Grace NapolitanoGrace Napolitano CA-31

Current Position: US Representative of CA District 32 since 1999
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: State Delegate from 1992 – 1998
District:  Los Angeles County in the San Gabriel Valley
Upcoming Election:

Quotes:
DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth to build lives here/make tremendous contributions to their communities & our economy. While no heartless ruling can change this fact, enough is enough! Time to deliver permanent protections/pathway to citizenship is now!

2019 Champion of Mental Health – Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano

OnAir Post: Grace Napolitano CA-31

Summary

Current Position: US Representative of CA District 32 since 1999
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: State Delegate from 1992 – 1998
District:  Los Angeles County in the San Gabriel Valley
Upcoming Election:

Quotes:
DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth to build lives here/make tremendous contributions to their communities & our economy. While no heartless ruling can change this fact, enough is enough! Time to deliver permanent protections/pathway to citizenship is now!

2019 Champion of Mental Health – Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano

OnAir Post: Grace Napolitano CA-31

News

About

Source: Government page

Grace Napolitano 1Congresswoman Grace Flores Napolitano represents California’s 31st District. Her Los Angeles County-based district covers several cities and communities in the San Gabriel Valley – El Monte, West Covina, Covina, Baldwin Park, Azusa, Bradbury, Duarte, Irwindale, South El Monte, Industry, La Puente, Avocado Heights, West Puente Valley, Valinda, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Monrovia.

Napolitano is the highest-ranking California member and Hispanic member of the U.S. House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure where she currently serves as Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, which oversees EPA’s Clean Water Act and US Army Corps of Engineers water programs.

Named a conferee to the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) House and Senate Conference Committee, Napolitano was able to secure major victories for California, which received over $26 billion to fix crumbling roads, bridges, and transit systems. $450 million per year of this funding went to the Los Angeles region for transit funding, benefiting Foothill Transit, LA Metro, and Metrolink. Funds also relieved congestion and reduced the negative impacts her district takes on as a primary shipping corridor from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

Napolitano also serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources and is a long-time advocate for conservation, water recycling, desalination, and groundwater management as solutions to Southern California’s water needs.

Congresswoman Napolitano is perhaps best known for her groundbreaking work on mental health. Her 2001 pilot program providing mental health and suicide prevention services on-site in four schools has expanded to 35 K-12 schools throughout the San Gabriel Valley and Southeast LA County with assistance from Los Angeles County Mental Health, which now serves as a model for H.R. 721, the Mental Services for Students Act.

As the founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, she was active in securing mental health parity in the Affordable Care Act, and she dedicates tremendous energy to promoting mental health legislation and working with key players to increase funding and access to mental health services.

Napolitano was appointed by then Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi under the direction of then Vice President Joe Biden to serve as a Vice-Chair of the House Democratic Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, following the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT. Her main focus on the task force is the intersection of mental illness and gun violence, most notably suicide prevention.

In January 2016, Napolitano met with President Obama, fellow Task Force members, and other Democratic colleagues, to dialogue on possible executive actions. She then joined the President at the White House on January 5, 2016, for his announcement of new executive actions to curb gun violence and make communities safer. Napolitano ensured that adding mental health services was a component of those comprehensive actions to prevent senseless gun deaths. She remains strongly committed to expanding background checks and other measures to keep firearms out of the hands of those who might use them to harm themselves or others.

Napolitano is also the founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Youth Challenge Caucus, which supports Youth Challenge: a program run by the National Guard cadre using military discipline and education to help at-risk youth complete high school to emerge better armed with knowledge and training for success.

Congresswoman Napolitano is also deeply aware of the issues facing Hispanic families in her district. She served as the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and still actively participates in Caucus business.

During her tenure as Chairwoman, Napolitano played a key role in working with President George W. Bush and congressional leadership to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and fought for a Democratic immigration overhaul proposal that would have created a guest worker program and provided a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Grace Flores Napolitano was born in Brownsville, Texas. After high school, she married and moved with her husband to California where they raised 5 children.

She began her political career in 1986 as a member of the Norwalk City Council, and in 1989 Napolitano’s fellow council members selected her to serve as Mayor. During her tenure, she addressed the city’s need for jobs and reliable public transportation.

Napolitano was elected in 1992 to the California Assembly, where she quickly earned a reputation as a hard worker and champion for international trade and economic expansion, environmental protection, transportation, immigration, small businesses, and women’s issues.

As a member of the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Napolitano has dedicated herself to improving the lives of returning veterans and their families, standing up for labor unions, bringing sustainable water solutions to Southern California, and improving mental health care for all.

