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.
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.