Standing Up for Our Values
How I’m fighting Trump’s attacks on our democracy
From my service on the Glendale City Council to the California State Assembly, and now in Congress, I have never backed down from a fight to protect our core values. That struggle for democracy, and for the people of California, is more important now than ever. Here is how I’ve stood up to Donald Trump and his administration at every turn, calling out their unconstitutional actions, illegal overreach, and attacks on communities. Whether it is fighting against efforts to gut Social Security and Medical, end environmental protections, strip away reproductive rights, or undermine our democracy, I'll keep using every platform and power available to hold the Trump agenda accountable.
- Led 68 Members of Congress Fighting Trump’s Illegal Attempts to Divert Congressionally Approved Funding:
Under our Constitution, the power of the purse belongs to Congress, the people’s Representatives — not the President.
That’s why I led 68 members of Congress and introduced an amendment to stop Trump from illegally withholding or diverting funding appropriated in the Republican-led Continuing Resolution. The amendment makes clear that by signing the government funding bill, the President agrees to fully disburse funds as directed by law without loopholes or exceptions.
Learn more about my amendment here.
- Joined Democrats’ Litigation/Response Task Force to sue the Trump Administration in Court:
House Democrats are working to hold the Trump Administration accountable as the President attempts to undermine critical programs and resources for communities across the country.
Learn more about developments concerning oversight and investigative tools House Democrats are deploying as we fight for transparency and work to vindicate the Constitution.
- Hosted a Town Hall with California AG Rob Bonta to Discuss our Legal Response to Trump’s Illegal Executive Orders:
I hosted a town hall with California Attorney General Rob Bonta to discuss California’s response to the Trump Administration and ongoing efforts to protect our people, communities, and democracy in the courts.
Learn more about my town hall here.
- Joined Town Halls in the San Fernando Valley, Burbank, and Orange County, and Hosted Own Town Hall at Los Angeles City College:
I joined and spoke at town halls that were organized by residents in the San Fernando Valley, Burbank, and Orange County. There, I heard directly from constituents about their concerns regarding the Trump Administration’s attacks on our democracy and economy.
I also hosted my own Town Hall at Los Angeles City College. There, I engaged directly with constituents on the most pressing issues facing families across the region; from unaffordable housing and rising healthcare costs to attacks on democratic institutions and essential federal services. The town hall was live-streamed on CSPAN.
Learn more about my town hall here.
- Read from the Los Angeles Times about How I’m Standing up for Federal Investments in California’s Mass Transit:
Los Angeles Times: Metro’s Olympics plans rely on federal funding. Will Trump threaten it?
- Brought Local Burbank Firefighter to Trump’s Congressional Address to Highlight need for Unconditional Federal Aid to Wildfire Victims
I brought Eric Rowley, President of Burbank Fire Fighters Local 778, as my guest to President Trump’s Joint Session of Congress. Just like Eric and his fellow firefighters didn’t hesitate to answer the call, Congress cannot fail in delivering unconditional aid to ensure our communities recover from the worst wildfire our nation ever experienced.
We cannot allow politics to stand in the way of recovery efforts and the resources our first responders need. Holding disaster aid hostage isn’t leadership; it’s cruel extortion.
Learn more about why I brought local firefighter Eric Rowley here.
- Blasted the Trump Administration for Threats to Condition Wildfire Aid:
When the Trump Administration threatened to condition aid for wildfire victims, I immediately and consistently called them out for playing politics with disaster relief. The reality is Californians give tens of billions more in federal taxes every year than any other state. We shouldn’t have to beg for help when we have residents who have lost everything. What Trump and the Republicans are doing by demanding conditions on relief aid is extortion, plain and simple.
We power the nation’s economy and are just asking for our tax dollars back. Aid is a right, not a bargaining chip. Congress must reject this reckless precedent—disaster relief should never be political.
Learn more about how I’m fighting for unconditional aid here.
- Defended Social Security & Fought Trump’s Tariffs with Local Seniors:
I led a rally with local seniors, including a Korean War veteran, in front of the Hollywood Social Security Office to call out dual threats from the Trump administration: massive new tariffs that would raise everyday costs and cuts to Social Security access that could leave vulnerable communities without the services they’ve earned.
