Press Releases
Declaración de Torres sobre la elección presidencial guatemalteca
ONTARIO, CA - Hoy, la representante estadounidense Norma J. Torres (D-CA) la primera miembro del Congreso de origen guatemalteco, emitió la siguiente declaración con respecto a la elección presidencial guatemalteca:"Felicito a Alejandro Giammattei por su elección como presidente de Guatemala. El presidente electo Giammattei tendrá una oportunidad importante de reenfocar el nuevo gobierno para abordar las necesidades críticas del pueblo guatemalteco, que han sido ignoradas por demasiado tiempo. … Continue Reading
August 12, 2019
Torres Statement on Guatemalan Presidential Election
ONTARIO, CA - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA), the first Guatemalan-born Member of Congress, issued the following statement regarding the Guatemalan presidential election: "I congratulate Alejandro Giammattei on his election as President of Guatemala. President-Elect Giammattei will have an important opportunity to refocus the new government to address the critical needs of the Guatemalan people, which have been ignored for too long. Creating jobs for young people, … Continue Reading
August 08, 2019
Declaración de Torres sobre la visita de la delegación del Congreso al Triángulo Norte y Texas
WASHINGTON, DC - Hoy, la representante estadounidense Norma J. Torres (D-CA) se une con la Presidenta de la Cámara de Representantes Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) en una delegación del Congreso a Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras y McAllen, Texas para sostener discursos con representantes del gobierno, el poder judicial, la sociedad civil, grupos comunitarios y religiosos, el sector privado, y organizaciones de derechos humanos."Estamos aquí para demostrarle a la gente del Triángulo Norte que los Estados … Continue Reading
August 08, 2019
Torres Statement on Congressional Delegation Visit to the Northern Triangle and Texas
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) is joining U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on a congressional delegation to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and McAllen, Texas to hold high-level discussions with representatives from the government, the judiciary, civil society, community and faith-based groups, the private sector, and human rights organizations. "We're here to demonstrate to the people of the Northern Triangle that the United States remains … Continue Reading
August 06, 2019
Torres, Rutherford Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing National Night Out
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (CA-35) and John Rutherford (FL-04) introduced H.Res. 535, a bipartisan resolution to recognize Tuesday, August 6, 2019 as National Night Out. Every year on the first Tuesday of August, communities across the country join their local law enforcement agencies and come together to promote public safety, neighborhood camaraderie, and community-police partnerships."In light of the horrific tragedies in Gilroy, El Paso, and Dayton, now … Continue Reading
July 31, 2019
Torres Leads Group of 15 Members of Congress in Urging Acting DHS Secretary McAleenan to Immediately Rescind “Safe Third Country” Agreement with Guatemala
Guatemala is one of the most violent and impoverished countries in the world—not a safe place for vulnerable asylum seekers to seek refuge WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) led a group of 15 Members of Congress in a letter to Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan voicing strong objections to the recent signing of the "safe third country" agreement with the government of Guatemala. The federal lawmakers cite the country's lack … Continue Reading
July 26, 2019
Torres Statement on Guatemala’s Asylum Agreement with the Trump Administration
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement in response to Guatemala signing an asylum agreement with the Trump Administration: "While there are many questions about what this agreement contains, the most basic question is: if Guatemala is so safe, why do its people flee to our southern border to escape the corruption, violence, and poverty in their homes? The idea that Guatemala would be a safe country for refugees from Cuba, Africa, or … Continue Reading
July 25, 2019
Torres le ofrece un mensaje de esperanza al pueblo guatemalteco en el pleno de la Cámara de Representantes
WASHINGTON, DC - Hoy, en el pleno de la Cámara de Representantes, la representante estadunidense Norma J. Torres (D-CA) le envió un mensaje de apoyo al pueblo de Guatemala en su lucha por la justicia y la democracia y en contra a la corrupción antes la segunda ronda de elecciones presidenciales."La larga lucha del pueblo guatemalteco ha llevado a un país más seguro y más justo. Los problemas del país están lejos de resolverse, pero se han logrado avances. Hoy, Guatemala se encuentra en una … Continue Reading
July 25, 2019
Torres Takes to the House Floor to Offer Guatemala a Message of Hope
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to speak out in support of the people of Guatemala's fight for justice and democracy and against corruption ahead of the upcoming second round of presidential elections. "The long struggle of the Guatemalan people has led to a country that is safer and more just. The country's problems are far from resolved, but progress has been made. Today, Guatemala is at a crossroads. … Continue Reading
July 25, 2019
New American Members of Congress Demand Answers on Trump Administration’s Proposed Changes to Citizenship Test
Last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it is revising the naturalization test for the first time in ten yearsAs first-generation immigrants, the members of the Congressional New Americans Caucus took the test themselves to become U.S. citizensWASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL), Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL), members of the … Continue Reading
