12/12/2007 HOUSE VOTES ONCE AGAIN TO PROTECT MIDDLE CLASS TAXPAYERS FROM ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX WASHINGTON, D.C. – By a vote of 226 to 193, the United States House of Representatives voted tonight to protect middle-income...

12/6/2007 NEW MEDPAC RULING TAKES A PAGE FROM BECERRA-WRITTEN LEGISLATION WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC), an independent federal body established to advise...

12/6/2007 HOUSE PASSES HISTORIC ENERGY PACKAGE WASHINGTON D.C. – By an impressive vote of 235 to 181, the United States House of Representatives today passed the...

11/8/2007 HOUSE PASSES PERU TRADE DEAL WITH A STRONG BIPARTISAN VOTE WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 3688, United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act, by a strong bipartisan vote of 285 to 132. Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), the Assistant to the Speaker of the House and the only...

10/30/2007 HOUSE PASSES LEGISLATION HELPING AMERICAN WORKERS COMPETE AND WIN IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3920, the Trade and Globalization Assistance Act of 2007, by a vote of 264 to 157. Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), the Assistant to the Speaker and the only congressional member from Southern California on the Ways and Means...

10/25/2007 CBO TELLS BUDGET COMMITTEE THAT TOTAL WAR COSTS COULD REACH $2.4 TRILLION WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a hearing yesterday of the House Budget Committee, Peter Orszag, director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), testified that the total cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could reach $2.4 trillion by 2017. Nearly 30 percent of that total comes from simply...

10/25/2007 REP. BECERRA INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO HELP THE AMERICAN MOVIE INDUSTRY AVOID RUNAWAY PRODUCTION WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA – 31), the Assistant to the Speaker of the House and the only congressional member from Southern California on the Committee on Ways and Means, introduced legislation yesterday that aims to protect moviemakers by attracting film and television...

10/20/2007 REP. XAVIER BECERRA DELIVERS NATIONAL HISPANIC RADIO ADDRESS WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Assistant to the Speaker of the House and the only member of congress from Southern California on the Ways and Means Committee, delivered the Democratic Hispanic Radio Address Saturday, October 20, 2007. He discussed the failed vote to...

10/10/2007 HOUSE PASSES LEGISLATION TO PROTECT TAXPAYERS, INCREASE IRS EFFICIENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House of Representatives today passed the Tax Collection Responsibility Act of 2007 (H.R. 3056), legislation designed to eliminate the costly and inefficient use of private contractors in tax collection, by a vote of 232 to 173. Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Assistant...

9/28/2007 LARGEST STUDENT AID EXPANSION SINCE GI BILL SIGNED INTO LAW WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, President Bush signed into law historic student aid legislation, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. The bill, a major component of the Democratic leadership’s legislative agenda, passed by overwhelming bipartisan majorities in both the House and Senate...

9/10/2007 REP. BECERRA COMMENDS CALIFORNIA SENATE’S PASSAGE OF GUN MICROSTAMPING LEGISLATION WASHINGTON, D.C. – Already passed by the California Assembly in May, the “Crime Gun Identification Act” (A.B. 1471) will return to the Assembly for a final vote after being amended and passed in the state Senate last week. The legislation, introduced by Assemblyman Mike Feuer earlier...

9/4/2007 REP. BECERRA JOINS EFFORT TO PROTECT AMERICAN FILM PRODUCTION JOBS WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congressman Xavier Becerra (CA-31), the only member of Congress from Southern California serving on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, applauded a coalition of labor, film and business organizations and municipalities for initiating an effort to level the playing...

8/6/2007 WATER TAKES CENTER STAGE IN REP. BECERRA’S NEW LEGISLATION WASHINGTON, D.C. – This past weekend, Representatives Xavier Becerra (CA-31), the assistant to the speaker of the House and the only congressional member from Southern California on the Committee on Ways and Means, and Jon Porter (NV-3) introduced H.R. 3452, the Clean Renewable Water Supply Bond...

7/26/2007 REP. BECERRA ON THE SCHIP- AND MEDICARE-ENHANCING CHAMP ACT WASHINGTON, D.C. – Later today, the House Ways and Means Committee will mark up H.R. 3162, the “Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act,” comprehensive legislation that both reauthorizes the State Children’s Health Insurance Program for another five years and makes...

7/24/2007 SOVEREIGNTY AND EQUITY TAKE CENTER STAGE IN REP. BECERRA’S NEWEST TAX BILL WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an effort to allow tribal governments to raise more capital to spur job creation and economic development, Representatives Xavier Becerra (CA-31), the Assistant to the Speaker of the House and the only congressional member from Southern California on the Committee on Ways...

7/24/2007 REP. BECERRA CELEBRATES FIRST MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE IN A DECADE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today millions of hardworking Americans will get a pay raise thanks to the first increase in the federal minimum wage in a decade. Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Assistant to the Speaker of the House and the only congressional member from Southern California on the...

7/12/2007 HISTORIC STUDENT AID BILL INCLUDES REP. BECERRA’S ‘LIBRARIAN’ LEGISLATION WASHINGTON, D.C. – Included in the historic College Cost Reduction Act (H.R. 2669), which passed in the House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 273 to 149, was language to reward librarians who work in underserved communities with student loan forgiveness. The language is modeled after...

6/14/2007 REP. BECERRA'S JAPANESE LATIN AMERICAN COMMISSION BILL CLEARS CRITICAL HURDLE IN SENATE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted to report favorably S. 381, the “Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Latin Americans of Japanese Descent Act.” S. 381, sponsored by Senator Daniel K. Inouye (HI), is...

6/7/2007 REP. BECERRA JOINS HOUSE IN SENDING LIFE SAVING STEM CELL RESEARCH BILL TO THE PRESIDENT WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed S. 5, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, with a...

