Julia Brownley was first elected to Congress in 2012 to serve as the Representative for California’s 26th District, which encompasses most of Ventura County and a portion of Los Angeles County, including the cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Camarillo, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, along with some areas of Simi Valley.
As her first committee assignment, Congresswoman Brownley requested to serve on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where she works closely with Ventura County’s veterans community and Naval Base Ventura County, making sure we provide the services and care our servicemembers, veterans, and their families have earned and deserve. Brownley was elected as Chairwoman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health. Brownley is also the founder and Chairwoman of the Committee’s Women Veterans Task Force.
Districts drawn by incumbents to protect their jobs make politicians less accountable to their constituents and more accountable to the special interests. This eroded public trust and contributed to a deep and intractable dysfunction in Congress. California’s citizen-driven redistricting process proved “that government of the people, by the people, for the people” is not only possible, but its success makes it an example for the nation. In Congress, I am working to create independent redistricting commissions in all 50 states.