U.S. House of Representatives (2022–present)
Elections 2022 In October 2021, Lee announced her candidacy for
Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district after the incumbent representative,
Mike Doyle, announced his retirement. After Pennsylvania's new congressional districts were chosen in February 2022, most of the old 18th district, including
Pittsburgh as well as parts of the
Mon Valley and
Westmoreland County, became the
12th district, and Lee announced she would run there. Lee won the Democratic primary election on May 17, 2022, defeating rival
Steve Irwin. Though Irwin had an early lead on election night with early and mail-in ballots, Lee emerged with a victory of around 740 votes once in-person Election Day votes were counted. She won the
Allegheny County portion of the district by almost 4,500 votes. Most networks had declared Lee the winner by May 20, and Irwin conceded that day. In the November 8 general election, Lee defeated
Republican Mike Doyle (no relation to the Democratic incumbent). Lee simultaneously ran for reelection to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives; she was reelected to a third term with little opposition, but was required to resign the seat to assume her new role in the U.S. House, which she did on December 7, 2022. With elections in
the 32nd district, where incumbent
Tony DeLuca died in October 2022 but was reelected posthumously to a 21st term, and
the 35th district, where incumbent
Austin Davis was simultaneously reelected to a third full term and
elected lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, an unusual situation arose in which the Democratic Party gained control of the chamber, having won 102 seats to the Republican Party's 101 in
the 2022 elections, but would begin the new legislative term with just 99 members, due to these three vacancies in solidly Democratic districts in
Allegheny County.
2024 In 2024, Lee faced a primary challenge from
Edgewood councilwoman Bhavini Patel, who ran towards the political center compared to Lee. Amid concerns that her criticism of Israel could cost her renomination in a district with a significant Jewish population, Lee cultivated endorsements from prominent Democrats including House minority leader
Hakeem Jeffries and Senator
Bob Casey Jr. The race between Lee and Patel, who is pro-Israel, was seen as a bellwether for other primary races where pro-Israel candidates are challenging progressive, Israel-critical incumbents. but unlike Lee fellow progressive Israel critics
Jamaal Bowman and
Cori Bush were defeated for renomination by pro-Israel candidates who, unlike Patel, received backing from the pro-Israel
AIPAC.
Tenure Abortion Lee supports
abortion rights. Lee joined 40 other House Democrats in a letter calling on the Biden administration to use all means possible to preserve
FDA approval for
mifepristone and protect access to these treatments nationwide, in response to a
ruling by
Northern District of Texas judge
Matthew J. Kacsmaryk.
Affirmative action In response to the
U.S. Supreme Court's decision in
Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which held that race-based
affirmative action programs in
college admissions processes violate the
Equal Protection Clause of the
Fourteenth Amendment, Lee stated that she was "disgusted that our country just enshrined racial inequity in higher education and economic immobility into law.
Economy Lee was among the 46 Democrats who voted against final passage of the
Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House. She was the only no-vote among western
Pennsylvania house members. She had previously decried Republicans' willingness to take the country "to the
brink of economic catastrophe" to win budget concessions.
Gun control On March 29, 2023, two Pittsburgh Catholic schools received what investigators deemed were hoax active shooter threats that prompted evacuations, lockdowns and large responses from police. This came two days after a highly publicized
school shooting in Nashville. In response, Lee said that having to endure active shootings and related evacuations, drills and hoaxes is "no way for our kids to live," and blamed the proliferation of guns in America for causing the widespread panic of the fake active shooting reports. On April 7, 2023, Lee harshly criticized the
Tennessee House's
expulsion of Democratic representatives
Justin Pearson and
Justin Jones. The lawmakers were expelled after joining a protest against mass shootings on the Tennessee house floor. Her criticism was also aimed at Republican's overall treatment of
gun control, saying "people are dying because Republicans want to put politics over the lives of the people they represent. They ask for safety for themselves, but not for school children, and they'll sacrifice the lives of our loved ones for their lobbyists."
Infrastructure After a
Norfolk Southern train derailed in Pittsburgh on April 8, 2023, Lee called for more accountability from railroads, and protection from so-called "bomb trains" that carry hazardous materials through populated areas. This was two months after
a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which also involved a Norfolk Southern train. In response to these events, Lee publicly supported multiple bills in Congress that look to enforce strict regulations on the rail industry. She is an original co-sponsor of the DERAIL Act, which would put stricter federal rail safety regulations in place that were rolled back during the Trump administration.
Iran Lee and other progressive Democrats voted against a resolution condemning
Iran's aerial attack on Israel in April. She also voted against an embargo on sending American technology to Iran and a resolution requesting the
European Union designate Iran's
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
Israel and Palestine On April 4, 2023, Lee joined
Senator Bernie Sanders, and at least nine
House Democrats, in signing a letter to
President Joe Biden and
Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concern over rising violence between Israelis and Palestinians and the new Israeli government's
attempt to weaken the country's independent judiciary. On April 25, 2023, Lee was one of 19 representatives (18 Democrats and 1 Republican) to vote against House Resolution 311, a resolution honoring America's relationship with Israel on the 75th anniversary of its independence. On May 5, 2023, Lee was one of 17 cosponsors of the "Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act," which "prohibits U.S. taxpayer funding to the Government of Israel from being used for the military detention, abuse, or ill-treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention." On June 13, 2023, Lee was one of 13 representatives (eleven Democrats and two Republicans) who voted against a bill mandating the Biden administration appoint a special envoy for the
Abraham Accords. On July 18, 2023, she, along with eight other
Progressive Democrats (
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,
Cori Bush,
Jamaal Bowman,
André Carson,
Ilhan Omar,
Ayanna Pressley,
Delia Ramirez, and
Rashida Tlaib), voted against a
non-binding resolution proposed by
August Pfluger which states that "the State of Israel is not a
racist or
apartheid state", that Congress rejects "all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia" and that "the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel." In a
tweet, Congresswoman Lee wrote, "I reject antisemitism and xenophobia in all its forms. Whether we're talking about India, Israel, or Sri Lanka, we are not true allies if we cannot push our partners to uphold basic human rights & democratic values." On October 25, 2023, Lee and eight other progressive Democrats (Ocasio-Cortez, Bowman, Bush, Carson, Omar, Ramirez, Tlaib, and
Al Green), along with Republican
Thomas Massie, voted against a resolution supporting Israel in the wake of the
2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The resolution stated that the House of Representatives: "stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by
Hamas and other terrorists" and "reaffirms the United States' commitment to Israel's security"; the resolution passed by an overwhelming 412-10-6 margin. Lee has instead voiced support for a ceasefire in the wake of Israel's military campaign against Hamas, She has condemned Hamas's attack. She has also accused Israel of war crimes. Lee voted against a foreign aid package for Israel.
Russia Lee, along with nearly fifty other members of
Congress, were barred from entering
Russia on May 19, 2023.
Syria In 2023, Lee was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President
Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from
Syria within 180 days.
TikTok In light of a potential
ban on
TikTok in the United States, Lee has supported the platform, calling it "an incredible organizing tactic." She voted against a bill that would force TikTok's parent company to sell the app or face a ban.
Caucus memberships •
Black Maternal Health Caucus •
Congressional Equality Caucus •
Congressional Progressive Caucus Committee assignments •
Committee on Education and the Workforce •
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ==Electoral history==