See how Zoe Lofgren's votes line up with your values.
DeepSyte scores Zoe Lofgren's record on the issues you care about — not party, not press releases. Take the 2-minute values quiz to see your personal alignment.
Sign in and take the values quiz to see how Zoe Lofgren's votes line up with your views.
Prediction track record
How often we called Zoe Lofgren's passage votes correctly, from their stated positions on each bill's tagged topics. Excludes “unclear” calls and abstentions.
No paired statements and votes yet for Zoe Lofgren
We haven't yet found statement/vote pairs on the same topic for Zoe Lofgren. This usually means either the rep hasn't taken public positions on bills that have come to a passage vote, or those bills haven't been tagged yet. The checker runs as new press releases and votes come in.
Pro analysis
AI rep analysis — Pro
Get an AI-narrated read on Zoe Lofgren's full voting record against your stated values — aligned themes, conflicts, notable votes, and what to watch for.
We haven't extracted campaign positions for Zoe Lofgren yet. Once their campaign website or position pages are processed, this card will track what they said vs how they voted.
Crossing the aisle
Passage votes where Zoe Lofgren broke ranks with ≥75% of Democrats. Threshold catches substantively partisan splits; unanimous-ish or close votes are excluded.
Lofgren Secures Over $54 Million for Pajaro River Flood Protection As El Niño Is Expected to Strengthen
Position: The release announces $54.83 million in federal appropriations for the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project and states that the funding is needed to protect Watsonville-area residents and businesses from flooding ahead of an expected El Niño.
WATSONVILLE, CA — Today, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) delivered a $54,830,000 check for the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, one of her 13 community projects she submitted for the Fiscal Year 2026 congressional appropriations cycle. This is the largest single community project that Lofgren secured this year, which is being completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) San Francisco District, in partnership with the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency (PRFMA). Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) also requested congressional funding for this project.
“With El Niño expected to intensify in the early months of 2027, it’s critical that the residents and businesses along the Pajaro River have necessary flood protection,” said Rep. Lofgren. “Last year, I was proud to announce nearly $40 million for levee and floodwall construction in Watsonville, and I’m proud to have submitted this additional $54 million as one of my community projects this year. That’s going to help save lives and property, and I’m proud to have worked with Senators Padilla and Schiff to prioritize this project funding.”
“Consistent funding for the Pajaro River flood control project is critically important, and we are grateful to Rep. Lofgren for her work to keep the project moving forward and fulfilling our commitments to the vulnerable residents and businesses in the Pajaro Valley,” said Mark Strudley, Executive Director of PRFMA.
“Future improvements to the levee will make a real difference in reducing flood risks and protecting the people who call Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley home,” said Watsonville City Manager Tamara Vides. This is an investment in the safety, stability, and future of our community. We are thankful for the advocacy and support provided by Congresswoman Lofgren.”
The residents and businesses of Watsonville and Pajaro have been waiting for 50 years for flood protection and during that time have suffered significant damage and loss of life due to weather events. On March 11, 2023, a serious levee failure resulted in the evacuation of more than 2,000 people in the Town of Pajaro, 200 water rescues, significant flooding of farms, and closure of Highway 1. The farms impacted by flooding are vital contributors to the regional agricultural industry, where none of the fruit and vegetable crops are federally subsidized and floods can result in the loss of 2-3 growing seasons.
According to the National Weather Service, El Niño continues to strengthen with a strong-to-very strong El Niño likely through January-March 2027. Lofgren has urged Californians to prepare for storm season and sign up for emergency alerts. Tips and resources for El Niño can be viewed on her website.
Rep. Lofgren’s community project submissions this year have delivered a total of $58,022,000 for Watsonville and Santa Cruz County. This includes $1.2 million to renovate the Watsonville Veterans Hall, $1,092,000 to replace Watsonville’s wastewater infrastructure, and $900,000 for the Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center.
Ranking Member Lofgren Demands Answers on Over a Billion of Withheld FY26 Funds at NSF
Position: Ranking Member Lofgren criticizes the National Science Foundation for not spending roughly $1.4 billion in FY2026 appropriated research funds and demands an explanation from the agency. She argues the withholding violates congressional appropriations authority and diminishes NSF's effectiveness.
(Washington, DC) – This week, Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) sent a letter to Brian Stone, Chief of Staff at the National Science Foundation, demanding answers on the status of over one billion dollars of unspent congressionally appropriated funds. The money was due to be spent by the end of Fiscal Year 2026, which was September 30, 2026.
