Previously the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior in the Clinton Administration, Rep. Garamendi was elected to the House in 2009, where he represents parts of the Bay Area.
A member of the Committee on Armed Services, Garamendi was highly critical of Donald Trump’s foreign policy, especially his escalatory actions following the US withdrawal from President Obama's Iran deal, which verifiably blocked Iran's path to nuclear weapons. Garamendi is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, as well as the Blue Collar Caucus.
Rep. Garamendi is a close ally of J Street.
He is an outspoken proponent of US leadership in the international community and a strong supporter of Israel and a two-state solution. He was one of the earliest cosponsors of H.R. 326, which reaffirmed Congress’s commitment to the two-state solution and opposed settlement expansion and annexation.