In 1992, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard became the first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress. She has distinguished herself throughout her 30-year congressional career as a dedicated advocate for the dignity and well-being of all Americans. The congresswoman is the first Latina to serve on the Appropriations Committee in the House of Representatives as well as the first Latina to serve as one of the 12 “Cardinals,” or Chairs, of a House Appropriations Subcommittee. She is the first woman to chair the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the first woman to chair the California Democratic congressional delegation. She is a founding co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Maternity Care, founder of the Women’s Working Group on Immigration Reform and a co-founder of the Congressional Public Health Caucus.
One of my priorities in Congress has been to fight for better treatment of animals everywhere – in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild.
I successfully led the effort to end the U.S. Coast Guard’s use of live tissue training, in which live animals were used for medical instruction for Coast Guard personnel – a practice which was cruel and unnecessary, given that state-of-the-art interactive human simulators are a less costly, more effective, and more humane way of teaching emergency medical care practices.
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have pressured the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to stop using Class B animal dealers to acquire cats and dogs for research studies, and I successfully directed the Agriculture Department to stop licensing these dealers. Unlike reputable Class A dealers who are specifically licensed to breed and sell animals needed for research, Class B dealers buy animals from “random sources.” Those animals include false-pretense adoptions from animal shelters, stolen pets, illegally trapped strays, and animals sold by pet owners who are misled about why the cats and dogs are being acquired.
Another major focus of my animal welfare work has been the ethical treatment of primates in research. I was instrumental in compelling the NIH to stop experiments in which infant monkeys were taken away from their mothers at birth and intentionally psychologically traumatized. I have also worked hard to encourage the timely retirement of chimpanzees from research laboratories to a federally owned primate sanctuary.
I am grateful to have received the first-ever Courage in Leadership Award from PETA for my work on behalf of the humane treatment of animals, particularly my efforts to improve accountability for animal welfare and to put a stop to wasteful government spending that exploits animals. In addition, I am proud to have been honored by the Humane Society of the United States with three Legislative Leader awards, two Humane Advocate awards, and a Humane Champion Award. I have also received perfect scores on the Humane Society’s Humane Scorecard and the Animal Welfare Institute Compassion Index. Additionally, I have been awarded an inaugural Congressional Waste Warrior Award from the White Coat Waste Project for my work to prevent cruel and wasteful experiments on animals.
The federal budget process lays out the priorities and framework for federal spending and federal revenue collection. Every year, Congress decides how much to spend on everything from our military and veterans to school lunch programs and national parks. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I fight for funding in the federal budget process that will create a prosperous economy for all Americans and strengthen our country in the decades to come. My priorities include investments in the areas that matter most to the people of Los Angeles County, including education, healthcare, national security, transportation, job training, and energy and water conservation.
Even as some of the country has recovered from the Great Recession, the recovery has been uneven. Many families in California continue to struggle to make ends meet, and much work remains to be done to help them. A fair budget can help level the playing field, put millions of Americans back to work, and grow our economy from the bottom up.
Growing up as a Latina in Boyle Heights, I witnessed racial, economic, and gender-based discrimination that shaped my values and my commitment to public service. Those experiences contributed to my passion for fighting in Congress to defend the civil rights of all Americans, particularly the most marginalized.
I strongly support federal efforts to expand opportunities for women and minorities, and to protect the rights of all Americans under the law. Despite the great strides our country has taken, too many Americans continue to experience violations of their civil and human rights. Too often, minorities are targeted by discriminatory laws that deter them from voting, women are still paid significantly less than their male counterparts, and people of color are disproportionately subject to use of force by police.
As the first Mexican-American congresswoman, a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and an associate member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I will keep fighting for policies that close the achievement gap, reduce systemic racism, and preserve Americans’ right to participate in our democratic process. As a member of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, I will continue advocating for the rights and dignity of our LGBTQ community.
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We must do everything we can to prepare our students to compete in the 21st century economy. As Vice Chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, I am committed to fighting for the education funding that our schools need to help students graduate and continue on to college if they desire. That is why I advocate for robust funding for federal programs like Head Start, Title I School Improvement Grants, the Title IV Student Support and Academic Enrichment Block Grant, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. I also support giving students greater opportunities to pursue a higher education by funding financial assistance programs such as Pell Grants, and increasing the flexibility of when these grants can be used. In 2017, I helped to lead the successful fight to restore year-round Pell Grant funding. |
Environmental stewardship remains one of the federal government’s most important responsibilities. How we care for our environment will have profound impacts on future generations of Angelenos and all Americans. That is why Congress must strengthen our nation’s efforts to clean our air, clean our water, and preserve our natural resources.