“NSF has violated Congress’ power of the purse and the rightful separation of powers in our constitutional system by refusing to spend $1.4 billion in congressionally appropriated funds last fiscal year (FY), or nearly 20 percent of the agency’s research budget,” Ranking Member Lofgren writes in her letter. “Contrary to the recent lofty – and unearned – rhetoric from NSF and the White House, NSF’s effectiveness has been diminished by these, at best, quasi-legal actions.”
The Ranking Member continued, “The Committee has yet to receive an explanation from NSF about why it chose not to spend nearly 20 percent of its congressionally appropriated research budget. But the amount of money withheld from FY 2026 award-making is broadly similar to the amount of funding that will reportedly be diverted to the OSTP-backed frontier initiatives agenda. The Committee has already obtained evidence that the Trump White House has routinely influenced decision-making at NSF in unprecedented ways. The damage to the U.S. research enterprise from a $1.4 billion cut in federal funding is significant.”
The letter can be found here.
Issues:Innovation and Technology
Rep. Lofgren, Mayor Mahan Celebrate $3.16 Million Grant for San José Stormwater Treatment
Position: The release announces a $3.16 million EPA grant to San José for green stormwater treatment facilities intended to reduce pollutants entering San Francisco Bay, and expresses support for continued federal funding for such projects.
SAN JOSÉ, CA — Today, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) announced that the City of San José received a $3,160,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Quality Improvement Fund. This funding will be used to construct and maintain large-scale green stormwater treatment facilities, supporting stormwater infrastructure across 6 watersheds in San José. The project is expected to reduce the amount of pollutants entering the San Francisco Bay.
“I’m proud to see this significant investment in protecting our environment and preserving our beautiful San Francisco Bay,” said Rep. Lofgren. “This grant will help to reduce the amount of trash, pesticides, and other contaminants from getting into the Bay. I’m happy that the City of San José will be able to strengthen our stormwater infrastructure, and I will continue pushing for further funding to make sure our communities are safe and healthy."
“With El Niño storms on the horizon, we’re preparing for what the rain could bring — and what it could wash away,” said San José Mayor Matt Mahan. “Green infrastructure protects our fragile ecosystems, including the Bay, by capturing runoff and allowing nature to break down and process pollutants. I’m grateful to Congresswoman Lofgren for working to secure a $3.16 million EPA grant to build smarter, more sustainable stormwater infrastructure in San Jose.”
The EPA has awarded over $128 million to the San Francisco Bay program through more than ninety grants since 2008. These projects include over 100 partners who are contributing additional funding to restore wetlands and watersheds and reduce runoff pollution.
Rep. Lofgren voted to pass the most recent EPA funding bill in January.
###
House Democratic Committee Leaders Request Frontier AI Companies Report Misalignment & Safety Incidents to Congress Within 48 Hours
Position: House Democratic committee leaders are requesting that frontier AI companies report model misalignment and safety incidents to Congress within 48 hours of detection, and have stated that Congress must act to address gaps in AI governance.
“While there is no question now that Congress must act to address gaps in AI governance, we must have the best information available to undertake that complicated process in a thoughtful and productive way.”
(Washington, DC) – House Democratic Committee leaders with jurisdiction over artificial intelligence wrote to five of the nation’s leading frontier AI companies today requesting information and ongoing reporting to Congress about AI model misalignment and safety incidents within 48 hours of incident detection. The letters follow an alarming rise in reports of AI models taking unintended and potentially unsafe actions during testing, raising questions about the safety of AI models as well as the adequacy of monitoring and evaluation at the frontier AI companies.
The letters were signed by Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD). Collectively, the three committees have jurisdiction over the development and deployment of AI as well as potential penalties for its misuse.
“In the absence of any mandatory reporting requirements or common guidelines regarding what incidents should be reported, to whom, in what detail, and at what intervals, companies such as yours have been left to develop your own de facto standards on a voluntary basis,” Pallone, Lofgren, and Raskin wrote. “And the Trump Administration has been content to rely on voluntary disclosures and self-regulation by the AI industry.”
The Democratic Committee leaders continued, “But that approach will not suffice; it relies too heavily on the consistent goodwill of all AI companies to voluntarily disclose incidents that might expose them to liability and reputational damage. While there is no question now that Congress must act to address gaps in AI governance, we must have the best information available to undertake that complicated process in a thoughtful and productive way.”
The lawmakers asked each company to provide a full accounting of identified incidents by November 11, 2026. The Democrats also requested the companies notify the committees within 48 hours of discovering any new or previously unknown incidents; and requested notification within 24 hours if critical infrastructure appears to be involved.
