Jeffrey Epstein victim, undocumented immigrants on Bay Area lawmakers’ SOTU list

February 04, 2020

WASHINGTON — Undocumented immigrants, a sexual assault victim of Jeffrey Epstein, an antiwar activist.

Several lawmakers from the Bay Area are making undeniably political statements with the guests they’ve invited to attend President Trump’s third State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Per tradition, senators and members of the House invite guests to sit in the House gallery for the president’s annual speech. Often, the guests are friends, spouses or supporters. But sometimes, their presence is an act of protest in itself.

For Trump’s address, which he will deliver starting at 6 p.m. PST, lawmakers from the Bay Area have invited:

• Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.: Elder Joseph Paul, Jr., an ordained minister and former inmate who works as a reentry professional in the Los-Angeles area. He counsels ex-offenders about how to adjust to life outside prison and avoid repeat offenses.

“I was proud to work with him during my time as attorney general of California and witness firsthand how his path has inspired so many,” Harris said in a statement.

• Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.: Her husband, Richard Blum, a wealthy investment banker and philanthropist. He founded the San Francisco firm Blum Capital in 1975 and has been married to Feinstein since 1980.

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, is expected to announce her guests by early Tuesday afternoon.

• Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord: Isabel Bueso, a woman with a disability who previously faced deportation to Guatemala under Trump’s policies. She has been granted deferred action to remain in the United States for at least two more years to receive medical care for a rare genetic disorder.

“Isabel is one of my personal heroes and she deserves to stay in this country,” DeSaulnier said in a statement.

• Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael: Ernie Bergman, a Vietnam War veteran, antiwar activist and retired financial planner. Bergman is president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Marin County Chapter.

“His experience of combat, and his work with students in the decades since, has led him to be a thoughtful counterpoint to President Trump’s careless and dangerous treatment of our military,” Huffman said in a statement.

• Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont: The Rev. Jethroe Moore II, a longtime civil-rights leader and president of the San Jose/Silicon Valley chapter of the NAACP.

“From his advocacy for greater access for Black Americans to the technology jobs of the future, to his efforts to tackle police brutality, Rev. Moore has done incredible work across the South Bay,” Khanna said in a statement.

• Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland: Sherry Hirota, chief executive officer of Asian Health Services, an Oakland nonprofit that works to expand health-care access among low-income and minority communities.

“Sherry has committed her life to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their race, gender, income, or immigration status, has access to quality, affordable health care,” Lee said in a statement.

• Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose: A constituent from her South Bay district. Lofgren’s office declined to name the person or provide their occupation.

• Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley: Pablo Martinez, a former farmworker who grew up working alongside his parents in the fields of California’s Central Coast. Martinez, who is undocumented, supports legislation by Panetta to give legal status to many agricultural workers.

“Every strawberry you eat and every head of lettuce you buy was hand-picked by a farmworker,” Martinez said in a statement.

• Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo: Courtney Wild, a victim of Epstein, the convicted sex offender who hanged himself in his jail cell last year. Speier has proposed legislation, named after Wild, to ensure that victims of federal crimes can give input on plea agreements and other case developments.

“By attending this year’s SOTU as my distinguished guest, Courtney is helping me send a clear message that women are done with being treated as second-class citizens in our own country,” Speier said in a statement.

Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner


By:  Dustin Gardiner
Source: San Francisco Chronicle