In the News
Intelligence bill to require report on cybersecurity at U.S. ports
The bill that authorizes funding for the country's intelligence-related activities includes language that would require Homeland Security officials to give updates on the cybersecurity threats connected to the country's maritime industry.H.R. 5077 passed unanimously in the House Intelligence Committee late last month. It awaits a vote in the full House.The Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis would be required to consult with the Director of National Intelligence … Continue Reading
April 20, 2016
CBP stretched thin due to workforce, infrastructure issues
With low morale, high attrition, significant barriers to hiring and facilities at ports-of-entry lawmakers say are restricting commerce and tourism, Customs and Border Protection is struggling to do more with less."If we're not able to staff people because we're overwhelming them on background checks, on other types of testing that are not applicable to the job, I think that this is time for a serious revision of the hiring process," Norma Torres (D-Calif.) said during the April 19 hearing. … Continue Reading
April 20, 2016
Should Congress require a hearing on gun violence after each moment of silence for victims?
U.S. Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles) and more than 100 House Democrats want to change the chamber's rules to require a congressional hearing each time its members stand in silence to recognize gun violence victims."This is not about taking away citizens' 2nd Amendment rights to bear arms," Cardenas said at a news conference Wednesday. "By changing the rules, we are setting a new standard for Congress to act."The resolution came 17 years after the shootings at Columbine High School in … Continue Reading
March 01, 2016
Town hall to discuss opportunities
Hosted by state Assemblywoman Cheryl R. Brown, D-San Bernardino, the event will cover transportation, logistics, the environment, economic development and job opportunities.A panel discussion will include Christopher Gopal of the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University and John Husing, an Inland economist and consultant.The Inland area has seen growing job opportunities as more warehouses are needed to store the growing volume of goods arriving from the ports of Los … Continue Reading
February 24, 2016
Lawmakers launch Central America Caucus in meeting with Guatemalan leader
House lawmakers on Wednesday announced the creation of a Central America caucus, aimed at focusing U.S. efforts to the region.First on the bipartisan 33-member caucus's agenda was a Wednesday afternoon meeting with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales, who earlier in the day with Vice President Joe Biden.Members of the group, 30 of whom are Democrats, claimed that Central America had been consistently overlooked as a matter of U.S. policy."Despite the millions of Central Americans living in the … Continue Reading
February 24, 2016
Norma Torres lidera grupo de Asuntos Centroamericanos en el Congreso de EE.UU.
La primera congresista estadounidense nacida en Guatemala, Norma Torres, lidera un equipo de congresistas republicanos y demócratas que crearon un grupo de Asuntos Centroamericanos en la Cámara de Representantes, para "despertar conciencia sobre Centroamérica" y ofrecer un foro para discutir la política de Estados Unidos hacia la región."A pesar de los millones de centroamericanos que viven en Estados Unidos y el impacto que los cambios en Centroamérica tienen en nuestra propia … Continue Reading
February 24, 2016
Opinion: Two Powerhouse Politicians on What the Fight Against Zika Really Needs
Over the past several months, the international community has anxiously watched the Zika virus rapidly spread across the Americas. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other medical organizations, there is strong evidence that this virus causes some children to be born with small craniums and brains, a condition known as microcephaly. Many children born with microcephaly die soon after birth; others live longer, with serious developmental disabilities.In an effort to … Continue Reading
February 11, 2016
Opinion: Torres praises Obama’s pledge to fight terrorism
The budget proposed this week by President Obama represents a continued investment in our communities and in the hard-working families of the Inland Empire.While our region continues to wrestle with unemployment, homelessness, and a transportation system that is struggling to keep up, this year we also witnessed an act of terror which hit dangerously close to home.I was pleased to see the president provide $2 billion to local and state governments to help them prepare for, respond to, and … Continue Reading
February 05, 2016
Cal Poly Pomona President Soraya Coley symbolically takes reins
POMONA >> In a symbolic move, authority of Cal Poly Pomona was passed to new President Soraya M. Coley during a ceremony Friday afternoon.Coley became Cal Poly's sixth president Jan. 1 2015, and on Friday she was presented with the university's medallion by California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White. The bronze medallion features the five-branched tree from the university seal and has the name of the past presidents inscribed on the back. It symbolizes Coley's authority, … Continue Reading
January 13, 2016
Behind the scenes: How California's delegation spent State of the Union day
It's morning on Capitol Hill, and President Obama is many hours from taking the podium to deliver his final State of the Union address. Rep. Janice Hahn isn't quite early enough to get the best seat in the house, but she settles in for a long day.In the hallways of the Capitol, members are enjoying a light legislative schedule. There are scant committee meetings, freeing lawmakers to give personal tours to their invited guests and family, rather than leaving the task to … Continue Reading
