WASHINGTON – Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Manhattan Beach) on Nov. 30 was elected vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, the number four position in House Democratic leadership.
Lieu, a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, is the first Asian American to be elected as vice chair.
He issued the following statement after his colleagues elected him from among four candidates: “I want to thank my colleagues for entrusting me with the role of vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus. I am immensely grateful for this opportunity and I look forward to serving our caucus and our country in this new capacity. I want to recognize my colleagues Debbie Dingell (Michigan), Joyce Beatty (Ohio) and Madeleine Dean (Pennsylvania), all of whom are exceptional members of Congress. I look forward to continuing to work with them in the 118th Congress.
“As I said in my letter announcing my candidacy for caucus vice chair, I am beyond proud to be a part of the House Democrats. We have managed, in turbulent times, to draw from the spirit of American ideals to achieve legislative and electoral wins for the people. Democrats have shown the American public what is possible when the rational lead. We will continue to do so in the new Congress.
“I cannot wait to build on the progress that Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi ushered in with our Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (New York). His election, as well as the elections of Whip Katherine Clark (Massachusetts) and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (San Bernardino), represent a historic, generational turn for our nation. They are a leadership team of which all Americans can be proud.
“It is the privilege of a lifetime to serve in the House and represent my wonderful constituents in Los Angeles County. I am buoyed by the determination that we will build on the progress of the last few years and continue to put people over politics.”
Lieu represents California’s 33rd Congressional District. He is serving in his fourth term and currently sits on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He was also elected by his Democratic colleagues to serve as a co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee for a third time. Lieu is a former active-duty officer in the U.S. Air Force. Following active duty, he served in the Air Force Reserve, retiring with the rank of colonel in 2021.
The 33rd District covers much of western Los Angeles County, including many coastal neighborhoods along the Pacific Coast, the Conejo Valley, the Santa Monica Mountains, parts of West Los Angeles, the South Bay and the Palos Verdes Peninsula.