Congresswoman Judy Chu represents California’s 28th Congressional District, including Pasadena and communities throughout the west San Gabriel Valley.

A longtime public servant, she previously served on the Garvey School District Board, Monterey Park City Council, California State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization before being elected to Congress in 2009.

Chu brings significant experience on tax and economic policy through her service on the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal tax policy, Social Security, Medicare, and other major economic programs. Her work has also focused on expanding opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs, including bipartisan legislation to increase access to investment capital for small businesses.

Deeply engaged in the communities she represents, Chu has also been a leading voice in the recovery from the Eaton Fire, working to secure disaster assistance, tax relief, and resources for affected families and businesses across the San Gabriel Valley.

What role have credit unions played in your community, and what impact have you seen firsthand?

 Credit unions are vital to the success of families, students, teachers, and small businesses across the San Gabriel Valley. As member-owned institutions with deep roots in the communities they serve, they focus on helping individuals achieve their financial goals while reinvesting in the communities they serve.

Over the last year, I have seen this philosophy in action as our community has worked to recover from the Eaton Fire. The fire devastated Altadena and Pasadena, destroying 6,000 single-family homes and forcing so many of our small businesses to close their doors. In those first days and weeks after the fire broke out, when thousands of families had lost everything, credit unions were among the first to step up to support their members and help families and small businesses navigate the long road to recovery.

That didn’t surprise me, because I saw the same commitment during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) first launched, most of the loans went to the biggest firms with preexisting relationships with major banks. That’s why I fought for a $60 billion set-aside for smaller lenders and community financial institutions, including credit unions. The result was a success: these lenders reached the underserved businesses that had been left behind, delivering over 141,000 PPP loans totaling more than $8.5 billion.

Now, I am working to make sure that small businesses recovering from the Eaton Fire receive that same level of support. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved more than $2.3 billion for homes and businesses affected by the Los Angeles fires, but it is critical that the Trump Administration fulfill Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for federal disaster supplemental funding so that our communities can fully rebuild.

Rebuilding Altadena and Pasadena will take years, and it will take all of us. I am grateful to have credit unions as partners in that work, and I will keep fighting in Congress to make sure every survivor and small business affected by the Eaton Fire has the support they need to fully recover.

What community partnership or local initiative involving a credit union has impressed you recently?

I am always impressed by the partnerships credit unions have built to strengthen communities beyond traditional banking services. 

I was able to see this firsthand when the Pasadena Service Federal Credit Union opened a branch right inside John Muir High School! I remember attending the ribbon cutting for the “Mustang Branch,” and I was so excited to see a student-run credit union that not only helps students open accounts and gain valuable work experience, but also teaches them lifelong lessons about financial literacy.

This is just one example of the work credit unions do every day to invest in our young people, improve financial literacy, and empower members of our communities to succeed.

What opportunities do you see for credit unions to partner with government and community organizations to address challenges facing Californians?

California families continue to face significant challenges with affordability, housing costs, access to capital, and economic uncertainty. Credit unions are uniquely positioned to help address these challenges because of their strong local presence and commitment to serving their members.

The San Gabriel Valley is home to so many incredible small businesses, and I have made it a priority in Congress to advocate for their success. One of the greatest challenges small businesses face is access to affordable capital, particularly for entrepreneurs who have historically struggled to qualify for traditional financing. That’s where community-based lenders like credit unions can make a real difference.

We saw that during the pandemic, when credit unions and other community lenders stepped up to help small businesses access the Paycheck Protection Program, and we have seen that commitment again as our communities recover from the Eaton Fire.

I want to build on these successes by strengthening federal small business lending programs so more entrepreneurs can access the capital they need. Far too many veterans, women, rural business owners, and people of color have trouble qualifying for a traditional SBA loan. That’s why I am working to make the SBA’s Community Advantage loan program permanent. The program relies on mission-based lenders that provide both flexible access to capital and the technical assistance that helps small businesses succeed.

Credit unions share that same commitment to investing in the communities they serve. That is why I am always glad to meet with credit unions in my district and Washington, D.C. offices to hear about the issues they face and how we can better support them, and I look forward to continuing to work together to make sure every small business and entrepreneur has a fair shot at success.

What inspired you to pursue public service, and what keeps you motivated today?

I actually never imagined that I would run for office. Growing up, I simply did not see people who looked like me in those positions. But when an anti-immigrant English-only movement emerged in my hometown of Monterey Park, I knew I had to do something.

There were efforts to ban non-English signs on stores and non-English books in the library, and ultimately to declare that only English could be spoken in the city. That simply was not right, so I joined with others in my community to build a multiethnic coalition that successfully fought back. Through that experience, I saw how much it mattered to have elected leaders who actually reflect and stand up for the community they represent. That is what inspired me to run for office myself.

What keeps me motivated today is the same belief that first brought me into public service: everyone deserves to have a voice and to know that their government is working for them. Whether it is supporting small businesses, fighting for working families, expanding access to health care, or helping communities recover from the Eaton Fire, I remain focused on improving the lives of the people I represent and making sure their voices are heard in Washington.

What is one hobby that might surprise your constituents?

Many people know me through my work in Congress, but before entering public service, I spent many years teaching psychology at a community college. I still enjoy opportunities to learn, teach, and connect with students and young people whenever possible.

I also love trying new restaurants and discovering new places to eat. And I am very lucky to represent the San Gabriel Valley, which has some of the best and most diverse food anywhere in the country!

I especially love supporting our local restaurants and small businesses. They are such an important part of what makes our communities unique, and there is always somewhere new to try.