The Democratic Committee leaders sent oversight letters to the following companies:
Anthropic
Google
Meta
OpenAI
SpaceXSI
###
Issues:Innovation and Technology
Lofgren Announces $1 Million+ Federal Grant for Groundbreaking Vision Research Based in Gilroy
Position: The release announces a $1,010,897 NIH grant to XR Navigation for accessible digital mapping technology for blind and low-vision users, and states support for NIH funding and opposition to the administration's freezing and cancellation of NIH grants.
GILROY, CA — Today, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) announced that XR Navigation, Inc., based in Gilroy, has received a $1,010,897 federal grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This funding will help to develop a map viewer that provides blind and low vision individuals full access to thematic maps for the first time.
“California is where great minds come to take their ideas and change the world, and I’m proud to see this groundbreaking research happening in Gilroy,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren. “As the leading Democrat on the House Science Committee and as a longtime advocate for accessibility, I’m proud to see XR Navigation receive this NIH grant. I’m very happy about the potential this technology holds to open opportunities for blind and low-vision people, and I commend the researchers on their important work."
"XR Navigation is excited to perform research and commercialize digital maps that state and local governments subject to the April 2027 Americans with Disabilities Act Title II rule deadline, and other welcoming entities, can incorporate to make their digital maps fully usable to blind and low-vision users for the first time,” said Brandon Biggs, CEO of XR Navigation. "This research is focused on reducing implementation time to keep costs low for entities to role out accessible maps, and on optimizing hearing shapes and route following on the Audiom interface. This work enables blind and low-vision people to independently participate in over a thousand new professions, reducing their 70% unemployment rate, engaging in civic activities as responsible citizens, and traveling without fear.”
There have already been remarkable personal stories from blind individuals using the Audiom interface:
Newton Nguyen, a blind Climate and Ocean Research Fellow at Stanford University, uses Audiom to explore complex climate and oceanographic datasets that previously required him to work with raw coordinates, numerical data, and manually constructed mental maps. Using NOAA data, he can now explore variables such as ocean depth and energy spatially through sound, allowing him to investigate relationships in the data more directly.
Steven Daugherty, a blind cartographer and developer at XR Navigation, has been fascinated by weather since childhood but found weather information inaccessible to his screen reader. Using XR Navigation's technology, he can now explore live weather radar and precipitation data and has developed his own audio weather application, Weather Cat. He is now considering pursuing a degree in meteorology, which he has always dreamed of doing.
Lofgren, as Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, has been a steadfast proponent of NIH funding and has condemned steps by the Trump administration to freeze and cancel thousands of NIH grants.
###
Reps. Lofgren, Whitesides Introduce Bill to Protect Elections from Intimidation Tactics and Inference
Position: The release describes the SHIELD Our Elections Act, which would allow state attorneys general and voters to sue over federal interference or intimidation at polling places, extend the statute of limitations for federal election crimes from five to nine years, and restrict when ballots or election equipment may be seized. It also criticizes recent federal rhetoric and actions regarding election fraud claims and ballot seizures.
WASHINGTON D.C. – On Friday, Reps. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) and George Whitesides (CA-27) introduced the Stop Harassment and Intimidations in Elections through Legal Defenses (SHIELD) Our Elections Act, legislation designed to empower state attorney generals and voters to protect against illegal election interference from federal officials, extend the statute of limitations for federal election crimes, and prevent unlawful ballot seizures. The SHIELD Our Elections Act has a senate companion bill led by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA).
The SHIELD Our Elections Act comes as President Trump escalates his rhetoric in the leadup to the 2026 midterm elections, threatening to nationalize voting and claiming widespread fraud in voter rolls. The President has also continued to repeat unsubstantiated claims of fraud and meddling in the 2020 election, an effort to undermine voter confidence in the democratic process. This legislation also comes on the heels of attacks on California’s elections, including ballot seizures in Riverside County and an ongoing effort to stop the state from counting up to 20,000 California ballots.
"Trump is terrified of facing accountability from America’s voters who have suffered from his policies, so he’s been trying to once again sow chaos and confusion,” said Rep. Lofgren. “We need to protect ballots from being improperly seized like we saw in Fulton County and Riverside County. As a former Chair of the House Administration Committee, which oversees federal elections, I’m proud to co-lead this bill with Rep. Whitesides that will defend the integrity of our elections and strengthen accountability for those who commit federal election crimes.”
