Alan Lowenthal

Alan Lowenthal

Alan Lowenthal, entered Congress with the 2012 elections, as an (California Democrat, District 47).

Background

Born March 8, 1941, Congressman Alan Lowenthal was raised in the Queens Borough of New York City. After earning his Bachelor’s Degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and his Ph.D. from Ohio State University, he moved to Long Beach, California in 1969 where he taught Community Psychology at California State University, Long Beach until 1998.

By selling vacuum cleaners, Lowenthal worked his way through college, and he persevered and received his PHD from Ohio State University. After receiving his PHD Lowenthal interned at Langley Porter, the neuropsychiatric institute at the University of California Berkley, which overlooked Haight-Ashbury and Golden Gate Park, during the height of the flower-power generation.

“The impact [Langley Porter] had upon me,” Lowenthal said, “was that the greatest changes you can make, even psychologically, are through political action. Improving the education system. Making sure there are adequate living conditions…Making sure there are jobtraining programs. Making sure there are youth shelters.”

He was also an activist, showing up to city council meetings and banging on doors at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to demand change to environmental policies. That was until 1992, when he won a seat at the Long Beach City Council, representing the 2nd District, and started to demand change from the inside.

“I see myself as a community activist,” Lowenthal said. “A person who clearly has a set of goals to change.” As a community psychologist and professor, Lowenthal worked with early parenting problems, mentorship programs in schools, and blue-collar families who lost their jobs due to a struggling economy. Lowenthal explains, “Community psychology tries to look at the person in relationship to their environment and prevent problems.”

He was formerly married to Bonnie Lowenthal.

Effort to Stop Development Projects

Rep. Ro Khanna, Tefere Gebre of Greenpeace, Grace Tuttle of Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights and Naadiya Hutchinson, Government Affairs Manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice were listed as speakers for a "Special Town Hall" dated September 15, 2022 sponsored by Our Revolution. The meeting is to discuss strategies to stop the public from using strategic litigation to shut down development prjects. Our Revolution, Greenpeace, Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights (POWHR) and WE ACT for Environmental Justice participated. In a mass email, Our Revolution linked to a letter signed by democrats to thwart development projects.

From the event invitation:

"Our Revolution, America’s largest grassroots progressive organization, is partnering with Greenpeace USA to stop a looming threat to our communities and our planet. together, we are hosting a Town Hall to mobilize our networks of millions of members and hundreds of local chapters to stop a deal negotiated between Senator Joe Manchin, The American Petroleum Institute (API), and Democratic leadership to fast track permitting of fossil fuel extraction projects, leading to potential catastrophic climate impacts.

Join frontline communities and our allies in Congress to learn what you can do to help us stop Manchin's Dirty Deal!

From a mass email sent by Our Revolution dated September 12, 2022:

"Our Revolution is leading the charge alongside frontline communities and environmental justice groups like Greenpeace to kill Joe Manchin’s side deal for more dirty oil favors.

"Manchin is willing to shut down the government for more fossil fuel projects like the Mountain Valley Pipeline in WV and strip safeguards from impacted communities.

"Dems can’t celebrate “the biggest climate steps in history” while reversing them by caving to a literal coal baron.

"Our coalition of 650 organizations is urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to detach the deal from the must-pass bill to fund the government — we cannot let Manchin hold us hostage!

"Bernie railed against it on the Senate floor this week and says he’ll vote it down, and Our Revolution is calling for a progressive mutiny in Congress.

"A coalition of 72 US House Reps have signed onto a letter led by US Rep. Raul Grijalva - but we need more of our representatives in Congress to stand in opposition.

Alan Lowenthal signed the letter.

Support for the Council on American Islamic Relations

Alan Lowenthal wrote a letter of support to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on the occasion of their 24th anniversary in September 2018.

Humanitarian Needs in Cuba letter

December 16 2021 , House Rules Committee Chair James McGovern (D-MA), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory Meeks (D-NY), House Appropriations subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations Chair Barbara Lee (D-CA), and House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Energy Chair Bobby Rush (D-IL) led 114 Members of Congress in a letter to President Biden asking him to prioritize the well-being of the Cuban people as they experience the worst economic and humanitarian crisis in recent history...

In the wake of this year’s protests, the members urged the administration to support the Cuban people by suspending U.S. regulations that prevent food, medicine, remittances, and other humanitarian assistance from reaching the Cuban people...

