Biography
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez is proud to represent California's 46th Congressional District, which includes the cities of Anaheim, Santa Ana, Orange and Garden Grove in Orange County. She began her congressional career in January of 1997 and is currently serving her ninth term in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A recognized leader on military and national security issues, Rep. Sanchez is the second highest ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. She currently serves as the Ranking Member of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, where she is working to prepare our Armed Forces for a new generation of security challenges. On the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, Rep. Sanchez focuses on Army and Air Force acquisition programs and weapons systems, along with the Navy and Marine Corps aviation programs and National Guard issues. Rep. Sanchez is also a senior member of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, where she served as Ranking Member during the 112th Congress. Rep. Sanchez was appointed by Leader Pelosi to the prestigious Board of Visitors of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Rep. Sanchez is the leading voice in Congress for women in the military. She is founder and co-chair of the Women in the Military Caucus and is the highest ranked female on the Armed Services Committee. Rep. Sanchez fought to allow female service members to serve in combat roles and she has implemented significant measures to fight sexual assault in the military, successfully updating outdated sexual assault provisions in the Uniform Code of Military Justice, originally enacted in 1950, in order to grant additional survivors' rights. She also legislated to implement a sexual assault database in the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act, Public Law No: 110-417.
Rep. Sanchez serves on the House Committee on Homeland Security, where she is the second ranked Democrat and most senior female member. She has served since the Homeland committee's founding and has emerged as an expert on intelligence and counterterrorism issues.
As a member of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, Rep. Sanchez provides strict oversight on important security issues, including the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card program and the Visa Waiver Program. She is also a member of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
In Congress, Rep. Sanchez is a leader in securing America's borders. A strong advocate for border security, she frequently appears on MSNBC, CNN, C-SPAN, FOX News, and other national media outlets to discuss the importance of economic development and trade along the U.S.-Mexico border and ports of entry. She frequently meets with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and other national security officials to provide guidance on critical issues, including combating human, weapons, and drug trafficking and ensuring interagency cooperation on national security issues.
Rep. Sanchez is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Blue Dog Coalition, the New Democrat Coalition, and the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. She is also co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Korea. She was appointed by Leader Pelosi to serve on the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), a bipartisan, bicameral committee that continually monitors matters relating to the US economy, including unemployment, foreclosures, and interest rates. Congresswoman Sanchez strongly supports small businesses and is founder and co-chair of the Small Business Information Technology (IT) Caucus. Last year, Congresswoman Sanchez founded the Regulatory Review Caucus, which she co-chairs.
House Minority Whip Hoyer has named Rep. Sanchez to the Democratic National Security Working Group. She is a board member of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. The Blue Dog Coalition appointed Rep. Sanchez to the Task Force on Oversight and Regulatory Review and she is also a member of the New Democratic Coalition's Task Forces on Innovation, Competitiveness and Tax Reform and Education. Rep. Sanchez is a member of the Transatlantic Legislators' Dialogue.
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, Sanchez worked in the financial markets, with firms including Booz Allen Hamilton and Fieldman Rolapp.
