Ted Lieu

Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after the House passed the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for FY23. The NDAA that passed the House includes bold reforms to address and mitigate civilian harm in military operations, expand support for service members and their families, and increase diversity in the defense and national security space. The bill also contains six provisions that Congressman Lieu authored including his amendment authorizing the VA to use collected funds to develop housing and services for homeless veterans at the West LA VA and his amendment to create an Office of City and State Diplomacy at the State Department to support local engagement with foreign nations.

“I’m pleased that once again the House passed this year’s defense authorization act,” Rep. Lieu said. “Investments and programs in this bill will help our country meet 21st century challenges head on by investing in innovation and technology, while ensuring our service members have the resources they need. The amendments I authored in this bill address an array of issues from ensuring the West Los Angeles VA can use funds collected from easements to help homeless veterans to taking steps to better protect our space systems as critical infrastructure.The bill also includes a provision on the U.S.’s role in the conflict in Yemen—an issue I have been leading on since 2015. As the legislative process continues, I look forward to continuing to champion these important provisions.”

City and State Diplomacy Amendment: Adds the text of H.R. 4526, the City and State Diplomacy Act, establishing within the Department of State the Office of City and State Diplomacy, which shall coordinate federal support for engagement by state and municipal governments with foreign governments. 

COVID-19 Warrior Dog Amendment: Expresses the sense of Congress that the Army’s ongoing research effort related to working dogs detecting infectious diseases, including COVID-19, is showing promising results and should continue to receive funding.

Space as Critical Infrastructure Amendment: Tasks the Government Accountability Office with conducting a report on the Department of Homeland Security's progress in evaluating space as a sector of critical infrastructure and what gaps in space coverage exist among the 16 current critical infrastructure sectors.

Disaster Readiness at Correctional Facilities Amendment: Adds the text of H.R. 7940, the Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act, requiring the Bureau of Prisons to submit to Congress an annual summary report of disaster damage in order to improve oversight of disaster readiness.

Yemen Coalition Investigation Amendment: Requires the Secretary of State to develop guidance for investigating indications that U.S.-origin defense articles have been used in Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition in substantial violation of relevant agreements with countries participating in the coalition and to report to Congress, consistent with GAO recommendations.

Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) led a bipartisan group of Members in introducing the Russia is a State Sponsor of Terrorism Act. Rep. Lieu introduced the bill, which will deem Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism for invading and attacking Ukraine, with Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Jared Golden (D-ME), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Tom Malinowski (D-NJ). This action follows various efforts calling for the State Department make this designation.

Upon introduction, the Members said:

“The United States must use every tool we have to stop Russia from its violent aggression in Ukraine,” Rep. Lieu said. “Russia supports proxies conducting terrorism against civilians around the globe, from Syria to Ukraine. By designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, this legislation increases consequences on Putin’s murderous behavior. Drawing on sanctions authority originally created by Congress, the bill further isolates Russia and inflicts more economic consequences on Putin’s regime. I’m pleased to bring together a bipartisan coalition of members to champion this issue.”

“The world is painfully aware of war criminal Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent and ongoing bloodbath that has already resulted in the senseless death of thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers,” said Rep. Wilson. “However, Russia’s involvement in international terrorism is more expansive and has been well documented for years, whether through direct attacks on civilian and humanitarian infrastructure or orchestrated through its networks of contracted mercenaries around the world. Putin’s reign of terror must stop, and this designation is one way to formally and collectively recognize Putin’s extensive crimes against humanity. I’m grateful to co-lead this bipartisan legislation with Rep. Lieu.”

"Those who have watched the Russian Federation under Vladimir Putin know it belongs on the State Sponsor of Terror (SST) list. Not only has Russia committed countless crimes against humanity in its unlawful war against Ukraine, it has bolstered paramilitary such as the Wagner Group, Chechen terrorists, and Ukrainian separatists. Instead of focusing on the needs of his people over the past two decades, Vladimir Putin has thrown away their future in favor of trying to rebuild the former Soviet Union. While the designation of Russia as an SST is not something to take lightly, we must not forget that Putin has used chemical weapons on NATO soil, aided in the downing of a civilian airliner over Ukraine, and has supported despots like Bashar al-Assad in Syria,” said Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL). “I am proud to join this bipartisan legislation to add Russia to the SST list. By adding Putin, we are cutting off his government and his cronies from the civilized world and labeling Russia a global pariah like Cuba, Syria, North Korea, and Iran.”

