Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard is a political pioneer and champion for women and children in the U.S. House of Representatives. The first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress, the congresswoman works tirelessly to elevate the voices of the underserved across the nation and to ensure the needs and concerns of her constituents in the 40^th Congressional District are represented in Congress.

Congresswoman Roybal-Allard’s accomplishments include:

Fighting for Healthy Moms & Babies

• Authored and passed original legislation in 2008— The Newborn Screenings Saves Lives Act—to test newborns for treatable genetic disorders has helped to save thousands of babies’ lives. Congress recently reauthorized this legislation.

   

• An advocate for mothers, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard wrote the Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services for the 21st Century Act to help all women have positive and healthy birth experiences.

   

• As Health Task Force Chair for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the congresswoman played a key leadership role and championed efforts to pass health care reform, with a focus on improving the quality and affordability of health services.

Creating a Fair Immigration System

• Original co-author of the DREAM Act to give undocumented students a path to citizenship.

• Founder of the Immigration Women’s Working Group, the congresswoman has brought together a bipartisan group of members who work with nonprofit advocacy groups to ensure that the specific needs of immigrant women are addressed in immigration reform.

   

• Author of an Immigration Fairness Agenda—a package of bills that will safeguard the rights and dignity of individuals and families impacted by our broken immigration system. Elements of these bills have successfully were passed by the Senate as part of a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform bill.

   

• Inspired a Presidential directive to keep families together. This directive allows parents to maintain a relationship with their children while they are detained by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Empowering & Protecting Kids & Teens

• Authored and passed original legislation in 2007, the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) Act, which has been instrumental in reducing underage drinking and its consequences. She is now fighting for its reauthorization in the 114th Congress.

• Author of the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE). This bill addresses abusive and exploitive child labor practices in agriculture.

Educating Our Children

• Aware that education technology is increasing important to our children's education, Congresswoman authored the Achievement Through Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Act to ensure schools can purchase the necessary equipment and training.  

• Fought to include strong education technology provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act.  

• Continues fighting to make college affordable for all families by working to increase access to Pell Grants.  Her Congressional web site also hosts a Student Resource Guide offering information on a multitude of grant and internship opportunities.

• Worked to help secure increased funding for IDEA and the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Block Grant.    

 Advocating for the 40^th Congressional District & Our Region

• Leading the federal effort to revitalize the Los Angeles River by re-connecting it to our communities and turning what is currently an eyesore into beautiful green space for Angelenos to enjoy.  This important project will restore the fragile ecosystems along the river and maintain the river’s critical function of flood control and prevention, as well as create economic opportunities.   

   

• Fights for federal funding for community health clinics and hospitals in the 40^th Congressional District and hosts annual roundtable meetings with the two groups to maintain communication on issues affecting their service delivery.

   

• Led the successful, more than a dozen-year-long fight and overcame congressional opposition to fund and build the new federal courthouse for the Central District of California, Los Angeles Division which was completed earlier this year.

   

• Successfully led the federal effort to secure funding for critical infrastructure projects including:

  • the Metro Gold Line Lightrail Eastside Extension to provide safe reliable transit;

  • numerous transportation and major street improvement projects throughout her congressional district;

  • deepening the Port of LA to increase jobs and international trade; and

  • sewer and water maintenance and repair projects.

     

• Secured millions of dollars to help area non-profit organizations provide important amenities and programs to community residents in job training, legal services, youth diversion, health services, education, historic preservation, clean water and clean air, and literacy among others.

The first Latina appointed to the powerful House Appropriations Committee, the congresswoman serves on three subcommittees: she is the Ranking Member on Homeland Security, which oversees federal funding for immigration processing, border and port security, and emergency preparedness;  the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee, which oversees federal funding for public schools, workforce training, and health care initiatives; and the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.  She also serves as a Senior Whip for the Democratic Caucus and is the only Democrat from Southern California on the Appropriations Committee.