Since first being elected to Congress in 1997, Congressman Sherman has urged every President he’s served with, Democrats and Republicans alike, to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide, and has consistently introduced resolutions calling for formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide. On April 24th, 2021, President Joe Biden became the first U.S. President to formally recognize the Armenian genocide on it’s 106th anniversary.

Congressman Sherman has worked to secure $50 million in humanitarian assistance for Artsakh and an additional $100 million in U.S. support to the Armenian people. In addition, Congressman Sherman joined with over 60 of his colleagues to formally demand the suspension of all U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan, the cessation of Azerbaijani hostilities against the Armenian people, and a just end to the conflict. 

Congressman Sherman worked with Rep. Adam Schiff to introduce H.Res. 240 – Calling on Azerbaijan to immediately release all prisoners of war and captured civilians and has utilized his senior position on the Foreign Affairs Committee to help pass this resolution through Congress.

Congressman Sherman continues to be a tireless advocate for the defense of Israel in Congress. 

In May 2021, Congressman Sherman formally requested $500 million to ensure that critical missile defense programs for the defense of Israel are fully funded, such as the Arrow 3, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome systems. 

Congressman Sherman has tirelessly lobbied the Biden Administration to replenish the Iron Dome and helped pass a measure to secure supplemental funding for Israel’s missile defense, with overwhelming support in the House. Additionally, Congressman Sherman has fought to ensure that the $1 billion in Iron Dome replenishment funding to be included in the upcoming FY2022 appropriations bill. 

Congressman Sherman strongly supports the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Israel and the United States, committing $3.8 billion in annual defense assistance through 2028. He also supports Congress’s prerogative to appropriate more aid than the MOU calls for…Congressman Sherman also joined Rep. Schneider in introducing H.R. 849 – Guaranteeing Israel’s QME Act of 2020, which would require consultation with the government of Israel prior to the sale of any advanced weapon system to the region to ensure Israel maintains its strategic defense posture.

In 2007, Congressman Sherman introduced the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Act. Since then, Congress has provided $39.7 million for the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperative Agreement program, with matching funds provided by Israel, and the program has leveraged over $47 million in private sector investment since 2009. 

In April, Congressman Sherman formally requested $2 million from the House Appropriations Committee to continue implementation of the U.S.-Israel BIRD Homeland Security program and to facilitate further joint projects between the U.S. and Israel.

In 2015, Congressman Sherman was the first member of either party to speak on the floor against Congressional ratification of the Iran Nuclear Deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In the few years since the JCPOA went into force, Tehran has continuously violated the deal, harassed U.S. shipping in the region, and continued to arm and support terrorist groups. 

In March, Congressman Sherman also signed a letter to President Biden urging the Administration to address Iran’s wrongdoing outside of the nuclear arena.

In May 2022, Congressman Sherman cosponsored the Israel Relations Normalization Act which will strengthen and expand peace and normalization agreements in the region.

Congressman Sherman has consistently earned a nearly 100 percent rating from the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters based on his voting record in Congress. 

Congressman Sherman cosponsored of the Green New Deal when it was initially introduced in 2019 and has once again co-sponsored the Green New Deal in this Congress.  Sherman also co-sponsored the Climate Emergency Act, which will require the President to declare a national climate emergency and take further steps to quell the climate crisis. Finally, to prohibit the production of oil and national gas off the California coast, Congressman Sherman co-sponsored The West Coast Ocean Protection Act and co-sponsored the Water Recycling Investment and Improvement Act in order to increase federal funding for critical water reuse and recycling efforts.

Congressman Sherman has always been an forceful advocate of protecting our local environment, and he joined Rep. Adam Schiff in re-introducing The Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act (H.R. 1708), which would preserve the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and add over 191,000 acres of open space.

In addition to his efforts to end drilling off the California coast, Congressman Sherman has fought against polluters by helping introduce the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, which cracks down on fracking by empowering the Environmental Protection Agency to protect groundwater sources. He also joined Congresswoman Yvette Clarke to introduce the CLOSE Act, which closes loopholes in the Clean Air Act that allows polluters to evade emissions regulations by repealing the current exemption for oil and gas emissions and worked with Congressman Alan Lowenthal to introduce the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, which makes producers of single-use plastics financially responsible for collecting and recycling their products after consumer use, thus reducing plastic consumption and encouraging recycling efforts. 

Congressman Sherman has earned a 100% voting record rating from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, as well as other groups that actively fight against gun violence. Furthermore, Congressman Sherman has also been awarded an “F” grade by the NRA in the same regard. 

Congressman Sherman co-sponsored two recent bills, which both passed the House in March, in order to improve background check laws. The first of which is the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, a bill that would make background checks required for every kind of firearm sale, effectively closing the loopholes regarding gun shows and online gun stores. The second bill is the Enhanced Background Checks Act, which would increase the time that the FBI is given to conclude background checks, from three business days to ten. 

Congressman Sherman supports banning assault weapons, supporting the Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 and introducing the Automatic Gunfire Prevention Act, which would ban bump stocks, which are devices that can effectively enable a semi-automatic weapon to operate as a machine gun.

