announcer: they meet today for a pro forma session. theyenators back at 3:00, will continue judicial nominations but negotiations continue on a spending package. watch the senate live on c-span two, the house on c-span. announcer: now is the perfect time to buy c-span product for holiday gifts.

go to c-span store.org. ♪ >> you have just been elected to represent florida posterior district in the 117th congress, at 32 years of age will be the youngest republican in the house.

>> i grew up on a cattle ranch. we had a unique upbringing. i was exposed to how government and main street interact. it came to my understanding that it did not work really in the way that it would help small businesses or single parents. and working class families. 2011me to a head in april when we lost our cattle ranch due to a big government program. that was the moment we found ourselves homeless. i had a choice to make. i could rebuild my life and get back on my plan and take over the business, where i could buy back. i made a choice at that time that i was going to do everything i possibly could so that no family would ever have

to go through what with -- through what we went through. that has been my mission and motivation. >> did your mom also become political by the experience? raised in a democrat said you, but my mom vote for the person not the party. was a pretty average engagement in politics. we never went to rallies or gatherings or anything. her headay, she shakes a little when she sees her daughter so actively involved in politics. did teach me that politics will impact you whether you are involved or not. in mind it with people first rather than party. >> what do you want to accomplish? think women, by their

nature, we have lists of things we always want to tackle. we are great multitaskers. things i am very passionate about are very narrow. in my district, we have a tremendous need for connectivity. i think there are millions of americans across the country under covid who saw just how necessary reliable high-speed internet is. be it for commerce, health care, education. now that there are so many children being homeschooled and doing virtual schooling, it is critical more than ever. i would like to create the blueprint on how we can deliver rural broadband. >> i want to show our viewers a clip from your victory speech on election night. just to give people a flavor of

your campaign. [video clip] representedwill be as the youngest woman in the country and the republican party , we have the opportunity to represent women. i am going to work every single day. we are going to take it up a notch. we are going to work so hard every day to prove that we are a country of birth saving and we are a district. >> you are a veteran of several campaigns. what was it like campaigning during a pandemic? >> it was interesting. it's definitely proved its own set of challenges. anee a challenge as

opportunity to innovate and get creative. a lot of my background has been about overcoming and succeeding despite all odds. when covid hit, our campaign was just getting ramped up. being a young campaigner, a leader of a young team, we had the ability to take our infrastructure and make it through digital rapidly. within 48 hours, we had everything on a platform and we changed our entire grassroots strategy in the digital realm. for was a unique challenge us, but it was exciting to get creative. how can you reach people in new ways? in light of everything going on. evenld like to say that though i came out of a 10 way primary and if there was a lot of money being spent in this personalkept it in a

one-on-one capacity. reaching people in their homes in ways that mattered. i think you presented a good opportunity for us to get creative and elevate the next game of campaign tactics and strategy. >> how do you plan to use social media as a member of congress? >> i am demonstrating that now. i have been getting a behind-the-scenes look, a freshman orientation in the last several weeks. i am in the library of congress, one of my favorite places in washington. we made a point of wanting to show our constituents and supporters across the country what it was like to be a member of congress. i hope that when people turn on itir social media pages, be instagram or facebook, they are learning something and maybe inspiring them. it is our duty to inspire that

next generation, to get involved. now we have a seat at the table. as we have been going through this orientation progress -- process, whether it be ethics training or a briefing about committees, or simply walking through statuary hall, i am taking my constituents on this journey with me. an element ofdds accountability and transparency so they know me as a person but also know what i am doing appear on their behalf. also know what i am doing on their behalf. >> you can do congress as a former staffer. can you describe the difference of walking in there for the first time wearing your congressional pin, knowing you have been elected to serve? >> it has not hit me yet. the feeling when you look up at the capitol dome, or you see the

jefferson building, you get butterflies. i got those butterflies as a staffer just because of the gravity and historical nature of the buildings we are privileged to walk in. today, when i was walking into the library of congress, there were four capital police officers. said, youin and they are the new -- as i shook their hand, it was the most amazing feeling of getting to know the people that make up these institutions. it is the most amazing feeling. humbling. i am truly grateful. it has not set incompletely yet. i still found myself pointing out bathrooms to members or lost. >> you describe yourself as --

