Ted W. Lieu represents California’s 33rd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. Ted is serving in his fourth term in Congress and currently sits on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He was also elected by his Democratic Colleagues this Congress to serve as a Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee for a third time. Ted is a former active duty officer in the U.S. Air Force. Following active duty, Ted served in the Air Force Reserve, retiring with the rank of Colonel in 2021.
“In California—the eighth largest economy in the world—we put our fiscal house in order by investing in core priorities instead of giving tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to set national budget policy that raises the wages of the middle class; protects Medicare and Social Security, and invests in infrastructure, education, and innovation.”
Congressman Lieu joins civil rights leader Congressman John Lewis and House Democrats during the House Democrats Sit-In on Gun Control
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"I am fully committed to ensuring and protecting the civil rights of all Americans. I vehemently stand against any sort of racial, cultural, or religious intolerance that threatens to divide the melting pot our country has become. If we want to uphold the principle of equality that this country prides itself on, we must not let fear tear us apart."
"As an immigrant from Taiwan, I am proud to be a strong advocate for Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in Congress. As an executive board member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), I am dedicated to promoting the well-being of the AAPI community."
Congressman Lieu visits Animo Venice Charter High School.
"In California, I was honored to coauthor AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act. But it’s clear to me that to solve climate change, we need America to do what California has done, and then for America to get other countries to do what California has done. That’s why my first piece of legislation in Congress was the Climate Solutions Act of 2015: a bold, innovative plan to energize investment in green energy technology, set strong renewable energy standards and slash the carbon pollution that is damaging our planet."
“I think it’s easy for people like you and me who wear suits and ties and work in offices to cast aspersions on those with a tenth-grade education . . . But let’s talk about some of these folks with a tenth-grade education . . . I have had the opportunity to meet over the years many farmworkers who have had families die under brutal conditions in the heat so that you or I can have less expensive orange juice, cheaper artichokes, or less expensive garlic . . . and I just want to suggest that these people have given far more to American society than you or I ever will.” - Congressman Ted W. Lieu
Congressman Lieu holds an infrastructure investment and jobs creation press conference with Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi at the California Incline project in Santa Monica.
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"Some of the most creative and innovative minds in the country call the 33rd District home. One in six jobs in Los Angeles come from the creative and tech sectors. CA-33 is home to five colleges, including UCLA and USC’s Viterbi Information Technology Institute, plus leading biotech, tech, aerospace, financial services and media companies. There is something the federal government can do that no private sector company can. And that is to make continuing investments in basic research, such as at institutions like UCLA, with no expectation of any rate of return. And eventually these investments pay off in dramatic ways for our economy. The biotech industry largely started because the federal government kept funding research on recombinant DNA technology until the breakthroughs got to the point where the private sector was able to take the knowledge and run with it. GPS was invented at Los Angeles Air Force Base and the Aerospace Corporation, a federally funded nonprofit, after years of research funding. As a member of the House Budget Committee, I am going to do everything I can to increase funding for basic research across all of our scientific disciplines."
In between press interviews, Congressman Lieu joins LGBT activists on the steps of the Supreme Court to celebrate the court's historic ruling on marriage equality.
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"The LGBT movement has made incredible strides and achieved victories that seemed impossible even five or ten years ago. However, there is great work left to be done as we continue to combat ignorance and bigotry. LGBT Americans still face significant barriers to marriage equality, equal access to education, and strong protections against employment discrimination. Our country’s founding principles of liberty and equality will not be fully realized until we eliminate injustices such as conversion therapy and discrimination based on orientation or gender identity. We must engage in a tireless mssion to secure a better future for all Americans, no matter who they love."
Congressman Lieu meets with teachers and students from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School.
"While poverty for seniors in this country is still an issue, Social Security has served as a reliable safety net for all seniors. Over 112,338 older Americans and people with disabilities in California’s 33rd Congressional District and 22 million nationwide receive Social Security. For 90% of retirees and 70% of disability recipients it is their primary source of income. Social Security, if managed effectively, can serve every generation that has paid into it from my parent’s generation to that of my children. Unfortunately, our Republican colleagues are trying to make it sound like our Social Security Trust fund is going bankrupt, despite having a $2.8 trillion dollar surplus, and are trying to slip in cuts and privatize the program. For my parents, my children and all Americans, I have pledged to do all I can to oppose Republican cuts to the benefits we have all paid for and preserve this program for generations to come."
Representative Lieu speaks out against attacks on women's health care at the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's hearing on Planned Parenthood on September 29, 2015.