From my position on the House Appropriations Committee, I have sought robust investments in clean and renewable energies. These investments not only support the advancement of critical green technologies, but also programs that help our families and communities transition to a 21st-century green economy. In addition, I have been leading the efforts in Congress to revitalize the Los Angeles River, so that we can make it a more environmentally friendly green space with parks, trails, and commerce, while maintaining its historic flood control function. (See my Los Angeles River Revitalization issue page for more information.)
I also strongly support congressional action to put America at the forefront of the worldwide effort to fight climate change. If left unchecked, climate change will have disastrous consequences for future generations. We must take all necessary steps to prevent those consequences.
The United States spends more than $3 trillion dollars each year on health care – by far the most of any country in the world. Yet, despite these expenditures, Americans are dying younger, and have higher rates of infant mortality and preventable deaths, than people in many other economically prosperous and developing countries. Tragically, our nation’s premature deaths and preventable illnesses disproportionately impact our minority and economically vulnerable communities.
I believe that we have a moral imperative to ensure that all Americans have access to high quality, comprehensive, affordable, and accessible healthcare. That belief has guided my work on health policy in Congress.
I was proud to support the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was a historic step in improving our nation’s health. It expanded access to health care for over sixteen million Americans, invested in prevention and wellness initiatives, and improved the quality of care across health plans. I worked hard to ensure that public health and wellness provisions were included in this legislation, and will keep advocating for policies that strengthen and expand on the ACA.
Currently, as Vice Chair of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, I fight for robust investments in community health centers, funding to expand access to mental health care, and adequate support to expand the size and diversity of our health care workforce. I support increased funding for biomedical research, so that we can finally find cures for devastating illnesses like Alzheimer’s and cancer. I also advocate for critical investments in studies that ensure patient safety and cost-effective health care.
During my tenure as your congresswoman, I have proudly championed bills to protect the health of women, infants, children, and adolescents:
• My Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act ensures the highest quality standards in screening for treatable genetic disorders. It first became law in 2008, and it was reauthorized in 2014. My law has helped to save the lives of thousands of babies by testing them for cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and other serious diseases.
• My Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) Act, passed in 2006 and reauthorized in 2016, was the first comprehensive federal legislation to address the public health crisis of underage drinking in this country. It established an interagency coordinating committee to address underage drinking; a parent-focused media campaign; federal research on underage drinking prevention; and the creation of community grants to fight underage drinking. The STOP Act’s policies have been instrumental in reducing underage drinking and its consequences.
• My Folic Acid Promotion and Birth Defects Prevention Act, which became law as part of the Children’s Health Act of 2000, created folic acid education programs across the country to teach women about the importance of folic acid supplements in preventing neural tube birth defects like spina bifida. Unfortunately, Hispanic women were left at higher risk of these preventable birth defects, because corn masa flour, the staple grain in the diet of most individuals of Hispanic descent, was not fortified with folic acid. I advocated to change this practice, and I am proud to say that the food company Gruma, the largest producer of corn masa flour, finally introduced its first fortified corn masa products in 2016.
• I co-introduced The Improving Access to Maternity Care Act, which was passed into law in 2018. The law increases government data collection to help place maternity care health professionals in geographic regions which have a shortage of health professionals.
I also believe we must do more to ensure that no one’s life expectancy is determined by the color of their skin, or the zip code in which they are born. This belief guided my six years of work as Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Health Taskforce, including my drafting and introduction of the 113th Congress’ Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA). The HEAA bill offered a comprehensive blueprint to achieve health equity among minority and underserved populations, and all Americans.
As Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Public Health Caucus, I advocate for evidence-based community public health and wellness programs. According to the CDC, chronic diseases (including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and obesity) are responsible for 7 of 10 U.S. deaths each year, and treatments for these chronic diseases account for 86% of our nation’s health care costs. I support investments in prevention that save lives and money.
