Congressional Update - District 15, Calfiornia

Congressman Eric Swalwell proudly represents California’s Fifteenth Congressional District, which includes a large portion of the East Bay. In January 2015, he was sworn in for his second term in the U.S. House of Representatives, continuing his work to bring new energy, ideas, and a problem-solving spirit to Congress and advance policies that will support equality, opportunity, and security.

Congressman Swalwell works diligently to protect Americans on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He serves as top Democrat on the Subcommittee on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) which is responsible for the oversight, policy, activities, and budget of the CIA.  He also is on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, where he addresses climate change and advocates for renewable energy. 

Legislative accomplishments in Congressman Swalwell’s first term include two of his bills (H.R. 3771 and H.R. 1671) being signed into law, tied for the most of any freshman Member of the House. H.R. 3771, the Philippines Charitable Giving Assistance Act encouraged Americans to contribute to the Philippines after the devastating Typhoon Haiyan and H.R. 1671, named the Dublin Post Office for local public servant Jim Kohnen.   

While serving on the Homeland Security Committee in his first term, he led a successful effort opposing a TSA proposal to allow certain knives onboard airplanes and advocated for enhancing the security of airport perimeters with innovative technological solutions.

Congressman Swalwell holds important leadership roles within the House Democratic Caucus. As Regional Whip and Assistant Democratic Whip he is tasked with informing colleagues about upcoming legislation and mobilizing votes. He also was appointed to the House Democratic Steering & Policy Committee, which helps set the Democratic policy agenda, and leads the Future Forum, a group of 16 young Democratic Members of Congress focused on issues and opportunities for millennial Americans.

Keeping his promise to work across the aisle, Congressman Swalwell serves as co-chair of the United Solutions Caucus, a bipartisan group he co-founded in January 2013 comprised of first-term Members. The group continues to meet regularly to advance common-sense solutions and find ways to overcome the partisan divide.

Congressman Swalwell grew up and attended public schools in the East Bay.  He was the first person in his family to go to college, having earned a Division I soccer scholarship.  During college he worked as an unpaid intern in the office of his representative, Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher. He was a Capitol Hill intern on September 11, 2001– a day that strengthened his commitment to public service and inspired his first legislative achievement: creating a public-private college scholarship program for students who lost parents in the attacks. 

After earning undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Maryland, he returned to the East Bay to serve as a prosecutor in the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for seven years.  He also served as chairperson of the Dublin Heritage & Cultural Arts Commission, on the Dublin Planning Commission, and was elected to the Dublin City Council.

He is the oldest of four boys and son to Eric Sr., a retired police officer, and Vicky, who works as a secretary.