This installment of the Signal Tribune’s monthly series covers actions taken and statements made by Long Beach’s federal and state representatives throughout July.
Elected officials were involved in debate and legislation surrounding the presidential election, pollution, online safety and more.
The purpose of this ongoing series is to help the public stay abreast of their elected officials and hold them accountable beyond election day.
Robert Garcia – U.S. Representative for California’s 42nd Congressional District
Wastewater Surveillance: Garcia and Congressman Don Bacon introduced the Surveilling Effluent Water for Epidemic Response (SEWER Act) on July 11, which aims to support the CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System. The bill allocates $150 million annually for the next five years to improve and expand the detection and monitoring of infectious diseases through wastewater.
“Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, while I served as Mayor of Long Beach, we were in the dark about the spread of illness in our community. We didn’t have test infrastructure to keep people safe. We have learned from that dark time, and will make sure that we’re not blind in the next crisis,” Garcia said in a public statement. “The SEWER Act will provide the necessary support to continue wastewater surveillance testing across the nation, tracking disease spikes by monitoring their presence in sewage. This way, we can directly target prevention efforts and keep our communities safe.”
Immigration Legal Aid: Garcia introduced the SHIELD Act to give immigrants the right to adequate legal representation in immigration court. Many immigrants, including minors, have to go through complex deportation cases without legal assistance. The SHIELD Act proposes a grant program to aid in providing resources, as well as recruiting, training, and retaining staff for law firms that defend immigrants.
Pier B Groundbreaking: On July 18, Garcia met with the United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg at the Port of Long Beach for the groundbreaking of the Pier B Port Project. Last year, Garcia secured over $283 million in federal grants for this project, which is expected to create over 1,000 jobs locally and 13,000 nationwide. It will improve operations at the port by connecting the port with inland rail yards. The project aims to reduce truck traffic and emissions.
Paris Olympics: Garcia announced on July 23 that he will be the only member of the House of Representatives to join President Biden’s delegation to the ongoing Olympic Games in Paris.
“I am honored to join the Second Gentleman in Paris on behalf of the President as we celebrate the world-class talent of our athletes from the United States,” Garcia said in a public statement. “During my time as Mayor, we fought to bring the Olympics to Long Beach and Los Angeles in 2028. With multiple events in Long Beach, I’m excited to join the delegation to represent our community and to learn ahead of the next Olympics.”
JD Vance: On July 15, Garcia posted criticisms of former president and presidential nominee Donald Trump choosing Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate. Vance has drawn criticism in recent years for saying that abortions should not be allowed even in cases of rape and incest, as well as saying that people should stay in abusive marriages.
“JD Vance is an extremist with views that are completely outside the mainstream,” Garcia posted on X. “The fact that he immediately politicized the assassination attempt against former President Trump and blamed Democrats is shameful. There couldn’t be a more irresponsible pick.”
Nanette Díaz Barragán – U.S. representative for California’s 44th Congressional District
Letter to Biden: Congresswoman Nanette Barragán and 15 other members of Congress sent a letter to Biden urging him to issue an Executive Order to support reducing emissions from the maritime industry. The letter said that greenhouse gas emissions from shipping are expected to rise, and emphasized the need for federal action to address pollution and protect communities. Their recommendations include setting fuel standards for ships, monitoring emissions, electrifying the federal ferry fleet, supporting low-emission shipbuilding, developing alternative fuels and more.
Statement on Biden: On July 22, Barragán issued the following statement on President Joe Biden’s decision to end his re-election campaign:
“It has been an honor to work so closely with the Biden-Harris Administration to improve the lives of Americans, including Latinos and communities of color. Democrats will work to ensure his legacy is secure and will support the President and Vice President Kamala Harris as the party moves forward, unified, to continue to put the American people over politics.”
Big Oil: On July 24, Barragán and Senator Ed Markey introduced the Big Oil Collusion Accountability Act to penalize fossil fuel companies for working with Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to increase prices. If the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finds a company guilty of collusion, under this bill it would lose eligibility to extract oil and gas from federal lands and waters. Recently, the FTC accused Pioneer Natural Resources’ CEO of colluding with OPEC, and is investigating executives from companies like Hess Corp, Occidental, and Diamondback Energy for similar actions.
“As we work to urgently transition our country off fossil fuels and invest in clean energy alternatives, American consumers should not pay unfair prices at the pump to pad the fossil fuel industry’s pocketbook,” said Barragán in a public statement. “We need a strong deterrent to ensure fossil fuel companies cannot price-fix. I’m proud to introduce this bill with Senator Markey to ensure we hold oil companies accountable for illegal price-fixing schemes that hurt American’s wallets.”
Tax Deductions: On July 31, Barragán introduced the Feed the Community Act, which would allow tax deductions for businesses that choose to donate equipment and vehicles to help non-profits focused on combating hunger and transporting food.
