This story was created as part of Project Tell Me, a series running across Women’s Health and Men’s Health to celebrate the contributions of U.S. military veterans and spotlight some of their voices. Read the rest of the profiles in this package here.
THERE'S AN AIR Force Core Value that Col. (ret.) Ted W. Lieu picked up during his time in the U.S. Air Force. It reads: “Integrity First; Service Before Self; Excellence in All We Do.”
Lieu served for 25 years as a lawyer in the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps. And that value steadied him throughout his military career. Through his early training, through Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and through Operation Pacific Haven, the humanitarian mission when thousands of Kurdish refugees were housed and processed for entry into the continental United States.
Lieu, himself an immigrant, says he felt like his service was a way for him to make up for what America had given him. “At some point, I realized my parents had achieved the American dream,” Lieu says. “One reason I joined the Air Force is that I believe I could never give back to America what this amazing country has given to my family.”
And that sense of duty propelled Lieu to serve as a California State Assemblyman from 2005 to 2010, a California State Senator from 2011 to 2014, and a United States Congressman serving California’s 33rd district from 2014 to today. “It’s one reason I’m in politics: to make sure the American dream remains open for those who want to work hard and succeed,” says Lieu. Throughout his political roles, Lieu continued to serve in the Air Force Reserve until he retired from the Air Force in 2021.
Today Lieu chairs the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus’ Veterans and Armed Services Task Force as the only Asian-American member and only veteran in House Democratic leadership. He’s a known champion for issues on Social Security and Medicare, civil liberties, and veterans.
In 2017, Lieu introduced the New Collar Jobs Act to incentivize retraining in the cybersecurity field. He’s also been a leader in climate change initiatives since his time as a California State Legislature. Rep. Lieu co-authored California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, one of the first laws in the nation to mandate a reduction in greenhouse gases. One of his first actions in Congress was introducing the Climate Solutions Act of 2021.
“We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children,” Lieu said as he recited a favorite Native American quote. “I want to ensure that my children and my children’s children will have an environment where they can live a good life.”
The congressman serves on the House Judiciary Committee that recently passed the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 in July. The bill would make it illegal to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess semiautomatic assault weapons or large-capacity ammunition feeding devices. It sits with the Senate now, where it would need the majority of U.S. Senators to vote in its favor before it can move forward. “Everything seems impossible until it happens,” Lieu said.
“I think learning to work with others and working together as a team is something that’s important in Congress and it’s something I learned in the Air Force,” Lieu says. “It’s very clear that to get something done, I need to bring along other members in the House of Representatives to agree with me and a majority of U.S. Senators to pass a bill.”
Another recent issue for Rep. Lieu has been the Russia-Ukraine war. He’s been working with other Air Force veterans in Congress to urge U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to provide critical aircraft, air defense systems, and drones to Ukraine. Lieu says, “It’s just very clear to me the importance of air power.”
And those core values stick with him: “Integrity first, service before self, excellence in all we do—those principles applied in the Air Force, and they also apply in government and Congress,” he says.
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