Press Releases
Reps. Torres, Aguilar Announce New Federal Loan Saving SB County Millions
POMONA - U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (CA-35) and Pete Aguilar (CA-31) today announced a federal loan from the Department of Transportation (DOT) of up to $225 million to the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) for the I-10 Corridor Express Lanes Project. The loan, which is furnished by DOT as part of its Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program, is part of the Department's efforts to deliver COVID-19 relief to borrowers. It will … Continue Reading
May 10, 2021
Torres Announces Nearly $2.6 Billion in Funding for Inland Empire
POMONA - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today announced nearly $2.6 billion in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds that are available starting today thanks to the Congressionally approved American Rescue Plan. The funds will provide financial relief to state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments, whose services have been in increasing demand during the pandemic, but whose revenues have fallen sharply due to the crisis. Local governments should expect to receive … Continue Reading
May 10, 2021
Torres Leads Congressional Delegation to Fairplex ORR Facility for Unaccompanied Minors
POMONA - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today led a group of five U.S. Representatives on a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) to the temporary Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Emergency Intake Facility for unaccompanied minors at the Fairplex in Pomona. The Pomona Fairplex facility, which was negotiated between Los Angeles County and the Biden Administration, is within California's 35th Congressional District, which Torres represents in Congress. Torres was joined on the tour by … Continue Reading
May 05, 2021
Reps. Torres and Lee Release Statement on Members of El Salvador’s National Assembly Voting to Dismiss Supreme Court Justices and the Attorney General
WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (D-CA), the sole Central American serving in Congress and co-Chair of the Congressional Central America Caucus, and House State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee Chair Barbara Lee (D-CA), released the following statement today in response to newly elected members of El Salvador's National Assembly voting to dismiss five supreme court justices and the attorney general. The vote came on the first day in power for a newly elected majority of … Continue Reading
May 03, 2021
Torres Leads 47 Lawmakers in Call for Legal Services for Immigrants Facing Deportation
WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) led 47 fellow lawmakers in sending a letter to Chairman Matt Cartwright and Ranking Member Robert Aderholt of the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, requesting $75 million to expand federal programs providing legal representation to immigrants, asylum seekers, families, and other vulnerable individuals facing federal immigration court removal proceedings. The lawmakers write, in … Continue Reading
May 01, 2021
Rep. Torres, Community Leaders Tour Fairplex ORR Facility For Unaccompanied Minors
POMONA - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today led a group of 14 local officials, community activists, and healthcare service professionals from Pomona, Los Angeles County, and across the Inland Empire on a tour of the new temporary Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Emergency Intake Facility for unaccompanied minors at the Fairplex in Pomona. Congresswoman Torres, herself a Guatemalan immigrant whose Congressional District includes the Fairplex complex, released the following … Continue Reading
April 29, 2021
Torres: President Biden Passes 100 Day Mark, Congressional Address with Flying Colors
POMONA - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) released a statement today responding to President Joseph R. Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress."President Biden showed the American people in his first 100 days that we can expect real results from his administration, and he showed us with his speech tonight that we can expect those results to continue," Rep. Norma J. Torres said. "The American Families plan is the perfect complement to the American Jobs Plan - they will both … Continue Reading
April 27, 2021
Torres Highlights Infrastructure and Economic Recovery with Virtual Guest to Presidential Address
Pomona, CA - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today announced that Mike Walker of the Hod Carriers and Laborers Local 783, part of Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), will serve as her virtual guest to President Biden's Joint Address to Congress on Wednesday. Walker is a proud affiliate of Local 783, a 1500-member strong union responsible for a number of infrastructure projects in San Bernardino, Inyo, and Mono counties. The Joint Address, which is President Biden's … Continue Reading
April 27, 2021
Torres: Census Undercount is Costing Californians
POMONA - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today responded to an announcement from the U.S. Census Bureau that California will lose a significant amount of federal funding and a Congressional seat in the apportionment process following the 2020 Census. The new apportionment results from low turnout in 2020 Census as Americans faced unprecedented roadblocks and concerns about participation. It will mean significantly less funding for vital federal programs, such as education, where … Continue Reading
April 22, 2021
Torres Concerns Over Wuhan Flight Bound for ONT Validated by Govt Watchdog Report
WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today responded to the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report she requested into the federal planning, coordination, and communication for a flight carrying Americans from Wuhan, China - the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak - originally bound for Ontario International Airport (ONT) in January 2020. While ONT is an official repatriation center (a designated place for Americans in danger abroad to come home to … Continue Reading