“Every eligible American should be able to cast their ballot without fear of intimidation or political interference,” said Rep. Whitesides. “Our elections belong to the people, not politicians looking to hold onto power. We need clear protections that safeguard ballots, hold anyone who breaks the law accountable, and give voters confidence that their voices will be heard. I’m proud to work with Rep. Lofgren and Senator Padilla to protect our democracy and uphold the right to vote.”
Specifically, the SHIELD Our Elections Act:
Allows State Attorneys General and impacted voters to sue when federal officials unlawfully interfere with or intimidate them at polling places.
Strengthens accountability by extending the statute of limitations from five to nine years for key federal election crimes, including interference by armed forces and voter intimidation, to enable them to be brought by future administrations for past actions.
Protects ballots from improper seizure by limiting when state or federal law enforcement may seize ballots or election equipment and requiring court-authorized election officials to maintain joint custody whenever materials must be seized, especially prior to the resolution of an election.
The SHIELD Our Elections Act is led by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) in the Senate and cosponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
Reps. Lofgren and Whitesides are joined by Reps. Nanette Barragán (CA-44); Everton Blair (GA-13); Shontel Brown (OH-11); Julia Brownley (CA-26); Salud Carbajal (CA-24); Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31); J. Luis Correa (CA-46); Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10); Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07); Laura Friedman (CA-30); John Garamendi (CA-08); Robert Garcia (CA-42); Al Green (TX-09); Maggie Goodlander (NH-02); Josh Harder (CA-09); Steven Horsford (NV-04); Val Hoyle (OR-04); Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06); Sara Jacobs (CA-51); Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37); Mike Levin (CA-49); Sam Liccardo (CA-16); Ted Lieu (CA-36); Doris Matsui (CA-07); Gregory Meeks (NY-05); Kevin Mullin (CA-15); Nancy Pelosi (CA-11); Brittany Pettersen (CO-07); Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05); Lateefah Simon (CA-12); Brad Sherman (CA-32); Melanie Stansbury (NM-01); Norma Torres (CA-35); Maxine Waters (CA-43); Nikema Williams (GA-05) as original cosponsors.
The full bill text can be found here.
###
Bay Area Congressional Democrats Conduct Unannounced Oversight Visit to SFO Airport Detention Facility
Position: The Members conducted an unannounced oversight visit to a CBP detention facility at SFO, citing concerns that some detainees, including lawful permanent residents, were held for multiple days in a facility not designed for that purpose.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Today, Representatives Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jared Huffman (CA-02), and Aisha Wahab (CA-14) made an unannounced visit to inspect the detention facility being operated by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The facility has received scrutiny for some detainees being held for days, including lawful permanent residents.
“We are at SFO today to fulfill our responsibility as Members of Congress to conduct oversight and ensure that individuals in federal custody are being treated in accordance with the law,” the Members said. “There have been concerning reports of some people being detained for multiple days in a facility that was not designed for that purpose."
The Members were granted access to the facility with no advanced notice, as federal courts have upheld the authority of Congress to inspect federal immigration detention facilities.
Rep. Mullin was the first Member of Congress to visit the facility, located in his district, in August. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) have also visited the SFO facility this month. Rep. Sam Liccardo’s (CA-16) office supported the visit, but the Congressman was unable to attend in person. In June, Reps. Lofgren and Mullin also inspected the California City Detention Center, the largest ICE facility being operated in the state.
###
Ranking Members Lofgren and Amo Demand Answers After GAO Report Reveals Trump-Inflicted Damage to America’s Future Weather Satellites
Position: Ranking Members Lofgren and Amo oppose the Trump administration's 50% cut to NOAA's GeoXO weather satellite program and call on NOAA to restore the program's capabilities. They argue the reductions weaken weather and climate observation and are not justified by claimed cost savings.
(Washington, DC) – Today, Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Gabe Amo (D-RI) sent a letterto National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Neil Jacobs regarding NOAA’s GeoXO satellite program. GeoXO is the future fleet of the nation’s weather satellites scheduled to replace the current satellites in the 2030’s and collect life-saving data to support weather forecasting. In early 2025, the Trump administration demanded that NOAA cut the GeoXO program by 50% and exclusively focus on the Agency’s “weather data needs,” disguising blatant climate denialism as an effort to cut costs. GAO released its report on Friday, October 16, 2026, and found that the Trump administration’s actions “put vital observations at risk.”