She has served the people of Los Angeles County for over thirty years and is currently in her 13th term in Congress.

Personal

Full Name:  Grace Flores Napolitano

Gender: Female

Family: Widowed: Federico; 5 Children: Yolanda, Federico, Edward, Miguel, Cynthia; Widowed: Frank

Birth Date: 12/04/1936

Birth Place: Brownsville, TX

Home City: Norwalk, CA

Religion: Roman Catholic

Source: Vote Smart

Education

Attended, Cerritos College

Attended, Texas Southmost College

Political Experience

Representative, United States House of Representatives, California, District 31, 2023-present

Representative, United States House of Representatives, California, District 32, 2013-2023

Candidate, United States House of Representatives, California, District 32, 2022

Representative, United States House of Representatives, California, District 38, 2003-2013

Representative, United States House of Representatives, California, District 34, 1999-2003

Member, California State Assembly, 1993-1998

Member, Norwalk City Council, 1986-1992

Mayor, City of Norwalk, 1989-1990

Professional Experience

Former Employee, California Department of Employment

Former Director, Los Angeles County Sanitation District

Member, Norwalk Sub-Station Authority, Sheriff’s Department

Employee, Ford Motor Company, 1970-1992

Offices

Washington, DC Office
1610 Longworth
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5256
Fax: (202) 225-0027

El Monte Office
4401 Santa Anita Ave
Suite 201
El Monte, CA 91731
Phone: 626-350-0150
Fax: 626-350-0450

Contact

Email: Government

Web Links

Politics

Source: none

Finances

Source: Vote Smart

Committees

Natural Resources

Congresswoman Napolitano has been a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources since the 106th Congress and currently serves on the Water and Power Subcommittee. She has always been an avid promoter of conservation, water recycling, desalination, and sound groundwater management and storage to address Southern California’s need for adequate water quality and supply.  She is proud of her legislative efforts on a number of fronts – assisting in the implementation of CALFED, a water management plan for the State of California, protection of the fragile ecosystem in the Bay-Delta and promotion of the use of advanced technologies.  Her legislative effort in 1999 to begin removal of a 10.5 million ton uranium tailings pile at the banks of the Colorado in Moab, Utah, stands out as a major accomplishment, alleviating a very real danger to the health of more than 25 million people living in 7 states, an ecosystem that supports the Southwest’s tourism industry, two national monuments, and a variety of pristine natural habitats.

Links:
Natural Resources Committee
Subcommittee on Water, Power & Oceans

Transportation And Infrastructure

At the start of the 110th Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the appointment of Napolitano as the most senior new member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, yielding her a voice for her communities on matters of jurisdiction over America ‘s surface transportation, freight and passenger rail, the inland waterway system, international maritime commerce, the Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ‘ support of the nation ‘s water resources, and the federal clean water program. Napolitano brought her strong background and experience to the Committee with 6 years on the California State Assembly Transportation Committee, and current work for the San Gabriel Valley. She advocates on behalf of the transportation needs faced in the eastern half of Los Angeles County, which lacks mass transit and has the most congested and underserved transportation system in the country. She continues to advance and promote the ideas of minorities, including the many Hispanic Americans who not only design and build our transportation systems, but use mass transit in greater proportion.

Links:
Transportation & Infrastructure Committee

Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, Chairwoman
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials

Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management

Congressional Mental Health Caucus

Congresswoman Napolitano is the founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, where she promotes access to mental health for children and adolescents, improved mental health resources for veterans, and increased mental health coverage for all.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC)

The Congresswoman is a former Chairwoman of the CHC. The Caucus addresses national issues such as education, immigration, healthcare, and the impact of these policies on the Hispanic community. The CHC cooperates on shared priorities with the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Progressive Caucus.  Napolitano has worked with CHC Task Force Chairs to provide leadership on critical legislative and policy priorities, such as ensuring that minority healthcare needs were addressed within healthcare reform and promoting the federal appointment of Hispanics like Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The CHC has offered legislation addressing comprehensive immigration reform, and a nation-wide solution for the country’s broken immigration system continues to be a major priority.

