After a long and unfortunate pause, this installment of the Signal Tribune’s monthly series returns to cover actions taken and statements made by Long Beach’s federal and state representatives in December 2025.
Elected officials were involved in debate and legislation surrounding the Epstein files, ICE, vaccines 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.
Federal representatives:
Robert Garcia – U.S. Representative for California’s 42nd Congressional District
Epstein: Garcia, along with his democrat peers in the Oversight Committee, have continued pressing the Donald Trump administration and the Justice Department over the delayed release of all files on infamous sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The legislature previously passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make all files related to the Epstein investigation available to the public. As of Dec. 31, the Oversight Committee stated that less than 5% of all the Epstein files have been released, while an article published by Time on Jan. 6 states that less than 1% of all the files have been released. Democrats on the Oversight Committee requested additional information from the US Virgin Islands Department of Justice in November, and in turn, received over 95,000 photos from Epstein’s estate. According to a public statement by the Oversight Committee, the photos are a mix of graphic and mundane images, and include photos of Epstein’s properties and associates. The Oversight Committee has been reviewing these images while releasing some to the public through its website. In a public statement, the committee said the released images are meant to be representative of the type of content found in the 95,000 images.
“The President may think this investigation is a hoax, but we are just getting started,” Garcia said in a public statement released Dec. 31.
Garcia also requested on Dec. 23 that the DOJ’s attorney general investigate why the FBI failed to look into Epstein in 1996, after one of his victims, Maria Farmer, warned the bureau that he was sex-trafficking minors and producing child sexual abuse material.
“The American public should be outraged that the FBI had information about the horrific crimes Jeffrey Epstein was committing in the 1990s, and yet failed to protect women and children for decades. We are fighting to end the Epstein cover up for survivors like Maria Farmer, who was failed by her own government over and over. We will not stop until we have transparency for the survivors and the American people,” Garcia said in a public statement.
Hepatitis Vaccine: Garcia sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F Kennedy decrying the vote by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to remove the recommendation that all newborn infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine. The letter asks the HHS to provide any data that was used to make this decision, documentation on how this decision may have been impacted by conflicts of interest and anti-vaccine activism, and the effects this change will have on the health of the nation’s children.
“It is clear this agency no longer prioritizes the health of the American people, but instead prioritizes uplifting conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxx propaganda,” Garcia stated in the letter to the HHS. “Secretary Kennedy must prove why this decision was made by the ACIP before children across the country face the consequences.”
Venezuela: On Dec. 30, four days before the United States abducted the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Garcia criticized the Trump administration’s military aggression towards Venezuela. According to statements from the federal government, the United States has killed at least 115 people in strikes on boats coming from Venezuela, purportedly because the boats allegedly had drugs onboard.
“The Trump Administration appears to be leading us toward regime change and war in Venezuela. Yet they have no authorization from Congress to do so,” Garcia posted on social media. “Republicans need to join us to ensure that we don’t start another war.”
Nanette Díaz Barragán – U.S. representative for California’s 44th Congressional District
Vaccine Transportation: Barragán reintroduced a bill on Dec. 18 aimed at helping more people get vaccinated by helping them afford transportation to their appointments. The Vaccine Transportation Access Act would fund grants for local groups to provide rides to vaccine clinics or pay for rideshare services. The proposed legislation is meant to help seniors, low-income residents and others who struggle with transportation access vaccines. The bill expands on a similar program created during the pandemic to help people access the COVID-19 vaccines and would now cover various recommended vaccines.
“Getting vaccinated can help protect against preventable illnesses, hospitalizations, and increased health care costs across communities,” Barragán said in a public statement. “But in many communities like mine, patients may lack the financial resources or reliable transportation to get to their routine check-up – and the closest health center or hospital can be miles away. That is why I’m proud to reintroduce the Vaccine Transportation Access Act to help ensure that Americans can receive the critical preventive care they need, especially at a time when vaccine access and affordability are under attack.”
Drug Affordability: Barragán reintroduced a bipartisan bill aimed at making prescription drugs more affordable for people with serious and long-term health conditions. The Help Ensure Lower Patient Copays Act would require insurance companies to count outside financial assistance — such as aid from nonprofits — toward a patient’s annual deductible and out-of-pocket costs.
“This bipartisan bill will help working American families afford their prescriptions by putting a stop to harmful practices by insurance companies and Pharmacy Benefit Managers, and ensuring that patients’ copay assistance counts towards their cost-sharing requirements,” Barragán said in a public statement. “Because drug affordability is not a blue-state issue or a red-state issue — it is an issue that affects tens of millions across the country and in every state.”
Supplies for Newborns in Need: Barragán introduced a bipartisan bill that would give new mothers and babies free supplies to help prepare them for the early weeks following birth.