“Food banks have seen an increased need for food assistance from their communities, which means with their current resources, food banks cannot serve the individuals who rely on them for food and other basic necessities,” Barragán said in a public statement. “Almost a million Angelenos would go hungry if it wasn’t for the important work of food banks. That is why I am proud to introduce the Feed the Community Act, which incentivizes businesses to donate food storage equipment and food transport to food banks, and they can provide hunger-relief in their communities.”
Marine Energy: Barragán and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici introduced the Marine Energy Technologies Acceleration Act on July 31, which would invest $1 billion to advance marine energy, which utilizes power from waves, tides, currents and other water-based sources to generate clean energy. This potential investment aims to develop reliable and sustainable clean energy for communities through marine resources. The act would fund the Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office, supporting demonstration projects, research and development, workforce development, more efficient permitting processes and more.
“Nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population lives in coastal communities where marine energy resources are abundant and offer tremendous potential to power our communities with clean, renewable energy, including California,” Barragán said in a public statement. “With the Marine Energy Technologies Acceleration Act, we can usher in an emerging clean energy resource to help our nation and our communities meet clean energy and decarbonization goals, reduce pollution, and create high-paying jobs.”
Lena Gonzalez – California State Senator for the 33rd District
Statement on Ballot Measure: Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President Pro-Tempore Mike McGuire and Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas announced a ballot measure to combat theft and the illicit sale of fentanyl on July 1. This ballot measure would increase penalties for repeat shoplifters, introduce harsher penalties for selling drugs mixed with fentanyl to unwitting buyers, make it easier for prosecutors to charge drug dealers with murder if someone dies from their product, increase substance and mental health treatment options and more.
Gonzalez issued a statement in support of this ballot measure the same day it was announced.
“With this proposed ballot measure we can crack down on property crime and fentanyl without reverting to policies that do more harm than good in our communities,” Gonzalez said in a public statement. “We can protect our communities and at the same time prevent detrimental social and economic costs that worsen poverty and inequality. I am thankful to Governor Newsom, Senate Pro Tem McGuire, Assembly Speaker Rivas and my colleagues in the Legislature, for working to provide Californians with a better choice to create stronger enforcement tools and resources to keep our communities safe.”
Air Quality Bill Moves Forward: The Refinery Pollution Reduction and Transparency Act, authored by Gonzalez, was passed by the California Assembly on July 1. The bill sets a statewide standard for monitoring air quality at refineries across the state in order to measure toxic pollutants and implement methods to protect nearby communities. The legislation would require refineries to notify the public, including through emails and texts, when toxic emissions exceed safe levels. The bill would also require refineries to provide accessible real-time data, submit to third-party audits and provide a root-cause analysis within 24 hours of any incident. The bill has now been sent to the Senate.
“Our fenceline communities deserve clean air and a healthy future, and today’s victory with SB 674 marks a significant step forward,” Gonzalez said in a public statement. “When we have standardized, easy-to-access information and more transparency about the toxic pollution being released into our neighborhoods, we can empower our communities and drive bigger impact. I am thankful for the hard work of our strong coalition of environmental justice advocates and supporters who helped us get here.”
Streamlining Ballot Measures: On July 3, the State Senate and acting governor approved the addition of an urgency clause to two ballot measures co-authored by Gonzalez. This would mean that if voters pass the ballot measure in November, they would immediately go into effect. Each of the two bond measures will require $10 billion in loans. One bond measure is aimed at investing in safe drinking water and preventing wildfires. The second will be used to repair and modernize schools across the state.
“The climate and education bond measures, SB 867 and AB 247, signed today by Acting Governor McGuire, offer a bold opportunity to invest in California’s future,” Gonzalez said in a public statement. “I am honored to be a co-author of these crucial initiatives that make significant investments to modernize our public schools and protect our communities from the ravages of climate change, even amid a challenging budget year. I appreciate Senate Pro Tem McGuire for his leadership and my colleagues for their dedication, support and collaboration. These measures to enhance public school infrastructure and support climate resilience will now be up to the voters.”
Endorsement of Kamala Harris: Gonzalez posted in support of presidential candidate Kamala Harris on X on July 22.
“VP [Kamala Harris] has my full support. She is a strong & exemplary woman, who will continue to fight for every American, as the next President.”
Elon Musk: A lawsuit is currently underway to challenge a state law that prevents school districts from requiring schools to notify parents about changes in their child’s gender identity. Billionaire Elon Musk criticized the lawsuit on his social media platform, X.
“The goal is this diabolical law is to break the parent-child relationship and put the state in charge of your children,” Musk posted on July 18.
“I 💚 how the little Prince of Corporate Bailouts is more obsessed w/ antagonizing our LGBTQ+ community & our CA kids than he is about putting 💯% of his own $$ to fully fund his own damn company. @elonmusk – you made billions with CA taxpayer dollars – you’re not ‘self made,’ 🏳️🌈” Gonzalez posted in response, along with a screenshot stating the governor’s office estimated that Musk’s company Tesla has received over $3 billion in state subsidies since 2009.