in your campaign and your materials as a constitutional conservative. explain what that means. i honestly have always believed that when you take your sworn --en you are when you take your oath's, when you are sworn in to the constitution, you do not take an oath's to a political party. my constituents expect me to legislate from a constitutional basis in a way that it is meaningful for our country as a whole, not the party. been through this process a little bit, you see a lot of programs that are not constitutional, not clearly defined as a responsibility or duty of the federal government. there are so many things i think the state has responsibility for that we have basically taken

over. when i am captain of my boat, i am captain with the constitution in mind, approaching it as a holistic document. there are many times where people want to forget one amendment over another. i think that is going to be the basis and foundation as a legislate. willere do you think that place you within the republican conference? are you united with most members, or will that be a challenge? >> as everyone takes their oath's to the constitution, they understand we have a free constitutional republic. i know that there are members of the 117thgoing into congress are progressives and they would like to see a more socialist form of government coming and that is less about serving the individual and more about serving government.

i tend to side with american people in the working class. i think government operates best when it is small, accountable and transparent. people have the power to control that. i don't think that people should work to serve the government under unfair bureaucratic programs. am pretty conservative. i will work with members and those that make our country a credit -- a better place and proves the concept of equal opportunity rather than equal outcome. 's 3ell me about florida inch the challenges your constituents face. >> i call it the fighting third. we have incredible grit. that we have a major university, the university of florida, we represent the gator nation and the real swap.

with that comes a lot of research, development and investment in innovation and technology. we have academia, but we also have agriculture. rural areas that produce commodities. it is a unique balance of things. the horse capital of the world is in our district. incredible bass fishing on the st. johns river. the most important part is great people. peoplewarm, friendly that want to do well for themselves and their families. true patriots. broadband is our top priority. me and 2020 that not every american has access to internet. some have a little bit of

access, but they are underserved. some have dial-up still. in the 1960's we put a man on the moon, c would think in 2020 we would get every american hooked up the internet. huge because to be we think about bringing that infrastructure, that is going to take education to the next level. this is that critical infrastructure that really needs to be in place so that we can continue to grow and prosper. rural broadband is huge. fixing health care. rebuilding after covid is tremendously important. i have a lot of small businesses that were affected tremendously with shutdowns. it has been extremely detrimental to our local economy, especially living in a university town. of service-based companies and small businesses having that experience of growing up in a small business. i know that there is blood,

sweat and tears that go into these operations. i'm going to do whatever i can to save them. >> your -- as a first responder. have the two of you figured out how you're going to approach the challenge of working in washington and gainesville at the same time? husband is a firefighter for the city of gainesville. nickname is mr. being. if anyone comes across him, it is kind of funny that he response to that. he has been serving our community for 14 years as a firefighter and joined the swat team several years ago. i like to say that he is the best thing you can see. he response to people on their worst days.

he has seen our communities at some of their toughest times. fire,r it be someone in a someone in an accident. in florida, we have quite a few hurricanes. he has been responding to those for several years. it is important that we have a service family. have a nonprofit foundation that raises money for critical life-saving equipment for first responders. with the first responder community as a first responder, i have been able to see firsthand where we have gaps and what we need to do to better support our first responders and the fire department. we have seen a tremendous shift in communities. not just in our hometown, but across the country. first responders are under attack. they are not receiving the necessary resources to do their jobs and keep our community safe

, and there is the defund the police movement which is detrimental to our communities. i am going to be very active in supporting that up scheer on capitol hill and making sure first responders and their families know we've got their back. we actually received the house session calendar yesterday about what they say will be in washington. i am quite disappointed. we are setting a record for the year 2021.in the i think the american people will be disappointed when they see the lack of work being done up here by the representatives. home, thee back session calendars have me back home quite a bit. , but if course i enjoy also have a job to do and want to make sure i am doing that.