Other Congressional Caucus Memberships

California Democratic Congressional Delegation

Addiction, Treatment & Recovery Caucus

Community College Caucus

Congressional Arts Caucus

Congressional Bike Caucus

Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues

Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues

Congressional Caucus on California High-Speed Rail

Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues

Congressional Caucus on India & Indian Americans

Congressional Caucus on the Judicial Branch

Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth

Congressional Coastal Caucus

Congressional Courthouse Caucus

Congressional Diabetes Caucus

Congressional Hydropower Caucus

Congressional Labor & Working Families Caucus

Congressional Native American Caucus

Congressional Nursing Caucus

Congressional Steel Caucus

Congressional Taiwan Caucus

Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus

Goods Movement Caucus

House Baltic Caucus

House Diversity & Innovation Caucus

House Manufacturing Caucus

House Nursing Caucus

House Sugar Caucus

Neuroscience Caucus

Out of Iraq Caucus

Public Broadcasting Caucus

U.S.-Mexico Friendship Caucus

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

Congressional Progressive Caucus

New Legislation

Learn more about legislation sponsored and co-sponsored by Congresswoman Napolitano.

Issues

Source: Government page

More Information

Services

Source: Government page

District

Source: Wikipedia

California’s 31st congressional district is a congressional district in Los Angeles County, in the U.S. state of California. The district is located in the San Gabriel Valley.

From January 3, 2023, following the 2020 redistricting cycle, the district is currently represented by Democrat Grace Napolitano.

Wikipedia

GracielaGraceNapolitano (/nəˌpɒlɪˈtɑːn/ nə-POL-ih-TAH-noh; née Flores; born December 4, 1936) is an American Democratic Party politician who has represented California‘s San Gabriel Valley and other parts of Los Angeles County in the United States House of Representatives since 1999. Her district is currently numbered California’s 31st district. She previously served in the California State Assembly and the Norwalk City Council. At the age of 87, Napolitano is the oldest sitting member in the House of Representatives.

Napolitano represented the 34th district from 1999 to 2003, the 38th district from 2003 to 2013, and the 32nd district from 2013 to 2023. Due to redistricting, Napolitano ran for and won reelection in the 2012 United States elections in California’s 32nd congressional district against Republican nominee David Miller. In the 2014 midterm elections, Napolitano was reelected, defeating Republican nominee Arturo Alas.

In July 2023, Napolitano announced that she would not be running for re-election in 2024.[1][2]

Early life, education and career

Napolitano was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. After high school, she married Federico “Fred” Musquiz and moved with her husband to Norwalk, California, where they raised five children. After Musquiz’s death in 1980, she married Frank Napolitano in 1982.[3]

Napolitano began her political career as a member of the Norwalk City Council, winning her first election in 1986 by 28 votes. Four years later, she was reelected by the largest margin recorded in city history. In 1989, Napolitano’s council colleagues elevated her to serve as mayor. During her council tenure, she focused much of her attention on providing access to constituents and on redevelopment and transportation issues to address the city’s need for jobs and a more diversified economic base.

Napolitano made her way up through the ranks of Ford Motor Company for 21 years. After her retirement in 1992, she was elected to the California Assembly and became a leader in international trade, environmental protection, transportation and immigration. In 1996 she requested and received the creation of the first new California State Assembly Standing Committee in nine years, the Committee on International Trade, which she chaired until being termed out in 1998. In her six years in the Assembly, she also served as chair of the Women’s Caucus and vice chair of the Latino caucus.

Napolitano is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.[4]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

1998

In 1998, Napolitano was termed out of the State Assembly and decided to run for a State Senate seat being vacated by Charles Calderon. She would be facing a difficult race against fellow termed-out Assemblywoman Martha Escutia.[5] Three days before the candidate filing deadline, U.S. Representative Esteban Torres announced his retirement, hoping the late timing of his decision would help his son-in-law, James “Jamie” Casso, win the seat. Napolitano switched races at the last moment and narrowly defeated Casso in the Democratic primary, 51% to 49%.[6]

A 2009 story first reported by Bloomberg News[7] and further detailed by the Los Angeles Times[8] questioned the personal loan interest rate that the Federal Election Commission authorized Napolitano to use during her 1998 campaign for Congress. Both Bloomberg and the Times noted that the FEC had accepted the argument that the 18% rate was equivalent to the early withdrawal penalty that Napolitano was subject to by withdrawing $150,000 from her employee retirement fund and then lending that money to her campaign. Both sources also reported the rate dropping to 10% in 2006, and cited FEC filings as of December 31, 2009, indicating that $221,780 in interest had been paid. The Hill reported that FEC filings[9] for the campaign reporting period ending September 30, 2010, indicated that the debt had been completely retired.[10]

In July 2023, Napolitano announced her intention to retire from Congress and not seek re-election in 2024.[11]

Tenure

In 2011, Napolitano voted against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 as part of a controversial provision that allows the government and the military to indefinitely detain American citizens and others without trial.[12]

Natural Resources Committee

Napolitano has been a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources since the 106th Congress and was selected as chair of the Water and Power Subcommittee for the 110th Congress. She has promoted conservation, water recycling, desalination, and sound groundwater management and storage to address Southern California’s need for adequate water quality and supply. She is proud of her legislative efforts on a number of fronts—assisting in the implementation of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, a water management plan for the State of California, protection of the ecosystem in the Bay-Delta and promotion of the use of advanced technologies. She is also a member of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus.