Signatories included Alan Lowenthal.

Labor Caucus

The Labor Caucus is an official caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2021 members included Alan Lowenthal .

Long Beach activism

In the 1970s, Lowenthal helped establish storefront counseling centers in Long Beach aimed at keeping children in school. He joined Long Beach Area Citizens Involved in the 1970s and became its president in 1988, working to reform local school board elections and pushing for low-income housing, programs for the homeless and gay rights.

Lowenthal drew rave reviews from the two organizations that helped him into office, Long Beach Area Citizens Involved, and Lambda.

"I think he's accomplished more in a year than most of those folks do in four years," said Marc Coleman, president of the citizens group.

"He's been outstanding," said Paul Self, president of Lambda. "Good representation was long overdue."

Lowenthal says he will remain loyal to his liberal political roots. In the next couple of weeks, he plans to present a proposal for city campaign reform. It would impose contribution and spending limits, as well as partial public financing of campaigns.

Lowenthal calls himself a progressive dedicated to political and social reform.

His 14th floor office at City Hall was decorated with symbols of civil rights causes and liberal politics.

There's a photo of Jesse Jackson,Jr. and an award from the predominantly gay Long Beach Lambda Democratic Club. A framed newspaper clip hangs on the wall: "Never again. Survivor tells of death camps . . . "

Lowenthal, who describes himself as a cultural Jew, said his commitment to activism is rooted in the Holocaust. The atrocities hit home during a visit shortly after World War II from a cousin just out of a Nazi prison camp.

"All he could eat was baby food," said Lowenthal, who was about 4 at the time. "I had never seen anyone so emaciated, so sickly. It had a tremendous impact on me."

Lowenthal's specialty as a professor at Cal State Long Beach is community psychology. Similar to sociology, the discipline seeks to understand and find solutions to social ills.

As a freshman Councillor Lowenthal played key roles in the efforts to keep the Queen Mary in town and to save the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. He also campaigned successfully to open the city's first Community Police Center, on 7th Street in his district.

He had some failures, such as when he sought to repeal the ordinance banning homeless encampments. And last month, the City Council turned thumbs down on a proposal to extend employee benefits to city workers in domestic partnerships. Lowenthal, a strong advocate of gay and lesbian rights, pushed the proposal, which had languished in committee for more than two years.

KAPAC connection

Alan Lowenthal with KC Choi.

Peace on Korean Peninsula Act

Congressman Brad Sherman introduced the 'Peace on Korean Peninsula Act' (H.R. 3446) on 5/20/2021 with co-sponsors including Rep. Andy Kim, Rep. Grace Meng, Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Tom Suozzi, Rep. Al Green, and Rep. Marilyn Strickland.

Further co-sponsors included Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Chuy Garcia, Rep. Dwight Evans , Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Alan Lowenthal Rep. James McGovern, Rep. Andy Biggs Rep. Raul Grijalva, Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, Rep. Jan Schakowsky.

Congressional Delegation Visit China and Tibet

November 14, 2015 Press Release:

Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today issued the following statement after leading a historic Congressional delegation to Tibet, Beijing and Hong Kong:

TIBET:

“Our delegation was grateful for the opportunity to travel to Lhasa, Tibet to observe, learn and listen about life on the Tibetan plateau.

“We engaged in candid talks with the Secretary of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), Chen Quanguo; Vice Party Secretary of TAR, Baima Chilin; and Party Secretary of Lhasa, Qi Zhala regarding the importance of respecting Tibet’s autonomy, its ecology, and the human rights and religious freedom of its diverse people.

“Ours was the first Congressional delegation to enter Tibet since the 2008 unrest marked by protests, demonstrations and violence. The delegation recognized China’s commitment to building infrastructure across China, including in Tibet, and addressing climate change. We expressed concerns regarding freedom of religion and expression for the Tibetan people; the preservation of Tibet’s unique cultural, religious and linguistic heritage; and diplomatic and public access to Tibet.

“We also conveyed to the Chinese government officials the strong, bipartisan support the Dalai Lama enjoys in the Congress of the United States and among the American people.

BEIJING:

“In Beijing, the delegation met with the Premier of the People’s Republic of China, Li Keqiang; National People’s Congress Chairman, Zhang Dejiang; and National People’s Congress Vice Chairman, Zhang Ping.

