Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, the representative
of California’s 34th Congressional District,
is a political pioneer. After serving three
terms in the California State Assembly, she became
the first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress
in 1992.
Known as a respected consensus builder, Congresswoman
Roybal-Allard served as chair of the California Democratic
Congressional Delegation in 1997 and 1998. In
assuming this position, she became the first woman
to serve at the delegation’s helm and the first
member to achieve this role through election rather
than seniority.
During the 106th Congress, in 1999 and 2000, the
congresswoman served as the first female chair of
the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. In that
role, she worked to focus greater attention on immigration
fairness, education, economic development, the 2000
Census and access to health care.
Making history again in 1999, the congresswoman
became the first Latina in U.S. history appointed
to the House Appropriations Committee, one of the
most powerful committees in Congress.
The congresswoman serves on three subcommittees. On
the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education
Subcommittee, she oversees funding for public schools,
workforce training programs, health research and
preventative health programs. On the Homeland
Security Subcommittee, the congresswoman oversees
funding for immigration processing, border and port
security, as well as a wide variety of area emergency
preparedness efforts, including providing police
and firefighters with the training and equipment
they need to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies. On
the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development,
and Related Agencies Subcommittee, the congresswoman
oversees federal funding for critical federal transportation
projects, including improvements to the region’s
bus systems, railroads and freeways, as well as federal
housing initiatives to increase homeownership, support
community development and increase access to affordable
housing.
The congresswoman is the sponsor of several measures
to improve the health and wellbeing of women and
children. They include: “The STOP
(Sober Truth on Preventing) Underage Drinking Act” -
signed into law in December – that coordinates
all federal programs and research initiatives on
underage drinking and funds a national media campaign
to educate parents about its dangers; the "SAFE
Act" to help victims of domestic violence
retain their employment and financial independence;
the “Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act” to
train doctors and nurses in newborn screening and
to educate parents about appropriate follow-up care;
the "Children’s Act for Responsible
Employment (CARE)" to address abusive and
exploitive child labor practices in agriculture in
the United States; and "The American Dream
Act" to help immigrant students attend
college in the United States and qualify for in-state
tuition.
In recognition of her ongoing work to help families
and communities, the congresswoman is the recipient
of numerous awards, including: The Century Council’s
2006 Silver-Plate Award, SADD’s 2005 National
Outstanding Contribution Award, the Community Anti-Drug
Coalitions of America's 2005 Congressional Leadership
Award and MADD's 2004 Congressional Excellence Award
for her work on underage drinking; the Los Angeles
Commission for Women's 2005 President's Award and
the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women's
1989 Humanitarian Award for her efforts to help survivors
of domestic violence; the National Association of
Community Health Centers’ 2005 Distinguished
Community Health Defender award, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition's
2004 Special Impact Award and the March of Dime's
2003 Leadership Award for her work on behalf of children
and the uninsured; the Skid Row Housing Trust’s
2006 Friend of the Homeless Award and Enterprise
Community Partners, Inc.’s 2006 Champion of
Affordable Housing and Community Development Award;
the 1989 and 2003 Tonantzin Award from La Cooperativa
Compesina de California for her work on behalf of
farmworkers; and the Sierra Club of California's
1992 Environmental Achievement Award.
Born and raised in Boyle Heights, the congresswoman
is the eldest daughter of Lucille Beserra Roybal
and the late Honorable Edward R. Roybal, who served
as a Member of Congress for 30 years. The 1965 graduate
of the California State University at Los Angeles
is married to Edward T. Allard, III. Together,
they have four children and six grandchildren.
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