Jay Chen

Jay Chen has served in the U.S. Navy Reserve and reached the rank of lieutenant commander. Chen's career experience includes owning a real estate business.[1] He earned a degree from Harvard University in 2001.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Lieutenant Commander Jay Chen is a Navy Reserve Intelligence Officer, small businessowner, and a father of two. Jay is running for Congress to help working families in Orange County get ahead.

Jay Chen is the son of immigrants from Taiwan who came to America for a chance to live the American Dream. Jay learned the value of hard work by helping his parents’ small business. As a small businessowner himself, Jay knows firsthand the challenges facing local businesses. In Congress, he will ensure American small businesses get the help they need to stay open, work to lower taxes on the middle class, and he will take on big corporations that are price-gouging consumers and causing inflation.

Every child deserves a quality education. Jay Chen went to public schools, worked hard, and earned a scholarship to attend Harvard. He served on the School Board and is a Community College Trustee for Mount San Antonio Community College – helping students afford college and obtain skills training to get a good job. Local teachers support Jay Chen because they trust him to strengthen local schools.

Lieutenant Commander Jay Chen joined the Navy to serve his country, and holds a Top Secret security clearance. Jay has defended our freedoms, leading an intelligence team in the counterterrorism fight against ISIS in the Middle East and countering communist North Korean threats in Asia. Veterans groups back Jay because they know he will always put America first.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Jay's top priority is tackling inflation and improving our economy by fixing our supply chains and bringing manufacturing back to the United States. Jay knows that maintaining roads and bridges and modernizing transit and railway systems creates good local jobs and is a critical investment in our future. Investing in America’s infrastructure is the best way to improve and create sustainable, clean transportation options for millions of Americans who commute daily while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and gridlock. Jay will work to improve transportation options and tackle traffic bottlenecks so that Southern California residents can spend more time with their families and less time on the road.As a community college trustee and former school board member, Jay is committed to expanding educational opportunities for all. In Congress Jay will work to ensure that local public schools receive the resources and funding they need to reduce class sizes, invest in STEM programs, and hire exceptional teachers. He knows we can do better by investing in neighborhood schools to guarantee all children have equal access to a quality education. Jay will also support the expansion of early childhood education. A child’s future prospects should not depend upon the zip code that they grow up in. Jay is committed to creating safe and supportive school environments for students and educators.As a Lieutenant Commander in the US Naval Reserves, Jay understands the importance of supporting our veterans, those currently serving, and their families. The men and women who have fought for our country deserve the best healthcare and support services. That’s why in Congress Jay will work to streamline the VA, make it easier for younger veterans to enter the system, ensure quicker access to treatment, and make sure that all veterans can access the health care they deserve. One homeless veteran is one too many. We must support and fund programs that ensure housing for the men and women who have given so much to serve and protect our country. Jay supports expanding mental health and suicide prevention services for all those who served.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Jay believes that reproductive rights should be protected at all cost and health care decisions should be made between a woman and her doctor, without interference from politicians. Attacks on Roe vs Wade and the right to an abortion endangers the health and safety of women across the country. All women should have the right and ability to safely end an unintended pregnancy.

In Congress Jay will support legislation to expand funding for reproductive healthcare services like Planned Parenthood as well as services that provide preventative health care, education and access to contraceptives. This is critical for achieving gender equity.

Jay will fight to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act which aims to increase pay equity along gender and racial lines. He will work to ensure that every family has the security to take the time they need to care for their loved ones by promoting paid family leave, and that all parents can return to work through the expansion of childcare options.

Campaign website

Chen's campaign website stated the following:

INFRASTRUCTURE

Jay knows that maintaining roads and bridges and modernizing transit and railway systems creates good local jobs and is a critical investment in our future. Investing in America’s infrastructure is the best way to improve and create sustainable, clean transportation options for millions of Americans who commute daily while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and gridlock.

Jay will work to improve transportation options and tackle traffic bottlenecks so that Southern California residents can spend more time with their families and less time on the road. He will also ensure that our infrastructure dollars are not just used to widen freeways, but will expand public transit, bike, and pedestrian pathways as well.

Our reliance on lead pipes and service lines has gone on far too long. Millions of Americans go without clean drinking water including 400,000 schools and childcare facilities. In Congress Jay will fight to replace these pipes and work to ensure every child has clean drinking water.

EDUCATION

As a community college trustee and former school board member, Jay is committed to expanding educational opportunities for all. In Congress Jay will work to ensure that local public schools receive the resources and funding they need to reduce class sizes, invest in STEM programs, and hire exceptional teachers. He knows we can do better by investing in neighborhood schools to guarantee all children have equal access to a quality education. Jay will also support the expansion of early childhood education. A child’s future prospects should not depend upon the zip code that they grow up in.

Jay is committed to creating safe and supportive school environments for students and educators. He will work across the aisle to invest in education so our schools can safely remain open. Jay will work hard to ensure all students have a safe, healthy school environment.