the he is off, the way first responder schedule works, he works 24 hours and is off for 48. whenever we get a break like that, he will join me in washington whatever i can. i will be in washington. every time there is not about up here, i will be back on. we just have chickens and dogs. we will figure out the family dynamic as we get along. >> they all need care. me return to freshman orientation. we have a clip. your cell phone was recording much of the process for folks back home. let's show people a little bit of what you captured. [video clip] your constitutional conservative. we've got beth from texas. byron from florida. pat, santos, the whole crew.

we got the box from minnesota. hey andrew. georgia. too late. [laughter] we have finished up our first presentation. it was about covid in the workplace. alreadyan see, we are rebelling. >> what were you rebelling against? [laughter] >> it is no secret there is a debate over the effectiveness of masks. half of our freshman orientation was pro mask. was anti-. we had just received a briefing talking about the effectiveness of masks and the date was pretty dismal. of rebellion, we took our masks off.

just a little bit of lighthearted fun as we have been going through this orientation. freshman orientation is not exempt from some of the adjustments we have had to make because of covid. just like every other industry. there are some folks that feel more comfortable wearing masks, some that aren't. that was our moment of rebellion. [laughter] >> having gone through orientation and having been on capitol hill as a staff member, is there anything at all you have learned? >> i subscribed to the theory that you do not know what you do not know. had though i have experience appear as a congressional staffer, there are always things you can learn. talking to folks who have been here for a long time, staff and members, you realize you could be here for decades and you still wouldn't know everything.

lot yet to learn. i have not really been surprised by much other than the of thenization majority's leadership. that has been disappointing. i wasssion calendar, surprised, especially given the status our country is in, how little time is going to be dedicated to actually governing at legislating, doing the thing we have been tasked with. that has been disappointing. that has been ,urprising, in our class republicans and democrats have been getting along fabulously. that spirit of bipartisanship in common ground is something we can translate into work. that has been surprising.

you have seen how much division is out there and that has played out in the mainstream media. our orientation, though we have differences in policy and whatnot, we are still able to get along with our colleagues on the others died of the island that was surprisingly refreshing. you said to an interviewer that c-span was going to look more like paper view in the new congress. what did you mean by that? [laughter] >> we are going to have spirited debates. i have been a c-span fan my entire life. watching the house floor, you can see some pretty lengthy debates that go back and forth. is not a lot of activity. i know my colleagues in the 117 are anxious to get ready to work. you're going to see some spirited debates about the future of our country on the house floor. c-span will get a little bit

more spicy. >> we look forward to seeing that. men, but there are 18 women in the gop freshman class. i am wondering if you see the possibility of some group forming the same kind of squad."n as "the making a name for yourself in policy. do you see that developing in any way? >> when i think it comes across as orchestrated and a plant, it comes across as disingenuous. as we move through the process of getting through orientation and getting to know each other, there are a few members that have gotten along really well and i think we will be working

on projects together. that will happen naturally. the way that the squad came together, there were four women that found common ground in the issues they wanted to work on. they had a great friendship ended bloomed from that. i do not think they call themselves that come i think that name was given to them. you will see the same thing happening on our side, conservatives. it is not something that will come in a package deal with a bow on it. it will happen in the first few months. >> when will you find out your committee assignments? the process of getting your committee assignments, we have been meeting with different members, folks that are on those committees right now. making our case are getting on those. that speaker pelosi has not set the ratios. we just got the calendar

yesterday and found out we will be swearing in on the third, a sunday, which is unusual. a little bit of disorganization there, but we are trying our best to be flexible. won't told we probably have our committee assignments until the second or third week of january, which is unusual. typically you would know earlier than that. we are waiting on speaker pelosi to negotiate ratios. >> if you could have your pick, what with a b? >> bag and homeland. >> why is that? >> those committees are important to my district and my state. also, i have tremendous experience with both. i come from a district that is heavy agricultural. seen a tremendous need for advocates for farmers and ranchers and rural america. i would be a strong voice.

i would be the only republican in the state of florida to be on agriculture now that represent of you leaving congress. representative dunn is making a jump to another committee. that would be a whole that i would intend to fill. with regard to homeland, i think it is more critical than ever that we focus on protecting the homeland. securing our borders, putting american national security at the forefront and putting america first. i received my masters degree from the united states naval war college. program --and that in my time in that program, it is one of the few things we are charged within the constitution as federal legislators. there is tremendous work we have to do there. being a florida member, we are very used to being stormed through. that committee has jurisdiction over fema.

