Born in Manhattan, Congressman Alan Lowenthal was raised in the Queens Borough of New York City. After earning his Bachelor’s Degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Ohio State University, he moved to Long Beach, California in 1969 where he taught Community Psychology at California State University, Long Beach until 1998.
Congressman Lowenthal successfully ran for Long Beach City Council in 1992, where he served for six years. He then continued his leadership in Sacramento, first serving three terms as a State Assembly member, then two terms as a State Senator. He was first elected to Congress in 2012 and is now serving his fourth term representing California’s 47th District.
As a city council member, and then as a state legislator, the Congressman fought against the then-commonplace private and public sector belief that environmental protections and economic success at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles were mutually exclusive. His landmark environmental legislative efforts helped lead the two adjacent ports becoming the cleanest and greenest ports in the world, while remaining the busiest and most successful container ports in the Western Hemisphere. The green business model advocated by the Congressman instituted by the two ports has become a role model for ports throughout the world.
While a State Assembly member, and as a founding member of the Assembly's Bipartisan Caucus, he paved the way for creation of California’s first ever independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, which took the power of redistricting out of the hands of politicians and gave it back to the people
In addition, white in the state legislature the Congressman led legislative efforts to revamp the state's K-12 and higher education systems. He championed the College Promise Partnership Act to help K-12 students better transition to college. The passage of his Student Success Act also helped higher education students by introducing significant reforms to the state community college system that focused on increasing graduation and transfer rates.

U.S. House of Representatives - District 47
District 47 — U.S. House of Representatives
Get the facts on the California candidates running for election to the District 47 — U.S. House of Representatives
Find out their top 3 priorities, their experience, and who supports them.
About this office
Candidates
- COVID Pandemic Assistance – We must pass additional...
- Protecting Healthcare – We must strengthen and expand...
- Climate Change – Scientists are warning we must take...
- HOMELESSNESS. Being Homeless is not a crime; however...
- HEALTHCARE. Everybody needs it, and nobody has enough...
- IMMIGRATION. Everybody comes from somewhere, and...
My Top 3 Priorities
- COVID Pandemic Assistance – We must pass additional relief, such as the HEROES Act 2, to assist American families, workers, frontline workers, and state and local governments to get through this crisis.
- Protecting Healthcare – We must strengthen and expand the Affordable Care Act, use government leverage to negotiate lower drug prices, and work toward an affordable universal healthcare solution.
- Climate Change – Scientists are warning we must take immediate action. We must rejoin the Paris Accord. We must take steps to dramatically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. And we must take steps to transition to a more carbon-neutral society.
Experience
Experience
Education
Community Activities
Biography
Who supports this candidate?
Organizations (10)
Questions & Answers
Questions from League of Women Voters of California (3)
As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the House of Representatives, one of my main goals in Congress is to ensure that our crumbling national infrastructure is rebuilt. To do this, we must invest and make these investments sustainable and reliable. This is why I authored and introduced “The National Multimodal and Sustainable Freight Infrastructure Act.” This legislation will provide a dedicated and sustainable revenue source to fund multi-modal, freight-specific formula grants to states and a multi-modal, freight-specific competitive grant program to local, regional and state governments. The bill would raise over $10 billion a year dedicated to freight-related infrastructure projects throughout the nation. To accomplish this, the bill would establish the Freight Transportation Infrastructure Trust Fund, funded through a national 1 percent waybill fee on the transportation cost of goods. We must also reinvest and restructure our funding mechanisms to rebuild our public roads infrastructure, such as the $1.5 trillion Moving Forward Act that I cosponsored voted to pass, but awaits consideration in the Senate. We must also develop new funding mechanisms to reinvent our electrical, water, and other utility systems.
I believe access to healthcare is a right, not a privilege. We cannot progress as a nation without addressing health disparities and assuring that everyone has access to high quality, affordable healthcare. In Congress, I am committed to increasing access to affordable health insurance for the millions of Americans without coverage and making health insurance more affordable for those already covered. I strongly support the Affordable Care Act (ACA), because I have seen firsthand how it has saved lives in every corner of the United States. I believe it should be strengthened and expanded. I also believe that we have to move toward an affordable universal healthcare solution. In addition, I also believe that Congress must leverage the economic might of the U.S. government to negotiate the price of pharmaceuticals to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable prescription drugs.
Immigrants are a fundamental and invaluable part of our country’s social, economic and cultural fabric. I am a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform. It has long been time for Congress to overhaul the current immigration system that is inefficient, ineffective and out of date. We need a legal and fair system that promotes job growth, family reunification, and economic and national security. We must also codify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to protect the Dreamers and offer a realistic and achievable pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., as well as for all legal immigrants.