“Two fewer satellites and three fewer scientific instruments are not line items in a budget,” Ranking Members Lofgren and Amo write in their letter.“They represent a concrete, tangible weakening of America’s ability to understand the weather, the climate, and the world around us.”
The Members continue: “We now confront the real possibility that America’s next generation of weather satellites will be no better – or even worse – than the generation in orbit today. As GAO concludes in its report, ‘it is unclear whether GeoXO will improve, or even continue, the functionality available in the current generation of satellites.’ That is an unacceptable notion, and we are determined to return this program to its proper path."
In closing, the Members focus in on the hypocrisy of the administration’s claims that these cancellations are to save costs, pointing to the war in Iran: “In exchange for a less advanced, less capable next generation of weather satellites, the only meager rationale the Trump Administration can muster is $6.6 billion in reduced lifecycle costs. At a time when the war in Iran has cost the country an estimated $38 billion and counting while President Trump proposes to spend another $1.2 trillion on checks intended to lessen the political fallout of that war, it is hard to think of a more foolish, self-defeating way to save money than by stripping capabilities from a weather satellite program of vital long-term national significance. The Trump Administration has the wrong priorities, but NOAA must get GeoXO right. We expect nothing less.”
Read the letter here.
Find the GAO report here.
Issues:Innovation and Technology
Lofgren Demands Answers to Outstanding Oversight Requests, Warns EPA that Lack of Cooperation is Unacceptable
Position: The release states that the EPA has failed to comply with congressional oversight requests and that the lack of cooperation is unacceptable, and it demands a response by November 6, 2026. It also criticizes EPA's reduced workforce, shuttered laboratories, and scientific capacity under current leadership.
(Washington, DC) - On Tuesday, Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin demanding that he comply with outstanding congressional oversight requests from the Committee.
“Since January 2025, I have sent a number of formal oversight letters to EPA requesting agency records, documents, and communications regarding various policies and activities,” writes Ranking Member Lofgren in her letter. “However, rather than providing the requested information in a comprehensive and timely manner, EPA has failed to produce a single responsive document, communication, or record.”
In closing, she writes: “EPA’s non-responsiveness to Committee oversight during the 119th Congress has been unacceptable. The agency must respect congressional prerogatives. We remain determined to obtain the information we need to perform our duties on behalf of the American people. EPA should understand that a lack of cooperation will not frustrate the Committee’s oversight permanently. It will merely strengthen our commitment to employing all the tools at our disposal to hold the agency accountable.”
In her letter, Ranking Member Lofgren requires a response from EPA to the Committee’s outstanding oversight requests by no later than 5:00 pm Friday, November 6th, 2026.
Access the letter here and below.
Dear Administrator Zeldin,
Agencies are required to comply with congressional oversight. It is an obligation, not a choice. But under your leadership, the EPA appears to have forgotten that basic principle. Since President Trump took office in January 2025, I have made multiple requests to the agency for internal records, documents, and communications related to various topics. These oversight requests are crucial to my ability to properly carry out my oversight duties as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, which possesses jurisdiction over environmental research and development programs at EPA. However, rather than providing the requested information in a comprehensive and timely manner, EPA has failed to produce a single responsive document, communication, or record. Instead, the agency has merely responded with letters that deflect questions rather than answering them. That was never acceptable. It becomes less tolerable with each passing month. I am writing to you to reaffirm my prior oversight requests from the 119th Congress, and to formally notify the agency that they remain outstanding. I expect EPA to promptly comply.
Since your confirmation as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on January 29th, 2025, roughly 20% of the agency’s workforce has quit, retired, or been fired. Irreplaceable laboratory facilities have been shut down. The independent Office of Research and Development (ORD) has been wiped out. Scientific capacity has been gutted, scientific integrity is compromised, industry capture is widespread, and climate denialism is ascendant. In short, EPA’s basic mission to use the best available science to protect human health and the environment has been damaged under your leadership.
To take just one of countless examples, I have learned that the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), acting under direct orders from former Assistant Administrator Aaron Szabo, has refused to grant the Office of Applied Sciences and Environmental Solutions (OASES) permission to conduct or publish virtually any air pollution research without prior approval from OAR political leadership. OASES is the ostensible successor to ORD, which was a global scientific leader in air quality and air pollution research. It is my understanding that OAR has categorically denied OASES the authority to conduct and publish its own air-related research without OAR political approval, except for narrow circumstances in which technical support from OASES cannot be avoided for OAR to meet certain statutory obligations. Indeed, OASES cannot even independently initiate air-related research without approval from OAR political appointees. OAR can only assert this control because of the agency’s new “no surprises” policy for OASES, which appallingly requires that OASES research “must be supported by appropriate political leadership” before it can proceed. The policy is a clear violation of scientific integrity, and the notion that EPA’s primary science office cannot even study air pollution without getting permission from the political appointees of a different office would be laughable if it was not so dangerous.