I am also Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Maternity Care, which addresses disturbing maternity care statistics in this country. The U.S. spends significantly more per capita on childbirth than any other industrialized nation, with cumulative costs estimated at well over $50 billion. However, despite this investment, America continues to rank far behind almost all other developed countries in birth outcomes for both mothers and babies, and the risk for poor outcomes is considerably worse in communities of color. The Maternity Care Caucus supports policy solutions to advance safe and effective maternity care for all mothers and babies in this country. I will keep fighting to make evidence-based maternity care a national priority so that we can give all babies the best chance for a healthy start in life and bend the cost curve of childbirth expenditures.
As the Chairwoman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, I am fighting to ensure our homeland security personnel have the resources and guidance they need to keep our country safe against all threats, manmade and natural, and to treat immigrants humanely and with dignity and respect. Through this position, I have worked to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security’s diverse agencies are properly funded, and that this funding helps to meet the needs of state and local first responders.
I also continue to fight for greater federal resources to address Los Angeles’ unique vulnerabilities. The city faces the constant threat of natural disasters from deadly earthquakes to destructive wild fires. In addition, LA is home to America’s largest port complex and one of its busiest international airports. I will keep pushing for funds that will help LA and California build their capabilities to mitigate, respond to, and recover from disasters.
In addition, I am advocating for fair and just bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform which focuses on deporting those who threaten national security, and better secures our borders. I strongly believe we can effectively defend the homeland while respecting the civil liberties of all individuals. Mitigating terrorist threats doesn’t require measures that are inconsistent with our oldest democratic traditions. I remain convinced that we can protect our country without violating people’s rights or compromising our ideals.
I am also fighting for investments in the Coast Guard’s air and marine fleets, including much-needed funding for its first heavy icebreaker in 40 years.
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I strongly support increased funding for affordable housing programs that provide shelter and services to those in difficult economic circumstances. I have also worked over the years to provide critical federal resources to local non-profits that assist homeless men, women, and children in our communities.
The nation’s foreclosure crisis hit homeowners in the Los Angeles metropolitan area particularly hard. I have been working with my congressional colleagues to help families stay in their homes, and to help revitalize our communities that have been impacted by the crisis.
If you, or someone you know, is in danger of foreclosure and needs assistance, please contact LA County NeighborWorks at (888) 895-2647 for counseling services, or visit them online at http://www.nhslacounty.org/programs-and-services.
The United States is a nation of immigrants. Historically, people have come to the U.S. to find relief from religious, political, and economic oppression, and our country has benefited greatly from their contributions. Immigrants are business owners, teachers, first responders, caretakers, and more. They enrich the diverse fabric of our country and help grow our economy.
Regrettably, our current immigration system is broken and in desperate need of comprehensive reform. The current system ignores the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, fails to attract and retain workers needed to keep our country competitive, and is stuck with lengthy immigration visa backlogs that are an obstacle in reuniting Americans with their loved ones living abroad.
With an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States and a range of industries heavily dependent on their services, our immigration challenges cannot be solved through tougher enforcement measures alone. We need a common-sense solution – one that provides a pathway to legalization for those already in this country, and a sensible guest worker program for those seeking to come here. Under the comprehensive immigration reform proposals I support, immigrants who undergo a rigorous background check, learn English, pay any back taxes they owe, and demonstrate strong moral character would eventually be eligible to earn the rights and responsibilities of American citizenship.
With those values in mind, I have introduced legislation to specifically address some of our immigration system’s most egregious shortcomings. For example, I was the original co-author of the Dream Act, along with former Congressmen Howard Berman and Chris Cannon. This legislation would enable millions of undocumented young people to fulfill their God-given potential, give back to their communities, and ultimately obtain U.S. citizenship. It would also serve our national interest by reducing the deficit, contributing to our country’s economic growth, and enabling our armed services to meet their recruiting goals. I have introduced the newest version of this bill as HR 6, The Dream and Promise Act, which includes protections and a path to citizenship not just for Dreamers, but for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) beneficiaries as well. The House passed this legislation as one of the Democratic priority bills on June 4, 2019. The bill awaits action in the U.S. Senate.
In addition, I have authored or co-authored several bills to support humane treatment of immigrant families and children. These include The Protect Family Values at the Border Act, to require basic humane treatment standards for immigrants in Customs and Border Protection custody; The Help Separated Families Act, to help keep children of detained or deported parents united with their families; The Child Trafficking Victims Protection and Welfare Act, to expand protections for vulnerable children in the custody of Customs and Border Protection; and The HELP Separated Children Act, to protect the safety and well-being of minor children who have been left alone and vulnerable following the arrests or detainment of their parents by U.S. immigration authorities.
