The Family Violence Prevention Fund is praising the U.S. House of Representatives for including in its health reform bill a key prevention initiative that will advance the health care system’s response to domestic violence and curb the tremendous health costs that result from it. The legislation, passed on November 7, requires private insurers and the new Health Insurance Exchange to reimburse health care providers who assess patients for domestic violence and provide brief counseling and referr... Read more

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) voted to stimulate the local economy and provide stability to families hit hardest by the recession by extending unemployment benefits, the homebuyers’ tax credit, and tax relief for military families and businesses. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act (HR 3548) now heads to the President for his signature. The legislation passed the House by a vote of 403 to 12. The Senate passed the legislation November 4 by a vote of 98 to 0. The l... Read more

At a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard works to garner support for legislation she authored to protect children caught up in our nation’s immigration detention system. During her remarks, the congresswoman made the following points: “Children are the forgotten victims of our broken immigration system. This year, thousands will be apprehended alone along our southern border and many will suffer abuses and indignities that should shock and embarrass us as ... Read more

A member of the Appropriations Health Subcommittee, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) participated in a subcommittee briefing about the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic. During the briefing, the panel heard testimony and asked questions of public health leaders at the center of the HINI response, including Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To watch excerpts from the hearing, please see Videos on this web site. The congresswoman asked Dr... Read more

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) (shown seated) met with 10 Bell Gardens High School students and their teacher, Alfredo Cuevas, during the group’s trip to our nation’s capital as part of the Close Up Foundation’s civic education program. The Rayburn House Office Building meeting occurred during the school’s “Capitol Hill Day” portion of their Close Up experience. Congresswoman Roybal-Allard and her staff discussed the flu crisis, education funding, immigration and other key issues wi... Read more

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano recently announced the results of a sweeping review of America’s immigrant detention system. Acknowledging its shortcomings, she pledged that her Department would implement a series of reforms to improve the management and oversight of this sprawling network of facilities. While I commend the Secretary’s determination to chart a bold new course in the treatment of detained immigrants, I remain convinced that administrative changes alone are insufficie... Read more

Last week, Senators David Vitter (R-LA) and Bob Bennett (R-UT) introduced an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (HR 2847) which would require that the 2010 Census include a question about the immigration or citizenship status of census participants. Below is a statement from Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard about the damaging ramifications of the Vitter-Bennett amendment to the successful implementation of the 2010 Census. “I find it ver... Read more

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) welcomed area students and parents to her 10th Annual Service Academies Workshop held at Downey City Library. At the event, service academy representatives met with area students and parents to discuss the academy’s admission requirements and application process. Following a highly competitive admissions process that includes a nomination from the congresswoman, academy students receive a free college education in return for serving at least five years... Read more

October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about this epidemic and renew our commitment to ending it. As a nation, we must recognize the very real danger of domestic violence in our communities and acknowledge the importance that our national economy has on the incidents of violence in the home. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in any given year, women experience about 4.8 million intimate partner-related physical assaults and rapes. Me... Read more

In observance of the seventh annual National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) on October 15, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) called for greater unity throughout our communities in confronting the HIV epidemic and the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. “We must join together with a united voice to confront the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and to ensure that Latinos and all HIV infected persons have access to quality treatment and care,” said Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, who ... Read more