12/18/2003 Rep. Becerra Volunteers At The Boys And Girls Club Of Hollywood Los Angeles. – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31) paid a visit this past Tuesday, December 16, to the Boys and Girls Club of Hollywood where he spent an hour reading two...

11/22/2003 Ways And Means Lawmaker Discusses Flawed Prescription Drug Bill In Weekly Democratic Hispanic Radio Address WASHINGTON D.C. - Following this morning’s weekly presidential radio address, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31), the only congressional member from Southern California who is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, delivered the Democratic radio response in Spanish. Below is an English...

11/6/2003 Rep. Becerra Applauds Sí Tv - Comcast Agreement WASHINGTON D.C. - Representative Xavier Becerra (CA - 31), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus's (CHC) Telecommunications and Technology Task Force, was joined by his CHC colleagues at a meeting this morning where Comcast Cable announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with the Sí...

10/17/2003 Rep. Becerra Votes Against $87 Billion Supplemental Package WASHINGTON D.C - The United States House of Representatives today passed H.R. 3289, the $87 billion supplemental appropriations package, by a vote of 303 to 125. Representative...

10/16/2003 First Step Taken To Create The National Museum Of The American Latino WASHINGTON D.C - The end of Hispanic Heritage Month marked the beginning of a new mission and worthy goal. Yesterday, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA - 31) introduced the...

9/23/2003 New Legislation Will Look To Create The National Museum Of The American Latino WASHINGTON D.C. – Standing on the National Mall with the Smithsonian Castle behind him, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31) announced today that he will introduce The National Museum of the American Latino Action Plan Commission Act of 2003 – legislation to establish and fund a federal commission...

7/15/2003 Rep. Becerra Applauds Administration's Decision To Extend TPS For El Salvador WASHINGTON, D.C. - Earlier this month, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA - 31) and his colleagues in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus sent a letter to the president requesting that Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans living in the United States be extended for another 18 months to March 9, 2005....

7/8/2003 Rep. Becerra Strives To Create Incentives For Students To Serve As Librarians In Low-Income Areas WASHINGTON, D.C.- Today the House Committee on Rules will meet to formulate a rule on H.R. 438, the "Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act of 2003," a bill that would increase the amount of student loans that may be forgiven for teachers in mathematics, science, and special education. Representative...

6/26/2003 Rep. Becerra Calls On Administration To Review, Renew & Expand Americorps Funding WASHINGTON, D.C. - Unless the White House takes quick action, the AmeriCorps national service program stands to have its funding cut dramatically this year. Rather than increase the number of volunteers to 75,000 as the president called for in his 2004 budget proposal, the program would be forced to...

6/26/2003 'May Our Seniors Forgive This House For What We Are About To Do' WASHINGTON, D.C. - Later today, the House of Representatives will take up H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003. The bill...

6/24/2003 Rep. Becerra Applauds Supreme Court Decision Recognizing The Compelling Need For Affirmative Action WASHINGTON, D.C. - Upon learning that the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of using affirmative action as a fair barometer for admission to colleges...

6/19/2003 Rep. Becerra Votes Against The Permanent Repeal Of The Estate Tax WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 8, to make the repeal of the estate tax permanent, yesterday by a vote of 264 to 163. Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31), the only congressional member from Southern California on the House Committee on Ways and Means, voted...

6/18/2003 Ways And Means Committee Sends ‘Callous’ Medicare Bill To The Floor WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31), the only congressional member from Southern California who is on the House Committee on Ways and Means, voted last night against sending H.R. 2473, the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003, to the House Floor. The bill,...

6/6/2003 Rev. Medina Of Los Angeles Presides Over The House Of Representatives As Guest Chaplain WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Very Reverend Ernesto Medina, provost for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, served as guest chaplain and led the United States...

6/4/2003 Rep. Becerra Calls FCC Decision A ‘Grave Mistake’ WASHINGTON, D.C. – Upon learning about the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to ease media ownership rules, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31), the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s Telecommunications and Technology Task Force, issued the following statement: “As the steward...

5/23/2003 Rep. Becerra Comments On Pending FCC Media Ownership Decision And Its Impact On Minority Communities WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representative Xavier Becerra (CA - 31) called on Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell to make sure that any new media ownership guidelines issued by the FCC promote greater minority media outlet ownership and programming diversity. He further urged the FCC to...

5/14/2003 Rep. Becerra On Hand To Accept 500,000 Signatures From Americans Wishing To Safeguard Social Security WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare yesterday formally presented a petition signed by 500,000 supporters to congressional members, including Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31), the only congressional member from Southern California on the House Committee...

5/9/2003 Houses Passes Irresponsible $550 Billion Tax Cut That Cripples Economy WASHINGTON, D.C. - By a vote of 222 to 203, the United States House of Representatives today passed H.R. 2, the so-called "Jobs and Growth Tax Act of 2003."...

