Congressmember Karen Bass was re-elected to her sixth term representing the 37th Congressional District in November 2020. Congressmember Bass serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs where she is the Chair of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights. She also serves on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, where she is active in working to craft sound criminal justice reform policies.
Tackling the harmful economic and health effects of airplane noise is a top priority for Congresswoman Karen Bass and for the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus. Rep. Bass represents California’s 37th Congressional District, which borders Santa Monica Airport (SMO) and is located a few miles north of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
After the 2018 FAA implementation of the Southern California Metroplex project as part of the NextGen update of US airspace mandated by Congress in 2004, the narrowing of the North Downwind Arrival flight path into Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) concentrated noise over Culver City and West Adams, neighborhoods nearly eight miles away from the airport where flight noise had never been a large problem before. Other districts across the nation have been similarly affected. These problems led to the creation and growth of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus, and several Members of Congress have been active in proposing legislation to address aircraft noise.
Air travel is a significant part of the U.S. economy, and the safety of U.S. air travel, facilitated by the FAA and all those involved in the use of U.S. air space, is a point of pride. The updating of U.S. airspace under the FAA NextGen project was intended to enhance the reliability, efficiency and safety of air travel. But excessive, concentrated noise both from NextGen and from the increase in air traffic does real harm to human health and local economies.
Rep. Bass has introduced several pieces of legislation, including amendments to the FAA reauthorization and to appropriations measures, some of which have passed into law. She has also worked with her Quiet Skies Caucus colleagues and supported bills they have introduced. Rep. Bass and her staff continue to seek new avenues to tackle noise and bring relief to those suffering from aviation noise.
Congressmember Karen Bass has pushed for criminal justice reform her entire life. She fought over-aggressive sentencing and mass incarceration when she worked in South Los Angeles with the Community Coalition and continued that work in the California State House. In Congress, she has continued to push for national reform with a specific eye on the way women are treated in prisons and the resources available to returning citizens.
Congressmember Bass believes we should drastically reduce prison overcrowding by repealing harsh mandatory minimums and reserving the toughest sentences for serious criminals who threaten public safety. She has pushed to invest in community-oriented crime prevention and intervention efforts for struggling neighborhoods and at-risk youth and also worked to ensure that those who have paid their debt to society have reentry services and opportunities to live productive lives.
Congressmember Karen Bass believes a strong commitment to education is the best investment for a strong economy and our future competitiveness in the global economy. Especially amid a global pandemic, she is committed to strengthening our K-12 public school system, supporting our teachers, and ensuring all children receive a first-class education. It is essential that our students are adequately prepared for college and the cost of college tuition is affordable.
Congressmember Karen Bass understands that we are in the midst of a climate crisis. As wildfires rage throughout the state and throughout countries all around the world, it is obvious now more than ever that the climate crisis is both urgent and existential. Protecting the environment is a critical part of protecting the health of all Americans. Clean air and water and the preservation of natural resources are issues of utmost concern to protect both Americans today and of future generations. Combating climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing both our nation and the entire international community.
In order to address these issues, Congressmember Bass is committed to investing in new technology and renewable resources that meet America’s increasing energy needs and protect both the environment and national security. She believes that investing in cleaner, more cost-effective energy will reduce the effects of global warming, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create clean energy jobs here in America.
Unfortunately, due to the times we now face in this country, it is also worth noting that Congressmember Bass believes in facts and science.
Congressmember Karen Bass is honored to serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee as Chair on the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Human Rights, and International Organizations.
Congressmember Bass firmly believes that a strong U.S. foreign policy is rooted in three important and fundamental pillars: diplomacy, development, and defense. These pillars provide the basis for our nation’s ability to wisely and effectively leverage U.S. resources to address global challenges including food insecurity, the burden of endemic and epidemic disease and, war and conflict from around the world.
U.S.-led economic development and trade promotion activities help expand markets and ensure greater peace and stability in foreign nations and importantly empower individuals and communities through job creation and opportunities for underrepresented populations including women and girls. U.S. foreign engagement has created jobs and employment opportunities not only overseas but here in the United States. As our government seeks opportunities to engage the U.S. private sector in business opportunities abroad, we do so knowing that both public and private sectors have important roles to play in a most justice, stable and peaceful world.
Congressmember Karen Bass is one of the lead legislators in Congress when it comes to our child welfare system.
During her first term, she founded the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth to protect and promote the welfare of all children in foster care. The Caucus also develops transformative legislation overhauling the nation's foster care system as well as serve as a key advocacy arm within government for the needs of foster children all across the country.
As a former Physician Assistant, health care is an issue very close to the heart of Congressmember Karen Bass. With experience working in one of the nation's largest trauma wards in the country, Congressmember Bass advocates and legislates with the goal of making health care right, not a privilege. She believes the richest country in the history of the world should not struggle to cover its citizens.
Now, as we face a global pandemic, Congressmember Bass continues to advocate for quality, affordable health coverage for all.
