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A Whole Lot Of People For Grijalva
Congressional Committee
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Raúl M. Grijalva, in his second Congressional term, represents the 7th Congressional District of Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives. The 7th District encompasses parts of Pima, Maricopa, La Paz, Pinal and Santa Cruz counties, along with all of Yuma County. It is the only U.S. Congressional District to represent seven, separate Native American tribes. These tribes include the Tohono O'odham Nation, Colorado River Indian Tribes, Ak-Chin, Gila River, Cocopah, Quechan and Pascua Yaqui. In regards to his legislative duties, Raúl currently sits on important committees and holds distinguished leadership roles. His committee assignments include: the Committee on Education & Workforce; the Committee on Resources; and the Committee on Small Business. Notably, Raúl serves as the Chair of the House Democratic Environmental Task Force and was named the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Energy & Mineral Resources at the start of the 109th Congress. As well, Raúl was named Second Vice-Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for the 109th Congress. All of Raúl's leadership assignments are uncommon for a second-term Member of Congress.
Since his Congressional tenure began, Raúl has worked determinedly on behalf of the interests of the 7th District and, especially, has been a champion for our families. His actions include:
-Opposing the President's efforts to dismantle Social Security.
-Successfully amending H.R. 609, the College Access and Opportunity Act, to include provisions to expand loan forgiveness to teachers in low-income communities, bilingual teachers, librarians, and social workers.
-Voting against Republican-led efforts to underfund public education and drastic cuts to student loan programs.
-Leading efforts to address comprehensive immigration reforms and border economic development.
-Remaining diligent in the fight to protect our environment, in particular, by highlighting the disproportionate impact of pollution on minority and economically depressed communities.
Specifically, in the 108th Congress, Raúl fought tirelessly for the interests of the children of migrant and seasonal farm-working families by advocating for meaningful funding increases for Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Programs. During this time, Raúl also worked with his colleagues on the Committee on Education & Workforce to ensure better access to school nutrition programs for these children—and to ensure these programs would be equitable.
Overall, Raúl has been a consistent leader in ensuring that Congress acts upon issues important to Arizona. One such example can be found in the Colorado Indian Reservation Boundary Correction Act—a bill that Raúl introduced and saw passed by the House in April 2005, which subsequently became Public Law only a few months later in August 2005. Raúl also supported the Arizona Water Settlements Act, a bill intended to resolve water issues for tribes, municipalities, and water districts in Arizona. This bill, another success, was signed into Public Law in December 2004.
A native Tucsonan and son of a bracero, Raúl has been advocating for community needs for more than 30 years. Before entering Congress, Raúl served as Pima County Supervisor and Tucson Unified School District School Board Member. Raúl, his wife Ramona and three daughters Adelita, Raquel, and Marisa, have a lifelong commitment to improving the quality of life in the community.
Truly, Raúl Grijalva has embraced his duties as the Congressional Representative for the 7th District of Arizona. Because it is his priority and is in his innate character, he will continue to be a strong voice for the causes of social justice, cultural tolerance, and civil rights."