5/7/2003 Ways And Means Committee Sends $550 Billion Tax Cut Package To The Floor WASHINGTON, D.C. - By a party-line vote of 24 to 15, the House Committee on Ways and Means yesterday approved H.R. 2, The Jobs and Growth Tax Act of 2003....

5/2/2003 LACC To Receive $240k For Atwater Community Wellness Center LOS ANGELES - The fiscal year 2003 Omnibus Spending Bill that passed through Congress in early February included a Department of Health and Human Services construction grant for $240,000 to benefit the Atwater...

4/30/2003 Rep. Becerra Co-Sponsors Bill Awarding Congressional Gold Medal To Jackie Robinson WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31), whose congressional district includes Dodger Stadium, is co-sponsoring legislation that, if passed, would award a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award a civilian American citizen can receive, to the late Jackie Robinson. The legislation...

4/17/2003 Rep. Becerra Introduces Bill To Expand The Earned Income Tax Credit WASHINGTON, D.C. - Last Friday, April 11, 2003, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA - 31), the only congressional member from Southern California who is on the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced H.R. 1782, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to change the calculation and simplify...

4/12/2003 Rep. Becerra Invokes A Spirit Of ‘Shared Sacrifice’ In Weekly Democratic Hispanic Radio Address WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following this morning’s weekly presidential radio address, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31), the only congressional member from Southern California who is on the House Committee on Ways and Means, delivered the Democratic radio response in Spanish.Below is an English translation...

4/7/2003 $2 Million Earmarked For LA’s Best LOS ANGELES – Today, Mayor Jim Hahn, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31) and Carla Sanger, President and Chief Executive Officer of LA’s BEST, formally announced the federal allocation of $2 million for the City of Los...

3/20/2003 Rep. Becerra To Vote Against Unbalanced Budget WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the United States House of Representatives prepares to take up the Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Resolution (H.Con.Res. 95) later today, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31), the only member from Southern California on the House Committee on Ways and Means, indicated that he would...

3/19/2003 Rep. Becerra And Rep. Ryun Introduce Bi-Partisan Resolution Supporting America’s Troops WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representatives Xavier Becerra (CA - 31) and Jim Ryun (KS -2), members with opposing views on war with Iraq, introduced a bi-partisan resolution today expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States called upon to...

3/10/2003 Rep. Becerra Named Vice Chair Of Congressional Diabetes Caucus WASHINGTON, D.C. – People with diabetes spend 2.4 times as much on health care costs each year as people who don’t have diabetes, according to a study...

2/13/2003 ‘Inadequate’ Welfare Bill Passes In The House WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States House of Representatives passed the Personal Responsibility, Work and Family Promotion Act of 2003 (H.R. 4) today by a vote of 230-192.Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31), the only congressional member from Southern California who is on the House Ways and Means...

2/13/2003 Rep. Becerra Introduces Legislation To Help Right The Wrong Of Japanese Internment During WWII WASHINGTON – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31) submitted legislation today titled, “The Wartime Parity and Justice Act of 2003.” The legislation would provide reparations...

2/12/2003 Rep. Becerra's Statement On Rep. Coble's Comments Regarding Japanese American Internment WASHINGTON - Representative Xavier Becerra (CA - 31) issued the following statement today regarding comments made last week by Rep. Howard Coble (NC - 6), where the North Carolina congressman stated that the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II was a justifiable act: "The internment...

1/30/2003 Rep. Becerra Delivers Opening Speech At Nasi Conference WASHINGTON – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31) was the opening speaker at the National Academy of Social Insurance’s 15th annual conference that began today. The theme...

1/30/2003 Rep. Becerra Opposes Senate Judiciary Committee's Decision To Nominate Miguel Estrada WASHINGTON - Upon learning that the Senate Judiciary Committee, by a party-line vote of 10-9, nominated Miguel Estrada to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA - 31), a member and former Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, issued the following statement: "I was...

1/16/2003 Rep. Becerra Issues Statement On President Bush’s Opposition To University Of Michigan’s Admissions Policy LOS ANGELES – Upon learning of President Bush’s announcement today claiming that the University of Michigan’s admission policy is unconstitutional,...

1/13/2003 REP. BECERRA UNVEILS LEGISLATION TO CREATE A NATIONAL GUN FINGERPRINTING SYSTEM LOS ANGELES – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31) told reporters today that a national gun fingerprinting system would be one of his top legislative priorities during the 108th Congress. “As we fight against international terrorists, we cannot forget about the terror we face here at home on our streets,”...

1/5/2003 Rep. Becerra Unveils Legislation To Create A National Gun Fingerprinting System LOS ANGELES – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31) told reporters today that a national gun fingerprinting system would be one of his top legislative priorities during the 108th Congress. “As we fight against international terrorists, we cannot forget about the terror we face here at home on our streets,”...