Dear neighbor, 

This was a difficult week for our community. My heart aches for the victims of the recent mass shootings in California, as well as for their friends and families. Over the course of just 44 hours, we had three mass shootings in our state and 19 innocent lives were taken.

Gun violence is a scourge on our nation. We are not the only nation with mentally unwell people, but we are the only nation that prioritizes access to weapons of war over the lives of our neighbors. Enough is enough, and the inaction from my colleagues across the aisle is shameful. May the memories of those we lost this past weekend guide us and reaffirm our efforts to finally put an end to gun violence. 

With the memories of the shooting victims top of mind, I was in Washington this week pushing back on MAGA extremism. The new House majority is playing games with our economy and threatening to tank it if we don’t agree to cut Social Security and Medicare. House Democrats will not stand for this. We will fight to protect these vital programs that Americans paid for and rely on. It’s time for Speaker McCarthy to offer a proposal to keep our economy running and our seniors cared for. I discussed this, as well as the extreme MAGA attempt to criminalize women’s health care during this week’s leadership press conference with Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Representatives Caraveo, Kamlager-Dove and Scholten.

Here’s a look at what else I’ve been up to this week:

• Wrote an op-ed in the New York Times about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the need to create a regulatory infrastructure for it. Read the full piece here.
• Introduced the first federal legislation ever written by artificial intelligence. Read more in NBC News.
• Co-led a bill that would require the Secretary of State to designate the Russian-based Wagner Group as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
• Reintroduced the Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act to address the root causes of homelessness with Representatives Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Robert Garcia.
• Spoke on the House floor about the Republican bill to raise gas prices by restricting the President's ability to use the strategic petroleum reserve. 

Reminder: Tomorrow is our eighth annual Service Academy Day! If you’ve considered applying for a military service academy, please join us tomorrow, January 28 to learn more about the nomination process. To register for the event, click here.

We are also now accepting submissions for our Spring 2023 Congressional Art Competition! This nation-wide high school arts competition is a great chance for young artists to showcase their talents. For more information and submission details, please visit lieu.house.gov/services/art-competition.

For more on my work in Congress, please visit my website at lieu.house.gov and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have any questions or concerns, please call our D.C. office at (202) 225-3976 or our Los Angeles district office at (323) 651-1040. 

I look forward to updating you again soon. 

Sincerely, 

Ted W. Lieu 

Member of Congress