Press Releases
New American Members of Congress Statement on the Passage of the American Dream and Promise Act
WASHINGTON, 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), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL), and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), members of the Congressional New Americans Caucus, released the following statement on the passage of H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act. The landmark legislation provides permanent protection to our nation's Dreamers, as well as to … Continue Reading
May 23, 2019
Torres Works to Increase Staff Diversity and Inclusion in Congress
People of color comprise 38 percent of the U.S. population but only account for less than 14 percent of all top U.S. House of Representatives staff, according to a 2018 study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Appropriations bill invests $1 million in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (CA-35) announced that the Fiscal Year 2020 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill contains her priority to increase staff … Continue Reading
May 23, 2019
Torres Statement on NAFTA
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement on the North American Free Trade Agreement: "For the past several months, I've been closely following the negotiations to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement with a new ‘United States-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement'. I had hoped that this agreement would fix the longstanding problems with NAFTA, which has undermined worker rights and contributed to environmental degradation … Continue Reading
May 23, 2019
Torres, Wagner Bipartisan Bill to Protect Women and Children from Violence in the Northern Triangle Passes House Foreign Affairs Committee
El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala have some of the highest female and child homicide rates in the worldThe Central American Women and Children Protection Act of 2019 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 their bipartisan … Continue Reading
May 20, 2019
Torres Appointed to Bipartisan House Democracy Partnership
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (CA-35) announced that she was appointed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve on the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) for the 116th Congress. HDP is a bipartisan, twenty-member commission of the U.S. House of Representatives that works directly with legislatures of partner countries around the world to support the development of effective, independent, and responsive legislative institutions. The Partnership is assisted by the U.S. … Continue Reading
May 20, 2019
Torres Helps Inland Empire Students Access Higher Education, Lower Student Loan Debt
Los Angeles area residents owe nearly $51 billion in student loan debt, according to a recent study by ExperianAppropriations bill increases funding for federal student aid programs by $492 million WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (CA-35) announced that the Fiscal Year 2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Related Agencies Appropriations Bill contains her priorities to provide Inland Empire students with financial support to pursue higher education. A … Continue Reading
May 18, 2019
Torres Reaction to New Report on Corruption in Central America
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement after the U.S. State Department submitted a new report to Congress regarding corruption in the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The report, which was required by a provision in the Fiscal Year 2019 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, lists government officials in the Northern Triangle who are known or credibly alleged to have … Continue Reading
May 17, 2019
Torres, Wagner Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Women and Children from Violence in the Northern Triangle
El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala have some of the highest female and child homicide rates in the worldThe Central American Women and Children Protection Act of 2019 strengthens protections for women and children in their homes and communities to reduce female homicides, domestic violence, and sexual assault WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and Ann Wagner (R-MO), the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Central America Caucus, introduced the bipartisan Central … Continue Reading
May 16, 2019
Torres Fights to Protect Access to Lifesaving Health Services and Reproductive Care for Inland Empire Families
In the 35th Congressional District, three Title X-funded clinics serve nearly 30,000 low-income patients; the Trump Administration has sought to make it harder for such providers to receive federal funds Appropriations bill increases funding for the Title X Family Planning program by nearly 40 percent WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (CA-35), Vice Chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, announced that the Fiscal Year 2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, … Continue Reading
May 15, 2019
Torres Pushes to Create Opportunities for Students at Inland Empire Hispanic Serving Institutions
HSIs receive nearly 30 percent less federal dollars per student compared to other institutions of higher education Appropriations bill increases funding for HSIs by nearly 20 percent WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (CA-35) announced that the Fiscal Year 2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Related Agencies Appropriations Bill contains her priorities to provide area students with opportunities to pursue higher education at the Inland Empire's Hispanic … Continue Reading
May 14, 2019
Torres, Newhouse, Haaland Reintroduce Bipartisan Savanna’s Act