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

At the start of the 110th Congress, Napolitano became the most senior new member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, with jurisdiction over America’s aviation system, surface transportation, freight and passenger rail, the inland waterway system, international maritime commerce, the Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers‘ support of the nation’s water resources, and the federal clean water program. Napolitano’s experience includes six years on the California State Assembly Transportation Committee, and current work on rail safety and congestion relief in the San Gabriel Valley.

Hearings:

  • Oversight of U.S. Airline Customer Service: May 2, 2017. Napolitano posed questions to the witnesses, including Oscar Munoz,[13] after committee chair Bill Shuster left his chair. Her questions[14] were critical of the airlines’ plans to impose self-regulation in response to recent customer service controversies. As the founder and chair of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, Napolitano further asked whether the airlines provide mental health services to their employees because of the stressful nature of flight attendant jobs and increasing demands that airlines make of flight attendants. William J. McGee, the country’s foremost expert and advocate on consumer rights as the Aviation Consultant for Consumers Union responded that this was “an excellent question because… right now we have a situation where employees are under tremendous strain because of the executive decisions that are putting flight attendants in the front lines of many of these situations. Flight attendants have a primary responsibility to ensure safety, evacuation, and of course customer service, but we have asked them to be bouncers, and police officers, and all kinds of other things, so there is no question that there is an issue of training as well.”

Congressional Mental Health Caucus

Statistics showing one in three Latina adolescents contemplated suicide prompted Napolitano to spearhead a school-based Latina adolescent mental health program in three local middle schools and one high school. She and Tim Murphy co-chair the Congressional Mental Health Caucus. The bipartisan caucus included more than 70 members during the 108th Congress and over 90 members during the 109th Congress. As co-chair, Napolitano has hosted congressional briefings on children’s and veteran’s mental health needs, working on proposals to improve VA mental health services. A key priority is legislation to provide mental health parity in health insurance.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus

During the 109th Congress, Napolitano chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which continues to address national education, immigration, health, and civil rights issues, and the impact these policies have on the Hispanic community.

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:[15]

Caucus memberships

Political positions

Napolitano voted with President Joe Biden‘s stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.[22]

Abortion

Napolitano opposed the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it “abhorrent” and a “dreadfully sad and dark day when you wake up with fewer and diminished rights in the United States of America.”[23]

Personal life

Napolitano was married to Frank Napolitano, a restaurateur and community activist, from the early 1980s until his death from cancer on December 15, 2017, aged 90.[24] Grace Napolitano had five children from a previous marriage, which ended with her husband’s death.[25] In 2013, their daughter Yolanda Maria Louwers died of cancer. Louwers was regularly on the campaign trail with Napolitano throughout her political career.[3]

On February 13, 2016, Napolitano had a minor hemorragic stroke during a campaign event. She returned to work by mid-April.[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ Valdes, Georgia (July 8, 2023). “Grace Napolitano, longtime San Gabriel Valley congresswoman, announces retirement”. San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  2. ^ Seema Mehta; Hannah Wiley (July 7, 2023). “Rep. Grace Napolitano, veteran California Democrat, announces retirement”. Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^ a b “Community Mourns Passing of Yolanda Louwers, daughter of Rep. Grace Napolitano”. Cerritos Community News. January 16, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  4. ^ “Caucus Members”. Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  5. ^ “1998 Primary Election”. StateNet Publications. May 1998.
  6. ^ “1998 Primary Election Results”. StateNet Publications. July 1998.
  7. ^ “California’s Napolitano Makes $220,000 From 1998 Campaign Loan”. Bloomberg. February 13, 2009. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
  8. ^ “Profile: Grace Napolitano”. Los Angeles Times. February 14, 2009.
  9. ^ “Profile: Grace Napolitano”. Federal Election Commission. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  10. ^ “Report: Members of Congress find ways to keep money in the family”. The Hill. March 22, 2012. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  11. ^ Seema Mehta; Hannah Wiley (July 7, 2023). “Rep. Grace Napolitano, veteran California Democrat, announces retirement”. Los Angeles Times.
  12. ^ “NDAA Bill: How Did Your Congress Member Vote?”. Ibtimes.com. December 16, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  13. ^ “Airline Leaders Lambasted at Hearing on Passenger Treatment”. Bloomberg. May 2, 2017 – via www.bloomberg.com.
  14. ^ “Oversight of U.S. Airline Customer Service”. U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Video recording; remarks at 1 hour, 58 minutes. Retrieved June 21, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  15. ^ “Grace F. Napolitano”. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  16. ^ “Members”. Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  17. ^ “Our Members”. U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  18. ^ “Members”. House Baltic Caucus. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  19. ^ “Membership”. Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  20. ^ “Members”. Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  21. ^ “Caucus Membrs”. US House of Representatives. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  22. ^ Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (April 22, 2021). “Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?”. FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  23. ^ Napolitano, Grace (June 24, 2022). “Napolitano’s Statement on Supreme Court Overturning Roe v. Wade”. Congresswoman Grace Napolitano. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  24. ^ Modesti, Kevin (December 18, 2017). “Frank Napolitano, husband of San Gabriel Valley Rep. Grace Napolitano, dies after battle with cancer”. San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  25. ^ Wire, Sarah D. (December 18, 2017). “Rep. Grace Napolitano’s husband, Frank Napolitano, dies after battle with cancer”. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 19, 2017.
  26. ^ Wire, Sarah D. (April 19, 2016). “Rep. Grace Napolitano is back at work in Washington after stroke”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 21, 2020.

