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Congresswoman Linda Sánchez was sworn into Congress on January 7th, 2003, and is currently serving her third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. She represents the 39th Congressional District of California, which includes the communities of Artesia, Cerritos, Florence, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, La Mirada, Long Beach, Lynwood, Paramount, South Gate, Watts, Whittier, and Willowbrook.
Congresswoman Sánchez is the first Latina in history to serve on the Judiciary Committee. She is the first woman to serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, and she also sits on the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law. The Judiciary Committee considers civil and criminal judicial reform, civil liberties, constitutional amendments, and immigration and naturalization. It also has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Justice as well as federal aid to local law enforcement.
A co-founder of the Labor and Working Families Caucus, Congresswoman Sánchez serves on the House Committee on Education and Labor. She is a member of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, which will lead efforts this year to improve high quality public schools by revising the No Child Left Behind Act. She will also work on the nation’s retirement security crisis on the Subcommittee on Health, Labor, Employment and Pensions.
Congresswoman Sánchez also serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. She is a member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, which will focus on rebuilding international relationships in Central and South America, a region that has seen a recent surge in anti-U.S. sentiment. She also sits on the Subcommittee on Europe, which is focused on restoring strong strategic relationships with allies across Europe.
Sánchez is a strong advocate for California’s working families. She is committed to reducing crime, making schools safe, providing quality education and affordable health care, improving our economy by creating new opportunities, and decreasing unemployment. Since coming to Congress, she has brought back more than $20 million in federal investments in her district. In the 109th Congress, the House of Representatives passed her bill to develop systems that will improve the local water quality supply and prevent ocean pollution.
The sixth of seven children, Sánchez was born in the City of Orange to immigrant parents from Mexico. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature with an emphasis in Bilingual Education. After working her way through school as a bilingual aide and ESL instructor, she earned her law degree from U.C.L.A.
After law school, she worked in a private practice before going to work for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 441 and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Prior to coming to Congress, Sánchez served as the Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the Orange County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Congresswoman Sánchez is still an active and card-carrying member of IBEW Local 441.
Sánchez’ service in the U.S. House of Representatives is historic as she proudly works with her sister Loretta, Congresswoman from the 47th District of California. They are the first sisters and the first women of any relation to ever serve in Congress. Sánchez resides in Lakewood with her dogs Baloo, Pip and Chavo.
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Congresswoman Sánchez discusses military issues with Whittier area Marine.
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