Jay believes the path to higher education should be more equitable and attainable for any person seeking a college education. Jay supports efforts to make college more affordable and accessible to everyone, no matter their background or income level.

VETERAN SERVICES

As a Lieutenant Commander in the US Naval Reserves, Jay understands the importance of supporting our veterans, those currently serving, and their families.

The men and women who have fought for our country deserve the best healthcare and support services. That’s why in Congress Jay will work to streamline the VA, make it easier for younger veterans to enter the system, ensure quicker access to treatment, and make sure that all veterans can access the health care they deserve.

One homeless veteran is one too many. We must support and fund programs that ensure housing for the men and women who have given so much to serve and protect our country. Jay supports expanding mental health and suicide prevention services for all those who sacrifice for our country.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS

Jay believes that reproductive rights should be protected at all cost and health care decisions should be made between a woman and her doctor, without interference from politicians. Attacks on Roe vs Wade and the right to an abortion endangers the health and safety of women across the country. All women should have the right and ability to safely end an unintended pregnancy.

In Congress Jay will support legislation to expand funding for reproductive healthcare services like Planned Parenthood as well as services that provide preventative health care, education and access to contraceptives. This is critical for achieving gender equity.

Jay will fight to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act which aims to increase pay equity along gender and racial lines. He will work to ensure that every family has the security to take the time they need to care for their loved ones by promoting paid family leave, and that all parents can return to work through the expansion of childcare options.

SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT

Small businesses are the fabric of our community. Jay grew up helping with his family’s small business and he is a small business owner himself; he knows these businesses have been hit the hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic and continue to struggle to keep their doors open amidst changing regulations.

In Congress Jay will increase programs that assist small businesses in obtaining the resources they need to stay open in their communities. He will also support efforts to streamline the opening of new businesses and fight for policies that make it more attractive for entrepreneurs to grow their companies here in California.

HUMAN RIGHTS & DEMOCRACY

Jay led an intelligence team in the fight against the terrorist group ISIS and understands the critical role the United States plays as a beacon of democracy and as a leader on human rights. He also saw firsthand the damage done to our credibility when allies were shunned and autocrats were courted by the last administration.

We must restore our standing in the world and among our allies by upholding human rights and democratic principles here at home, by honoring our commitments to our international partners, and by holding to account those who abuse human rights and flout international law. As a member of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet, he is proud to be part of the military command ensuring security for our democratic allies in the Western Pacific.

At home, the right to vote must be protected at all cost. When voters are suppressed and disenfranchised the soul of our democracy is threatened. In Congress Jay will work to pass legislation that strengthens voting rights, fights discriminatory policies, and bolsters public confidence in our democratic system.

TACKLING RISING COSTS

Jay knows that even small price increases of everyday goods can be difficult for families’ budgets and is committed to lowering costs for working Americans.

The United States must work to reduce prices while rebuilding our country and creating millions of good-paying jobs in the process.

HEALTHCARE

Every American deserves quality affordable and accessible health care with lower out-of-pocket expenses and premiums. By expanding and investing in healthcare coverage we can improve it instead of dismantling it, and protect Americans with pre-existing conditions. No family should ever have to make the choice between paying an emergency medical bill or putting food on the table. In Congress ensuring that every American has quality affordable coverage will be my top priority.

The United States spends more money on healthcare than almost any other country in the world and we have little to show for it. If we want this to change, we must reduce hospital and pharmaceutical costs through managed competition and create a public option to lower costs and compete with private insurance.

As the child of Taiwanese immigrants who escaped martial law and worked hard to make the U.S. their home, it is inconceivable that Americans often must leave this country to obtain more affordable healthcare services abroad. The United States is the greatest country in the world and we can and must do better.[5]

—Jay Chen's campaign website (2022)[6]

Jay Chen did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Chen's campaign website listed the following issues:[7]

Work with all parties to solve problems

Excerpt: "and get the results we need from Washington to restore America back to its place in the world. We need to adhere to no ideology other than a commitment to move America forward and establish a more prosperous and exceptional country for our next generation."

Create jobs now

Excerpt: "by giving tax credits to companies that bring jobs and earnings back to the United States. As a congressman, I would support our main drivers of economic growth and employment, small businesses, by providing tax credits to encourage the hiring of more workers."

Prepare our children to compete in the global economy

Excerpt: "by incorporating computer science and foreign language classes into the standard curriculum. We need to upgrade our education system so that it meets the demands of an era defined by technology and globalization, and that means treating coding as reverentially as arithmetic, and expecting that all of our students can converse in a critical foreign language."

Make higher education more accessible

Excerpt: "by reinvesting in our universities and by allowing students to reduce educational debt through service-oriented careers after graduation. U.S. universities are becoming too expensive for our own students to attend, and more and more admissions are being given to foreign students."

Honor the courage and sacrifice of our veterans

Excerpt: "by providing them the job opportunities and health care they deserve when they return home, and by reallocating defense spending from costly, ineffective, and outdated weapons programs back to training and developing our service members."