“The delegation and Chinese officials discussed the importance of building upon President Obama and President Xi’s agreements on climate change, protection of cyber space and countering the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

“The delegation reiterated the imperative of respect for religious freedom and expression in Tibet; autonomy and democracy in Hong Kong; and respect for human and women’s rights across China. The delegation also expressed specific concerns related to the recent arrest and detention of human rights lawyers and activists.

“At Peking University, the delegation participated in a climate change forum with students who shared their determination to address the climate crisis.

HONG KONG:

“While in Hong Kong, our delegation met with Hong Kong Chief Executive C.Y. Leung and discussed the imperative of preserving Hong Kong’s autonomy and the importance of the US-Hong Kong bilateral relationship.

“The delegation also met with Pan-Democratic, Labor and Liberal Party legislators. Our discussions with these legislators, civil society activists and student leaders, focused on the imperative of preserving Hong Kong’s autonomy, advancing democracy, and protecting the rule of law and human rights.

CONCLUSION:

“Our purpose for this trip was to deepen our understanding, increase our mutual respect and further strengthen US-China ties. Throughout the trip, we engaged in respectful and candid discussions on issues of importance and look forward to continuing our dialogue.

“The delegation is grateful to U.S. Ambassador Max Baucus, US Counsel General Clifford Hart, and the US country teams in Beijing and Hong Kong for their leadership and service.”

In addition to Leader Pelosi, the Members of the delegation are:

• Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chair, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission; Member, Agriculture Committee, Rules Committee

• Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN), Appropriations Committee

• Congressman Tim Walz (D-MN), Armed Services Committee, Agriculture Committee, Veterans Affairs Committee; Congressional-Executive Commission on the People’s Republic of China

• Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Member, Financial Services Committee

• Congressman Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Foreign Affairs Committee, Natural Resources Committee; Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission

• Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA), Budget Committee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee; Congressional-Executive Commission on the People’s Republic of China

'Psychology and human services in Cuba: Personal perspectives'

In 1985 Alan S. Lowenthal, Carl Danson, Bonnie B. Lowenthal contributed an article "Psychology and human services in Cuba: Personal perspectives" to the Journal of Community Psychology Special Issue: Community Psychology in Cuba Volume 13, Issue 2, pages 105–116, April 1985.

Article description

Through a series of meetings with Cuban social scientists, an analysis of the development and practices of psychology and related human services was attempted. Interviews were held at a medical school, at a local community health clinic, at a residential treatment facility and at one of the two universities in Cuba offering a degree program in psychology. The interviews revealed a network of interrelationships between: (a) work performance and a complex material and moral incentive system, where the workers played an active role in evaluating and modulating the system; (b) the health delivery system and its targeted community members, where services are adapted to the needs of the community; and (c) individuals and their neighborhoods, where local organizations are the mechanisms for community participation. It was concluded that a prime characteristic of Cuban society is to change the very nature of the relationships between people and their social institutions. Since community participation in social services is a growing concern within our own country, the Cuban system may provide reference points of note.

Politics

Congressman Lowenthal successfully ran for Long Beach City Council in 1992, where he served for six years. He then continued his leadership in Sacramento, first serving three terms as a State Assembly member, then two terms as a State Senator.

His landmark environmental legislative efforts helped lead the two adjacent ports becoming the cleanest and greenest ports in the world, while remaining the busiest and most successful container ports in the Western Hemisphere. The green business model advocated by the Congressman instituted by the two ports has become a role model for ports throughout the world.

While a State Assembly member, and as a founding member of the Assembly's Bipartisan Caucus, he paved the way for creation of California’s first ever independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, which took the power of redistricting out of the hands of politicians and gave it back to the people.

In addition, the Congressman led legislative efforts to revamp the state's K-12 and higher education systems. He championed the College Promise Partnership Act to help K-12 students better transition to college. The passage of his Student Success Act also helped higher education students by introducing significant reforms to the state community college system that focused on increasing graduation and transfer rates.

Congressman Lowenthal is currently the U.S. House Representative of California's newly-created 47th Congressional District, which includes portions of Long Beach, Signal Hill, Lakewood, Cypress, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, Garden Grove, Westminster, Stanton, and Buena Park.

Supporting the ILWU

The Reverend Jesse Jackson, Jr. joined elected officials, labor leaders and more than 300 unionists Sept. 5, 2002, at a press conference at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor headquarters, to send a powerful message to the Bush Administration in solidarity with the ILWU.

