Candidate for
United States Representative; District 47

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez has been a champion for the people of the 47th Congressional District since the moment she burst onto the political scene in the fall of 1996. She astonished the nation by defeating an entrenched Republican incumbent in one of the most conservative congressional districts in the nation. Loretta is proudly serving her seventh term in Congress, and is the first and only Hispanic woman ever to be elected to Congress from Orange County.

A leading voice on national security issues, Loretta serves as the Vice Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee. In this capacity she plays a significant role in securing our border with Mexico and is continually pushing for stronger border security policies. She has held multiple committee hearings regarding Southwest border security and recently traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Loretta is the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism, where she has fought for workers' rights by improving the effectiveness and transparency of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program, which requires port workers to carry a special identification card to access secure areas at our ports. In the past, the TWIC program was hastily + and ineffectively + implemented under the Bush Administration, but with Loretta's oversight has become a meaningful port security tool. She is also a member of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology.

In addition to serving on the House Homeland Security Committee, Loretta sits on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), where she is currently the most senior female member. A long time champion for military services members, veterans, and their families, Loretta has spent her tenure on the committee fighting for pay raises and greater benefits for our men and women in uniform. She is a recognized champion for strengthening the rights of those who have suffered from rape or sexual assault in the military, successfully revising the Uniform Code of Military Justice to create a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse. She currently sits on the Oversight and Investigations, Strategic Forces, and Military Personnel Subcommittees of HASC.

Loretta is also the Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, where she fights diligently for civil, political, and religious freedom in Vietnam. She has repeatedly asked the U.S. State Department to place Vietnam back on its "Countries of Particular Concern" unless it takes action to improve its abysmal human rights record. She is also a member of the Blue Dog Democrats, the New Democratic Coalition, and the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

Born and raised in the district she serves, Loretta is acutely aware of the issues facing her constituents. As a Head Start child, graduate of the public school system, and Pell Grant recipient, Loretta understands firsthand the value of these federal programs. She regularly hosts "Community Office Hours", a grassroots approach to generating community interest in Congress and increasing Congressional accessibility.
In addition to her committee work, Loretta is committed to improving her local community by strengthening education, increasing public safety and reducing crime, spurring economic development, and protecting senior citizens.

Prior to her election to Congress, Loretta was a financial manager at the Orange County Transportation Authority. She was an assistant vice president at Fieldman Rollap and Associates, specializing in municipal finance. She was also an associate at Booz, Allen and Hamilton, putting financial plans together for municipalities as well as private companies. She eventually started her own consulting business in Santa Ana, assisting public agencies and private firms with financial matters.

Loretta attended Chapman University in Orange, California, where she was selected in January 2002 to serve as the University's first Latina member of the Board of Trustees. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Economics in 1982 and her Master's Degree in Business Administration from American University in 1984.

The 47th Congressional District encompasses the Southern California cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove and portions of Anaheim and Fullerton. It is home to Disneyland and the Anaheim Angels.