April 21, 2021
Torres Passes Bill Expanding Access to Educational Opportunities for Veterans
WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) this week passed the G.I. Veterans Education Empowerment Act (GIVE Act) out of the House of Representatives. The bill, which provides veterans interested in pursuing higher education with additional information to help them find the school that is right for them, passed as part of the Training in High-Demand Roles to Improve Veteran Employment Act (H.R. 2523). Torres' bill adds new categories and information to the G.I. Comparison Tool, … Continue Reading
April 16, 2021
Lawmakers Announce $10 Million for Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Educational Partnership Agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology
POMONA, CA—U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Grace Napolitano (CA-32) and Salud Carbajal (CA-24) today announced $10 million from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (H.R. 133) to fund an Education Partnership Agreement (EPA) between California Polytechnic State Universities (Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop key technologies to accelerate the AFRL's strategic capabilities in secured unmanned aerial … Continue Reading
April 14, 2021
Torres Announces $9+ Million for Local Health Centers
POMONA - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today announced more than $9 million in funding coming to the Inland Empire as a result of President Biden's American Rescue Plan. The Congressionally passed relief will support Unicare Community Health Center in Ontario and Parktree Community Health Center in Pomona. Facility Amount Parktree $2,856,750 Unicare $6,174,250 TOTAL $9,031,000 Congresswoman … Continue Reading
April 14, 2021
Torres Announces Nearly $54 Million in Affordable Housing Funding to Address Homelessness
POMONA - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today announced nearly $54 million in grants coming to the Inland Empire as a result of the American Rescue Plan, President Biden's Congressionally passed federal COVID relief package. The funds are for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and will be used to help individuals at risk of, or experiencing, … Continue Reading
April 13, 2021
Torres Introduces Legislation Expanding Educational Opportunities for Veterans
WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today introduced the G.I. Veterans Education Empowerment Act (GIVE Act), legislation that provides veterans interested in pursuing higher education with additional information to help them find the school that is right for them. Torres' bill adds new categories and information to the G.I. Comparison Tool, an online resource designed to help service members make decisions about their G.I. benefits and explore education … Continue Reading
April 12, 2021
Torres: Pomona Deserves New Postal Retail Location
POMONA - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) released the following statement responding to a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) plan to move retail service from the Yorba Station Post Office, which closed in May of 2015 due to a fire, to a new yet-to-be determined location in the community. The proposed move, which is open to public comment until April 30th, would give Pomona residents additional access to USPS retail services for the first time since 2015. Congresswoman Torres released the … Continue Reading
April 09, 2021
Torres Responds to ORR Facility in Pomona
POMONA - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) released a statement today responding to news that the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) will begin using the Fairplex in Pomona as an Emergency Intake Site to temporarily house unaccompanied minors arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. Rep. Torres, who was notified last week that ORR was in negotiations with the County of Los Angeles to open the facility, released the following statement today when news of the deal became public:"As someone who … Continue Reading
April 06, 2021
Torres, Aguilar Announce Nearly $87M for West Valley Connector Project
POMONA - U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (CA-35) and Pete Aguilar (CA-31), both members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development (THUD), with jurisdiction over all discretionary federal spending, today announced $86.75 million in Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Smart Starts funding for the West Valley Connector Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project in San Bernardino. The funds will be used to create a new, 19-mile zero-emission bus line … Continue Reading
April 02, 2021
Torres Focused on Helping Central American People Ahead of Latest Efforts to Combat Corruption
WASHINGTON - Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Co-Chair of the Congressional Central America Caucus, today released the following statement after her efforts to address corruption in the Northern Triangle drew attacks on Twitter from El Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele and his enablers. The situation comes just days before a list requested by Rep. Torres is set to be delivered from the U.S. State Department and U.S. Treasury to Congress identifying corrupt actors in the region and any … Continue Reading
April 01, 2021
Torres, Fitzpatrick Re-Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Reclassify 911 Dispatchers as Protective Service Occupation
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) today reintroduced the 911 SAVES Act, bipartisan legislation to reclassify 911 dispatchers from "Office and Administrative Support Occupations" to "Protective Service Occupations" in the Office of Management and Budget's Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) catalog. The reclassification would cost nothing, and would more accurately reflect the nature of America's 100,000 public safety … Continue Reading