Lucille Roybal-Allard
 | This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (March 2013) |
Lucille Roybal-Allard | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | David Dreier |
| Constituency | 33rd district (1993–2003) 34th district (2003–2013) 40th district (2013–present) |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 56th district | |
| In office May 18, 1987 – November 30, 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Gloria Molina |
| Succeeded by | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lucille Elsa Roybal June 12, 1941 Boyle Heights, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Edward Allard |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Edward R. Roybal (father) |
| Education | California State University, Los Angeles (BA) |
| Website | House website |
Lucille Elsa Roybal-Allard (born June 12, 1941) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for California's 40th congressional district, serving in Congress since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 33rd from 1993 to 2003 and as the 34th from 2003 to 2013, includes much of southern Los Angeles, as well as a number of eastern suburbs such as Downey, Bell and Bell Gardens.
Early life, education and career[]
She was born in Boyle Heights, California, the daughter of Edward R. Roybal, who served in Congress from 1963 to 1993, and Lucille Beserra Roybal.[1][2] She was attended Ramona Convent Secondary School in Alhambra, California, graduating in 1959.[3] She also attended California State University, Los Angeles.[1]
She was a public relations officer and fund raising executive. She was also a member of the California State Assembly[4] from 1987 to 1992, first elected on May 12, 1987 in a special election to replace Gloria Molina who resigned after being elected to the Los Angeles City Council.
U.S. House of Representatives[]
Elections[]
In 1992, she won the Democratic nomination for the newly created 33rd district, which included a sliver of the area her father had represented for 30 years. She won handily in November, and has been reelected 13 times with no substantive opposition in this heavily Democratic, Latino-majority district. Her district was renumbered as the 34th after the 2000 Census and the 40th after the 2010 Census. As of the 2010 census, it is the most Latino district in the nation, with a Latino majority of 86.5 percent. Until 2013, she represented much of downtown Los Angeles.
Tenure[]
The congresswoman is the first Latina to serve as one of the 12 "cardinals," or chairs, of a House Appropriations Subcommittee, as well as the first Latina to serve on the House Appropriations Committee. She is also the first woman to chair the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; the first woman to chair the California Democratic congressional delegation; and the founder of the Women's Working Group on Immigration Reform.
Her Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) Act has been instrumental in reducing underage drinking and its consequences. From her position on the House Appropriations Committee, she has spearheaded many federal projects that have created jobs and improved the lives of her constituents, including the new federal courthouse in Downtown Los Angeles, the Metro Gold Line Lightrail Eastside Extension, the deepening of the Port of Los Angeles, and the ongoing revitalization of the Los Angeles River.
She has also served as the chair of the California Democratic congressional delegation (1998–1999). She has also been active in the Congressional Children's Caucus and on the Democratic Homeland Security and the Livable Communities task forces.
She is the first Democratic Mexican-American woman to serve in Congress. She and Nydia Velazquez of New York City were the second and third Latinas elected to Congress after Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami. She and Velazquez are the first Latina Democrats to serve in that body, and the first two elected to a full term.
Roybal-Allard introduced the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2013 (H.R. 1281; 113th Congress) into the House on March 20, 2013. The bill would amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize grant programs and other initiatives to promote expanded screening of newborns and children for heritable disorders.[5] Roybal-Allard argued that "newborn screening not only transforms and save lives - it saves money."[6] According to Roybal-Allard, in California "newborns are screened for more than 40 preventable and treatable conditions – and for every one dollar California spends on screening, it yields a benefit of over $9 as we prevent disease in children who are diagnosed with these treatable conditions."[6]
She is the original House author of The Security and Financial Empowerment (SAFE) Act, a bill designed to ensure that survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking can get help without fearing for the loss of their jobs or economic security. Portions of the SAFE Act were included in the House's 2019 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
She authored The Children's Act for Responsible Employment (CARE) to address abusive and exploitative child labor practices in agriculture.
Committee assignments[]
- Committee on Appropriations
- Subcommittee on Homeland Security (Chairwoman)
- Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Caucus memberships[]
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (Associate Member)[7]
- Congressional Arts Caucus[8]
- Congressional Progressive Caucus[9]
- House Baltic Caucus[10]
- Medicare for All Caucus
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus[11]
Personal life[]
Roybal-Allard is married to Edward Allard III.[12] They have four children, two of which are stepchildren to Roybal-Allard.[12][13] She is Roman Catholic.[13]
Roybal-Allard's archives are held in the collection of the California State Archives.[12]
See also[]
- NALEO
- Children's Act for Responsible Employment (CARE Act) a bill the Congresswoman introduced in 2009 to achieve parity among minor workers in the agricultural industry with that of other industries. See also the related film The Harvest (documentary).
- List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Hispanic Americans in Congress -- Roybal-Allard". Library of Congress. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ Montavlo, Luz (January 15, 2013). "Remembering the 'First Lady of Boyle Heights': Lucille Beserra Roybal". Boyle Heights Beat. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ "Ramona Convent Alumna Meets Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard '59 – Pasadena Schools". Pasadena Now. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ "Capitol Museum". Archived from the original on April 26, 2006.
- ^ "CBO - H.R. 1281". Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Rep. Roybal-Allard and Rep. Simpson introduce the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Authorization Act". House Office of Rep. Roybal-Allard. March 22, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ "Members". Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ "Caucus Membrs". US House of Representatives. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- ^ "Members". House Baltic Caucus. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
- ^ "Members". Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Voelker, Michelle (2009). "Inventory of the Lucille Roybal-Allard Papers". Online Archive of California. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "AllPolitics - Congressional Races - California District 33". CNN. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lucille Roybal-Allard. |
- Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard official U.S. House website
- Lucille Roybal-Allard for Congress
- Lucille Roybal-Allard at Curlie
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Join California Lucille Roybal-Allard
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- 1941 births
- 21st-century American politicians
- 21st-century American women politicians
- American politicians of Mexican descent
- California Democrats
- California State University, Los Angeles alumni
- Catholics from California
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- Female members of the United States House of Representatives
- Hispanic and Latino American members of the United States Congress
- Hispanic and Latino American women in politics
- Living people
- Members of the California State Assembly
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from California
- Women state legislators in California
- Women in California politics