i think there are reforms we can make that can better protect our infrastructure as we move through this next congress. those two committees are important to me and that is what i will be working toward of the next few weeks. >> because it is an important moment in your personal history, have you given thought to what your first speech on the floor of the house will be about? >> i have a list of topics and ideas, but i have not decided yet. >> give me a couple of topics. >> it could range anywhere from baby something very specific anywhereit could range may be something very specific about the homeland. rural broadband, i could talk about protecting our free constitutional republic and legislating from the constitutional perspective. it could be something dealing

with human trafficking, an issue i am passionate about. we have not decided yet. i think it will become clear as we get closer to the day we swearing in. haven't had the opportunity to take the oath yet, so we are going to be strategic and wait and see what the feeling is. >> we have about two minutes. press has indicated he may announce a bid for reelection as inn as inauguration week january. do you think that is a good thing for your party? for the country? or, would you like to see a chance for a new generation of republican leaders? vocal advocateof and supporter of the president, and remain that way to this day. i think the president is exercising his rights to explore all options. we know his personality.

he is a worker and a fighter. at the end of the day, only he can make that decision. there is no amount of supporters or advisors who can change his mind or sway his opinion. i think that is what people appreciate most about him. remains to be seen, if he can do that. i think president trump has been incredible for this country. he did exactly what he campaigned on. it was a breath of fresh air, seeing someone who was willing to put all things aside, all the politics aside and work to try to get things done in a meaningful way for our country. i have been very happy with presidency -- with president trump. i stand by him in that process. as far as the future of the party, i would like us to focus on the constitution.

provide an opportunity for people to make choices for themselves and their families. that is what is important. the future of the republican party should be equal opportunity, not equal outcomes. that isthat is what the future g to look like for the consumer -- conservative party moving forward. woman in the 100 17th class in the republican conference, thank you for introducing yourself to the c-span audience. i'm sure they will see lots of after january 3. the 53rdce here in district was about so much more than one person. that webout showing don't have to settle for the way things have always been done. sending a new generation of readers to congress who will do things differently and respect everyone

and work across the aisle to actually get things done for families here in san diego. jacobs, that's a clip from election night. representing california's 53rd. has that fact sunk in? >> it is a bit surreal. in part because of covid. we haven't gotten to do all the pomp and circumstance that will make it feel real. the first time i walked on the house floor as a member elect, we were looking around and thinking all of the people who had served in that room. and really thinking about the fact that our country is in a hopefully once in a generation public health and economic crisis and that our class and i have really been elected to help us get out a bit -- out of it.

i feel the weight of that responsibility. >> you made a bid for congress earlier. obviously unsuccessful. this time you won resoundingly against a democratic opponent. of the the beginning primary we were very intentional about building a campaign that everyone could be part of and that was about building a broad coalition of people who knew that they wouldn't agree with me on every issue. i fundamentally believe that you would rather have a representative that you trust than one that you agree with on every issue. we were able to put together that coalition from across the political spectrum because of california's system, i was running against another democrat. both democratic voters and no party preference and republican voters. we were able to do that with this message of listening and

respecting. >> we've done some interviews with kids who believe california's system should be adopted more broadly. what are the advantages and disadvantages of it? >> this is my second time running in the top two primary system. i think it's intention was to make the process more democratic so that more people were able to have a say in who was representing them and not only the people who turn out in party primaries. think it wasdo important that i had to win democratic voters. i think that gives me a unique approach. i also think sometimes because there is so much fear about two of the same party making it through, you have more of a say and more of a heavy hand by

party structures then you otherwise would, which is opposite the intention. in talkingur goals with you is to let c-span viewers know about the members who are coming in. every biography of you points out that you are the granddaughter of the founder of qualcomm, irwin jacobs. what influence did he have on your worldview? i'm incredibly proud of grandfather has been able to do. he always taught us that it was our unique responsibility to use the advantages we have been every family sure had access to the kind of opportunities our family had access to. my grandfather was the first in my family to go to college.

