UC Berkeley graduate, Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, has been a promoter of key federal issues for Latinos and other working class communities since being sworn into office in 2003.
As an education advocate, Sanchez has led efforts in Congress to build and renovate schools, to protect Head Start from being cut and to provide scholarships for new and qualified teachers in our public schools. She has fought to restore maximum funding to President George Bush’s “No Child Left Behind Act,” which has been under funded by the House leadership. Further, Congresswoman Sánchez is a sponsor of the “Access to Higher Education Act of 2005,” (H.R. 1293) which permits refinancing of student consolidation loans and increases education grants.
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. This position had earlier been expected to be taken by more senior committee members.
“Serving as Chairwoman on a Judiciary subcommittee is a great honor and responsibility,” Congresswoman Sánchez has said.
The Congresswoman 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 also serves on the House Committee on Education and Labor.
The sixth of seven children, Sánchez was born in the City of Orange to immigrant parents from Mexico. At UC Berkeley, she earned a BA 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 UCLA. Prior to running for Congress, Sánchez served as the Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the Orange County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. The Congresswoman still considers herself an active and card-carrying member of IBEW Local 441.
Sánchez 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. She lives in Lakewood.