External links

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California’s 34th congressional district

1999–2003
Succeeded by

Preceded by

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California’s 38th congressional district

2003–2013
Succeeded by

Preceded by

Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
2005–2007
Succeeded by

Preceded by

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California’s 32nd congressional district

2013–2023
Succeeded by

Preceded by

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California’s 31st congressional district

2023–present
Incumbent
Honorary titles
Preceded by

Oldest member of the U.S. House of Representatives
2023–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by

United States representatives by seniority
34th
Succeeded by


Wikipedia

GracielaGraceNapolitano (/nəˌpɒlɪˈtɑːn/ nə-POL-ih-TAH-noh; née Flores; born December 4, 1936) is an American Democratic Party politician who has represented California‘s San Gabriel Valley and other parts of Los Angeles County in the United States House of Representatives since 1999. Her district is currently numbered California’s 31st district. She previously served in the California State Assembly and the Norwalk City Council. At the age of 87, Napolitano is the oldest sitting member in the House of Representatives.

Napolitano represented the 34th district from 1999 to 2003, the 38th district from 2003 to 2013, and the 32nd district from 2013 to 2023. Due to redistricting, Napolitano ran for and won reelection in the 2012 United States elections in California’s 32nd congressional district against Republican nominee David Miller. In the 2014 midterm elections, Napolitano was reelected, defeating Republican nominee Arturo Alas.

In July 2023, Napolitano announced that she would not be running for re-election in 2024.[1][2]

Early life, education and career

Napolitano was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. After high school, she married Federico “Fred” Musquiz and moved with her husband to Norwalk, California, where they raised five children. After Musquiz’s death in 1980, she married Frank Napolitano in 1982.[3]

Napolitano began her political career as a member of the Norwalk City Council, winning her first election in 1986 by 28 votes. Four years later, she was reelected by the largest margin recorded in city history. In 1989, Napolitano’s council colleagues elevated her to serve as mayor. During her council tenure, she focused much of her attention on providing access to constituents and on redevelopment and transportation issues to address the city’s need for jobs and a more diversified economic base.

Napolitano made her way up through the ranks of Ford Motor Company for 21 years. After her retirement in 1992, she was elected to the California Assembly and became a leader in international trade, environmental protection, transportation and immigration. In 1996 she requested and received the creation of the first new California State Assembly Standing Committee in nine years, the Committee on International Trade, which she chaired until being termed out in 1998. In her six years in the Assembly, she also served as chair of the Women’s Caucus and vice chair of the Latino caucus.

Napolitano is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.[4]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

1998

In 1998, Napolitano was termed out of the State Assembly and decided to run for a State Senate seat being vacated by Charles Calderon. She would be facing a difficult race against fellow termed-out Assemblywoman Martha Escutia.[5] Three days before the candidate filing deadline, U.S. Representative Esteban Torres announced his retirement, hoping the late timing of his decision would help his son-in-law, James “Jamie” Casso, win the seat. Napolitano switched races at the last moment and narrowly defeated Casso in the Democratic primary, 51% to 49%.[6]

