Opinion: Op-Eds
View editorials written by the Representative in various publications.
In 2015, the year I was sworn into Congress, the West LA VA was a mess. Because of mismanagement and neglect, significant portions of the campus had been leased out to private enterprises that were doing anything but serving veterans. Medical care did not meet expectations for excellence. Large chunks of the land were being used for parking lots, a parrot sanctuary, a rental car company, and other purposes that did not principally benefit veterans.
Imagine a world where autonomous weapons roam the streets, decisions about your life are made by AI systems that perpetuate societal biases and hackers use AI to launch devastating cyberattacks. This dystopian future may sound like science fiction, but the truth is that without proper regulations for the development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI), it could become a reality. The rapid advancements in AI technology have made it clear that the time to act is now to ensure that AI is used in ways that are safe, ethical and beneficial for society.
Last year, the House Judiciary Subcommittee heard a harrowing, but increasingly common, story of injustice. Robert Williams, a Black man, was arrested in 2020 for stealing watches from a store in Detroit.
From 1947 until 1961, one of the biggest environmental crimes of the past century was taking place right under our noses. Now, in 2022, this reckless action has proven to have major health implications — like cancer — not just for wildlife, but potentially for humans.
For so many of us, the conclusion of 2021 was bittersweet. It was a difficult year with numerous challenges, but we've made incredible strides on managing the COVID-19 pandemic, including rolling out miraculous vaccines to millions of Americans and preventing thousands of deaths in the process. In Congress, we've been able to accomplish a lot – including historic investments in infrastructure and American workers through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the American Rescue plan.
By Rep. Adam Schiff, Democratic U.S. representative from California's 28th congressional district
Not long into former President Donald Trump's tenure in office, it became increasingly apparent that the greatest threat to our democracy came not from a Kremlin intent on subverting our elections but from within, from an executive willing to use his power maximally, without regard for other institutions or the norms of office long associated with the presidency.
by Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33)
It's hard to pass up a bargain – especially when the outcome is life-changing and, potentially, lifesaving.
Millions of Californians have an unprecedented opportunity right now to pocket significant savings on their health care coverage, to the tune of hundreds of dollars a month thanks to the American Rescue Plan. This new law, passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden, means more than saving money. It represents new hope and immediate relief as we emerge from the pandemic.
Los Angeles County, with a population of more than 66,000 people, is at the forefront of a national homelessness crisis. But LA faces an additional, urgent challenge: more than 3,900 veterans are living on the streets, nearly 1 in 10 of all homeless veterans nationwide.
Fortunately, Los Angeles is also home to the West Los Angeles VA Campus, a 388-acre site dedicated to serving the needs of veterans that has enormous potential to create more supportive housing units.
When Barack Obama became the first US president to visit Hiroshima in 2016, he stated: "Technological progress without an equivalent progress in human institutions can doom us." Those words ring true today. At the 75th anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we stand in another moment of global chaos and profound loss.
I genuinely want President Trump to succeed in stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus, and will do everything I can to help him in this effort. At stake are the lives of my elderly parents, my family, my constituents and many Americans.