Hilda Solis
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| Hilda Solis | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Matthew G. Martinez |
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| Born | October 20, 1957 Los Angeles, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | El Monte, California |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Hilda L. Solis (born October 20, 1957), an American politician, has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 2001, representing the 32nd District of California (map). The 32nd Congressional District includes parts of Los Angeles, unincorporated East Los Angeles, and the cities of Azusa, Baldwin Park, Covina, Duarte, El Monte, Irwindale, Monterey Park, Rosemead, South El Monte, and West Covina.
Solis essentially won election to the office when she defeated incumbent Congressman Matthew G. Martinez in the Democratic primary. Martinez, who had been a Congressman for 18 years, lost by a 69% to 31% margin. Martinez was deemed too conservative by many of his constituents, as he supported NAFTA, opposed gun control, and supported bans on specific abortion procedures and on gay marriage.[citation needed] Solis was able to obtain the support of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Emily's List, Handgun Congrols, and the Sierra Club and the California League of Conservation voters, all of whom motivated a significant amount of volunteers and donors to help Solis win. Without a Republican in the race, Solis beat challengers from the Libertarian, Green, and Peace and Freedom parties to win with 79% of the popular vote in the general election. Solis was not without her own controversy, though, as her plan to lower the carpool restrictions on the El Monte Busway resulted in an uproar from bus riders and carpoolers that used the busway. The changes, which were implemented in January 2000, had not manifested themselves completely by the March 2000 election. Solis later voted in July to repeal portions of her own bill, effectively declaring it a failure.
Solis was born in Los Angeles, California, was educated at Cal Poly Pomona and then USC, and served in the White House Office of Hispanic Affairs, as an analyst with the Office of Management and Budget, and as a member of the California State Assembly and the California State Senate before entering the House.
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[edit] Issues and policies
Solis supported legislation to reduce the number of teen pregnancies within the Latina and African-American community. The legislation takes a three-part approach to address teen pregnancy in communities of color, utilizing community-based intervention programs, schools, and multimedia education campaigns to promote and strengthen communications regarding teen pregnancy. This bill also supports the establishment of a national clearinghouse to provide information and assistance to develop content and messages for teen pregnancy prevention targeting communities of color. [1]
Solis has referred to the current President George W. Bush as simply "Bush", saying "It is time for Bush to face reality." She was chided by California Representative Duncan Hunter, who told her that "it is appropriate when referring to the President of the United States be he Democrat or Republican to refer to him as the President"[1]
[edit] Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
- House Committee on Natural Resources
- Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
- Democratic Steering & Policy Committee – Vice Chair
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus
- Health Task Force – Chair
[edit] Religion
Solis is a Roman Catholic; she is also pro-choice. Hilda Solis, along with 47 other Catholic members of Congress, sent a letter to Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington D.C. in order to dissuade him from refusing Catholic Congressmen the sacraments, due to their pro-choice legislative voting. [2] The Congresswoman also signed a "Statement of Principles," released to the public on February 28, 2006, which affirmed Catholic Democrats' commitment to their faith, but said that they disagreed with the Church on some issues. They stated that on those issues, such as abortion rights, they decided to follow their conscience instead of the Church teachings. [3]
[edit] Leadership
Solis considered running for the position of Democratic Caucus Vice chairman for the 110th Congress; however, she deferred to incumbent John Larson after Rahm Emanuel chose to run for caucus chair, which is the position Larson had been running for.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ NEED TO TAKE IRAQ WAR IN A NEW DIRECTION. Congressional Record (05 Dec 2006). Retrieved on March 22, 2007.
- ^ House Dems strike leadership deal (November 9, 2006).
[edit] External links
- U.S. Congresswoman Hilda Solis official House site
- Hilda Solis at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Federal Election Commission — Hilda Solis campaign finance reports and data
- On the Issues — Hilda Solis issue positions and quotes
- OpenSecrets.org — Hilda L. Solis campaign contributions
- Project Vote Smart — Representative Hilda L. Solis (CA) profile
- SourceWatch Congresspedia — Hilda Solis profile
- Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Hilda Solis voting record
- Hilda Solis for Congress official campaign site
| Preceded by Matthew G. Martinez |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 31st congressional district 2001–2003 |
Succeeded by Xavier Becerra |
| Preceded by Diane E. Watson |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 32nd congressional district 2003–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