5/30/2007 REP. BECERRA LAUDS THE CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY FOR PASSING A.B. 1471 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assembly Bill 1471, “The Crime Gun Identification Act,” is on its way to becoming law...

5/22/2007 AS THE SENATE BEGINS: REP. BECERRA COMMENTS ON THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, the United States Senate voted overwhelmingly to begin debate on comprehensive immigration...

5/17/2007 REP. BECERRA ON THE PASSAGE OF THE FY08 BUDGET RESOLUTION WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the House of Representatives passed S.Con.Res. 21, the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Resolution Conference Report by a vote of 214 to 207. Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Assistant to the Speaker of the House and a member of the Budget Committee, voted for the resolution....

5/11/2007 REP. BECERRA ON THE PASSAGE OF THE IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY ACT WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, the United States House of Representatives passed H.R. 2206, the U.S. Troop Readiness,...

5/8/2007 REP. BECERRA CELEBRATES CINCO DE MAYO WITH STUDENT ARTISTS LOS ANGELES – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31) celebrated Cinco de Mayo Saturday with student artists, teachers, and parents at the 31st Congressional District’s 2007 Art Competition Awards Ceremony at the Center for the Arts in Eagle Rock. Rep. Becerra’s annual student art competition...

5/2/2007 REP. BECERRA ON THE ALTERCATION IN MACARTHUR PARK WASHINGTON, D.C. – After learning of the altercation between police and demonstrators in MacArthur...

5/1/2007 REP. BECERRA DENOUNCES THE PRESIDENT'S VETO WASHINGTON, D.C. – Shortly after President Bush vetoed Congress’ supplemental funding legislation for the war in

4/23/2007 ON THE PASSING OF JUANITA MILLENDER-MCDONALD WASHINGTON, D.C. – Upon learning of the death of Representative Juanita Millender-McDonald (CA-37), Rep. Xavier Becerra (CA-31) issued the following statement: “We are deeply saddened to learn of...

4/17/2007 LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS LIBRARIAN SHORTAGE INTRODUCED IN HOUSE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Seeking to mitigate the impact of the librarian shortage on low-income communities, Representative...

4/4/2007 THE LA CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSES REP. BECERRA'S MUSEUM LEGISLATION LOS ANGELES –The Los Angeles City Council yesterday gave a strong vote of support to H.R. 512 and S. 500, legislation authored by Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31) and Senator Ken Salazar (CO) that would establish a commission to study the potential creation of a national museum in Washington,...

3/30/2007 REP. BECERRA VOTES FOR FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE HOUSE BUDGET WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, March 29, the House of Representatives passed H.Con.Res 99, the federal budget resolution...

3/21/2007 REP. BECERRA: ‘THE HOUSE BUDGET IS THE PEOPLE’S BUDGET – RESPONSIBLE CHOICES, THE RIGHT PRIORITIES' WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant to the Speaker of the House, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), the only congressional member from Southern...

3/1/2007 FIGHTING TO END VOTE SUPPRESSION WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representatives Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Mike Honda (D-CA), and Keith Ellison (D-MN) introduced the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act to prohibit and punish deceptive practices that...

2/26/2007 CMF NAMES BECERRA.HOUSE.GOV AMONG THE VERY BEST ON CAPITOL HILL WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Web site of Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Assistant to the Speaker of the House, was honored...

2/16/2007 REP. BECERRA VOTES TO DISAPPROVE OF AMERICAN TROOP ESCALATION IN IRAQ WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States House of Representatives passed H.Con.Res.63, a resolution stating that the sense of Congress is to support our men and women in uniform but to disagree with President Bush’s plan to increase our Iraq forces by 20,000 troops, by a vote of 246 to 182. Representative...

2/9/2007 REPS. BECERRA & WELDON INTRODUCE BILL TO BAN THE PRACTICE OF GENE PATENTING WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Assistant to the Speaker and the only congressional member from Southern...

2/9/2007 REPS. BECERRA, BLUNT, ENGLISH, PICKERING & ROSS INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO GIVE SENIORS BETTER ACCESS TO REHABILITATION SERVICES WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, Assistant to the Speaker Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Minority Whip Roy Blunt (MO-7), Reps. Phil English (PA-3), Chip Pickering (MS-3) and Mike Ross (AR-4) introduced H.R. 748, the Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services Act of 2007, legislation that would repeal the arbitrary...

2/6/2007 NEXT STEP FOR REP. BECERRA’S LATINO MUSEUM LEGISLATION: THE UNITED STATES SENATE WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Xavier Becerra’s (CA-31) vision of a national museum focused on the history, culture and art of American Latinos in Washington, D.C., came one major step closer to reality with today’s unanimous passage of H.R. 512, the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of the...

1/25/2007 REP. BECERRA INTRODUCES BILL TO INVESTIGATE JAPANESE LATIN AMERICAN INTERNMENT DURING WWII WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), with Representatives Daniel Lungren (CA-3), Mike Honda (CA-15),...

1/23/2007 REP. BECERRA DELIVERS NATIONAL HISPANIC STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Assistant to the Speaker and the only congressional member from Southern California on the House...

1/16/2007 ASST. TO THE SPEAKER REP. XAVIER BECERRA MEETS WITH U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Assistant to the Speaker and the only congressional member from Southern California...

1/12/2007 HOUSE VOTES TO REQUIRE MEDICARE TO NEGOTIATE LOWER DRUG PRICES WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House of Representatives today passed H.R. 4, the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act...

1/10/2007 FIRST 100 HOURS CONTINUES ITS SUCCESSFUL RUN: MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE PASSES OVERWHELMINGLY WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House of Representatives passed H.R. 2, The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 today by an overwhelming vote of 315 to 116. Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), the Assistant to the Speaker and the only member of Congress from