Loretta Sanchez

congresswoman, D-CA

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez proudly represents California's 47th Congressional District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Fullerton in Orange County. She began her congressional career in November 1996 and is currently serving her seventh term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sanchez is Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam and a member of the Blue Dog Democrats, the New Democratic Coalition, and the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. A product of public schools and Head Start, Sanchez is a graduate of Chapman University and American University's MBA program. Prior to serving in Congress, she was a financial manager at the Orange County Transportation Authority, an assistant vice president at Fieldman, Rollap and Associates, and an associate at Booz, Allen, and Hamilton. A recognized leader on national security, intelligence, and counterterrorism issues, Sanchez serves as the Vice Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism. She is also a member of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology. In the 111th Congress, Sanchez is a leader in securing America's border with Mexico. A strong advocate for Southwest border security, she frequently appears on CNN, C-SPAN, FOX News, and MSNBC to discuss the importance of economic development and trade along the U.S.-Mexico border and ports of entry. Sanchez is also the ranking female member on the House Armed Services Committee and sits on the Oversight and Investigations, Strategic Forces, and Military Personnel Subcommittees. In Congress, she is a longtime advocate for service members, fighting for pay raises, improved health care, child care services, and housing and education benefits for military families. Sanchez works especially hard to prevent rape and sexual assault in America's armed services, successfully revising the Uniform Code of Military Justice to create a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse. She also focuses on the weaponization of space, missile defense and nuclear non-proliferation.