Amidst a historic snowstorm, Congress convened on Monday to count electoral college votes and certify President-elect Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. The process unfolded smoothly and without drama, lasting under 40 minutes and clearing the path for the Jan. 20 inauguration.
For new Rep. Derek Tran, D-Orange, it was a brief and orderly ceremony — but he said he knows the next two years in Congress will be anything but a cakewalk.
“I recognize that I’m coming in as the minority party,” said the freshman lawmaker. “We’ve got to make sure that we’re working with the Republicans to bring common sense bills.”
While he’s still getting used to his new role — and the starkly different weather — Tran says he’s bringing a deeply personal perspective to Congress, shaped by his lived experience as a veteran, small business owner and the son of refugees from Vietnam. He made history with his election as the first Vietnamese American from California to serve in the House, representing the 45th Congressional District.
Tran, an Army veteran, compared his approach to governing to his time in the military.
“When we’re in service, we don’t look at the soldier next to us as being a Republican or a Democrat,” Tran said in an interview on one of his first days in office. “We were mission-focused, and that’s the same type of mentality I’m bringing to the Capitol — working with those across the aisle to make sure that resources and funding are brought back to my district.”
Tran said he hasn’t finalized specific legislative proposals yet, but he’s focused on addressing priorities raised by his constituents. And he said his vision for his work in Congress is shaped by his experience as the child of refugees. Growing up poor in Section 8 housing and relying on food stamps and other government assistance programs, he said, greatly influenced his perspective on federal support systems.
“That’s something that is always going to be a part of who I am and how I believe in the government programs that helped us,” he said. “That’s something that I’m not looking to cut or take away, but look towards expanding to make sure that no one’s left behind in this country.”
During his campaign, Tran said he heard clear priorities from voters in his district. The economy was their top concern, followed by immigration and protecting access to reproductive health care.
As a small business owner and veteran, Tran said he’s asked to join the House Armed Services Committee and the Small Business Committee. Running a pharmacy with his wife in Anaheim, he said, gives him a personal connection to the challenges faced by small businesses — especially in the 45th District, which is home to many minority-owned businesses.
Committee assignments have not yet been finalized, and Tran’s are still pending.
While concerns over the economy and immigration resonate across California, U.S.-China relations stand out as a particularly pressing issue for the 45th District’s significant Vietnamese American voting bloc. During his campaign, Tran pledged to stand “firm against Chinese Communist rule” and “support measures to counter Chinese aggression and expansionism,” as well as decrease dependence on Chinese supply chains.
Acknowledging that some of his supporters, like his family, fled a communist regime in Vietnam and hold strong opposition to China, Tran emphasized the need for Congress to act against countries that “take away human rights.”
“Anytime you’re dealing with countries or nations that are dictatorships or communists … that’s something I will always stand up against,” he said. “Specifically when it comes to not just China, but Vietnam, where a lot of human rights violations are happening there, making sure that we as a nation continue to hold others accountable for their egregious actions when it comes to human rights.”
Tran said he’s also making it a priority to be back in the district, which spans Los Angeles and Orange counties, every weekend to stay connected with the constituents who elected him to Congress.
“It’s truly a privilege and an honor to be in this position, being able to not only be the first Vietnamese American representing the largest Vietnamese diaspora in Congress but being able to share my lived experiences — those of my family and the people of Little Saigon — with my colleagues here at the national level, what we went through, our cultural experiences, how much we contributed to America,” he said. “That’s part of our story.”