The Newborns Essentials Support Toolkit Act would expand a current HHS pilot program, allowing diapers, wipes, breastfeeding supplies and post-partum mental health resources to be provided to communities in need free of charge.
The proposed legislation is meant to help parents in underserved areas who may struggle to afford essential newborn care.
“No mother should have to worry about whether she can afford the basic necessities her newborn needs in those critical first days,” Barragán said in a public statement. “The bipartisan NEST Act builds on proven partnerships to ensure families, especially those in underserved and maternal health desert communities, have access to essential supplies and postpartum support. This legislation is a practical, compassionate step toward improving maternal and infant health outcomes and giving every child a strong start in life.”
State representatives:
Lena Gonzalez – California State Senator for the 33rd District
Speed Cameras: Gonzalez released a statement in support of AB 645, which establishes a new speed safety pilot program in several California cities. Gonzalez said she contributed to shaping this legislation in her prior role as chair of the California Senate Transportation Committee.
Under the pilot program, traffic cameras would begin capturing and automatically ticketing the owner of vehicles caught speeding. These cameras will be installed in Long Beach, Los Angeles, Glendale, San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland. Drivers going 11 miles or more over the speed limit will be ticketed if they’re captured by one of the cameras. Those caught going 100 miles or more over the speed limit will automatically have their driving history reviewed by the Department of Motor Vehicles, and could have their license suspended or revoked at the discretion of the department. This is a change in how license suspensions and revocations are handled; while a lengthy judicial process was required before, this would expedite these penalties for speeders.
“I am pleased to see this pilot program advance to help protect people’s safety and save lives on our roads,” Gonzalez said in a public statement. “This effort reflects years of hard work by advocates and community members, and I was proud to help shape AB 645 as former Senate Transportation Chair. I look forward to seeing implementation and meaningful improvements in the year ahead for the safety and wellbeing of Long Beach families and visitors.”
ICE in Hotels: Gonzalez joined her peers in the California Latino Legislative Caucasus in sending a letter to the California Hotel & Lodging Association, urging the association to tell its members not to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to rent rooms at their hotels. It cautioned that hotels that serve ICE agents could face “potential legal jeopardy” as well as damage to their brand and reputation.
“We urge you to advise your client hotels about these risks and recommend they refrain from engaging any entity, including the federal government, that utilizes their facilities to do harm in the community,” the letter states.
“Self-driving” Teslas: Gonzalez posted on social media in support of a decision by a state judge and the DMV that states that Tesla violated a state law by using misleading language to market the semiautonomous driving features in some of its vehicles. An administrative law judge ruled that Tesla’s use of words like “autopilot” and “full self-driving capability” were inaccurate and in violation of SB 1398, which was authored by Gonzalez. SB 1398 requires that dealers and manufacturers that sell vehicles that include semiautonomous driving features to clearly describe the limitations of this technology to customers. It also prohibits the use of deceptive wording in marketing these products.
“Tesla, there is no such thing as ‘Full Self Driving’ – it took a while for my bill to be fully implemented but glad the CA @ca_dmv is on it!” Gonzalez posted on Instagram on Dec. 17.
Josh Lowenthal – California Assemblymember for the 69th District
Late Mayor Condolences: On December 1, Lowenthal posted a statement on social media in honor of the late Bob Foster, former mayor of Long Beach, following the death of the latter the day before.
“His depth of knowledge on politics and policy was only rivaled by his depth of knowledge on Ancient Roman history, philosophy, and business,” Lowenthal said of Foster in a social media post. “He gave so much to so many, and we’ll miss him unspeakably. “
Australia Visit: Lowenthal visited Australia to learn more about the country’s ban on social media for youth under the age of 16.
“Its not a controversial issue over there,” Lowenthal said in an interview with CBS. “If you look across the spectrum, all demographics — socioeconomic, geographic, race — there’s sort of a collective sigh of relief. Parents look forward to having their kids back.”
Lowenthal has a history of authoring legislation focusing on internet usage for minors, including the Phone Free School Act and the Cyberbullying Protection Act.
“It’s really about addiction. It’s about the things that are happening with them in their lives, and I think ultimately we are going to align a lot better with the platforms themselves in creating policy that works for everyone,” Lowenthal said in an interview with CBS.
Hanukkah Shooting: As Lowenthal was returning from his trip to Australia, a pair of father-son mass shooters attacked a beachside Hanukkah celebration in Sydney. In a statement posted on Dec. 14, Lowenthal condemned the shooting and said he had discussed a rise in antisemitism in the Sydney area with the Speaker of the New South Wales parliament during his trip.
“The attack in Australia targeting a Hanukkah celebration is terrifying, appalling, and an affront to the fundamental right to worship freely and safety,” Lowenthal said in a public statement. “While shocking, violence against our community has become expected without dedicated intervention.”