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Political Beliefs
Political Philosophy
I have always considered myself a proud progressive. I have always believed that government, run efficiently and effectively, exists to benefit the citizens it derives its power from. The government, whether it be at the local, state or federal level, has a responsibility to use this power to improve the lives of the people, with the consent and input of the same people. I also believe that government must be transparent, accountable, and considerate in the exercise of this power, and in order to do this must be honest, forthcoming, and responsive. I believe that we are all in this together, and together, through our government and elected representatives, we can work to solve any problem.
My Top 3 Priorities
- HOMELESSNESS. Being Homeless is not a crime; however stealing, public defecation/urination, under the influence in public, and general mental incapacity can be code violations. Substance abuse and mental illness underlie as much as 60 homelessness.
- HEALTHCARE. Everybody needs it, and nobody has enough of it. First and foremost, we must protect the so-called "gold-plated" plans our union members worked wo hard to negotiate. We must introduce competition across state lines and open pricing.
- IMMIGRATION. Everybody comes from somewhere, and almost 20 million have come here undocumented. We cannot handle more; we must secure airports, shipping and all entry points. A path to citizenship must be crafted fold in the disenfranchised.
Experience
Experience
Education
Community Activities
Biography
The Honorable John Briscoe, Trustee is an elected Trustee to the Ocean View School District, a seat he won in 2006. Mr. Briscoe is well educated with two advanced degrees. He has earned his M.B.A. from Claremont Graduate University, Peter Drucker School of Business, and his M.P.A. from CSULB California State University at Long Beach, School of Public Policy. He also possesses two undergraduate BA degrees in Psychology and Speech Communication, and was awarded his Certificate of Honors at graduation from CSULB. Professor Briscoe instructs Marketing at CSULB Long Beach State.
John Briscoe is a management expert having held senior-level positions at major US corporations including Kraft/General Foods Inc., Mars Inc., The Hain-Celestial Group Inc., and Keebler/Bakeline Inc. During his tenure at these world class organizations John was able to increase revenue and profit while maintaining a nurturing and stable work environment for the employees. Subsequent to his corporate roles he earned State of California license recognition as a Broker and opened his business in partnership with is wife in 1991. Debbie and John have served their clients faithfully since then in all matters related to real property asset management through Crestwave Property Management.
John is an active member of the community that elected him having served as a PTA volunteer, AYSO Soccer, Little League, School Site Council, and Grace Church worker. He is an Eagle Scout, Boy Scout Troop leader, and member of Rotary International, LA-5 El Rodeo. John has worked relentlessly to instill patriotism and flag education in our schools as well as the display of our National Motto, In God We Trust.
Trustee Briscoe is a sixth generation Californian with even more distant family roots to Baja California and Mexico. Two of his grandparents were immigrants to the US. John was born in Altadena, CA and his wife Debbie is a native of Escondido, CA where both of her parents were born in the early 1900’s. John and his wife Debbie (45 years) have 1 son Tyler, age 29 and a National University Graduate Student. John comes from a long line of elected family members with his great grandfather elected Mayor of Compton City and his grandfather serving two terms as Trustee on the Pasadena City College Board. John is proud to continue the family tradition in his 4th elected term/16 years of volunteer Trustee service.
Contact Trustee John Briscoe at his email address John@Crestwave.org, or write him at 6821 Skyview
Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92647. His cell phone is 714.658.2245 and he encourages you to visit his website: http://www.JohnBriscoe.us or message him on Facebook.
Questions & Answers
Questions from League of Women Voters of California (3)
BOND FINANCING
Financing infrastructure by bonds places the cost burden on future users which is appropriate. Bond financing also assures the project will pay for itself in some fashion as evidenced by bond sales and interest rates required.
GENERAL FUND
The general fund of local, county, and state governments must be used for ongoing routine maintenance repairs. Heretofore local cities used to spend 50% of budget on infrastructure and 50% on labor and benefits. They have now ratched this up to almost 80% wages and benefits leaving nothing for residents.
FEE-FOR-SERVICE
When infrastructure improvements benefit only a narrow constitutancy, that narrow user base should pay for their improvements.
SAVE UNION HEALTH PLANS!!!!
The so-called "Gold-Plated" health care plans were negotiated after many years of hard work; they cannot be eliminated.
OPEN & TRANSPARENT PRICING
All pricing must be made open and transparent for all health care consumers to see what they are paying compared to others for the same services and goods.
FULL & OPEN CROSS-STATE COMPETITION
All health care programs should compete across all state lines all the time. Something is wrong when one company does 95% of the business in Alabama!
20 MILLION UNDOCUMENTED
We have over twenty-million undocumented residents in the USA, we do not have room for more. Entry must be secured including airports, shipping, foreign visa, and all other accesses.
PATH TO CITIZENSHIP
We must provide a path to citizenship for the existing undocumented folks. They all should have a roadmap to full citizen engagement and the American Dream.
FAMLY CHAIN MIGRATION = THE BEST!
Family chain migration has been lambasted unfairly. When granny from Vietnam is sponsored into the USA, her family promises never to use social services for her and to fully support her. This is great for our families and costs the government nothing.
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