in part because of public investment in universities and the fact that he didn't graduate with student loan debt he was without student loan debt and has really built -- i can make sure that my generation who are saddled with trillions of arears of student loan debt able to live the same kind of american dream that my family had access to. wayho or what along the inspired you to turn towards washington? >> i had always been taught that i had to figure out where i could have the most impact and

make the biggest difference for the most amount of people and the most vulnerable people. i thought that was as a policy adviser whether it was working at unicef, working at the u.n. in peacekeeping and at the state department and conflict prevention, trying to work on some of these really complex and seemingly intractable problems. 2016, i was working on one of her campaign as one of her foreign policy advisers. preferzed as much as i writing policy members -- memos to giving press interviews, i realized everything -- was at home and all of the challenges happening overseas were also happening here and i had to stop

writing talking points for someone else to say. yourw would you describe political philosophy? >> i would consider myself a pragmatic progressive. have been laid bare and exacerbated by covid-19 but under most circumstances were not created by covid-19. alone prior toy covid-19, 40% of our kids were living in families experiencing poverty. in one of the wealthiest counties in the wealthiest country the world has ever known, that is simply unacceptable. and i know the only way to do big things and move things forward is to build coalitions of people and make sure you bringing everyone along. governancei approach and what we are going through

right now. we have to be thinking about really big change that we need to make moving forward and the kinds of challenges we're going to be facing in the future. we can't settle for the way things have always been done and we can't just try and re-create something that use to exist and doesn't anymore. we have to work across the aisle with a wide variety of folks really building that coalition that makes these changes last. democratic caucus has members from far-left to the moderate and everywhere in between. any observers say it's going to be a challenge for the speaker to form that into a successful governing coalition. where do you see yourself forming bridges with the other members of your caucus? that i have say been so enjoying getting to know other members of my freshman

democratic class. i know people love to talk about what differences there are in the caucus, we all agree on so much more than what we disagree on and we all know that we are going to have to get leaf to families and assistance to those who need it most to make it through this difficult time that we are in right now and i'm really looking forward to working with my colleagues push that forward. raising a lotes of concern about the size of the debt, how to spend money efficiently during the covid crisis. as anwould you see that area of conflict or a possibility for finding consensus? >> i think even some of the republican colleagues i've met from the freshman class understand that this is a unique time and we are going to have to do a lot to make sure that our small businesses and our economy

makes it through this time and is able to grow on the others. to stoply think we need talking about this in terms of just broad numbers and think about this as an investment. as you mentioned, my grandfather is a businessperson. any business person will tell you that you have to take on some debt sometimes to take on the kind of capital expenditures that you need in the future. can we put investments in early childhood education in childcare in which we know paid huge dividends down the road. make sure we are putting in place the kinds of infrastructure and investments that we need so that our economy can grow and grow on equitable way. on the others. >> you made reference to your generation. membersage age of the of the house is going to be about 58 years old.

are 31 at theyou outset. there will be 31 millennial members of the 117th congress. what opportunities does the millennial class of congress present for the institution? do you see the institution changing more because of your presence? or are you all changing because of the institutions of the congress? >> it's a little bit of both. i'm already learning things in congress don't work as quickly as clicking a button on an app and things happening. many of us graduated into the great recession. we are now facing the second huge economic crisis in our adult lives. is movinging digitally because of covid-19, we have an important voice thaad

on some of these questions around data privacy, new technologies and what kind of rolls we can be putting in place. of course i'm of the generation that has never known a day of our adult lives that the united states was not at war. of ending theea forever wars take special import for us because we know the cost that has had domestically and on our generation. one of the things i want to focus on is rebuilding america's standing around the world. so that we are ending wars responsibility and we can craft a foreign policy that will address challenges in the future. likee rebuilding things mobile pandemic, like climate change. we are able to build a future for us. we talk about climate change in our generation.

