Recognized by her colleagues and the national media as a leading voice for working families, judiciary, and trade matters, Linda Sánchez has represented California’s 39th Congressional district since 2003. The 39th district includes the communities of Artesia, Cerritos, Florence, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, La Mirada, Long Beach, Lynwood, Paramount, South Gate, Watts, Whittier, and Willowbrook.

Congresswoman Sánchez is the first Latina in history to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee where she dedicates her work on pocketbook issues that affect working families. She has broken many barriers when she became the first woman to serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, and the first Latina to serve on the Judiciary Committee.

Legislative Record

Congresswoman Linda Sánchez serves on the influential Ways and Means Committee, which plays a key role in federal legislation on taxes and health care, and where Sánchez represents the Trade and Social Security Subcommittees. A former labor lawyer, she has been a central leader in recent Congressional efforts to reshape this country’s trade model.

Sánchez also serves on the Judiciary Committee where her work to bring oversight and transparency back to Congress has received national recognition. Sánchez previously served as Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law (CAL), and helped lead the Congressional investigation into the Bush Administration’s firing of nine United States Attorneys in 2006.

Sánchez’ role as a leader on the politicization of the Department of Justice was highlighted in 2008 when she recommended that Karl Rove be held in contempt of Congress after failing to abide by a congressional subpoena and appear in front of the CAL subcommittee. Sánchez has also brought greater scrutiny to the misuse of arbitration and has worked to address the mortgage crisis through existing bankruptcy law that would help keep families in their homes.

A co-founder of the Labor and Working Families Caucus, Sánchez has worked on enhancing worker safety, expanding Head Start and improving public schools by revising the No Child Left Behind Act. Keeping children safe online has been a priority for Sánchez where she has advanced legislation to criminalize cyber-bullying and create programs that will educate children about cyber-bullying and other online threats.

Sánchez is a strong advocate for California’s working families. She is committed to reducing crime, making schools safe, providing quality education and affordable health care, improving our economy by creating new opportunities, and decreasing unemployment. Since coming to Congress, she has brought back more than $20 million in federal investments in her district. In the 109th Congress, the House of Representatives passed her bill to develop systems that will improve the local water quality supply and prevent ocean pollution. Her life-long commitment to progressive issues is reflected in her record on a woman's right to choose, civil rights, seniors and veterans.

Personal Story

The sixth of seven children, Sánchez was born in the City of Orange to immigrant parents from Mexico. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature with an emphasis in Bilingual Education. After working her way through school as a bilingual aide and ESL instructor, she earned her law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

After law school, she worked in a private practice before going to work for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 441 and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Prior to coming to Congress, Sánchez served as the Executive Secretary-Treasurer for the Orange County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Congresswoman Sánchez is still an active and card-carrying member of IBEW Local 441.

Sánchez’ service in the U.S. House of Representatives is historic as she proudly works with her sister Loretta, Congresswoman from the 47th District of California. They are the first sisters and the first women of any relation to ever serve in Congress. Congresswoman Sánchez is a published author and resides in Lakewood, CA with her dogs Baloo, Pip and Chavo.

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