A 2009 story first reported by Bloomberg News[7] and further detailed by the Los Angeles Times[8] questioned the personal loan interest rate that the Federal Election Commission authorized Napolitano to use during her 1998 campaign for Congress. Both Bloomberg and the Times noted that the FEC had accepted the argument that the 18% rate was equivalent to the early withdrawal penalty that Napolitano was subject to by withdrawing $150,000 from her employee retirement fund and then lending that money to her campaign. Both sources also reported the rate dropping to 10% in 2006, and cited FEC filings as of December 31, 2009, indicating that $221,780 in interest had been paid. The Hill reported that FEC filings[9] for the campaign reporting period ending September 30, 2010, indicated that the debt had been completely retired.[10]

In July 2023, Napolitano announced her intention to retire from Congress and not seek re-election in 2024.[11]

Tenure

In 2011, Napolitano voted against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 as part of a controversial provision that allows the government and the military to indefinitely detain American citizens and others without trial.[12]

Natural Resources Committee

Napolitano has been a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources since the 106th Congress and was selected as chair of the Water and Power Subcommittee for the 110th Congress. She has promoted conservation, water recycling, desalination, and sound groundwater management and storage to address Southern California’s need for adequate water quality and supply. She is proud of her legislative efforts on a number of fronts—assisting in the implementation of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program, a water management plan for the State of California, protection of the ecosystem in the Bay-Delta and promotion of the use of advanced technologies. She is also a member of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus.

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

At the start of the 110th Congress, Napolitano became the most senior new member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, with jurisdiction over America’s aviation system, surface transportation, freight and passenger rail, the inland waterway system, international maritime commerce, the Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers‘ support of the nation’s water resources, and the federal clean water program. Napolitano’s experience includes six years on the California State Assembly Transportation Committee, and current work on rail safety and congestion relief in the San Gabriel Valley.

Hearings:

  • Oversight of U.S. Airline Customer Service: May 2, 2017. Napolitano posed questions to the witnesses, including Oscar Munoz,[13] after committee chair Bill Shuster left his chair. Her questions[14] were critical of the airlines’ plans to impose self-regulation in response to recent customer service controversies. As the founder and chair of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, Napolitano further asked whether the airlines provide mental health services to their employees because of the stressful nature of flight attendant jobs and increasing demands that airlines make of flight attendants. William J. McGee, the country’s foremost expert and advocate on consumer rights as the Aviation Consultant for Consumers Union responded that this was “an excellent question because… right now we have a situation where employees are under tremendous strain because of the executive decisions that are putting flight attendants in the front lines of many of these situations. Flight attendants have a primary responsibility to ensure safety, evacuation, and of course customer service, but we have asked them to be bouncers, and police officers, and all kinds of other things, so there is no question that there is an issue of training as well.”

Congressional Mental Health Caucus

Statistics showing one in three Latina adolescents contemplated suicide prompted Napolitano to spearhead a school-based Latina adolescent mental health program in three local middle schools and one high school. She and Tim Murphy co-chair the Congressional Mental Health Caucus. The bipartisan caucus included more than 70 members during the 108th Congress and over 90 members during the 109th Congress. As co-chair, Napolitano has hosted congressional briefings on children’s and veteran’s mental health needs, working on proposals to improve VA mental health services. A key priority is legislation to provide mental health parity in health insurance.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus

During the 109th Congress, Napolitano chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which continues to address national education, immigration, health, and civil rights issues, and the impact these policies have on the Hispanic community.

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:[15]

Caucus memberships

Political positions

Napolitano voted with President Joe Biden‘s stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.[22]

Abortion

Napolitano opposed the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling it “abhorrent” and a “dreadfully sad and dark day when you wake up with fewer and diminished rights in the United States of America.”[23]

Personal life

Napolitano was married to Frank Napolitano, a restaurateur and community activist, from the early 1980s until his death from cancer on December 15, 2017, aged 90.[24] Grace Napolitano had five children from a previous marriage, which ended with her husband’s death.[25] In 2013, their daughter Yolanda Maria Louwers died of cancer. Louwers was regularly on the campaign trail with Napolitano throughout her political career.[3]