The bill honors Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a 22-year-old pregnant member of the Spirit Lake Tribe who was tragically murdered in 2017 Savanna's Act addresses the disturbing increase in murdered and missing Native American women WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), and Deb Haaland (D-NM) reintroduced Savanna's Act, a bill named in honor of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, a 22-year old pregnant member of the Spirit Lake Tribe who was … Continue Reading
May 06, 2019
Torres, Chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Sires Lead 101 Members of Congress to Oppose Central America Aid Cuts
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and Albio Sires (D-NJ), Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, led a group of 101 Members of Congress in a letter urging U.S. Department of State Secretary Mike Pompeo to immediately reverse the department's decision to suspend development and humanitarian assistance for Central America's "Northern Triangle" countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. On Friday, March 29, 2019, the State Department … Continue Reading
May 02, 2019
Torres Proposal to Stop President Trump from Sabotaging California’s Climate Leadership Passes on House Floor
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (CA-35) announced that her legislative proposal to prevent President Trump from limiting cities and states, like California, from taking ambitious actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions passed on the House floor. The proposal passed as part of H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, which would prohibit any federal funds from being used to take any action to advance the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, and now moves to … Continue Reading
April 25, 2019
Torres Announces Nearly $1 Million NSF Grant Awarded to Cal Poly Pomona
National Science Foundation award will help retain and support high achieving students who are low-income or from historically under-represented communities in STEM fields POMONA, CA - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $998,205 grant to Cal Poly Pomona to increase the retention, graduation, and career success of high achieving students who are low-income or from under-represented groups and pursuing … Continue Reading
April 18, 2019
Torres Statement on the Release of the Mueller Report
ONTARIO, CA - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement after the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report: "This is far from a total exoneration of the President. In fact, the only person the Special Counsel's report exonerates is Robert Mueller. He deserves the nation's gratitude for his more than two years of diligent investigative work. His findings prove that this investigation was far from a witch hunt. What he found is extremely … Continue Reading
April 15, 2019
Torres Announces $475,000 Federal Grant to Cal Poly Pomona
National Science Foundation award will help boost STEM recruitment and expand research opportunities WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $475,000 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program grant to Cal Poly Pomona. The funding will enable Cal Poly Pomona undergraduate researchers to expand impactful research into the metal-nitrogen oxide interactions and enable the recruitment of a … Continue Reading
April 12, 2019
Torres, Fitzpatrick Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Commemorate National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
Every year during the second week of April, the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International and other public safety organizations honor public safety professionalsThere are 100,000 public safety telecommunicators serving in more than 6,000 call centers across the nationWASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (CA-35), the only former 9-1-1 dispatcher serving in Congress, and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), a former Federal Bureau of Investigation … Continue Reading
April 11, 2019
Torres Announces $125,000 HUD Grant Awarded to Help Inland Empire Victims of Housing Discrimination
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded a $125,000 Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) grant to the Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board in Ontario. The funding will allow the Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board to help people identify government agencies that handle complaints of housing discrimination. "When it comes to searching for a place to call home, … Continue Reading
April 03, 2019
Declaración de Torres sobre la lista del Departamento de Estado de funcionarios corruptos en Centroamérica
WASHINGTON, DC - Hoy, la representante estadounidense Norma J. Torres (D-CA) emitió la siguiente declaración después de que el Congreso recibió la lista de funcionarios corruptos en Honduras, El Salvador y Guatemala requerida por la Sección 1287 de el National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019. La lista, que fue adoptada del proyecto de ley presentado por Torres, End Corruption in the Northern Triangle Act, debía haber incluido funcionarios electos o del gobierno que se … Continue Reading
April 03, 2019
Torres Statement on State Department List of Corrupt Central American Government Officials
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement after Congress received the list of corrupt government officials in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala required by Section 1287 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019. The list, which was adopted from the Torres-authored End Corruption in the Northern Triangle Act, was to include elected or government officials who were known to have committed acts related to … Continue Reading