Leading from California: U.S. Government Engagement and the Future of Global Health

The USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health invites you to join us for “Leading from California: U.S. Government Engagement and the Future of Global Health,” an in-person discussion with two Members of Congress from California on Tuesday, February 20th at 1:00 PM PST.

Global health — the practice of improving health for all people worldwide — is a major priority for the U.S. government. In an era rife with bitter bipartisan politics, hearing leaders from both major political parties discuss shared hopes and concerns for the future of global health is an opportunity not to be missed. 

Our guests, Rep. Young Kim (CA-40) and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) are both graduates of USC who will be appearing together as Members of Congress on the USC campus for the first time. This will be a lively conversation on key global health issues of concern to them, including child and maternal health, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and more. 

The dialogue will be moderated by IIGH Director Sofia Gruskin. 

The discussion is hosted by the USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health, with support from the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future and the Kyle House Group. 

Please join us on Tuesday, February 20th at 1:00 PM PST. 

Guidelines for the event:

• This event is only open to people with a valid USC ID. Please do not try to register if you do not hold a valid USC ID. Please bring your valid USC ID so that it can be checked when you arrive at the venue.
• Attendees are encouraged to arrive between 12:30 and 12:45 PM. All attendees must be checked in and seated prior to the start of the event at 1:00 PM. No one will be allowed to enter once doors are closed at 12:55 PM.

Speakers:

Congresswoman Young Kim is proud to represent California’s 40th District, which includes parts of Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

An immigrant, USC grad, small business owner, community leader, former California Assemblywoman, mother, and grandmother, Congresswoman Kim is proud to be one of the first Korean American women ever to serve in Congress and is fighting to help all Americans have the chance to achieve their dream just like she did.

In the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Kim serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee – where she serves as Chairwoman of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee and as a member of the Africa Subcommittee – and on the House Financial Services Committee – where she serves as Vice Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions and as a member of the Financial Institutions and Monetary Policy Subcommittee. Congresswoman Kim also serves as co-chair of the Women in STEM Caucus, the Financial Literacy and Wealth Creation Caucus, and the Maternity Care Caucus.

In her first term, Congresswoman Kim had nearly 30 bills pass out of the House of Representatives and more than a dozen signed into law. Her record was ranked among the most effective of members of Congress according to the Center for Effective Lawmaking, the Common Ground Committee, the Lugar Center and McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, and data by Quorum Analytics. She also received the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Legislative Action Award.

Congresswoman Kim and her husband Charles live in Anaheim Hills in CA-40 and are the proud parents of Christine, Kelly, Alvin and Hannah and grandparents of Mia and Caleb.

A fierce advocate for justice and families, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove is proudly representing California’s 37th Congressional District which covers a diverse area within Los Angeles County.

Born into a family of politically active creatives, Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove attended the University of Southern California as a political science major and member of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority. While she was at USC, the 1992 riots following the Rodney King verdict erupted. That catalytic event motivated Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove to work with Rebuild LA and the Los Angeles Festival, two nonprofit organizations that advanced job creation and public arts programs to restore broken communities.

Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove has spent her career advocating for communities and families. In 2013, Rep. Kamlager-Dove was appointed to the Los Angeles County Commission on Children and Families and in 2015, she was elected to the Los Angeles Community College Board. 

Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove successfully ran for California State Assembly in 2018 and California State Senate in 2021. While in the California State Legislature, Rep. Kamlager-Dove got her bill, the CRISES Act, signed into law. This law ​​provides for trained, community-led teams to respond to non-violent 911 calls – instead of police – making communities safer and saving lives. She also worked to establish the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program to help small business stay afloat, coauthored the Plastic Pollution Reduction Act which would reduce single-use plastic packaging in landfills by 75%, and authored the Affordable Prescription Drug act to procure low-cost medicine for Californians.

As a Freshman Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove carries with her the experience of serving the people of Los Angeles. She will always be a strong voice for justice and our most vulnerable community members.

Moderator:

Sofia Gruskin directs the USC Institute on Inequalities in Global Health (IIGH). She is Professor of Preventive Medicine and Chief of the Disease Prevention, Policy and Global Health Division at the Keck School of Medicine, and Professor of Law and Preventive Medicine at the Gould School of Law. Prof. Gruskin currently sits on numerous international boards and committees including the PEPFAR Scientific Advisory Board, the Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health, the IUSSP Steering Committee to Strengthen Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems, and the Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights. Prof. Gruskin has published extensively, including several books, training manuals and edited journal volumes, and more than 200 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics.