Malibu Representative Making Headlines

Malibu's representative in Washington, Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA), has been making headlines this past week. He told host Dean Obeidallah on SiriusXM that the entire House Republican caucus is "sick" for failing to censure Rep. Paul Gosar over his violent parody video that depicts him killing New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and threatening President Joe Biden.

"That was a dangerous, disgusting and despicable video," Lieu said in the radio interview. "In any other workplace in America, if a co-worker made an animated film killing another co-worker, that person would be fired. I have called on [GOP House leader] Kevin McCarthy to remove Representative Gosar from congressional committees and to recommend him for expulsion. I've also recommended that House Ethics Committee look into this behavior, but we can't just let this go without any consequences."

In response to last month's Huntington Beach oil spill, Lieu introduced legislation to increase civil and criminal penalties for oil spills. The Increasing Penalties for Offshore Polluters Act, which was introduced with Reps. Julia Brownley (CA-26), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Mike Levin (CA-43) and Katie Porter (CA-45), would remove caps for civil penalties on offshore drilling violations and would double all fines and potential prison time for criminal penalties.

"Our coastlines face a perpetual threat so long as oil drilling is permitted," Lieu said in a written statement. "We need to hold polluters accountable—and disincentivize the practice in general. The onus should be on oil companies to take all necessary precautions to prevent spills, and they should be held fully civilly or criminally liable should a spill happen. Our bill creates an incentive for oil companies to update their infrastructure and be proactive in preventing spills