“Bush, stay off the docks!” roared Rev. Jackson with ILWU longshore Local 13 President Ramon Ponce De Leon and a stage full of prominent leaders by his side.

“The ILWU is not alone. Labor in Los Angeles is with you and we have a lot of friends in the City Council, state legislature and Congress,” said Miguel Contreras, Executive Secretary Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, who chaired the press conference. “If we need to be down on the docks, we will be there with you!”

Los Angeles City Council member Janice Hahn (San Pedro) rocked the press conference when she shouted, “If the federal government insists on waging war, then the brothers and sisters of labor and the city of Los Angeles will stand behind the ILWU.”

“Harry Bridges fought for the right to strike and no one can take that away, and we have 3.8 million residents behind us,” chimed in Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti (Echo Park), a co-initiator with Hahn of a resolution unanimously passed by the City Council. Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn has also sent a letter to Bush calling on him not to intervene.

Assembly member Alan Lowenthal (D-San Pedro), joined on stage by many legislators, upped that ante, announcing that the state legislature also just passed a resolution calling on Bush to butt out. “We represent 34 million people and this is our line to Bush—stay out of California!” Lowenthal demanded.

Lawmakers back longshore workers

California lawmakers lambasted the Bush administration for its threatened intervention in West Coast longshore negotiations, at a public hearing held at Banning Landing at the Port of Los Angeles on Aug. 16 2002.

The hearing was called in response to revelations that a secret federal task force established by President Bush threatened the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) with using the Taft-Hartley Act, military troops and National Railway Labor Act-type laws to take over the ports in the event of a strike or slowdown.

Calling the collective bargaining process “the right of American workers,” State Senator Richard Alarcon (D-San Fernando Valley), chair of the hearing and chair of the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations committee, said, “It is not our practice to engage in contract negotiations, but when President Bush threatened to intervene, we felt it was absolutely necessary to hold this hearing.”

Legislators on the hearing panel included state Sen. Betty Karnette (D-Long Beach), Assemblymembers Paul Koretz (D-West LA), who chairs the Assembly Labor Committee, Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) and Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), and Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.). The hearing was called by the State Senate and Assembly Labor and Industrial Relations committees.

Assemblyman Lowenthal told the hearing that a resolution, calling on Bush not to intervene on behalf of California, was headed for the state legislature’s approval.

In closing the hearing, Senator Alarcon pledged that the legislature would continue to watch and monitor this situation including other hearings if necessary.

No to Government intervention

In September California Gov. Gray Davis joined with the state legislature, Rev. Jesse Jackson and scores of leaders here, warning President George W. Bush not to intervene in the contract negotiations of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) with their employer, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).

In a letter to the president dated Sept. 4, Davis said intervention in a “bonafide labor dispute” by using the military would be “counter-productive.” Bush had threatened military intervention in the event of any “labor action.”

Assemblymember Alan Lowenthal announced the state legislature had passed a resolution calling on Bush to butt out.

“We represent 34 million people and this is our line to Bush: Stay out of California!” Lowenthal demanded.

Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters

Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters's Smith-Weiss Environmental Champion Awards were established in 1998 to honor Gregory Smith and Iylene Weiss, two long-time LALCV board members who passed away that year. Gregory Smith was a community activist in the San Pedro area and Iylene Weiss was a leader on wetlands and water quality projects.

Each year, elected officials, community leaders, supporters and friends, gather for the Smith-Weiss Environmental Champion Awards to honor the work of environmental champions in Los Angeles County.

2005 Awardees were;

• Alan Lowenthal, California State Senator
• Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles City Council Member
• Jan Perry, Los Angeles City Council Member
• International Longshore and Warehouse Union

Centro Shalom

Dolores Huerta had the room full of dignitaries and immigrants shouting, "Si se puede, Si se puede," which translates to "Yes, we can," to questions of whether they could get their country back.

Celebrating the September 2007 30th anniversary of Centro Shalom, Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers Union with Cesar Chavez, fired up the crowd of more than 200 people gathered Sunday at the Long Beach Petroleum Club.

Centro Shalom is an interfaith nonprofit organization that provides immigrants with food and clothing distribution, paralegal services and a variety of classes.

"We help whoever comes through our doors," said Amelia Nieto, executive director of Centro Shalom.