In my role as the Ranking Member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (“the Committee”), I have attempted to conduct oversight of these types of actions. There are many reasons for this oversight: to document the damage done to the agency and its workforce; to understand the scientific capabilities that have been lost and the implications of those losses for human health and the American people; to identify violations of scientific integrity and administrative procedure; and to comprehend why all of this happened in order to inform legislative efforts to reverse it and prevent it from ever happening again. Since January 2025, I have sent a number of formal oversight letters to EPA requesting agency records, documents, and communications regarding various policies and activities. The agency has been non-responsive to my requests and has utterly failed to comply. I am now reaffirming these oversight requests to provide the agency with a second opportunity to demonstrate the appropriate degree of deference and respect for congressional prerogatives. I expect EPA’s full and prompt responsiveness to each of the requests detailed below, which are long overdue:
1. Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans (ARRPs)
On March 26th, 2025, I sent a letter to EPA along with several other Democratic Committee Members requesting that the agency “provide the Committee with your Agency RIF and Reorganization Plan immediately upon transmitting it to OMB and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).” The context for this request was the revelation that EPA’s ARRP proposed to “eliminate the Office of Research and Development as an EPA National Program Office” while pushing “a majority (50-75%)” of ORD’s employees out of the agency. Of course, that is exactly what happened. But EPA never provided its Phase One and Phase Two ARRPs to the Committee, which has hindered the Committee’s ability to understand the motivations and decisions that led to the elimination of ORD. For instance, information revealed last year in a lawsuit related to agency ARRPs appeared to suggest that disagreements may have existed between EPA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regarding the elimination of ORD. Without reviewing the ARRPs themselves, the Committee cannot properly assess the agency’s position towards ORD and the bureaucratic actions that contributed to its demise.
2. Laboratory Budget and Staffing Levels
On May 27th, 2025, I sent a letter to EPA along with Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Gabe Amo requesting that the agency “share the projected post-reorganization budget and staffing levels for each of the facilities that will remain open.” The “facilities” in this case referred specifically to the ten field laboratory and research facilities managed by ORD. These research laboratories are a crown jewel of EPA science, and the agency’s intention to eliminate ORD had raised the alarming prospect that the laboratories might be shut down as well. EPA has not subsequently acted to do so, and the laboratories appear to be continuing under the management of different program offices. But while I am relieved that they continue to operate, I remain concerned that staffing shortages and reduced scientific capabilities at the former ORD laboratories could undermine their ability to appropriately study environmental hazards. EPA’s unwillingness to provide basic budgetary and personnel information for its research laboratories impedes the Committee’s ability to evaluate whether they remain capable of supporting core agency activities.
3. Endangerment Finding Repeal Documents and Communications
On August 18th, 2025, I sent a letter to EPA along with Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Amo requesting that the agency provide “all documents and communications” exchanged between EPA and OMB, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Trump Vance 2025 Transition Team, regarding “the repeal of the Endangerment Finding.” I also requested “all documents and communications” exchanged between EPA and DOE regarding the report developed by DOE’s Climate Working Group, and “all documents and communications” within EPA regarding “the agency’s review of the scientific basis for the proposal to repeal the Endangerment Finding.” These oversight requests relate to the repeal of the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding, which the agency proposed in July 2025 and finalized in February 2026. I continue to have concerns about potential violations of administrative law in the agency’s rulemaking process to repeal the Endangerment Finding. The documents and communications that I requested are central to the Committee’s ability to conduct oversight of the agency’s actions. EPA’s refusal to provide them only strengthens my belief that these records remain highly material to my review and must be disclosed without delay.
4. Status of PFNA IRIS Assessment
Dr. Maureen Gwinn, the EPA Deputy Associate Administrator for Science, testified before the Science Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment on June 4th, 2026. The subject of her testimony was OASES and the general status of environmental research and development at the agency after the elimination of ORD. During that hearing, I questioned Dr. Gwinn about the agency’s decision earlier in 2026 to disavow chemical assessments conducted by the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). In particular, I asked about the status of the IRIS assessment for PFNA, which press reports indicate has been fully completed for more than a year but which the agency refuses to finalize and publish. In response, Dr. Gwinn told me that she was “not sure of the details on that” and said that she would “have to get back to you.” She also stated that she would “go back and confirm” the status of the PFNA assessment. While that hearing took place over four months ago, the agency has not provided any subsequent information regarding the PFNA assessment and whether it ever intends to finalize and publish the assessment, nor has it offered any scientific justification for refusing to do so. I continue to seek clarity on whether the IRIS assessment for PFNA, a dangerous and highly toxic PFAS chemical, will ever see the light of day under this administration.
