What does a U.S. Representative for California do?
These lawmakers represent individual districts in the U.S. House of Representatives, shaping and passing laws that govern the country.
A civics refresher: The House is one of two chambers of Congress, the other being the Senate. The House and Senate both draft, debate and pass bills that ultimately need approval from both chambers and a president’s signature to become law. The House has to initiate any bills that have to do with taxation, although the Senate can propose changes.
The House has a total of 435 representatives, each of whom represents a district. District lines are drawn so that each represents roughly the same number of people — 700,000 on average. Since California has the highest population in the country, it has 52 representatives, more than any other state.
There are 17 districts covering L.A. County alone, each with its own representative. (We had 18 until this year; after the 2020 Census count found that the state population had shrunk, the L.A. area lost one representative.) You can double check your district and your representative here.
Your district may be different from what it was in the last election, thanks to our once-a-decade redistricting process. In 2021, an independent commission redrew the maps for the state’s districts in accordance with the latest Census numbers, and those maps determine which seat you’re voting for on your ballot this year.
When voting, you’re not just thinking about who you want your representative to be, but how they would contribute to the overall makeup and political direction of the House of Representatives. The House’s ability to pass laws, cooperate with the president, or get anything done in general depends a lot on what those divisions look like — if there’s a Republican or Democratic majority, how large that majority is, and the ratio between moderates and those with farther right or farther left views. And often, bills are passed — or rejected — strictly along party lines.
In Southern California, a handful of districts have become competitive. Orange County has historically elected primarily Republican representatives, but four districts flipped to elect Democrats during the 2018 elections. Two flipped back to Republicans in 2020.
Meanwhile, L.A. County has largely elected Democrats — currently, 15 of 18 congressional seats are held by Democrats (two of the Republican-led districts are also largely made up of other counties).
Representatives are elected to two-year terms without term limits, so they’re on your ballot a lot. Many have been reelected time and time again — for instance, Rep. Maxine Waters of District 43 (which includes Inglewood, Hawthorne and Torrance) has been in her seat since 1990.
The June 7 vote is a primary vote. That means the two candidates who receive the most votes, regardless of their party, will continue on to the general election in November, and the person who wins the most votes in November is the one elected to office.
You may recognize their work from…
In recent years, the House has:
- Passed $5.7 trillion worth of spending bills to provide financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic in the form of stimulus checks, funds for hospitals and education, unemployment benefits, testing and vaccine distribution, and more.
- Passed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill to fund roads, rail, public transit, water, internet access and more.
- Impeached President Trump — twice. The House first voted in favor of impeachment in December 2019 following allegations that Trump had solicited help from the Ukrainian government to interfere in the 2020 presidential election to support his reelection bid. It voted again to impeach Trump in 2021, accusing him of inciting the January 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. The Senate acquitted Trump of all charges in both cases.
What’s on the agenda for the next term?
Along with the Senate, the House has to find solutions or…
Read More: Election 2022: Your Guide To The Races For U.S. Representative In Southern California