July 24, 2019
Torres Announces More Than $310,000 NSF Grant Awarded to Advance Minority STEM Faculty at Cal Poly Pomona
National Science Foundation award will help promote and retain newly hired historically underrepresented minority faculty in STEM fieldsWASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $310,588 grant to Cal Poly Pomona to promote, recruit, and retain underrepresented minority Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) faculty to address the achievement gap between minority and non-minority … Continue Reading
July 17, 2019
Torres, Fitzpatrick Bipartisan Provision to Reclassify 9-1-1 Dispatchers as Protective Service Occupations Passes on House Floor
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-CA), the only former 9-1-1 dispatcher serving in Congress, and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Supervisory Special Agent and federal prosecutor, announced that a provision based on their bipartisan 911 Supporting Accurate Views of Emergency Services (SAVES) Act, passed on the House floor to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, and now moves to the U.S. Senate for … Continue Reading
July 16, 2019
Torres Bipartisan Proposal to Protect Women and Children from Violence in the Northern Triangle Passes on House Floor
Violence against women in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala is a major driver of migration to the United StatesThe measure strengthens protections for women and children in their homes and communities to reduce female homicides, domestic violence, and sexual assaultWASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and Ann Wagner (R-MO), the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Central America Caucus, announced that a proposal based on their bipartisan Central American Women and … Continue Reading
July 16, 2019
Torres, Engel Measure to Block Trump Administration Proposal to Deregulate Firearm Exports Passes on House Floor
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced that a measure based on their Prevent Crime and Terrorism Act has passed the House as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA), and now moves to the U.S. Senate for further consideration. The measure blocks the Trump Administration's proposal to transfer firearm export regulation from the U.S. State … Continue Reading
July 15, 2019
New Americans Caucus Co-Chairs Torres and Espaillat Call Out Trump’s Racist Tweets
Torres and Espaillat are respectively the first Guatemalan and Dominican Americans to serve in Congress WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Co-Chairs of the Congressional New Americans Caucus, released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump's tweets asking "Progressive Democrat Congresswomen" to go back where they came from: "The President's tweets are as small as his world view. There are many Members of … Continue Reading
July 11, 2019
Torres Statement on Trump Backing Down on Citizenship Question in the 2020 Census
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement after President Donald J. Trump backed down from adding a citizenship question in the 2020 Census. Last month, the Supreme Court of the United States blocked the Trump Administration from including the question in the census: "President Trump's citizenship question was a political weapon to hurt the very people the government is supposed to serve. Today, he admitted that he can't overrule the … Continue Reading
June 30, 2019
Torres Statement on Trump Administration Plan to Remove Deportation Protections for Families of Active Duty Troops
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) issued the following statement in response to reports that the Trump Administration is planning to roll back the parole in place program, which allows the undocumented family members of active duty servicemembers to remain in the U.S. temporarily: "President Trump's cruelty has no limits. Now he wants to punish our active duty military. As the mother of an Air Force veteran, I know firsthand the toll that separation takes on … Continue Reading
June 27, 2019
Torres Statement on SCOTUS Ruling to Strike Down Citizenship Question in the 2020 Census
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement after the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision on the case of U.S. Department of Commerce v. New York, which determined that the Trump Administration's citizenship question will not be included in the 2020 Census: "Today, the Supreme Court stood up for democracy and the generations of immigrants who have made America the country that it is. The people of California's 35th … Continue Reading
June 25, 2019
Torres Statement on Emergency Border Supplemental to Provide Humanitarian Assistance for Children, Families at the Border
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement on the legislation to provide humanitarian assistance for migrants at the southern border. The legislation provides $4.5 billion in emergency spending to address the humanitarian crisis at the border, with significant funding for priorities including legal assistance, food, water, and medical services, support services for unaccompanied children, alternatives to detention, and refugee services. … Continue Reading
June 25, 2019
Torres Secures More Than $305 Million in Federal Funding to Alleviate Traffic and Improve Infrastructure in the Inland Empire
According to a 2018 California State University-San Bernardino report, commuting costs for San Bernardino and Los Angeles County residents averaged $11,138 per yearFederal funding could benefit several projects in California's 35th Congressional District, including the Foothill Gold Line extension and the #BUILDFontana infrastructure upgrade WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (CA-35) announced House passage of more than $305 million in federal funding she requested … Continue Reading