On February 13, 2016, Napolitano had a minor hemorragic stroke during a campaign event. She returned to work by mid-April.[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ Valdes, Georgia (July 8, 2023). “Grace Napolitano, longtime San Gabriel Valley congresswoman, announces retirement”. San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  2. ^ Seema Mehta; Hannah Wiley (July 7, 2023). “Rep. Grace Napolitano, veteran California Democrat, announces retirement”. Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^ a b “Community Mourns Passing of Yolanda Louwers, daughter of Rep. Grace Napolitano”. Cerritos Community News. January 16, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  4. ^ “Caucus Members”. Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  5. ^ “1998 Primary Election”. StateNet Publications. May 1998.
  6. ^ “1998 Primary Election Results”. StateNet Publications. July 1998.
  7. ^ “California’s Napolitano Makes $220,000 From 1998 Campaign Loan”. Bloomberg. February 13, 2009. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
  8. ^ “Profile: Grace Napolitano”. Los Angeles Times. February 14, 2009.
  9. ^ “Profile: Grace Napolitano”. Federal Election Commission. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  10. ^ “Report: Members of Congress find ways to keep money in the family”. The Hill. March 22, 2012. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  11. ^ Seema Mehta; Hannah Wiley (July 7, 2023). “Rep. Grace Napolitano, veteran California Democrat, announces retirement”. Los Angeles Times.
  12. ^ “NDAA Bill: How Did Your Congress Member Vote?”. Ibtimes.com. December 16, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  13. ^ “Airline Leaders Lambasted at Hearing on Passenger Treatment”. Bloomberg. May 2, 2017 – via www.bloomberg.com.
  14. ^ “Oversight of U.S. Airline Customer Service”. U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Video recording; remarks at 1 hour, 58 minutes. Retrieved June 21, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  15. ^ “Grace F. Napolitano”. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  16. ^ “Members”. Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Archived from the original on May 15, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  17. ^ “Our Members”. U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
  18. ^ “Members”. House Baltic Caucus. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  19. ^ “Membership”. Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  20. ^ “Members”. Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  21. ^ “Caucus Membrs”. US House of Representatives. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  22. ^ Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (April 22, 2021). “Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?”. FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  23. ^ Napolitano, Grace (June 24, 2022). “Napolitano’s Statement on Supreme Court Overturning Roe v. Wade”. Congresswoman Grace Napolitano. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  24. ^ Modesti, Kevin (December 18, 2017). “Frank Napolitano, husband of San Gabriel Valley Rep. Grace Napolitano, dies after battle with cancer”. San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  25. ^ Wire, Sarah D. (December 18, 2017). “Rep. Grace Napolitano’s husband, Frank Napolitano, dies after battle with cancer”. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 19, 2017.
  26. ^ Wire, Sarah D. (April 19, 2016). “Rep. Grace Napolitano is back at work in Washington after stroke”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 21, 2020.

External links

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California’s 34th congressional district

1999–2003
Succeeded by

Preceded by

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California’s 38th congressional district

2003–2013
Succeeded by

Preceded by

Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
2005–2007
Succeeded by

Preceded by

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California’s 32nd congressional district

2013–2023
Succeeded by

Preceded by

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California’s 31st congressional district

2023–present
Incumbent
Honorary titles
Preceded by

Oldest member of the U.S. House of Representatives
2023–present
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by

United States representatives by seniority
34th
Succeeded by


X

Grace Napolitano CA-31

Current Position: US Representative of CA District 32 since 1999
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: State Delegate from 1992 – 1998
District:  Los Angeles County in the San Gabriel Valley
Upcoming Election:

Quotes:
DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth to build lives here/make tremendous contributions to their communities & our economy. While no heartless ruling can change this fact, enough is enough! Time to deliver permanent protections/pathway to citizenship is now!

2019 Champion of Mental Health – Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano

OnAir Post: Grace Napolitano CA-31

Brad Sherman CA-32

Current Position: US Representative of CA District 30 since 1997 (formerly 32nd)
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: California Board of Equalization from 1991 – 1997
Other positions:  Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets
District:  Malibu and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades, Beverly Glen, Bel Air, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Woodland Hills, West Hills, Canoga Park, Winnetka, Reseda, Encino, Chatsworth, Northridge, Brentwood, North Hills, as well as the south side of Granada Hills.
Upcoming Election:

Quotes: 
The House passed two important bills I helped to introduce, H.R. 826 and H.Res. 294. Both support reunions for the 100,000 or more Americans who are still divided from family members in North Korea.

Sherman Highlights Threats Posed to Americans and U.S. Financial System by Cryptocurrencies

OnAir Post: Brad Sherman CA-32

Pete Aguilar CA-33

Current Position: US Representative of CA District 31 since 2015 (formerly 33rd)
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: Mayor Redlands from 2006 – 2014
District:   centered on San Bernardino
Upcoming Election:

Quotes: 
This shouldn’t just be a bipartisan committee, it should be a nonpartisan committee. We will hold a fair and fact-based investigation in pursuit of the truth. That’s what the American people deserve and it’s what our oath requires. A Committee Member

Congressman Pete Aguilar: We need a path to citizenship and the American public is behind us