The night was hosted by State Senators Alan Lowenthal and Jenny Oropeza, Mayor Bob Foster, Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal and Councilwomen Tonia Reyes Uranga and Suja Lowenthal, who each committed to raising $10,000 for Centro Shalom.

Honoring Gil Cedillo

(L to R) Long Beach Vice Mayor, Suja Lowenthal, California Assemblymember, 54th District Bonnie Lowenthal, Assemblymember, 46th District Gilbert Cedillo, California Senator, Alan Lowenthal, Centro Shalom Board Chair, Marc Coleman

Gill Cedillo was honored at Centro Shalom’s Gala Fund-Raiser-Long Beach, California, Monday, November 7, 2011.]] In his remarks Cedillo remembered his family’s migration from El Paso, Texas, to Barstow, California, and eventual settlement in East Los Angeles, where his mother worked in the garment industry and his father worked in a factory. Citing numerous examples of grassroots organizing, he reminded the group of the power of people uniting behind just causes to effect change. He touted the promise of the students who will benefit from the Dream Act and go on to help California solve its massive challenges in public transit and urban planning, then helped Centro Shalom award its first scholarships to graduating high school seniors.

Present in the audience were Senator Alan Lowenthal, Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal, Councilmember Robert Garcia, Carmen Perez, Vice-Mayor Suja Lowenthal, Shelly Spiegel-Coleman of Californians Together, and Tonia Reyes-Uranga of the Miguel Contreras Foundation. Their generous support, along with that of Mayor Bob Foster and community and labor organizations across Southern California, "will allow Centro Shalom to continue and expand its work in the Long Beach community".

SB 1322

In 2008, SB 1322 from state Sen. Alan Lowenthal,would delete provisions “regarding a person who intends to use school property on behalf of an organization to deliver a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, that the organization is not a Communist action organization or Communist front organization required to be registered with the Attorney General of the United States or does not, to the best of that person’s knowledge, advocate the overthrow of the government of the United States or of the State of California by force, violence, or other unlawful means.”

The plan also outlined it would drop provisions that school and college employees could be dismissed for being a part of the Communist Party and drop a ban on “teaching communism with the intent to indoctrinate or to inculcate in the mind of any pupil a preference for communism.”

The proposal itself noted that the teaching about the facts of communism was allowed, and the previous requirement banned teaching “for the purpose of undermining patriotism for, and the belief in, the government of the United States and of this state.” However, the new plan drops that.Also deleted was: “For the purposes of this section, communism is the political theory that the presently existing form of government of the United States or of this state should be changed, by force, violence, or other unconstitutional means, to a totalitarian dictatorship which is based on the principles of communism as expounded by Marx, Lenin, and Stalin.”

Also deleted was the conclusion from the California Legislature other nations already had fallen into totalitarian dictatorships through the establishment of communism as well as the recognition that “the successful establishment of totalitarian dictatorships has consistently been aided, accompanied, or accomplished by repeated acts of treachery, deceit, teaching of false doctrines, teaching untruth, together with organized confusion, insubordination, and disloyalty, fostered, directed, instigated, or employed by communist organizations and their members…”

Also tossed out of California law was the recognition that communism even presents “a clear and present danger.”

Anti-Fracking legislation endorser

On March 14, 2013, Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) and Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) have introduced the Bringing Reductions to Energy’s Airborne Toxic Health Effect (BREATHE) Act, and the Focused Reduction of Effluence and Stormwater runoff through Hydraulic Environmental Regulation (FRESHER) Act, in order to ensure that the hydraulic fracking industry follows the same rules that other industries do in preserving our natural resources. This legislation is focused on ensuring the safety and the health of the communities where the hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, process is already taking place.

The BREATHE Act would ensure that we close the oil and gas industry’s loophole to the Clean Air Act’s aggregation provision, in addition to adding hydrogen sulfide—a chemical associated with nausea, vomiting, headaches, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat—to the Clean Air Act’s federal list of hazardous air pollutants.

The BREATHE Act has the following original co-sponsors including: Reps. Rush Holt, Jr., Raul Grijalva, John Sarbanes, James Moran, Michael Quigley, Earl Blumenauer, Gerry Connolly,Zoe Lofgren, Michael Honda, Paul Tonko, Barbara Lee, David Price, Carolyn Maloney, Michael Capuano, Mark Pocan, Jim McDermott, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alcee Hastings, Keith Ellison, Niki Tsongas, William Keating, Adam Smith, Jim Langevin, Chellie Pingree, Judy Chu, Louise Slaughter, Jerrold Nadler, Grace Meng, Jan Schakowsky, Nita Lowey, Jared Huffman, Gary Peters and Alan Lowenthal.