5. Administration Delays of Environmental Research
At the same June 4th Environment Subcommittee hearing with Dr. Gwinn, one of my colleagues, Representative Suzanne Bonamici, questioned Dr. Gwinn about whether the agency under its current leadership had sought to delay or suppress any environmental research due to its perceived lack of alignment with administration priorities. Specifically, Representative Bonamici asked whether “any proposed research products, even one, [had] been delayed, modified, or declined because they did not align with the priorities set by political appointees?” In response, Dr. Gwinn acknowledged that “there have been delays” due to the agency’s review of whether certain research products complied with President Trump’s various Executive Orders. But when Representative Bonamici followed up and directly asked “what was the topic of the research,” pertaining to research that had been halted, Dr. Gwinn could only respond that she would “have to get back to you on that.” The agency has not provided any further information regarding which specific research topics were “delayed, modified, or declined” due to the political directives of agency leadership. This information is highly material to the Committee’s ability to understand the current state of scientific integrity at EPA, as well as the role played by political appointees in influencing the environmental research being conducted by the agency.
In summary, the following oversight requests remain outstanding and require compliance on the part of the agency. Please produce the requested records no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, November 6th, 2026:
1. Please provide to the Committee the EPA’s Agency RIF and Reorganization Plans (ARRPs) transmitted to OMB and OPM pursuant to OMB Director Russ Vought’s February 2025 memo.
2. Please provide to the Committee the post-reorganization budget and staffing levels for each of the agency’s field laboratory and research facilities that remain open.
3. Please provide to the Committee all documents and communications (including, but not limited to, emails, text messages, instant messages, comments, notes, analyses, legal and other memoranda, letters, telephone logs, Signal messages, meeting minutes, calendar entries, PowerPoint slides, and presentation materials) exchanged between EPA and OMB regarding the repeal of the Endangerment Finding.
4. Please provide to the Committee all documents and communications (including, but not limited to, emails, text messages, instant messages, comments, notes, analyses, legal and other memoranda, letters, telephone logs, Signal messages, meeting minutes, calendar entries, PowerPoint slides, and presentation materials) exchanged between EPA and DOE regarding the repeal of the Endangerment Finding.
5. Please provide to the Committee all documents and communications (including, but not limited to, emails, text messages, instant messages, comments, notes, analyses, legal and other memoranda, letters, telephone logs, Signal messages, meeting minutes, calendar entries, PowerPoint slides, and presentation materials) exchanged between EPA and the Trump Vance 2025 Transition Team regarding the repeal of the Endangerment Finding.
6. Please provide to the Committee all documents and communications (including, but not limited to, emails, text messages, instant messages, comments, notes, analyses, legal and other memoranda, letters, telephone logs, Signal messages, meeting minutes, calendar entries, PowerPoint slides, and presentation materials) exchanged between EPA and DOE regarding the report titled, “A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate.”
7. Please provide to the Committee all documents and communications (including, but not limited to, emails, text messages, instant messages, comments, notes, analyses, legal and other memoranda, letters, telephone logs, Signal messages, meeting minutes, calendar entries, PowerPoint slides, and presentation materials) within EPA regarding the agency’s review of the scientific basis for the proposal to repeal the Endangerment Finding.
8. Please provide to the Committee a written update regarding the status of the IRIS assessment for PFNA, including whether any scientific work remains ongoing for the assessment and the date by which the agency intends to finalize and publish the assessment.
9. Please provide to the Committee a list of all research products that have been delayed, modified, or declined since January 20th, 2025, due to the agency’s review or conclusions regarding the alignment of scientific research with administration priorities, including the topics of the research products.
EPA’s non-responsiveness to Committee oversight during the 119th Congress has been unacceptable. The agency must respect congressional prerogatives. We remain determined to obtain the information we need to perform our duties on behalf of the American people. EPA should understand that a lack of cooperation will not frustrate the Committee’s oversight permanently. It will merely strengthen our commitment to employing all the tools at our disposal to hold the agency accountable.