i would like there to be a world that my kids can live in someday. >> there's another southern california wildfire, one of many catastrophic fires this year. what do you think congress can do about that situation? have beendfires incredibly difficult to deal with this year. when i was growing up in san diego, fire season was october, maybe september. now it feels like they are virtually year-round. needost important thing we to do from congress is actually address climate change because that is a central cause of why we are having so much of an increase in the wildfire threat in california. the forest land in california is actually managed by the federal government.

so making sure we can proactively address fire threats and then really also making sure that we are protecting and fully funding our firefighters, that they have the resources that they need, that we are addressing the fact that firefighters have a rate of suicide much higher than the general population, that firefighters often have a lot of health risks because of the risk they put themselves in addressing these fires and right thatspecially as we know state and local governments are feeling these budget crunches that the federal government is providing that support so we can make sure our first responders are still getting paid. >> your district has a really big naval presence. i'm wondering how you specifically would like to serve that constituency and if you could be responsible for a change from the luke perry

families were veterans, what would it be? it's an incredibly important issue for my district. their to make sure representative from my district is a leader on that committee. the most important things i think we need to do is invest in our military families. alone prior county to covid-19 we had 30,000 military families who visited the food bank every month. militarylk to families, one of the things i hear most often is the need for child care. i think addressing the military's childcare needs is important for them. i'm hoping i can work on that issue on the committee and that

as we are putting in place protections and investments in childcare and military that we can extend in a versatile childcare to all families in their country because we know how important that is for the bull recovery. diegoo important to san and california are immigration issues. to seeuld you like change with regard to immigration policy? really feeln diego the brokenness of our immigration system very deeply and would also know very personally the amazing contributions that immigrants make to our community. we have about $5 million that we lost in the few hours that president trump closed san isidro port when he was trying to make a point about immigration. that's a huge impact on our regional economy.

i think we need a comprehensive approach to addressing this. we need to make sure we are putting in place a clean dream act so that young people who are here are able to stay here and build their lives and know that there is not this sense of uncertainty on the others. and that our economy has the kinds of workers that we need tohout allowing businesses use the laws to underpay workers. i think obviously my district is very close to the border. we do need border security. tonow there's a humane way inform immigration laws. >> president trump campaigned on and did a lot of work on a border wall. >> i think it's clear that the border wall president trump was trying to create has not been an effective strategy.

in california we do have some similar outfits put in place by president will clinton in the 1990's. at whatthat as you look we need to do on immigration, it's clear that physical infrastructure is not necessarily what we are missing. what we need is a focus on narco and human trafficking, we need to make sure that we are welcoming refugees and asylum-seekers who want to come to the united states to really protect themselves and help us build our country. we in san diego have been really affected by the remain in mexico policy and the asylum layering that has happened. because we are a close region with tijuana and we see the detrimental impact that has and so fixing a lot of the most horrific parts of the trump administration's legacy on immigration i think will be really important.

>> san diego is a 3000 mile commute away. have you figured out how you're going to manage your long-distance district? >> it's definitely interesting to be a member of -- from california. a lot of the advice they are giving us a new member orientation doesn't really apply to us whose districts are so far away. be ans where my age might advantage. less wear and tear on the body. i used to have to be on airplanes quite frequently going really long distances to do my work. i think it is something i will be able to adjust to very quickly. unanimously elected by your housemates to the steering committee.

it's a committee within the democratic caucus that works on committee assignments and the broad policy priorities for the caucus. we just finished doing committee chair races which the steering committee plays an important role in and next we will be working on committee assignments and my primary goal will be making sure that my fellow freshman democrats who are incredibly inspiring and thoughtful people are in a position where they can have a real impact for our country and their district. >> you mentioned that armed services was a priority for you. what else would you like as a committee assignment? to served really like on the foreign affairs committee. that was my background. one of the big challenges that we are going to be faced with a new president as we work to rebuild america's standing around the world.

