Congresswoman Linda Sánchez was sworn into Congress on January 7th, 2003, and is currently serving her second term in the U.S. House of Representatives. She represents the 39th Congressional District of California, which includes the communities of Artesia, Cerritos, Florence, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, La Mirada, Long Beach, Lynwood, Paramount, South Gate, Watts, Whittier, and Willowbrook. The 39th District was created in California after the 2000 census.

Congresswoman Sánchez is the first Latina in history to serve on the Judiciary Committee. She sits on the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Control, and Claims. The Judiciary Committee considers civil and criminal judicial reform, civil liberties, constitutional amendments, and immigration and naturalization. It also has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Justice as well as federal aid to local law enforcement.

Sánchez also serves on the Committee on Government Reform, which has oversight over all federal government activities and serves as the watchdog to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars. She sits on the Small Business Subcommittee for Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources as well as the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations.

Additionally, she serves on the Small Business Committee where she works to support new and small businesses through open access to loans, credit, and capital. Sanchez is also a co-founder of the “Labor and Working Families Caucus,” which was established to help protect worker’s rights.

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. During her first term, Sanchez brought over $5 million in federal funding back for projects in her district. She introduced legislation to help stop bullying in our schools, give small businesses greater access to loans, and increase funding and outreach to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

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 J.D. from U.C.L.A.

After law school, she practiced law 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. Sánchez resides in Lakewood with her dogs Baloo, Pip and Chavo.

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