Learn more about my rally here.
- Protested with Hundreds of Community Members at the March for Our Constitution Protest:
I delivered a speech to hundreds of community members gathered at the March for Our Constitution Protest, which took place in front of the Wilshire Federal Building in Westwood.
I highlighted how the Trump Administration has:
Made it harder – if not impossible for some – to access Social Security benefits;
Shut down Social Security field offices across the country;
Given DOGE access to sensitive government databases and private citizen’s bank accounts without proper oversight;
Moved to fire more than 80,000 workers from Veterans Affairs alone;
Accidentally fired workers responsible for maintaining our nuclear arsenal.
Learn more about this protest here.
- Joined an Amicus Brief in Support of a Lawsuit to Stop Trump’s Efforts to Eliminate the CFPB
I joined the Amicus Brief in support of American consumers and the Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB) in National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), et al. v. CFPB Acting Director Russell Vought, et al. before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
In the brief, House Democrats noted that recent actions toward the CFPB, the “consumer watchdog agency,” including the implementation of sweeping stop-work orders and plans to arbitrarily fire most employees, represent a blatant disregard for Congress’s role and express directives. These actions are in clear violation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, as well as the Constitution’s mandate that the laws be faithfully executed.
- Joined an Amicus Brief in Support of a Lawsuit to Protect American’s Ability to Choose Reproductive Healthcare providers through Medicaid:
I joined an Amicus Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSAT) in Medina v. Planned Parenthood of South Atlantic, a case challenging South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster’s efforts to block participants in the state’s Medicaid program from accessing health care at the Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSAT) affiliate’s health centers.
The case is evidence of the anti-abortion movement’s agenda to defund Planned Parenthood and threaten providers that offer reproductive health care services, undermining access to health care. A loss at the Supreme Court would pave the way for states to arbitrarily exclude Planned Parenthood from the Medicaid program and deny tens of millions of Americans the ability to receive comprehensive, essential health care from the provider of their choosing.
Learn more about this Amicus Brief and case here.
- Joined an Amicus Brief in Support of a Lawsuit Standing Up to Trump’s Dismantling of USAID:
I joined an Amicus Brief joined standing up to the blatant executive overreach and illegal dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by the Trump Administration in the matter of American Foreign Service Association, et al. v. Trump, et al.
The brief argues that the President’s directive blatantly violated Congress’s lawmaking and spending powers as explicitly outlined in Article I of the United States Constitution, by dismantling a federal agency authorized and repeatedly funded by acts of Congress. The unlawful shuttering of USAID undermines national security and causes irreparable harm to America’s global competitiveness.
Learn more about the Amicus Brief here.
- Joined an Amicus Brief in Support of a Lawsuit to Stop Trump from Creating Unfair and Unsafe Conditions for Hardworking Americans:
I joined an Amicus Brief in support of safe and fair working conditions for American workers as part of Harris v. Bessent, et al., and Wilcox v. Trump, et al.
This brief addresses the unlawful attempted firings of Gwynne Wilcox, a member of the NLRB, and Cathy Harris, a member of the MSPB, and argues that Congress has authority to create multimember agencies protected from removal without cause, and has the power to condition the President’s removal authority.
- Joined an Amicus Brief in Support of a Lawsuit Standing up for Government Workers Trump Fired Who Fight Corporate Abuse.
I joined an Amicus Brief opposing President Donald Trump’s unlawful attempt to fire members of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as part of Slaughter and Bedoya v. Trump, et al.
FTC Commissioners Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya are duly
Learn more about the Amicus Brief here.
- Joined an Amicus Brief in Support of a Lawsuit to Protect Birthright Citizenship:
I joined an Amicus Brief to push back against President Trump’s unlawful executive directives by filing an amicus brief in defense of the essential constitutional principle of birthright citizenship in the matter of State of Washington, et al. v. Trump, et al.
There, we presented overwhelming evidence that Trump’s day-one order to nullify birthright citizenship violates not just the Constitution and over a century of Supreme Court rulings, but also laws passed by Congress that have repeatedly guaranteed citizenship to children born in America.