Josh Lowenthal – U.S. Representative for California’s 69th Assembly District
Law Passed: Lowenthal’s Assembly Bill 295 became a law this month. It was passed by the California State Assembly on July 1, and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on July 18.
The new law aims to protect those who have just been through a foreclosure. When a foreclosure happens, former homeowners are entitled to any remaining funds after the mortgage and fees are paid. This remaining amount is referred to as “surplus money.”
AB 295, aims to curb the activities of “surplus hunters,” who offer unnecessary assistance to former homeowners in accessing their surplus money, while charging exorbitant fees for their services. Since people are legally entitled to their surplus money, there is no need for surplus hunters, who Lowenthal says exploit individuals already in a vulnerable state. The law mandates that surplus hunters wait at least 90 days after the foreclosure is recorded before contacting individuals about their surplus money.
Online Privacy: Lowenthal’s Assembly Bill 3048 successfully passed through the California Senate Standing Committee on the Judiciary on July 2 and has now been referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
This bill aims to require browsers and devices to enable consumers to express their privacy preferences via “opt-out signals.” These signals would allow consumers to prevent the sale or sharing of their personal data while browsing the web.
Although the California Consumer Privacy Act already grants consumers the right to stop the sale and sharing of their personal information through opt-out signals, major browsers like Google Chrome and Apple Safari currently lack the technical support for users who wish to exercise this right.
Online consumers are accustomed to being prompted to accept cookies and share data when visiting new websites. If this bill is enacted, major web browsers such as Google Chrome would be compelled to allow consumers to set comprehensive privacy settings through the browser, eliminating the need to opt-out of data sharing on a site-by-site basis.
“Most consumers are unaware of the amount of data that is harvested and disclosed by companies without their knowledge that is used for leverage and influence that is used to leverage and influence their behaviors daily,” Lowenthal said to the committee on July 2. “If this Bill is passed, California would become the first state to require browser vendors to directly support these signals, which would have sweeping benefits.”
New Pier: Lowenthal’s Assembly Bill 2235 would allow the City of Long Beach to forego its usual requirements for hiring companies in order to expedite the construction of a new pier at the Port of Long Beach. The pier would be specifically used as an area to build and ship wind turbines to be used in generating renewable energy. The planned wind turbines would be so large that the only way to efficiently ship them to other areas would be to manufacture them at the port, lobbyist Dan Chia told the California Senate Standing Committee on Local Government.
Normally, public contracts must be awarded through competitive bidding, but this law allows Long Beach to hire companies based on alternate methods, such as which offers the best value.
The bill is sponsored by the Port of Long Beach.
Chamber of Progress Letter: On July 16, a coalition of some of the largest tech corporations including Google, Meta and X (formerly Twitter), wrote a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom urging him to veto Lowenthal’s Assembly Bill 3172.
AB 3172 proposes financial penalties for social media platforms that harm children. If a court determines that a social media site did not take appropriate precautions to protect children or knowingly caused harm or injury to them, the site would have to pay up to $1 million per affected child ($5,000 per violation), or three times the damages the child suffered.
“Platforms would face difficult choices regarding what types of content that ‘injury’ might apply to, in fear of potential litigation, resulting in excessive moderation and hesitation to deploy new features — including those aimed at improving online experiences for young people,” the letter reads.
Minors on Social Media: Lowenthal’s Assembly Bill 2481, the Cyberbullying Protection Act, would require social media platforms to clearly outline their cyberbullying reporting procedures in their terms of service. They would also need to create a way for anyone, whether they have an account or not, to report cyberbullying or content that breaks the rules. This would include allowing people to upload screenshots as evidence.
Large social media platforms would further have to verify certain people, like school principals and mental health professionals, as “trusted reporters,” who would alert the platform to instances of content that they deem to be harmful to minors. When one of these verified reporters flags content as harmful, it would trigger an expedited review of the content by a human employed by the social media platform. These platforms would then have to annually publish the number of reports they receive from these trusted reporters on a publicly accessible website.
Back in May, the California Chamber of Commerce, the Computer & Communications Industry Association and Technet sent a letter to Lowenthal criticizing AB 2481, saying that the definition of what would constitute harming or injuring a child remained unspecified.
“The opposition is working this bill very hard, and that’s natural,” Lowenthal said to the California Standing Committee on the Judiciary on July 2. “This is groundbreaking legislation that the rest of the nation, and perhaps the rest of the world, will follow if this legislation passes. We have met with the opposition many times. If you read their letter or sit with them, they’ll explain to you about the collective action problem, about setting a verified system up, how compliance is undefined and subjective, how the bill’s enforcement provisions may fail to adequately achieve intended goals. They’re trying to say it’s not going to work, which is maddening, because of course it will work. Their comments are subterfuge. What they’re actually saying is that they don’t want to spend the money on a human contact center because there’s no revenue attached to it for them, only cost. That’s been their main point this entire time.”
Barragan’s bill to limit maritime emissions is needed for our Coastal communities especially near our port complexes.