Pursuant to Rule X of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology “shall review and study on a continuing basis laws, programs, and Government activities relating to nonmilitary research and development.” The Committee possesses jurisdiction over environmental research and development.
Issues:Environment
Cities of Gilroy and Mountain View Advance Protections Restricting ICE Facility Construction
Position: Reps. Lofgren and Liccardo praise city moratoria restricting new ICE detention facilities and state that ICE detention capacity and authority should not be expanded until the agency complies with law enforcement accountability standards.
SAN JOSÉ, CA – Today, Reps. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) and Sam Liccardo (CA-16) congratulated the City of Gilroy and City of Mountain View for taking steps to keep ICE out of their communities. On October 13, the Mountain View City Council adopted an interim urgency ordinance temporarily restricting new detention or custodial facilities. The action follows the Gilroy City Council's unanimous vote on October 5 to establish a 45-day moratorium on new detention facilities within city limits.
"I applaud the Cities of Gilroy and Mountain View for taking a stand in support of transparency, accountability, and the rule of law,” said Rep. Lofgren. "These ordinances send a clear message that no law enforcement agency should be allowed to expand its power without first demonstrating that it follows the law. ICE has too often failed to adhere to the legal standards, policies, and procedures that govern every other law enforcement agency. Unless and until ICE complies with those requirements and is held to the same standards of accountability as all law enforcement, its detention capacity and authority should not be expanded."
“After plans for an ICE detention center just outside Gilroy were halted in federal court, local leaders are taking action to make it harder for ICE to construct future facilities,” said Rep. Liccardo. “By acting now, local leaders can protect the health and safety of their residents and restrict DHS should they attempt to convert industrial or commercial property into an ICE detention center. I thank Mayor Greg Bozzo, Mayor Emily Ann Ramos and the Gilroy and Mountain View City Councils for joining communities across our region in using their local authority to push back against ICE infrastructure in our community.”
“Mountain View has long been committed to protecting our diverse community, where nearly 43% of residents are foreign-born,” said Mountain View Mayor Emily Ann Ramos. “We listened to the concerns raised by many residents when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security planned to develop a proposed immigration detention and processing facility in Santa Clara County, just outside Gilroy, which was halted by a lawsuit. Thanks to Congressman Liccardo’s encouragement for cities to consider interim land use controls, our City Council has now adopted an emergency ordinance to place a temporary moratorium on detention or custodial facilities in Mountain View.”
“Gilroy’s future should reflect the values that define our community: care for one another, pride in our agricultural heritage, and a commitment to a safe, healthy, and thriving city,” Gilroy Mayor Greg Bozzo said. “Gilroy City Council members share our residents’ concerns about these types of facilities and their potential impacts on our future. By unanimously adopting this temporary moratorium, our Gilroy City Council has once again shown our commitment to those values and the long-term well-being of our community. I am thankful for Congressman Sam Liccardo's focus on real collaboration and his commitment to Gilroy's interests.”
###
Issues:Immigration
Source: open-data mirrors of the Senate eFD and House Clerk financial-disclosure systems. Disclosure within 30 days of trade is required by law (45 for spouse/dependent trades).
Top PAC donors · 2026 cycle
Political action committees that gave the most to this rep's principal campaign committee this cycle. PAC giving is direct organizational support — industry, ideological, or leadership.
1.LA BAMBA PAC2 contributions$10,000
2.AMERICAN CRYSTAL SUGAR POLITICAL ACTION2 contributions$10,000
10.AMAZON CORPORATE LLC SEPARATE SEGREGATED FUND (AMAZON PAC)5 contributions$10,000
Source: OpenFEC (api.open.fec.gov) Schedule A receipts where contributor type is “committee.” Aggregated by contributing committee. Self-transfers from joint-fundraising / victory committees are excluded.
Top individual contributors · 2026 cycle
Itemized individual contributions over $200 to this rep's campaign committee, aggregated by donor employer. PAC giving is shown above; this section is people, not organizations.
1.GOOGLE$45,750
2.SELF$40,861
3.FRAGOMEN$23,400
4.CISCO$15,500
5.ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ$14,000
6.BUTLER AMUSEMENTS$13,000
7.MARCUS & MILLICHAP$7,000
8.NANOSOLAR, INC.$7,000
9.PARTNER AT KLEINER PERKINS CAUFIELD &$7,000
10.BALLISTIC VENTURES$7,000
Source: OpenFEC Schedule A receipts where contributor type is “individual,” aggregated by the donor's self-reported employer. This is a geographic / industry correlation, not a corporate endorsement.
