Zoe Lofgren has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995. She represents the 19th District of California, based in the “Capital of Silicon Valley,” San Jose, and the Santa Clara Valley.
A lifelong Bay Area resident and the daughter of a truck driver and a cafeteria cook, Zoe attended public schools and attended Stanford University on a California State Scholarship, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1970. Prior to attending Stanford, Lofgren worked the night shift at the Eastman Kodak plant in Palo Alto to save money for non-tuition college expenses not covered by her scholarship. After graduating from Stanford, she attended, with the help of a scholarship, Santa Clara University School of Law, graduating cum laude in 1975.
As an original member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Zoe knows that our national security does not need to violate our constitutionally protected rights. While we face certain and real threats, we must not lose sight of the founding principles of our great nation. This philosophy guides Zoe's work as a member of the Congress.
As a member of Congress, Zoe has worked hard to ensure that our nation remains protected from all threats, including those emanating from cyberspace. Zoe led a bipartisan effort that created the position of Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity in the Homeland Security Department to protect our nation's critical cyber infrastructure. Zoe has also worked to ensure that government agencies involved in intelligence and information gathering remain accountable to the Congress and work to have proper oversight of programs which use this intelligence.