The following organizations have endorsed this legislation and are actively working to garner support within Congress and throughout the country: Physicians for Social Responsibility, Natural Resources Defense Council, Earthjustice, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, Sierra Club, Earthworks, Breast Cancer Action, Clean Water Action, Environment America, Greenpeace, Nature Abounds, Oil Change International, Citizens for a Healthy Community, Citizens for Huerfano County, Clean Water Action Colorado, Erie Rising, Grassroots Energy Activist Network, Holy Terror Farm, San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, SOS Foundation, Western Colorado Congress of Mesa County, Western Slope Conservation Center and Wilderness Workshop.

Fred Ross award campaign

In early 2013, mainly Democratic Socialists of America aligned activists, together with many elected officials across the United States came together to urge President Barack Obama to award posthumously the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the legendary organizer, Fred Ross, Sr.. The Saul Alinsky trained radical was the first to organize people through house meetings, a mentor to both Cesar Chavez and DSAer Dolores Huerta, and a pioneer in Latino voter outreach since 1949 when he helped elect Communist Party USA affiliate Ed Roybal as Los Angeles’s first Latino council member, "Ross’ influence on social change movements remains strong two decades after his death in 1992".

Congressional endorsers of the proposal included Alan Lowenthal.

Parke Skelton support

Parke Skelton is one of California’s preeminent political campaign consultants. His firm, SG&A Campaigns, has run campaigns for scores of progressive Democratic candidates including Controller John Chiang, Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, Secretary of State Debra Bowen, Congressmembers Karen Bass, Julia Brownley, Judy Chu, Alan Lowenthal, Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman and Hilda Solis, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and District Attorney Jackie Lacey.

PDA contact

In 2013 Progressive Democrats of America assigned activists to deliver their material to almost every US Congressman and Senator, Dave Sonneborn, was signed as the contact for Rep. Lowenthal.

JStreet endorsement

The socialist infiltrated, anti-Israel "two state solution" JStreet PAC endorsed Alan Lowenthal in his 2014 Congressional race.

JStreet endorsed him again in 2016.

Lowenthal’s son lived on an Israeli kibbutz and he has been a longtime pro-Israel, pro-peace activist.

Liberty Hill

In 2013 Alan Lowenthal was a financial contributor to the Liberty Hill Foundation.

No cuts rally

Scores of seniors came to the U.S. Capitol October 2013, joined hands with Members of Congress, and formed a human chain in opposition to the Chained CPI formula and all benefit cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The Congressional Progressive Caucus hosted the demonstration, as Alliance for Retired Americans members joined with Social Security Works and other allies. The event was emceed by Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Keith Ellison (D-MN). Other Members of Congress at the event included Reps. Cheri Bustos (IL); David Cicilline (RI); Yvette Clarke (NY); John Conyers (MI); Elijah Cummings (MD); Rosa DeLauro (CT); Alan Grayson (FL); Mike Honda (CA); Steven Horsford (NV); Barbara Lee (CA); Sheila Jackson Lee (TX); Alan Lowenthal (CA); Dan Maffei (NY); Carolyn Maloney (NY); Jerrold Nadler (NY); Mark Pocan (WI); Jan Schakowsky (IL); Mark Takano (CA); and Paul Tonko (NY).

Praising CAIR

“I continue to be inspired by CAIR’s critical work in not only furthering the civil rights of the American Muslim community but all communities throughout our nation.” -Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) (September 2014) .

“I commend CAIR for its efforts to support the principles of civic engagement on which our nation was founded.”

Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) (October 2017)

Ayloush connection

Hussam Ayloush May 8 2018 ·

With Alan Lowenthal, Asmaa Ahmed and Syed Waqas Ahmed at United States Capitol.

Congressional Progressive Caucus

By late 2013, Alan Lowenthal was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

In May 2013, Alan Lowenthal was listed as an associate member the of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

ARA endorsement

The Alliance for Retired Americans Political Action Fund endorsed Alan Lowenthal in 2014.

2016 Cuba visit

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and 16 other House Democrats will join President Barack Obama on his historic trip to Cuba March 20-22.

Obama will be the first president to visit Cuba in 88 years, and the trip is a symbolic next chapter in his attempts to normalize relations with the country.