Learn more about the Amicus Brief here.
- Cosponsored Legislation to Require Independent Review Before Tariffs Can Be Imposed:
Cosponsoring H.R. 2665 – Trade Review Act – which reins in presidential power over tariffs by requiring an independent review before any new duties are imposed. It protects families from politically motivated trade disruptions that raise prices for our communities.
- Cosponsored Bipartisan Legislation to Stop Trump’s Purge of Government Workers Responsible for Key Services:
Cosponsoring H.R. 492 – Saving the Civil Service Act – which blocks any attempt to revive Trump’s Schedule F executive order. This protects the federal workforce from politicization and political manipulation.
Learn more about this bill here.
- Cosponsored Legislation to Prevent the Elimination of the Department of Education:
Cosponsoring H.R. 433 – Department of Education Protection Act – which prevents the shutdown of the U.S. Department of Education. It safeguards federal support for public education, student rights, and equitable access to learning. It also protects the Department of Education by ensuring funding is not used to downsize or restructure the department.
Learn more about the bill here.
- Cosponsored Legislation to Block Musk and His Loyalists from Accessing Americans’ Sensitive Data:
Cosponsoring H.R. 1102 – Taxpayer Data Protection Act – which reinforces IRS safeguards to ensure sensitive tax information cannot be exploited for political purposes. It creates strict accountability for any misuse of taxpayer records and would protect Americans’ sensitive personal information, such as Social Security numbers, from unelected and unaccountable Elon Musk and his co-conspirators.
Learn more about the legislation here.
- Cosponsored Legislation to End Ethics Conflicts at the Office of Government Ethics:
Cosponsoring H.R. 1321 – Ending DOGE Conflicts Act – which ends conflicts of interest and political manipulation at the Department of Government Ethics. It prevents partisan actors from using ethics offices as tools for political gain and establishes an independent review of government employees like Elon Musk.
Learn more about this bill here.
- Cosponsored Legislation to Protect Veterans and Block Mass Firings by Trump at the VA:
Cosponsoring H.R. 1637 – Protect Veteran Jobs Act – which allows for the reinstatement of any veteran who was removed or dismissed from federal employment without cause since Trump took office on January 20, 2025. The bill would also require new reporting requirements to Congress of any veterans who have been removed from federal positions and the justification for such removal on a quarterly basis going forward.
Learn more about this legislation here.
- Cosponsored Legislation to Stop Trump from Weaponizing WWII-Era Law Against Immigrants:
Cosponsoring H.R. 2129 – No Round Up Act – which restores oversight and civil rights protections to immigration enforcement. It repeals the long-dormant immigration law that allowed for Japanese internment during World War II (WWII) as the Trump administration prepares to use it as a means of mass deportation.
- Cosponsored Resolution to Oppose Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement:
Cosponsoring H.Res. 68 – which expresses strong disapproval of President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement. Climate leadership starts at home, and this resolution affirms the need for global cooperation to confront the climate crisis and protect our planet for future generations.
- Cosponsored Resolution to Protect the U.S. Postal Service From Privatization:
Cosponsoring H.Res. 70 – which affirms that Congress should ensure the U.S. Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the federal government. It rejects efforts to privatize or dismantle this essential public service.
- Cosponsored Resolution to Support Public Education and Condemn Attacks on the Department of Education:
Cosponsoring H.Res. 94 – which declares strong support for our nation’s public K-12 schools and opposes any attempt to defund or dismantle the Department of Education. Every student deserves access to a strong, well-funded public education system.
- Cosponsored Resolution to Condemn Republican Congressional Leaders for Enabling Extremism:
Cosponsoring H.Res. 216 – which condemns the leadership of the House Republican Conference for enabling anti-democratic behavior and political violence. Congress must hold its own members accountable for undermining democracy.
- Cosponsored Resolution to Declare Emergency Health Care, Including Abortion, a Basic Right:
Cosponsoring H.Res. 238 – which affirms that every person has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care. It sends a clear message that reproductive rights are human rights.
