot different than stating my belief. And so if someone’s sick, bleeding, dying out on the street, I believe they’re entitled to care and attention, and that does happen, it’s just somebody’s got to pay for it, and we’ve got to figure out how to make our system work better.”

Diverge on other key issues

On environmental issues, the two also find little to agree on.

Soto said he would have voted for the Great American Outdoors Act, championed by Simpson. Fulcher voted against the bill, on the grounds that it increased federal lands and was automatically funded.

Soto said he supports breaching the four lower Snake River dams over time to restore Idaho’s salmon population.

Fulcher opposes breaching the dams.

Soto favors raising the federal minimum wage, gradually, arguing that low wages affect a host of issues, including health care and housing.

Fulcher opposes raising the minimum wage and even said he’d be in favor of getting rid of it altogether, arguing that the free market can and should determine fair compensation for labor.

In a sign of bipartisan cooperation, Soto gives President Donald Trump accolades for reworking trade deals, particularly the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. He also gives Trump kudos for working with North Korea.

Soto also pledges to seek bipartisan solutions on immigration.

Soto notes that his father was an undocumented immigrant when Soto was born. He said we need immigration laws that are humane, and he favors a pathway to legal status and pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Soto was deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border as a military policeman in the Army National Guard and spent 12-hour shifts on the frontlines.

He said that experience gave him a better perspective than most politicians — on either side — who too often go to the border just for photo ops.

He said he saw the day-to-day challenges and has had “heart-to-heart talks with Border Patrol agents.”

“I walked away feeling like our members of Congress on both sides are really lacking in courage,” he said. “And so, that’s just another issue where I’d be willing to take friendly fire and go out there and work across party lines for a workable solution because it’s bigger than, it’s more important than politics.”

He said building a wall that’s symbolic is not the right decision. But he supports shoring up structures, improving and enhancing places where there are weaknesses, “is definitely something that I’m willing to be behind. And I think that’s a reasonable trade-off for a comprehensive solution.”

Soto may not have all the answers, but his willingness to work with Republicans to find solutions to pressing problems distinguishes him as the better candidate to represent Idaho in the House of Representatives.

This story was originally published October 25, 2020 at 4:00 AM.