Show Notes
Key Takeaways (Click to Expand)
Norma Torres is the only current member of Congress who was born in Central America, having immigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala as a child.
Before her career in politics, she worked for over 17 years as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, an experience that deeply informs her focus on public safety.
She has an extensive background in local and state government, having served as a city councilwoman, Mayor of Pomona, and a California State Legislator.
She is a senior member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, where she is an influential voice on funding for foreign aid, transportation, and housing.
“From a 9-1-1 dispatcher’s headset to a seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, Norma Torres’s career is a testament to a life dedicated to public service at every level.”
Norma Torres: An Immigrant’s Journey to the Halls of Congress
Representative Norma Torres’s life and career represent a uniquely American story. As the only member of Congress to have been born in Central America, she brings a powerful and personal perspective to the nation’s debates on immigration and foreign policy. Her journey from a child immigrant from Guatemala to a respected voice on the influential House Appropriations Committee is one of remarkable perseverance and dedication.
Torres was born in Guatemala and immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of five. Her career in public service began not in a political office, but on the front lines of emergency response. For more than 17 years, she worked as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the LAPD, a high-pressure job that gave her a ground-level view of the public safety challenges facing communities. This experience inspired her to get more involved in local government.
Her political career began on the Pomona City Council in 2001. She was then elected Mayor of Pomona in 2006, where she focused on balancing the city’s budget and improving public services. Following her success as mayor, she was elected to the California State Assembly and later the State Senate, building a strong record as a pragmatic and effective legislator.
In 2015, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In Congress, she has secured a senior position on the House Appropriations Committee, a powerful role that allows her to help direct federal spending. As chair of the subcommittee that funds the Department of Housing and Urban Development and transportation, she is a key figure in shaping national infrastructure and housing policy. Drawing on her personal history, she is also one of Congress’s most passionate and knowledgeable voices on the root causes of migration from Central America.
Sources Used Official Biography: https://torres.house.gov/about
Ballotpedia Profile: https://ballotpedia.org/Norma_Torres
GovTrack.us Legislative Record: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/norma_torres/412616
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