I also created the Women’s Working Group on Immigration Reform, whose core mission is to ensure that women and children's voices are also included in immigration reform. The Women’s Working Group brings together women in Congress and groups advocating for women’s rights to address the unique challenges women face in our immigration system.
It is well past time to fix our broken immigration system. I will continue to fight for a system that treats citizens and noncitizens fairly, and that keeps families together.
From sea to shining sea, Americans work hard every day to protect their economic stability. While the United States economy has shown signs of recovery from the 2008 collapse, millions are still unemployed, homeownership is not attainable enough, and working people struggle to sustain their families. Our economy is off-balance, with too much wealth in the hands of too few. During these uncertain economic times, I support policies that provide a fair return on work and help families to make a good living and have a good life.
Congress must support workforce training programs and expand workers’ opportunities for education and skills training, so that they will be prepared for high-paying 21st-century careers. As Vice Chair of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, I have advocated for federal funding for worker safety programs, apprenticeships, and other workforce development grants. By assisting employers in recruiting and hiring skilled workers, these programs support the development of a competitive workforce, spur innovation, and attract business investment. We must also take action to increase wages, promote equal pay for women and minorities, provide paid family leave and adequate health care coverage, and ensure that our labor laws protect our workers from harm.
I also support improving conditions for American businesses to manufacture products and create jobs. The “Make It In America” agenda proposed by House Democrats will help to create better work opportunities, produce more goods here at home, and maintain America’s competitive edge. Since 2010, sixteen “Make It In America” bills have been signed into law, including legislation to cut taxes and provide loans for small businesses, speed up the patent process, train skilled workers, and end tax loopholes that encourage companies to ship jobs overseas.
Finally, I am leading the fight in Congress to support American workers who are victims of domestic and sexual abuse. My Security and Financial Empowerment (SAFE) Act would ensure that victims of this abuse are not forced to choose between their safety and their financial security. The SAFE Act would make certain that employers have safety protections in the workplace for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and would let a survivor take up to 30 days off from work to obtain medical attention, seek legal assistance, attend court proceedings, or get help with safety planning. It would also ensure that those who have lost their jobs as a result of domestic violence and sexual assault are eligible for unemployment insurance, and prohibit insurance providers from basing coverage decisions on a victim’s history of abuse. Portions of my SAFE Act were included in the House’s 2019 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
The Los Angeles River Revitalization effort is a critical ecosystem restoration project that has the potential to transform the City of Los Angeles. During my tenure in Congress, I have been deeply honored to initiate and lead the congressional effort to help make the dream of a revitalized Los Angeles River a reality.
The LA River winds through fifty-one miles of urban LA neighborhoods and nearby communities on its way to the Pacific Ocean. Revitalizing the river, an invaluable part of our history, will make it a part of our future as well. Our revitalization plan will increase LA park space, restore native wetland habitats, build new public spaces, and create new recreational opportunities and businesses along the river. These steps will help strengthen our ecosystem as well as our regional economy.
Over the past decade, I have fought to educate key stakeholders and obtain federal funding essential to revitalization efforts. I secured the first federal funds for the effort, and as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am continuing my work to ensure that the LA River maintains a strong partnership with the federal government.
I look forward to the day when the river will be known as a beautiful Los Angeles landmark and a point of civic pride. In time, and with hard work and determination, I am confident that we can bring the benefits of a restored LA River to all of our Southeast neighborhoods that line the river, and create a win-win for the entire Los Angeles area.
We have an obligation to ensure that all of our seniors have the opportunity to enjoy health security and economic security in their golden years. As Vice Chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and as a Vice Chair and founding member of the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Aging and Families (formerly the Congressional Task Force on Seniors), I continue to advocate for critical programs that impact seniors’ health and economic well-being.
Our seniors deserve quality, affordable health care. We must guarantee that a strong Medicare program will be available for today’s seniors, and the millions who will join them as our population ages. I am committed to strengthening Medicare, rather than dismantling it and forcing our seniors to negotiate their own health benefits. Any proposal to ensure Medicare’s financial stability must preserve the guaranteed benefits that have made Medicare a reliable source of care for seniors.
