After celebrating the holidays with her family and recovering from a bout of Covid, Zoe Lofgren flew back to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 2 to begin her new term representing California’s 18th Congressional District in the US Congress. The district follows Highway 101 from San Jose to south of King City and includes parts of Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Benito County and Watsonville as well as Salinas and the cities of Monterey’s South County.
First elected in 1994, Lofgren has served in Congress for three decades, and is one of the legislative body’s most senior members. Lofgren chairs the 46-member California Democratic Delegation and is the ranking member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. She also serves on the Judiciary, Immigration and Antitrust subcommittees.
She took time to respond in writing to questions from Weeklys Media Group Executive Editor Dan Pulcrano, addressing key issues and the evolving political landscape as the new Congress and executive team assume power in the nation’s capital.
What can we expect from the upcoming Congress, now that Republicans control the House, Senate and White House, and have a sympathetic Supreme Court?
During the election, I made clear that I considered President-elect Donald Trump to be unsuitable for the White House. However, the American people chose him. I expect that he will attempt to implement the various radical policies outlined in the Project 2025 agenda.
Republicans have a very small majority in the House, so it may be a struggle for this very radical agenda to be adopted even as Republicans will, in essence, control the three branches of government. In my view, Mr. Trump has obvious authoritarian tendencies. House Democrats will resist if he attempts to illegally and unilaterally implement measures that require legislative action.
Together, we will see what happens next. I have concerns about many issues, including the promise of mass deportation; threats of tariffs; actions that erode legal rights, women’s rights and civil liberties; moves toward international isolationism and away from pro-democracy coalitions; the imbalanced influence of billionaires; and more.
We can only wait and see what President-elect Trump and Republican majorities in Congress actually do when they take power. While I cannot control their actions, I will never betray my oath to the U.S. Constitution and will continue to put the interests of the people in California’s 18th Congressional District first. Additionally, constituents can and should reach out to my office if assistance is needed.
What will you be concentrating on as one of the most senior members from the House minority party?
As the incoming ranking member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, I plan to find bipartisan common ground whenever and wherever possible, while pushing back against far-right extremism on issues in the Science Committee’s jurisdiction. During my tenure as ranking member of the Science Committee in the 118th Congress, Democrats secured a number of wins. I like to say that the Science Committee remained an island of sanity in the chaotic partisanship in Congress.
Democrats worked with our Republican counterparts in a productive fashion on hearings and legislation. This allowed us to move many bills through the committee and to the president’s desk, conduct meaningful oversight and engage on emerging issues. Though this kind of bipartisanship may be harder to maintain in the coming Congress, I intend to try to maintain the committee’s legacy of bipartisanship.
How will California’s communities be affected by deportation threats and the current debate regarding immigrants?
As I reported to many of my constituents prior to the November elections, I have been preparing a complete rewrite of our immigration laws. That’s because our immigration laws are broken—not meeting the needs when it comes to families, for the economy, or for order.
The reform I am working on would accelerate and ease the unification of families, improve the economy, and bring order to our borders. It was my hope that voters would choose Vice President Harris and provide Democratic majorities in Congress, clearing a path forward to enact such complete reform.
Donald Trump was vocal about immigration during his campaign, promising “the largest deportation operation in the history of our country” to adoring crowds at his rallies where participants held signs that read “mass deportations now!” It appears that instead of fixing our laws and enforcing them better, his answer is mass deportation.
Many expect President-elect Trump to fulfill his campaign promise of mass deportations once he assumes office. I have learned to take him at his word when he announces his intentions to take a particular course of action.
Our nation is one that was built by generations of immigrants seeking a better life and eager to become Americans. It is my view that our country would be best served by continuing in that tradition while making sure that immigration is orderly and lawful. While I advocated for bipartisan compromise processes in the past, I now fear that any bipartisan approach will fail and that a robust Democratic-led effort at some point in the future is the most likely path forward.
How might it affect the California agriculture industry and food prices for consumers?
Mass deportation would negatively impact California’s ag industry and increase food prices for consumers. Undocumented farmworkers reportedly make up at least 50% of the farm labor workforce, and any dramatic deportation effort (as described by President-elect Trump and in Project 2025) would upend America’s food supply.
Do you think threats of tariffs will come to pass, and how will a new wave of trade protectionism affect California companies and consumers?
We can only wait and see what President-elect Trump actually does once he assumes office. The tariff threats made by President-elect Trump would undoubtedly hurt California companies and consumers.
