Press Releases
Attorneys General in Central America: Central America Caucus Co-Chairs Valadao and Torres Lead Bipartisan Call for Transparency in Selection Processes
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, a bipartisan group of 14 Members of Congress sent a letter to the Deputy Secretary of State, John Sullivan, underscoring the importance of the upcoming selection processes for new Attorneys General in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The letter comes as Guatemala formally begins the process of selecting its next Attorney General; within the next twelve months, each of the Northern Triangle countries will select a new Attorney General.The current Attorneys General … Continue Reading
March 12, 2018
Trump Ocean Club Panama: Torres, Engel Press Drug Enforcement Administration for Answers About Money Laundering and Drug Trafficking
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representatives Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, sent a letter to Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Director Robert Patterson to press the agency for answers about money laundering and drug trafficking at the Trump Ocean Club Panama, also known as the Bahia Grand Panama. A November 2017 Global Witness report alleged that as many as ten units in the original Trump Ocean Club Panama were … Continue Reading
March 10, 2018
Torres Statement on Pomona Shooting
POMONA, CA - Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona) released the following statement in response to the fatal police shooting in Pomona, California. Torres spent more than 17 years working as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Los Angeles Police Department."As the situation continues to unfold, my heart goes out to the fallen and wounded police officers of the Pomona Police Department. As the mother of a police officer, this tragedy hits especially close to home. I commend our neighboring police … Continue Reading
February 28, 2018
Torres Highlights Veterans Care, Infrastructure, Public Safety, and Dreamers During Congressional Hispanic Caucus Budget Listening Tour
Torres made stops in Redlands, Ontario, Chino, and Pomona to ensure the needs of local residents are reflected in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) budgetAs Chair of the CHC Budget Task Force, Torres has been instrumental in crafting a budget that offers an alternative to the Trump Administration's proposed Fiscal Year 2019 budgetONTARIO, CA - Last week, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres traveled to several communities in and around the Inland Empire to ensure the needs of local … Continue Reading
February 22, 2018
Torres Meets with Local Superintendents to Discuss Gun Violence Prevention in Schools
ONTARIO, CA - U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres met with superintendents from the Fontana Unified School District, Chaffey Joint Union High School District, Ontario-Montclair School District, Pomona Unified School District, and the Chino Valley Unified School District to discuss strategies to prevent gun violence in schools. In light of the tragic high school shooting in Parkland, Florida last week, Torres and the superintendents focused on the importance of providing students with support … Continue Reading
February 13, 2018
Torres Statement on Trump Administration’s Budget and Infrastructure Plan
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement on the Trump Administration's budget proposal and infrastructure plan: "President Trump has managed to do the impossible—run the government like one of his many failing businesses. Far from balancing the budget, the Administration's budget proposal drives us into trillions of dollars of debt for the foreseeable future. This is the latest attempt to chip away at the programs, like Medicare and Medicaid, that … Continue Reading
February 09, 2018
Torres Statement on Budget Caps Agreement
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement on the budget caps agreement:"Many people following the budget process are frustrated and angry with Congress and President Trump—and for good reason. This is the time we should work in a bipartisan manner to deliver the question of who we are as a nation, and unfortunately, that is precisely why I voted no. The budget is the value statement by which we govern America. The agreement we voted on addresses some … Continue Reading
February 06, 2018
Torres Statement on Fifth Republican Stop-Gap Funding Bill
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement on Republicans' fifth short-term spending bill in Fiscal Year 2018:"This is the fifth short-term spending bill just five months into the fiscal year. Americans I know believe our great country shouldn't be living on a week-to-week budget. The last time we were here, I warned that a 17-day extension would not be enough time to address the pressing domestic needs before us. Today, the Republican-controlled … Continue Reading
February 01, 2018
Following State of the Union, Torres and New Democrat Coalition Release Infrastructure Priorities for 2018
Torres spearheaded efforts to include regulatory reforms that would encourage innovation and efficiency in the nation's infrastructure in the Coalition's prioritiesWASHINGTON, DC - Following the infrastructure proposal outlined by President Trump in his State of the Union address, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Pomona), co-chair of the 21st Century Infrastructure Task Force, joined with other members of the New Democrat Coalition to release a set of infrastructure priorities to increase long-term … Continue Reading
January 30, 2018
Torres Statement on Trump’s State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement in response to President Trump's State of the Union Address:"I was hoping to hear President Trump promise to unite our country. Instead, President Trump's State of the Union address mirrored many of the harmful proposals we've seen in his first year in office. Rather than focus on policies that will grow our economy and improve the lives of all Americans, not just the wealthiest in our society, the President … Continue Reading
