County. She voted against requiring face coverings for retail employees and opposed mask mandates in public schools. She questioned masks' efficacy in preventing the virus spread. On September 15, 2020, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved plans that could lead to increased private jet traffic at John Wayne Airport. Steel was criticized by her Democratic opponent, Harley Rouda, for taking campaign contributions from ACI Jet, the corporation that was awarded the contract. Steel and her husband Shawn supported the 2020-21 recall initiative against California Governor Gavin Newsom and endorsed Larry Elder to replace him. U.S. House of Representatives Elections 2020 In 2020, Steel ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in California's 48th congressional district. She received 34.9% of the vote to advance from the primary and defeated incumbent Democrat Harley Rouda in the November 3 general election with 51.1% of the vote. Steel raised $200,000 more than Rouda. During her campaign, Steel spoke out against COVID-19 mask mandates. Her platform included opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and the creation of a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. A conservative, she aligned herself with President Donald Trump. 2022 On December 23, 2021, Steel announced that she would run in California's 45th congressional district in 2022 due to redistricting. She was endorsed by Kevin McCarthy, Young Kim, Ken Calvert, Mimi Walters, Andrew Do, and the Republican Party of Orange County. Steel defeated Democratic nominee Jay Chen in the November 8, 2022, general election. Tenure Along with several other Republican U.S. House freshmen, Steel is a member of the Freedom Force, an informal group styled as a Republican counterpart to the Democratic group The Squad. Steel tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2021. She referenced her own mild symptoms from her bout with COVID to advocate for opening up schools and businesses. Due to her COVID-19 quarantine, Steel missed voting on the certification of Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. She voted against the second impeachment of Donald Trump on January 13, 2021. In early February 2021, Steel called for the reopening of schools in California. On February 25, 2021, Steel voted against the Equality Act, a bill that would prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation by amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Fair Housing Act to explicitly include new protections. On February 27, 2021, Steel voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a