What concerns do you have regarding civil liberties and legal rights and protections for Americans under the upcoming administration?
I have concerns about many issues, many of which you refer to in your questions, including actions that erode legal rights, women’s rights and civil liberties. On the latter, I do have a strong history of working with far-right Republican Members of Congress on protecting Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights, so perhaps there is room for bipartisan agreement there.
Were you surprised by the number of women who voted for Trump? And how will women’s interests change in the current political climate?
I did my best to present the case for electing Democrats, including on women’s rights issues, but American voters chose otherwise. I am a strong advocate for women’s reproductive rights; I oppose discrimination in the workplace and believe that women and men should be paid equally for equal work; and I support the Equal Rights Amendment, which would help women gain full rights under the Constitution; among other issues.
I must stress that I am particularly concerned about the growing restrictions on access to reproductive health care and family planning services around the country, and I will always vote against federal restrictions and for the codification of Roe v. Wade. Those voting opportunities may not present themselves during the 119th congressional session. We can only wait and see what President-elect Trump and Republican majorities in Congress actually do when they take power.
Do you believe that issues such as transgender athletes in women’s sports, gender-affirming military health care coverage and permission issues related to minors played a role in recent elections?
I cannot say which issues resonated most with voters, though I’ve seen many analyses focused on economic concerns and post-Covid global trends. Experts will likely spend years studying the recent presidential election cycle. I can say that transgender issues were certainly featured in political ads and discussions in an outsized way compared to the population of transgender individuals in our country.
In 2022, when the Republican Governor of Utah vetoed a transgender athlete bill in his state, he said, “rarely has so much fear and anger been directed at so few.” In my view, he is correct.
I’m a “live and let live” type of person who believes all Americans deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, free from any form of bias or exclusion based on their identity. Recently, a Republican Member of Congress introduced legislation regarding bathroom access for transgender individuals in the Capitol complex. You would think members of Congress would have something better to do than tell their colleagues where they can or cannot go to the restroom.
What changes in foreign policy do you expect under the Trump administration, particularly with respect to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East?
I have concerns about many issues, including moves toward international isolationism and away from pro-democracy coalitions. I have learned to take President-elect Trump at his word when he announces his intentions to take a particular course of action, which is particularly concerning for America’s allies in Ukraine and the Middle East.
I condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s violent and illegal invasion of Ukraine, and I continue to support a two-state solution that can provide recognition, security and stability for Israel and Palestine. Both of these stances seem to be at odds with those projected by President-elect Trump and/or his current cabinet and diplomatic nominees.
What effect will antitrust enforcement by the US and EU have upon Silicon Valley companies such as Google? Should the DOJ continue to pursue antitrust cases?
I cannot predict how antitrust enforcement will proceed, here or abroad. The Department of Justice should just do its job and follow the facts and the law.
I have also been a strong advocate for enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act—a crucial tool for leveling the playing field. It prevents discriminatory pricing, allowing small businesses to compete fairly, and fosters a healthier marketplace for consumers.
Do you have concerns about the number of billionaires being given positions in the new administration, and does this represent a fundamental shift in the character of the American system?
Yes, I have concerns about the potential imbalanced influence of billionaires, though I do not yet know if this represents a “fundamental shift in the character of the American system.”
Being a billionaire is not a sin, but I do hope our government keeps looking out for regular people and their families, like the kind of family I grew up in—where my mom and dad were high school graduates and both were blue-collar workers. Somebody needs to look out for working families, and I see that as an important role for House Democrats.
Do you have any concerns about any of the cabinet or ambassadorial appointments? Which ones deserve more scrutiny?
Yes, I have concerns. Though, I will note that the power to confirm cabinet-level appointments falls to the Senate, not the House of Representatives, where I serve.
I do not know many of the nominees personally, but I am particularly alarmed about potentially having Kash Patel lead the FBI. He is a far-right Trump loyalist who appears to be dissociated from facts and law, which is problematic for the leader of a federal law enforcement agency.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
While I cannot predict what will specifically happen during the incoming Trump Administration, I can reassert my commitment to our system of government and our Constitution. Having three branches of government is very important to me, and I want to ensure that the power of the purse remains in the legislative branch, as the founders intended, and that we have a judicial system that is blind to influence—that just calls it on the facts and the law.
The Republicans appear to only have a two-vote majority in the House, so House Democrats will inevitably still wield some influence, and I intend to continue representing the needs and values of families in California’s 18th District in Congress.
