With Henry Waxman’s impressive 40-year career in the House of Representatives coming to an end, a freshman – attorney Elan Carr or State Sen. Ted Lieu – will be taking his place as the U.S. representative of California’s 33rd congressional district.
This board believes that Lieu’s experience with legislation as a state senator and his pragmatic platforms and plans for office set him apart as the best choice for the position.
Lieu comes into this race with three years of experience as a California state senator, working extensively with legislation.
Lieu has authored and introduced dozens of pieces of legislation, many signed by the governor, supporting important issues ranging from banning sexual orientation change therapy for minors to protecting children from sex offenders to increasing protections for journalists.
Lieu’s platforms, like improving public education and strengthening the Affordable Care Act, are as strong as Carr’s, but he stands out as the better candidate with his concrete understanding of how to reach these goals. He was able to name legislation and congressmen, in line with his platforms, that he intends to support if elected, and if he ever needs to author legislation himself, we know he has the experience to be successful.
Furthermore, Lieu set out criteria by which voters could gauge his success as a freshman congressman, including obtaining grants for wildlife corridors and transportation for this district and constituent services. Lieu’s understanding that a freshman congressman will likely not draft or pass any legislation demonstrates a strong grasp of the limitations of the job.
Carr’s platforms and plans for office are well-intentioned and fairly moderate, but his inability to show true understanding of how to achieve his goals in Congress holds him back.
Carr said public education and comprehensive immigration reform are two of his top priorities, and his goals of reaching across party lines and getting work done immediately are important for a freshman coming into today’s Congress. But his platforms and ideals only sound like buzz words without the proper foundation and experience to turn them into a reality.
Lieu shares Carr’s goals of reaching across party lines and getting work done, but he has to actually put these ideals into practice during his time as state senator. We believe that he’ll be able to do it again in order to successfully represent California’s 33rd congressional district.