January 30, 2018
Torres Invites Cal Poly Pomona Veteran to State of the Union
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) is attending the State of the Union address with Cal Poly Pomona student veteran Sommarani "Mayra" Chan as her guest. Mayra's family fled from the Khmer Rouge Genocide in Cambodia and sought protection in a Thailand refugee camp. In 1985, the family resettled in the U.S., where Mayra became a first-generation American."It is an honor to have veteran and Cal Poly Pomona graduate student Mayra Chan as my guest to the State of the Union. Mayra's … Continue Reading
January 22, 2018
Torres Responds to Yet Another Republican Stop-Gap Funding Bill
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement on Republicans' fourth short-term spending resolution four months into Fiscal Year 2018:"I voted NO on this fourth short-term funding bill because an empty promise is not a commitment to stay and work through the budget. There's no assurance that we won't be here in a couple of weeks in the same spot when this temporary funding expires again. This 17-day extension leaves us with just four full working days to … Continue Reading
January 19, 2018
Torres Statement on Republicans’ Dysfunctional Government
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement regarding the House vote on H.R. 195, Continuing Appropriations Act:"This bill marks the fourth time we are voting on a continuing resolution; this is no way to govern. We are four months into the fiscal year and Republicans have yet to figure out how they are going to pay for their trillion-dollar tax cut. This is what happens when you prioritize millionaires over the rest of America. Make no mistake, this is … Continue Reading
January 10, 2018
Torres Introduces Bill to Block Trump’s Plan to Deregulate Exportation of Firearms
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) introduced the Prevent Crime and Terrorism Act of 2018 to limit the Trump administration's plans to deregulate firearm exports. Under President Trump's proposal, the export licensing process for firearms would no longer be controlled by the State Department, which has the on-the-ground expertise and relationships necessary to properly weigh the potential risks of firearm sales against any benefits, and would instead be controlled by Department … Continue Reading
January 10, 2018
Rep. Torres Responds to DACA Injunction
WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement in response to the preliminary injunction issued by California's Northern District Court on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals:"Yesterday's ruling confirms what many of us have known for a long time: the Trump administration ended DACA for political reasons, not legal ones. In his meeting with Members of Congress yesterday, President Trump said, ‘because we're going to get DACA done — I hope we're going … Continue Reading
January 08, 2018
Torres on Decision to End Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans
WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement in reaction to the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador:"I am disappointed by President Trump's decision to upend the lives of nearly 200,000 Salvadorans with Temporary Protected Status and to set back the progress that has been made in Central America. As the founder and co-chair of the Central America Caucus, I have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to bring about … Continue Reading
December 21, 2017
Torres Statement on Short Term Continuing Resolution & Disaster Package
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) released the following statement regarding votes on a four-week continuing resolution and supplemental disaster funding bill: "Congress has been kicking the can down the road for weeks now, failing to meet our responsibilities to the people of the United States. The attempts today to jam incomplete and inadequate funding packages through Congress further delay action on multiple urgent crises that our country is facing, and for that reason I … Continue Reading
December 21, 2017
Rep. Torres Leads House Democrats in Objecting to Trump Administration Response to Honduras Crisis
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, 20 Democratic Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee sent a letter to Secretary Tillerson regarding the political crisis in Honduras. The Members objected to the Trump administration's anemic response to the many troubling reports of irregularities and human rights violations that have emerged since the November 26 election. They also called on the Department of State to support the efforts of the Organization of American States to advance a peaceful and … Continue Reading
December 21, 2017
Rep. Torres Amendment Addresses Increased Threat of Landslides Due to Wildfires
WASHINGTON, DC— Rep. Norma J. Torres (CA-35) released the following statement following the passage of her amendment to the National Landslide Preparedness Act."Many don't know that wildfire activity increases the risk of landslides and flooding," said Torres. "My amendment is a small addition to the National Landslide Preparedness Act, which simply states that we should also address and study potential landslides in relation to wildfires. California has experienced a great deal of landslides … Continue Reading
December 20, 2017
Torres, Eshoo, Pallone Introduce Legislation to Fund and Improve 9-1-1 Systems
WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Representative Norma J. Torres (CA-35), along with Reps. Anna G. Eshoo (CA-18), Co-Chair of the Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus and Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, introduced legislation to upgrade our nation's 9-1-1 call centers to meet the demands of rapidly changing communications technology. The Next Generation (NG) 9-1-1 Act of 2017 strengthens federal efforts to help state and local governments to transition to NG9-1-1 … Continue Reading