Congressman Sherman is a strong supporter of the Keeping Guns from High-Risk Individuals Act, which would prohibit individuals considered “high-risk” from owning or purchasing firearms. 

Congressman Sherman is a proud member of the Congressional Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQ) Equality Caucus, and has earned a voting record rating of 100% from the Human Rights Campaign pertaining to LGBTQ issues. 

Congressman Sherman, along with his colleagues, introduced House Resolution 1014 – Encouraging the celebration of the month of June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, which recognizes that LGBTQ+ rights are human rights, that every American should be treated with fairness and equality under the constitution, recognizes the struggle that the Stonewall and Compton’s Cafeteria protestors underwent, encourages the celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Month. 

In addition, Congressman Sherman introduced with his colleagues House Resolution 5 – the Equality Act which would alter federal statutes as a means of further protecting the LGBTQ+ community from prejudice in all walks of life, from housing, to employment, to education and beyond.

Congressman Sherman co-sponsored House Resolution 3114 – the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which would permit the Secretary of Health and Human Services to contain federal funding from these agencies if evidence of discrimination is discovered in their practices. 

In order to safeguard the LGBTQ+ community from housing discrimination, Congressman Sherman co-sponsored House Resolution 2402- the Fair and Equal Housing Act, which would provide non-discrimination protections by incorporating sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected characteristics with regard to the Fair Housing Act. 

Congressman Sherman’s voting record in Congress has been 100% consistent with the policies of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). 

Congressman Sherman and his colleagues were able to successfully pass an appropriations bill that allocates $98.5 billion for veterans’ healthcare, which is an 8% increase in comparison to 2021, of which $40 million would fund veterans’ healthcare in the San Fernando Valley alone. 

In September, Congressman Sherman assisted in the passing of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022. The bill includes a 2.7% raise in pay for active-duty military personnel, among other significant defense policy provisions. 

The West LA Veterans Affairs Campus plays an important role in supporting our veterans, so Congressman Sherman worked closely with his California colleagues in the House and Senate to pass the West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act, which was subsequently signed into law. The new law permits the VA to allocate land-use revenues as a means of further expanding housing and services for homeless veterans. 

Ensuring the mental health of our veterans if of paramount importance to Congressman Sherman. He supported The John Scott Hannon Act, which establishes a grant program as well as up to $750,000 in aid for local and state entities that provide services to veterans and veteran families specifically designed to prevent suicide. Additionally, this bill requires the VA to give all veterans who have transitioned from active duty mental health care for a period of one year. He also supported The COMPACT Act, which requires the VA to provide all veterans undergoing mental health crises with free care and establishes education programs designed to teach veteran families and caregivers how to most effectively care for the mental health of veterans. 

Congressman Sherman has been able to restore MRI services at the Sepulveda VA facility, which makes it possible for veterans in the valley to receive MRIs without having to travel to West L.A. Additionally, Congressman Sherman helped to pass legislation that gives nearly a million dollars to the Sepulveda VA facility for improvements.

Congressman Sherman has fought to convince the VA to revise a controversial lease agreement with housing developers in such a way that it would restrict developers from housing anyone except veterans on veteran’s land. Additionally, Congressman Sherman successfully convinced developers and the VA to move on incorporating 24-hour staffing, as well as preserving a “clean and sober” living environment for all tenants. 

• ASPCA 100% Rating – (2021 and 2022)

Congressman Sherman has consistently earned a 100% rating from the ASPCA and has been awarded the Humane Society’s Humane Champion Award fourteen consecutive years in a row.

• Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act – (2021 Only)

In January 2019, Congressman Sherman joined his colleagues in introducing and passing The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act into law, which bans “crush videos” that depict acts of extreme animal cruelty. 

• Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act – (2021 Only)

Congressman Sherman is a co-sponsor of the Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act of 2021, which would expand the power of law enforcement to better combat animal traffickers and thereby pave the way for further conservation and environmental efforts. 

• Prevent All Soring Tactics Act – (2021 and 2022)

Congressman Sherman joined his colleagues in introducing the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act of 2021, which would crack down on the cruel practice of soring–the act of deliberately causing pain to a horse’s leg or hooves to artificially exaggerate a horse’s gait. 

•  Humane Cosmetics Act – (2021 and 2022)

Congressman Sherman co-sponsored the Humane Cosmetics Act of 2021 which would phase out animal testing in the cosmetics industry and promote the sale of cruelty-free cosmetics. 

• Puppy Protection Act – (2022 Only)

Congressman Sherman co-sponsored the Puppy Protection Act, which requires commercial dog dealers to provide adequate care necessities for dogs under their care. It also requires breeders to utilize humane breeding practices and find permanent homes for retired breeding dogs.

•  Migratory Bird Protection Act – (2022 Only)

Congressman Sherman co-sponsored the Migratory Bird Protection Act, which holds companies accountable for large-scale “accidental” bird kills, such as those caused by oil spills, and further strengthens our country’s animal protection laws.