The House members will attend along with several senators who previously announced they will make the trip.

The House delegation includes Reps. Karen Bass, Cheri Bustos, Sam Farr, Rosa DeLauro, Barbara Lee, Charles Rangel, Kathy Castor, David Cicilline, Steve Cohen, Jan Schakowsky, Peter Welch, Alan Lowenthal, Jim McGovern and Lucille Roybal-Allard. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra of California will also travel to Cuba along with Eliot Engel, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, and Tom Udall of New Mexico are slated to join the trip. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who has been a leading advocate for normalizing relations with Cuba, will also attend. Additional House Republicans may also join.

Pelosi previously led the first official House delegation trip to the country after Obama announced the change in U.S. policy toward Cuba in 2014.

First Cuba visit 2016

From February 12-16, 2016, the Center for Democracy in the Americas led a fact-finding trip for a bipartisan congressional delegation to Havana, Cuba. U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (FL-14) and Tom Emmer (MN-6) led the group, which included Reps. John Garamendi (CA-3), Paul Gosar (AZ-4), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Mike Bishop (MI-8), and Brendan Boyle (PA-13). As is CDA’s custom, we arranged for them to meet a wide array of Cubans – senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment, and the Cuban telecommunications authority; Cuba’s Catholic Church; private sector operators of a restaurant, baby clothes, and taxi businesses, visual artists in Havana and hip-hop artists in Regla. The group also visited the Port of Mariel and met with U.S. and third-country diplomats serving on the island. By their account, the delegation returned to the United States with a broader appreciation of the Cuban reality.

Muslim Brotherhood connection

From the Clarion Project;

New evidence suggests the Muslim Brotherhood has big plans for the U.S. and a variety of countries around the globe that involve hundreds of millions of dollars in a bid to gain political influence.

The exact details come from a mole inside a meeting of Muslim Brotherhood leaders in Istanbul, Turkey, and made public in Arabic by the Egyptian news outlet 7th Day.

The gathering took place at the city’s Akgun Hotel with members of the Brotherhood’s U.S.-based revolutionary council among the 21 in attendance.

Much of the conversation focused on attempts to curry favor in Congress.

They reportedly met North Carolina Democrat Congressman David Price – notable for his early condemnation of the 2003 war in Iraq, Californian Congressman Alan Lowenthal and centrist New York Republican John Faso.

The Istanbul meeting was told how Brotherhood officials heard from Price and Lowenthal that they would try to reduce U.S. aid to Egypt by 40 percent by the end of 2017. The Brotherhood is deeply opposed to the current pro-American regime in Cairo.

The organization held rallies in New York’s Times Square and with CAIR and other Islamist organizations in Illinois and Boston.

Among those said to have attended a Brotherhood-backed event was former Barack Obama adviser Dalia Mogahed.

NIAC Action Commends Resolution on JCPOA

July 16 2019 Washington DC – Moments ago, Reps. Barbara Lee, Jan Schakowsky, and David Price introduced a resolution calling for the United States to return to compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran deal, from which President Trump withdrew in May 2018.

In response, NIAC President Jamal Abdi issued the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal has put the U.S. on the brink of war with Iran and threatened to undo the hard won constraints against Iran’s nuclear program. Thankfully, many Members of Congress recognize that there is no military solution to the present crisis, and that the best way to de-escalate is for the U.S. to return to compliance with the nuclear deal. Representatives Lee, Schakowsky and Price should be commended for their years of leadership in advancing peace and diplomacy, including by introducing this important resolution.

“There remains strong political will in Congress to restore U.S. credibility and engage Iran diplomatically–despite Trump and Bolton’s push for war. For Members of Congress and Presidential contenders, it is good and important to call out Trump’s dangerous moves that have taken us to the brink of war. Yet, the root cause of this crisis was Donald Trump’s decision to kill a strong nuclear agreement with Iran, which is why signaling support for a return to compliance is so important. The Lee-Schakowsky-Price resolution helps solidify the growing consensus for a JCPOA return while signaling that the window for diplomacy is not shut, nor is the opportunity to restore U.S. credibility with both the international community and the Iranian people.

The resolution was co-sponsored by Reps. Don Beyer, Earl Blumenauer, Steve Cohen, Gerry Connolly, Lloyd Doggett, Anna Eshoo, Ruben Gallego, Raul Grijalva, Deb Haaland, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Andy Levin, Alan Lowenthal, Donald Payne, Jr., Mark Pocan, Jamie Raskin, Peter Welch, John Yarmuth.

House Committee on Natural Resources

Democratic members of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources hosted a public Forum on Environmental Justice in Los Angeles on April 8, 2015, as part of a series of roundtables convened by Ranking Member Raul Grijalva that included "stakeholders traditionally left out of climate and environmental policy discussions". Grijalva moderated the forum and heard from members of Congress, state and local officials, community and business leaders and environmental advocates.

The goal of the Forum on Environmental Justice was to examine how to increase public participation through the National Environmental Policy Act; how to strengthen implementation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance,” according to the Department of Justice; and how to increase the effectiveness of Executive Order 12898 (Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations). The Forum also examined innovative efforts by the City of Los Angeles and the State of California to ensure that each community enjoys strong environmental protections.

WHO:

• U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva
• U.S. Representative Grace Napolitano
• U.S. Representative Alan Lowenthal
• U.S. Representative Norma Torres
• U.S. Representative Linda Sanchez
• U.S. Representative Maxine Waters
• U.S. Representative Judy Chu
• L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis
• Joseph T. Edmiston, Executive Director, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
• Robert Garcia, Founding Director and Counsel, The City Project
• Andrew Yip, Program Coordinator, Bike San Gabriel Valley
• Noreen McClendon, Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles
• Angela Johnson Meszaros, General Counsel, Physicians for Social Responsibility

WHERE: Los Angeles River Center and Gardens

Letter on US-Mexico security Co-operation

From Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice;

Urgent alert from our friends at CISPES- Los Angeles Chapter : "The US plans to expand cooperation between Mexico and the United States to unfairly and inhumanely target Central American migrants and asylum seekers at the upcoming "Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America".

We asked Representative Alan Lowenthal of Long Beach to author a letter to Secretary Tillerson calling for to put the human rights of Central Americans and all migrants and refugees front and center, and he's circulating a letter now. To have the biggest impact possible we need as many Members of Congress as possible to sign this letter!

Call or email your representative today and ask them to join Mr. Lowenthal as a co-signer.

Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) led 37 Members of Congress, including top Democrats from the Armed Forces, Judiciary and Appropriations committees, in sending a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to raise red flags about “suggestions that the United States deepen security collaboration with Mexico along its southern border [with Guatemala] due to evidence that Mexico’s Southern Border Program has led to wide-spread human rights violations and abuses against migrants and asylum-seekers.”

Signers: Don Beyer (D-VA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Mike Capuano (D-MA), Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), John Conyers (D-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-Washington, DC), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA) , Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), James McGovern (D-MA), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Jose Serrano (D-NY), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Adam Smith (D-WA), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Maxine Waters (D-CA), John Yarmuth (D-KY).

National Nurses United endorsement

National Nurses United 2018 endorsements in California included:

• U.S. House of Representatives, CA-01 – Audrey Denney
• U.S. House of Representatives, CA-03 – John Garamendi
• U.S. House of Representatives, CA-17 – Ro Khanna
• U.S. House of Representatives, CA-27 – Judy Chu
• U.S. House of Representatives, CA-41 – Mark Takano
• U.S. House of Representatives, CA-45 – Katie Porter
• U.S. House of Representatives, CA-47 – Alan Lowenthal
• U.S. House of Representatives, CA-48 – Harley Rouda
• U.S. House of Representatives, CA-50 – Ammar Campa-Najjar

Medicare For All Congressional Caucus founders

In August 2018 Medicare For All Congressional Caucus founding members included Representative Alan Lowenthal.

Medicare for All Act

In February 2019 Rep. Pramila Jayapal introduced H.R.1384 - Medicare for All Act of 2019. By May 29 she had 110 co-sponsors including Rep. Alan Lowenthal.

HR 109 endorser

By February 20 2019 endorsers of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's HR 109 (Green New Deal) included Alan Lowenthal.

Lowenthal connection

Our Revolution - Long Beach November 10, 2017 ·

With Elliot Gonzales, Cesar Armendariz, Representative Alan Lowenthal and Roxanne Narachi.

Our Revolution - Long Beach August 24, 2017 ·

With Cesar Armendariz, Elliot Gonzales, Jeanne Kyle, Hollis Stewart and Jay Falconer.

External links

• Campaign Website