OnAir Post: Pete Aguilar CA-33

Jimmy Gomez CA-34

Current Position: US Representative of CA District 34 since 2023
Affiliation: Democrat
District:   The district is almost entirely within the City of Los Angeles and includes the following neighborhoods in Central, East, and Northeast Los Angeles: Boyle Heights, Chinatown, City Terrace, Cypress Park, Downtown Los Angeles, Eagle Rock, El Sereno, Garvanza, Glassell Park, Highland Park, Koreatown, Little Bangladesh, Little Tokyo, Lincoln Heights, Montecito Heights, Monterey Hills, Mount Washington, and Westlake.
Upcoming Election:

Before entering electoral politics, Gomez was a labor organizer, serving as the legislative and political director for the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health-Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) and the political representative for the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

 

OnAir Post: Jimmy Gomez CA-34

Norma Torres CA-35

Current Position: US Representative of CA District 35 since 2015
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Positions:  State Delegate from 2008 – 2013; Mayor Pomona from 2006 – 2008
District:   in the Inland Empire, including the communities of Chino, Eastvale, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, and Upland.
Upcoming Election:

Quotes: 
I’m greatly thankful to be recognized by @Forbes_CA
as one of the #100MostPowerfulWomen in Central America – it’s an honor to be among these women that are making a difference.

Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA) On HHS Border Facility, Immigration | Ayman Mohyeldin | MSNBC

OnAir Post: Norma Torres CA-35

Ted Lieu CA-36

Current Position: US Representative of CA District 36 since 2015 (formerly 33rd)
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Positions: State Senator from 2011 – 2014; State Delegate from 2005 – 2010
District:    The 36th district is located primarily in the South Bay and Westside regions of Los Angeles.
Upcoming Election:

Quotes: 
At the end of the day, we are all Americans.

White House officials and close allies of the president have expressed confidence that it is possible to “out-organize voter suppression.” That may be true. But we can’t out-organize gerrymandering. Want to see chaos? Speaker McCarthy. That’s why we need a filibuster exception.

Rep. Lieu on why the Senate should convict Trump

OnAir Post: Ted Lieu CA-36

Sydney Kamlager-Dove CA-37

Current Position: US Representative of CA District 37 since 2023
Affiliation: Democrat
District:  The district includes Culver City, Inglewood, and the City of Los Angeles neighborhoods of Mid City, Century City, Beverlywood, View Park-Windsor Hills, Pico-Robertson, Exposition Park, University Park, Vermont Knolls, West Adams, Leimert Park, Jefferson Park, Vermont Square, Ladera Heights, Hyde Park, Crenshaw, and Baldwin Hills.
Upcoming Election:

Sydney Kai Kamlager-Dove previously served in the California State Senate, representing the 30th district. She has also served in the California State Assembly and as a trustee for the Los Angeles Community College District. She received her Master’s in arts management from the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University.[3] Her mother is actress Cheryl Lynn Bruce and her stepfather is artist Kerry James Marshall.[

OnAir Post: Sydney Kamlager-Dove CA-37

Linda Sánchez CA-38

Current Position: US Representative of CA District 38 since 2003
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position:
District:   suburban eastern Los Angeles County and Orange County, California
Upcoming Election:
Other positions: Co-Founder and Co-Chair, Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus
Vice Chair, Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus (Vice Chair)

Quotes: 
We can keep families together, grow our economy and protect workers, and effectively manage our borders. The #USCitizenshipAct will do just that. And I’m proud to sponsor it.

Rep. Linda Sanchez on new immigration reform bill presented by Democrats

OnAir Post: Linda Sánchez CA-38

Mark Takano CA-39

Current Position: US Representative of CA District 39 since 2013 (formerly 41st)
Affiliation: Democrat
Former Position: English Teacher from 1990 – 2013
Other positions: House Veterans Affairs Committee
District:    parts of Riverside County, including Jurupa Valley, Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris.
Upcoming Election:

Quotes: 
In 2012, I became the first openly gay person of color elected to Congress. Today I’m serving as Speaker Pro Tem as the House prepares to vote on the #EqualityAct. I’m thinking of those who marched and built a movement to protect the lives of LGBTQ+ people and expand our rights.

Rep. Mark Takano of California speaks at the Democratic National Convention

OnAir Post: Mark Takano CA-39

Young Kim CA-40

Current Position: US Representative of CA 40th District since 2021 (formerly 39th)
Affiliation: Republican
Former Position: State Delegate from 2014 – 2016
District:   Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. 
Upcoming Election:

Quotes:
More reckless federal spending is not the answer. It will only drive up inflation and lead to increased taxes, and debt. This reckless spending is irresponsible and unproductive. As a result, American taxpayers will be left with the check.

Rep. Young Kim (R-CA): ‘I believe I am the future of the Republican Party’

OnAir Post: Young Kim CA-40

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