2016 Election: Lieu for House
(United States Congress via Wikimedia)
By Editorial Board
Nov. 3, 2016 3:10 a.m.
This board endorses Ted Lieu as the House Representative for California’s 33rd congressional district.
Lieu, the Democratic incumbent, currently serves on the Budget Committee and Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He holds progressive views on most social issues and, in the past, has shown strong support for better hiring practices for women and minorities, women’s right to abortions, gay marriage and the expansion of green energy. He also voted against the American SAFE Act of 2015, a proposal restricting the number of Iraqi and Syrian refugees attempting to immigrate to America, and the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would prevent women from getting abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
In addition to his experience as House Representative, Lieu previously served on the California State Senate and the California State Assembly. When in the California State Senate, he authored a bill banning sexual orientation conversion therapy for minors – the first of its kind in a state legislature. In the state assembly, he authored a bill that requires police to videotape interviews with minors suspected for murder.
On the other hand, Lieu’s opponent, Kenneth Wright, an eye surgeon who identifies himself as a “progressive Republican,” is not as qualified for the position. Wright’s campaign platform includes a vague plan of “Keeping America Safe” that attempts to address national security threats from ISIS terrorist attacks. Although Wright suggests the United States should assist with the Syrian refugee crisis, he hypocritically criticized Lieu for voting against the SAFE Act of 2015, ultimately doing the opposite of assisting refugees.
In his defense, Wright’s claim of progressiveness isn’t inaccurate – he does not oppose gay marriage and wants to address immigration issues by securing borders, reforming the visa acquisition process and creating a path to citizenship for those living in the U.S. illegally. However, his views aren’t wholly sympathetic – he doesn’t shy away from citing the experience of a woman whose child was killed by an illegal immigrant in order to make a claim against the legality of sanctuary cities.
Certainly, Wright is a reasonable candidate, but Lieu has the drive and experience that qualifies him as the best candidate for the position.
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