Brownley, Julia, 1952-

Julia Andrews Brownley (born August 28, 1952) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she has been the United States Representative for California's 26th congressional district since 2013.

Born in Aiken, South Carolina and raised in Virginia, she earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Mount Vernon College for Women of George Washington University in 1975 and a master's degree in business administration from American University in 1979. Brownley held several marketing positions with private businesses before beginning her career in public service in 1994, running for a seat on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education, serving there from 1994 to 2006. During her time on the school board, she served three terms as president. In 2006, she ran for the California State Assembly in California's 41st Assembly district. She served the maximum of three terms in the Assembly permitted under California law.

In February 2012, Brownley announced her candidacy for California's 26th congressional district, narrowly winning the seat in November. As Chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee, Brownley focuses on improving veterans’ access to mental and physical health care, improving services for female veterans, and helping servicemembers transition from the military to the VA health care system. In 2019, Brownley was appointed by the Speaker of the House to serve on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis because of her long career fighting at the forefront of environmental policy. She was a co-author of the Committee’s 2020 report, Solving the Climate Crisis: The Congressional Action Plan for a Clean Energy Economy and a Healthy and Just America, which was praised as “the most detailed and well-thought-out plan for addressing climate change that has ever been a part of US politics.” In 2021, Brownley joined the House Committee on Natural Resources where she serves on the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife. In Congress, Brownley has been an outspoken advocate for preserving the natural beauty of Ventura County and for ensuring our coastal communities are protected from the effects of climate change.