viewe got an inside because you are on the committee. when will you know if you have achieved the committees you wanted or not? >> i'm hoping we will be able to get our committee assignments. it is sometimes extended to the first month of the new congress. >> the 117 congress will have at least 121 women. does gender matter when it comes to congress? will the presence of women have any effect on the legislative output? >> absolutely. i think that we because of our experiences bring a different perspective. for instance, i know how important childcare will be to an equitable recovery because i talked to so many of my friends and so many of my constituents. many women but not necessarily only women who will not be able to return to the work force until we figure out how we can

address this childcare crisis that our country faces. carenk reproductive health is my primary health. . making sure that is part of any conversation on health care. as a young women -- woman, i didn't need #metoo movement to know that sexual harassment in the workplace was a problem because i experienced it. the more perspective we have, the more things will be brought to the table everyone lives their own lived experience. just a certain perspective is overrepresented. making sure that we do have more people around the table who can make sure we are addressing all of the challenges that our country and constituents will be facing. >> did you know nancy pelosi before you were elected this time around? very proud that we get

to claim speaker nancy pelosi as one of our delegation. i think she is exactly the person we need leading our caucus through the difficult time and i'm really proud that one of my first votes in congress will be to vote for her as speaker. i had known the speaker previously. she is an amazing mentor to many young women and i have been really grateful for all of her advice and guidance over the years. viewers who watch congress so much more than the average person a sense of what the last couple weeks has been like for you. days, whate your kinds of things are you learning as a representative elect? >> they have been very busy. i'm told that our orientation is very different from years past because of covid-19.

we haven't done the more ceremonial pieces that as i mentioned i think of really going to make all of this sink in. member orientation is a very weird mix of the going on the house floor for the first time, understanding the kinds of decisions we are going to be forced to make very quickly in the very monday task of just -- mundane task of starting a new job and setting up a new phone system in your office. that.e been doing all of all of the different briefings on policies we have to uphold, how we set up our office, really thinking through the way to do hiring and getting to go on the house floor for the first time as member elect, learning how to

vote, getting our official portrait taken. whirlwindlly been a of a couple of weeks. i will say my favorite part has been getting to know all of my fellow freshman and all of the other members and i'm really excited to be joining them. found one or two that you might share a name with that you see i can work with that person perhaps on the others of the aisle? congress,t many in but i have gotten to know folks in our democratic freshman class and republican freshman class and i think that we are going to have a lot that we are able to work with -- work on together. >> we are speaking about one month before the opening day of congress? -- congress. how many hours a day are you spending at work right now?

>> i'm always working. obviously as a millennial i think that's how many of us engage with the workforce. my next couple weeks are going to be really focused on hiring team getting my district office, set up. making sure that we will be able to really hit the ground running and make sure that there is no break in representation or constituent services for our district. i'm very lucky that my predecessor is an amazing mentor of mine and has been incredible through this transition and her and her team are making sure we have what we need to be successful. i'm garrett -- very excited to get back to my district. i'm very cold as a san diego and. arent to make sure that we meeting with all the community

groups and that everyone knows what i will be prioritizing in the first part of the new congress and that we are getting feedback and really starting to build that relationship to be successful moving forward. >> if we have the opportunity to talk with you one year from right now, you are finishing up your first year in the house of representatives, what would you most have liked to accomplish? >> universal affordable childcare. it's important for our families to make it through this time. it's important for our children to get early childhood education that we know pays huge dividends in their ability to be successful in the future and most childcare providers are small as this is run by women and predominantly women of color. making sure we are investing in our childcare infrastructure and making sure that childcare jobs

will be a component of any equitable recovery. of californias who will be part of the millennial class in the new congress and the youngest woman in the house of representatives and the incoming class. thank you for spending time with c-span. >> great to be here. >> all q&a programs are available on our website or as a podcast at c-span.org. >> states electors of the electoral college cast their votes today for president of the united states. watch c-span's live all day coverage as the results come in. starting at 10:00 a.m. eastern from indianapolis in the meeting of its 11 electors. delaware's three electors meet in dover. , theon from harrisburg

meeting of pennsylvania's 20 electors. at 2:00 p.m., michigan 16 elect his vote in lansing. eastern, 38 texas electors vote. that we are live with john after theuthor of people vote, a guide to the electoral college. watch the electoral college vote today. live starting at 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. this morning, the national constitution center's jeffrey rosen produced today's meaning previews today's meeting of electors. track being done to coronavirus vaccination efforts. also a preview of congress.