Karen Bass

Democrat Representative of California's 37th district

Representative
California, district 33
January 5, 2011 - January 3, 2013
Representative
California, district 37
January 3, 2013 - January 3, 2015
Representative
California, district 37
January 6, 2015 - January 3, 2017
Representative
California, district 37
January 3, 2017 - January 3, 2019
Representative
California, district 37
January 3, 2019 - January 3, 2021
Representative
California, district 37
January 3, 2021 - December 9, 2022

202-225-7084

bass.house.gov

Congresses Served

House Terms

October 3, 1953 (71 years old)

Birthday

Served as the 43rd mayor of Los Angeles since 2022
First woman and second Black person to serve as mayor of Los Angeles
Served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2022
Served in the California State Assembly from 2004 to 2010, including as speaker
First African-American woman to serve as a speaker of a state legislative body in the U.S.
Chaired the Congressional Black Caucus during the 116th Congress
Worked as a physician assistant and community activist before entering politics
Attended California State University, Dominguez Hills, and the University of Southern California
Founded Community Coalition in the late 1980s
Played a significant role in budget negotiations during California’s budget crisis (2008–2010)
Received the 2010 Profile in Courage Award for leadership in budget negotiations
Involved in President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign and served on his national African American Leadership Council
Launched a petition for psychological evaluation of Donald Trump in 2016
Created the Sea Change Leadership PAC to mobilize voters
Declared a city state of emergency on homelessness as her first act as mayor of Los Angeles
Advocated for United States–Africa relations and supported the African Growth and Opportunity Act
Supported Armenia and Artsakh during conflicts
Founded the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth and advocated for child welfare reform
Called for criminal justice reform and opposed the practice of shackling women during childbirth
Supported climate change initiatives, including the Paris Climate Agreement and the Green New Deal
Advocated for gun control legislation and experienced a burglary where her firearms were stolen
Supports universal health care and was a founder of the Congressional Medicare for All Caucus
Supported Proposition 16 for affirmative action in California
Voted for the impeachment of Donald Trump
Criticized Israel’s plan to annex parts of Palestinian territory
Fought for tax reductions for small businesses and introduced the Local Hire Act
Named Public Official of the Year by the Los Angeles Stonewall Democratic Club for her support of LGBTQ rights
Introduced legislation to address student loan debt
Co-authored the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020
Personal life includes a marriage to Jesus Lechuga from 1980 to 1986, raising five children including four stepchildren, and experiencing the loss of her daughter and son-in-law in a car crash in 2006