“It has been evident for years that Russia uses terrorism to pursue its goals, whether its targeting civilians in Ukraine or Chechnya, supporting the Bashar al-Assad’s brutal actions against his own people in Syria, assassinating political opponents abroad, or using fronts such as the Wagner Group to shield its malign activities from public view," said Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02). "Russia’s atrocities against civilians in Ukraine makes clear that the use of terror is a recurring feature of Vladimir Putin’s Russia and Congress must respond with decisive action. The bipartisan bill I am introducing with my colleagues today would hold Russia to account for its acts of terror, impose serious penalties, and support our brave Ukrainian allies fighting for their nation and freedom.” 

"Putin's brutality did not start in Ukraine," said Rep Malinowski. "His regime has long allowed designated terrorists to operate from Russian territory, including white supremist groups and mercenaries. The atrocities in Ukraine committed not just by the Russian military, but by Putin’s terrorist proxies, justify this designation."

Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) announced that his virtual guest for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address will be Elizabeth Benson Forer, the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Venice Family Clinic. Founded in 1970 as a free health clinic, the Venice Family Clinic provides quality primary health care to people in need regardless of their income, insurance or immigration status.

Ms. Forer joined Venice Family Clinic in 1994, when it served 10,000 patients annually at one location. Under her leadership, the Clinic has grown significantly in both capacity and breadth of programs. She also guided the organization’s November 2021 merger with South Bay Family Health Care. Today, Venice Family Clinic has more than 500 staff who serve 45,000 people across an area that spans from the Santa Monica Mountains through the South Bay. Ms. Forer oversees operations at the Clinic’s 17 locations, two mobile clinics and the expansive street medicine program for people experiencing homelessness.

“Liz represents the best of our community,” Rep. Lieu said. “Through her leadership, the Venice Family Clinic has become a vital part of keeping our community healthy. Liz and her team were on the front lines of the pandemic and worked tirelessly to make sure vulnerable populations in our community were cared for. I’m pleased to have her join me as my virtual guest for the President’s State of the Union, where we’ll get to hear the President talk about many issues facing our country including the progress we’ve made managing the pandemic.”

Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) are calling for the Department of Defense Inspector General to investigate whether U.S. Senate candidate Eric Greitens violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice in his recent political advertisement. The Members, who are both veterans, note that Mr. Greitens’ advertisement promotes violence against political opponents, contains potential inaccuracies about Mr. Greitens’ military service and falsely implies his candidacy was endorsed by the DoD.

In the letter, the Members write:

Dear Acting Inspector General O’Donnell:

Thank you for your service. We write to request that your office launch a formal investigation into possible violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (“UCMJ”) and Department of Defense (“DoD”) Directives committed by U.S. Senate candidate Eric Greitens (“Mr. Greitens”) of Missouri and/or others in a recent political advertisement. We both served on active duty and believe Mr. Greitens’ violence-inducing political video is certainly un-American and potentially in violation of the UCMJ or DoD Directives.

On Monday, June 20, 2022, Mr. Greitens uploaded a campaign advertisement video to his Twitter account.[1] In the video, Mr. Greitens self-identifies as a U.S. Navy Seal. At the outset of the video, Mr. Greitens is depicted holding a rifle, and he states, “Today, we’re going RINO hunting.” For clarity, the term “RINO” is an acronym for “Republican In Name Only.” The pejorative is often used to describe politicians of the Republican Party who are deemed to be insufficiently loyal to the party. Next, Mr. Greitens is shown in front of the door of an unidentified house[2] surrounded by a tactical unit whose members are armed with guns and are wearing helmets depicting the insignia of the 25th Infantry Division.[3] The tactical unit then breaks down the door and deploys what appears to be flash-bang grenades once inside of the house. Mr. Greitens then walks through the door and states, “Join the MAGA crew. Get a RINO hunting permit. There’s no bagging limit, no tagging limit, and it doesn’t expire until we save our country.”