Every night, there are more than 40,000 Angelenos sleeping on the street. Congressmember Bass thinks that that is unacceptable. She believes every American should have access to an affordable and safe place that they can call home. However, millions of struggling Americans across the country and in communities throughout Los Angeles are at risk of losing their homes due to the current economic crisis. Supporting public housing, promoting loan modifications and protecting consumers against unsustainable loans are not only necessary to help at-risk families and individuals, but fundamental to the country’s economic recovery.
In June of 2019, Congresswoman Karen Bass invited the Congressional Black Caucus to tour Skid Row to learn about techniques to combat the housing crisis that's impacting more and more cities in this country. Learn more about that trip here.
Los Angeles is home to an entertainment industry that employs hundreds of thousands of Angelinos to help create the music, movies, and shows we love. From composers to carpenters and caterers, the entertainment industry is a major job creator in our community. These jobs are why we must ensure that the industry thrives and is fairly compensated for the entertainment it produces, even amid a pandemic. Among her top priorities in intellectual property is maintaining a free and open internet. Congressmember Bass believes that given how essential the internet is to our daily lives, we should ensure that access to it is impartial, and reject restrictions on traffic to the online marketplace.
Congressmember Karen Bass knows that we must do all we can to protect put the millions of individuals who lost their jobs as a result of this pandemic back to work. Economic relief and COVID-19 relief go hand in hand. As Speaker of the California State Assembly, she was able to help guide the state out of economic decline and is using that experience to inform her decision amid this new crisis.
Congressmember Karen Bass was born and raised in Los Angeles. She continues to represent California's 37th Congressional district with pride in Washington, DC.
Congressmember Karen Bass has combatted police violence and abuse in Los Angeles for most of her adult life. In Congress, she authored the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act -- the first-ever bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement, empower our communities, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities by addressing systemic racism and bias to help save lives.
Congressmember Karen Bass believes that transportation infrastructure is critical to a prosperous nation. Both California and Los Angeles are in dire need of additional transportation investment. Transportation investment is critical to create jobs, spur economic development, ease congestion, expand our national transportation network, and foster the development of safer, more livable communities. We must ensure that states and local transportation agencies have the resources and flexibility to build projects quickly and create good jobs along the way.
Throughout her entire time in Congress, Bass has held the position of being the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations. Her goal is to transform how we think and engage African nations and to promote the many opportunities to expand trade and economic growth between the U.S. and African nations. During her time in that post, one of her key priorities was the re-authorization and Strengthening of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which enables the nations of Africa to export goods to the U.S. duty-free. In 2015, Bass was instrumental in reauthorizing the bill.
Bass has been a leading voice and an advocate for preventing and ending famine in Africa. In 2017, she helped secure nearly $1 billion in funds to combat famine in Nigeria, Somalia, and South Sudan.
She has introduced more than 50 bills and resolutions pertaining to democracy protection, expanding economic opportunity, and other issues pertaining to the continent. Bass continues to engage the African diaspora with regular popular policy breakfasts, which are open for public participation, to discuss the latest issues on the continent.
There are many active duty servicemembers & veterans that live in our district. Their issues are important to the Congressmember and her work in Congress. Congressmember Bass strongly believes that our budget should reflect the value of our veterans’ service and sacrifice. Our veterans have endured great personal sacrifice to defend our nation and protect our freedom, and this Congress must uphold our pledge to leave no veteran behind when they come home.
California's 37th Congressional District is home to beautiful natural landscapes that we must preserve for future generations.
Congressmember Karen Bass understands that protecting the environment is a critical part of protecting the health of all Americans. Clean air and water and the preservation of natural resources are issues of utmost concern to protect both Americans today and of future generations. Combating climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing both our nation and the entire international community.
In order to address these issues, Congressmember Bass is committed to investing in new technology and renewable resources that meet America’s increasing energy needs and protect both the environment and national security. Representative Bass believes that investing in cleaner, more cost-effective energy will reduce the effects of global warming, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create clean energy jobs here in America.
STIMULUS ALERT: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has been signed into law. Click here to see how you will be impacted.
Congressmember Bass and her staff are continuing to monitor the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and are in regular contact with federal, state and local public health officials.
Throughout this crisis, our office has been hosting telephone town hall meetings with local and national experts to answer questions you have about this outbreak. To join these calls, click here.
For updated information from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health about this outbreak, please visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/ or call 211. Please note that many people are likely to call 211 so be prepared for increased wait times and remember that this is not a hotline reserved for the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Governor Newsom has also announced the creation of a statewide hotline - (833) 544-2374 - in coordination with local 211 systems as a one-stop shop to answer their questions and get assistance during this crisis.
Culver City staff continue to receive updates from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and participate in planning regarding the novel (new) coronavirus. To learn the latest community information about COVID-19, including facility closures and event cancellations in Culver City, click here: https://www.culvercity.org/live/public-safety/emergency-preparedness/current-disaster-information
In concurrence with recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for team member and constituent safety, Congressmember Bass has directed her L.A. and D.C. offices to begin serving constituents remotely. Learn more here.
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Here is what you need to know to protect yourself and your loved ones:
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. Coronaviruses are common, and they include the common cold, but COVID-19 is a new strain.