January 12, 2016
Dec. 2 survivors, first responders on State of the Union address
The empty chair in First Lady Michelle Obama's box during the State of the Union address wasn't the only reminder Tuesday night of the toll of mass shootings in America.Although President Barack Obama never said the words "San Bernardino" during his one-hour final State of the Union speech, he specifically called on Congress to "protect our kids from gun violence," and alluded to the events in San Bernardino and Redlands when he warned against vilifying Muslims at home and abroad for the … Continue Reading
January 12, 2016
Politicians look for ways to fund changing of the guard at ONT
Future passengers at L.A./Ontario International Airport may help pay off the cost for the two terminals.Los Angeles officials made reimbursement of the $120 million spent to build the terminals in the late 1990s a condition of returning the airport to local ownership. Ontario agreed to do so as part of the deal announced last July. But federal law currently prohibits the transfer of so-called passenger facility charges between airports.On Tuesday, legislation was introduced to allow such … Continue Reading
January 08, 2016
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Unite Against ICE Deportation Raids
Latinos lawmakers stood united against the Obama administration's latest deportation raids. As Latin Post reported, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), detained and deported several dozen immigrants who illegally entered the U.S.In a statement released on Monday, DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson confirmed the deportation raids and said he has repeatedly said "our borders are not open to illegal migration; if you come here … Continue Reading
January 08, 2016
Norma Torres inviting emergency dispatcher to State of the Union
Rep. Norma Torres, D-Pomona, will invite the dispatcher who directed 911 traffic during the San Bernardino terror attack to be the congresswoman's guest during the State of the Union Address on Tuesday, Jan. 12."(Annemarie Teall) was the calm voice we all heard on the 911 recordings from that fateful day," Torres said in a news release."As panic spread throughout the region, she and her team coordinated a swift, effective emergency response to what is likely the greatest tragedy our … Continue Reading
December 15, 2015
Bill to Size-up Port Cyber Risks Heads to Senate
Off to the upper chamber goes legislation (H.R. 3878) to bolster maritime cybersecurity. The bill, which the House passed by voice vote on Wednesday, would require DHS develop a method of evaluating computer security risks at ports and write guidelines for reporting any incidents. “There appears to currently be little coordination between port landlords and tenants in addressing cyber threats,” Rep. Norma Torres said following passage the bill, which she introduced, “and federal agencies have … Continue Reading
December 10, 2015
Congressional Immigration Leaders and Children Call for Ending Family Detention as ‘A Wish for the Holidays’
Washington, DC -(ENEWSPF)-December 10, 2015. Yesterday, the Congressional Women's Working Group on Immigration Reform and We Belong Together were joined by children at a Capitol Hill press conference to call for an end to America's family detention system. Nine members of Congress spoke out about the need to end family detention, including Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), chair of the Congressional Women's Working Group on Immigration Reform; Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-19); … Continue Reading
December 08, 2015
California's congressional delegation calls for action on gun control
California Democrats are taking up President Obama's call to action, asking for more law enforcement resources and trying to force a congressional vote on banning suspected terrorists from legally purchasing guns.Legislative leaders and Gov. Jerry Brown also are tackling the issue as new details emerge on how the San Bernardino attackers obtained - and trained to use - their weapons. On Capitol Hill, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task … Continue Reading
December 07, 2015
Opinion: Local law enforcement in need of more resources, says Rep. Torres
The violent attack in San Bernardino was a tragedy that has shaken our community to its core. As we move forward, we are confronted not only with the loss of our neighbors but with the challenge of making sure this doesn't happen again. While I share many of the sentiments expressed by the president in his address to our nation on Dec. 6, I believe he left out one critical piece: resources and training for our nation's local law enforcement.Earlier this year, I held a roundtable … Continue Reading
November 26, 2015
In welcoming Syrian refugees, Rep. Norma Torres sees a bit of herself
Rep. Norma Torres (D-Pomona) walked through the carpeted prayer room at the Islamic Center of Claremont in her bare feet, pausing to meet with members of two Syrian families who arrived in Southern California this fall.The stories she heard from the Kanjou and Wawieh families, about fleeing the violence of Syria and journeying through Lebanon and Egypt before arriving in Pomona, were familiar.Torres came from war-torn Guatemala to live with an uncle in Los Angeles when she was five years … Continue Reading
November 07, 2015
Rep. Torres hosts El Nino preparedness event in Chino
CHINO >> The good news is the forthcoming El Nino is predicted to be one of the strongest on record, with storms expected to bolster mountain snowpacks, fill reservoirs and help alleviate the drought. The bad news is the cyclical weather pattern also brings the potential for flooding, mudslides, power outages and other disasters.The latter was what prompted Rep. Norma J. Torres, D-Pomona, to host an El Nino Preparedness Seminar Saturday at the Chino Police Department, assembling guest … Continue Reading