In addition to promoting violence against political opponents, Mr. Greitens’s campaign advertisement may have violated the law. In the video, Mr. Greitens identifies himself as being a member of the United States Armed Forces, but there are conflicting reports regarding Mr. Greitens’s current military status. It is our understanding that Mr. Greitens’s statement in the video is untrue, as he has not been reinstated as a U.S. Navy Seal. We respectfully request that the Office of the Inspector General validate our understanding of Mr. Greitens’s military status. Additionally, one of the soldiers depicted in the advertisement is wearing the insignia for the 25th Infantry Division on his helmet, raising questions about whether the use of the insignia was authorized for use in a political advertisement and whether those who appeared alongside Mr. Greitens were active duty servicemembers or actors. Importantly, Mr. Greitens did not issue any disclaimers that would mitigate any of the previously mentioned concerns or questions.

According to DoD Directive 1344.10,[4] “[m]embers not on active duty who are nominees or candidates for elective office may, in their campaign literature, include or permit the inclusion of their current or former specific military duty, title, or position, or photographs in military uniform, when displayed with other nonmilitary biographical details.”[5] However, “[a]ny such military information must be accompanied by a prominent and clearly displayed disclaimer that neither the military information nor photographs imply endorsement by the Department of Defense or their particular Military Department.”[6] Mr. Greitens’s failure to provide any such disclosure may violate the above-mentioned DoD Directive. 

Twitter flagged the post and stated that “[the] Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about abusive behavior[,]” but ultimately determined that “it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible.”

We respectfully request that the Office of the Inspector General launch a formal investigation into the actions of Mr. Greitens and those who appeared in his political advertisement video to determine whether any provision of law or DoD Directive was violated, including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Potential Uniform Code of Military Justice Violations

10 USC 772: When wearing by persons not on active duty authorized

While portraying a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force, an actor in a theatrical or motion-picture production may wear the uniform of that armed force if the portrayal does not tend to discredit that armed force.

2. Potential Department of Defense Directive Violations

4.1.1. A member of the Armed Forces on active duty may:

• 4.1.1.1. Register, vote, and express a personal opinion on political candidates and issues, but not as a representative of the Armed Forces.
   
• 4.1.5. Activities not expressly prohibited may be contrary to the spirit and intent of this Directive. Any activity that may be reasonably viewed as directly or indirectly associating the Department of Defense or the Department of Homeland Security (in the case of the Coast Guard) or any component of these Departments with a partisan political activity or is otherwise contrary to the spirit and intention of this Directive shall be avoided.

4.3. Additional Limitations on Nomination or Candidacy and Campaigning

• 4.3.1. Members not on active duty who are nominees or candidates for the offices described in subparagraph 4.2.1. may, in their campaign literature (including Web sites, videos, television, and conventional print advertisements):
   
• • 4.3.1.1. Use or mention, or permit the use or mention of, their military rank or grade and military service affiliation; BUT they must clearly indicate their retired or reserve status.
     
• • 4.3.1.2. Include or permit the inclusion of their current or former specific military duty, title, or position, or photographs in military uniform, when displayed with other nonmilitary biographical details. Any such military information must be accompanied by a prominent and clearly displayed disclaimer that neither the military information nor photographs imply endorsement by the Department of Defense or their particular Military Department (or the Department of Homeland Security for members of the Coast Guard); e.g., “John Doe is a member of the Army National Guard. Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.”
     
• 4.3.2. Members included in subparagraph 4.3.1. may NOT, in campaign literature (including Web sites, videos, television, and conventional print advertisements):
   
• • 4.3.2.1. Use or allow the use of photographs, drawings, and other similar media formats of themselves in uniform as the primary graphic representation in any campaign media, such as a billboard, brochure, flyer, Web site, or television commercial. For the purposes of this policy, “photographs” include video images, drawings, and all other similar formats of representational media. 6 DoDD 1344.10, February 19, 2008
     
• • 4.3.2.2. Depict or allow the depiction of themselves in uniform in a manner that does not accurately reflect their actual performance of duty. For the purpose of this policy, “photographs” include video images, drawings, and all other similar formats of representational media.