I supported efforts to ensure that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) strengthened Medicare's financial footing and protected the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund, by cutting overpayments to providers, reducing waste and fraud, and lowering Medicare administrative costs. The ACA has been repeatedly shown to improve seniors' health care in concrete ways. It has provided them full access to preventive health services, increased the quality and coordination of care, reduced medical errors, and lowered prescription drug prices, including total elimination of the "donut hole" coverage gap which had made beneficiaries responsible for the full cost of their drugs.
In addition to protecting seniors’ health, we need to ensure their long-term financial security. That includes honoring the promises our Social Security system has made to workers and retirees. Protecting the Social Security safety net must be a national priority – not just for the sake of today’s retirees, but for tomorrow’s retirees and for persons with disabilities. Any proposal to control the deficit and reduce the national debt should include a sensible and equitable solution to keep Social Security solvent.
Democrats are the party that created Medicare and Social Security, and I am proud that today’s Democrats have continued this tradition of respect for America’s seniors. My colleagues and I will continue to fight for a dignified retirement for those who gave so much to our country.
As a native Angelena, I am well aware that the effective and efficient movement of people and goods is a never-ending challenge for our local communities. Cars, buses, and expanding light rail and subway lines have all played important roles in keeping LA on the move. However, we see every day that these traditional modes of transportation strain to meet our intense local demand. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I work not only to ensure new and innovative national transportation and safety programs are funded, but also to ensure our state and local communities receive their fair share of federal infrastructure resources.
I have worked closely with our local transportation stakeholders to grow our rail transit system, and I was proud to have shepherded the federal effort to build the Edward R. Roybal Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension. I am continuing to work with local partners to reduce congestion, increase mobility, protect our air quality, and improve the efficient movement of goods throughout our region. We hope to achieve these goals by further expanding our transit systems; rehabilitating our freeways; repairing and maintaining our aging infrastructure; and ensuring cleaner-burning trucks and ships at our ports.
As we address our future transportation needs, we must continue to think “outside the box” and look at alternative means of transportation. That is one reason why I have been an early and ardent supporter of efforts to restore the historic Red Car to downtown Los Angeles. I believe a Red Car circulator that connects both ends of downtown can provide efficient and effective downtown transportation to workers, residents, and tourists.
Pursuing alternative modes of transportation and alternative fuel sources is all the more pressing as the nation grapples with the reality of climate change and the uncertain future of fossil fuels. I will continue to work with congressional leaders to address our critical infrastructure needs in a fair and balanced manner.
As the daughter, wife, and stepmother of veterans, I have always had a deep respect for the sacrifices made by the men and women of our nation’s armed forces. I strongly believe this country has a sacred responsibility to ensure that our veterans are able to successfully transition to civilian life and receive quality medical care whenever they need it.
Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked to increase the availability and quality of veterans benefits. For example, in 2017, I introduced The Chiropractic Care for Veterans Act, and the bill’s principles have been passed into law. The legislation makes chiropractic care a standard benefit for veterans who rely on the Department of Veterans Affairs for health care.
I have consistently supported bills that invest in housing for troops and their families, support reservists in the National Guard, offer assistance to military homeowners, and fund warrior transition complexes to provide services to wounded soldiers and their families. I have also joined my colleagues in passing legislation to address glaring deficiencies at aging military hospitals and VA hospitals and improve claims and benefit processing.
In addition, I am proud to have secured federal funding for the University of Southern California’s Military Social Work Program, a high-tech virtual reality program that helps educators train a new generation of military social workers. We have a critical need for trained professionals who understand the unique needs of our veterans, as soldiers experience longer deployments and service-related injuries that can be life-changing for them and their families. USC’s Military Social Work Program is helping to meet that need.
Today’s veterans face many challenges and obstacles, and these have been shown to vary across communities and populations. In some communities it may be homelessness, in others employment or mental health. Whatever is most pressing in an individual community, identifying and solving these issues will be impossible without reliable data. This data will ultimately allow us to enact policies that better serve veterans, and better target resources to programs with the greatest impact.
Caring for our veterans is a shared responsibility. Government, community organizations, and the private sector all have important roles to play. As your congresswoman, I will continue the important work of advocating for the needs of America’s veterans.