Lucille Roybal-Allard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucille Roybal-Allard
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California |
|
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2023 |
|
| Preceded by | David Dreier |
| Succeeded by | Robert Garcia |
| Constituency | 33rd district (1993–2003) 34th district (2003–2013) 40th district (2013–2023) |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 56th district |
|
| In office May 18, 1987 – November 30, 1992 |
|
| Preceded by | Gloria Molina |
| Succeeded by | Bob Epple |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lucille Elsa Roybal
June 12, 1941 Boyle Heights, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Edward Allard |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Edward R. Roybal (father) |
| Education | California State University, Los Angeles (BA) |
Lucille Elsa Roybal-Allard (born June 12, 1941) is an American politician. She served as a U.S. Representative for California from 1993 to 2023. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Her district covered parts of southern Los Angeles and nearby cities like Downey. She announced her retirement in December 2021.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Lucille Roybal-Allard was born in Boyle Heights, California. Her father, Edward R. Roybal, was also a member of Congress. She graduated from Ramona Convent Secondary School in 1959. She also studied at California State University, Los Angeles.
Before joining Congress, Roybal-Allard worked in public relations. She also helped raise money for different causes. From 1987 to 1992, she was a member of the California State Assembly. This is a group of elected officials who make laws for the state of California. She was first elected in a special election in May 1987.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a Representative
In 1992, Lucille Roybal-Allard ran for a new congressional district. This district included some areas her father had represented for 30 years. She easily won the election. She was reelected 13 times without much challenge. This was because her district had many Democratic voters and a large Latino population.
Her district was called the 33rd until 2003. Then it became the 34th until 2013. After that, it was known as the 40th district. By 2010, it was the district with the highest percentage of Latino residents in the entire country.
Key Achievements and Roles
Lucille Roybal-Allard made history in several ways:
- She was the first Latina to lead one of the 12 important subcommittees of the House Appropriations Committee. This committee decides how the government spends money.
- She was also the first Latina to serve on the House Appropriations Committee itself.
- She was the first woman to lead the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. This group supports Hispanic members of Congress.
- She was the first woman to lead the California Democratic congressional delegation. This group includes all Democratic members of Congress from California.
- She started the Women's Working Group on Immigration Reform.
Her law, the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) Act, helped reduce underage drinking. From her role on the Appropriations Committee, she helped fund many projects. These projects created jobs and improved life for people in her district. Examples include a new federal courthouse in Los Angeles. She also supported the Metro Gold Line Lightrail Eastside Extension. This is a train line that helps people travel. She also worked on improving the Port of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles River.
Roybal-Allard also worked with the Congressional Children's Caucus. This group focuses on issues important to children. She was also part of task forces on homeland security and livable communities.
She was the first Democratic Mexican-American woman to serve in Congress. She and Nydia Velazquez were among the first Latina Democrats elected to Congress.
In 2013, Roybal-Allard introduced the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2013 (H.R. 1281; 113th Congress). This bill helps fund programs that test newborns for health problems. She said that newborn screening saves lives and money. For example, in California, testing newborns for over 40 conditions saves money by preventing diseases.
Roybal-Allard also wrote The Security and Financial Empowerment (SAFE) Act. This bill helps survivors of domestic violence and stalking. It aims to protect their jobs and money. Parts of this act were included in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 2019. She also wrote The Children's Act for Responsible Employment (CARE). This act aims to stop unfair child labor practices, especially in farming.
Committee and Group Memberships
Lucille Roybal-Allard was a member of important groups in Congress:
- Committee on Appropriations: This committee decides how the government spends money.
- Subcommittee on Homeland Security (chair): She led this group, which focuses on funding for national security.
- Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies: This group deals with funding for jobs, health, and education.
She was also part of several caucuses (groups of members with shared interests):
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (associate member)
- Congressional Arts Caucus
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- House Baltic Caucus
- Medicare for All Caucus
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Personal Life
Lucille Roybal-Allard is married to Edward Allard III. They have four children, including two stepchildren. She is Roman Catholic. Her official papers and records are kept at the California State Archives.
See also
In Spanish: Lucille Roybal-Allard para niños
- NALEO
- Children's Act for Responsible Employment (CARE Act), a bill Roybal-Allard introduced to achieve fairness between young workers in farming and those in other jobs. See also the related film The Harvest.
- List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
