Ted Lieu
A sharp-witted constitutional lawyer turned congressman, he brings a tech-savvy and unflinching voice to debates on civil liberties and democracy.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American politician·Birthday: March 29·Generation X
Biography
Ted Lieu's story is a classic American narrative, forged through service and the law. Born in Taiwan in 1969, he immigrated to Ohio as a child, worked at his parents' gift shops, and found his path through the U.S. Air Force ROTC program at Stanford. He served as an active-duty JAG officer for four years, remaining in the reserves and rising to the rank of Colonel, a background that informs his nuanced perspective on national security. After his military service, he built a career as a civil rights attorney and then in California politics, serving in the State Assembly and Senate. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014, Lieu quickly established himself as a strategic and media-aware operator. He serves on the powerful Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees, where his legal precision and fluency in technology issues—from net neutrality to AI regulation—make him a key Democratic voice. He is also known for his adept use of social media to distill complex arguments, often with a dose of pointed wit.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ted was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ted Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Ted's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as an active-duty attorney in the U.S. Air Force and achieved the rank of Colonel in the Reserves.
- Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he serves on the Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees.
- Co-chaired the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, advocating for strengthened U.S.-Taiwan relations.
- Authored the first bill in Congress to regulate artificial intelligence, the 'AI Job Loss Mitigation Act.'
Did You Know?
He is one of only a handful of members of Congress who are immigrants.
He is a prolific user of Twitter (now X), known for his threaded legal and political commentary.
He earned his law degree from Georgetown University, graduating magna cum laude.
He is a certified computer programmer, having taken courses at Los Angeles City College.
“I did not leave the Republican Party. The Republican Party left me and left America.”
