Press Releases
Rep. Ruben Gallego Helps Chicanos Por La Causa Secure $800K Grant for Economic Development
Washington, DC - The Department of Health and Human Services announced today that Chicanos Por La Causa has been awarded an $800,000 grant by the Administration for Children and Families' Community Economic Development program to support job creation and economic development in Arizona.The new funding will help CPLC provide comprehensive assistance for local entrepreneurs to establish and grow current operations. The project expects to create 40 new full-time employment opportunities, most of … Continue Reading
August 31, 2016
Rep. Ruben Gallego Statement on VA Grants to Address Veteran Homelessness
Washington, DC - Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced more than $300 million in grant awards under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program to help low-income veteran families prevent homelessness.Veterans' support programs in Arizona will receive more than $8 million in funding under the program to support outreach, case management, and other assistance to prevent veteran homelessness and rapidly re-house those who do become homeless.Rep. Ruben … Continue Reading
August 24, 2016
El Congresista Gallego aplaude el anuncio del acuerdo entre el gobierno de Colombia y las FARC
Washington, DC - El Congresista Ruben Gallego hizo las siguientes declaraciones sobre el acuerdo entre el gobierno de Colombia y las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC):"El acuerdo de paz anunciado hoy entre el gobierno Colombiano y los FARC marca al fin al conflict más largo en nuestro hemisferio."Este acuerdo es el resultado de muchos años de arduo trabajo y compromiso. Quiero darle las gracias a los negociadores por poner atención especial a los derechos de las víctimas de … Continue Reading
August 24, 2016
Rep. Ruben Gallego Statement on the Historic Peace Deal Between The Colombian Government and FARC
Washington, DC - Today, the Colombian government and the FARC rebel group signed a historic peace accord, ending more than five decades of conflict in the country.Rep. Ruben Gallego issued the following statement:"The peace deal announced today between the Colombian government and the FARC rebel group marks the end of the longest running conflict in our hemisphere. "This deal is the result of many years of hard work and compromise, and I thank the negotiators for paying special attention … Continue Reading
August 23, 2016
Reps. Huffman, Gallego, and Ellison Applaud Department of Veterans Affairs for Banning the Large-Scale Display of Confederate Flags on VA Cemeteries
Washington, D.C.- The large-scale display of Confederate flags in national veterans cemeteries will no longer be allowed, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced in a letter to Congress. The policy change came at the urging of Reps. Jared Huffman (D-CA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Keith Ellison (D-MN), and 82 other members of Congress. Under this new policy, Confederate flags will never be allowed to be displayed from any flagpole in a VA national cemetery. This new change to … Continue Reading
August 15, 2016
Rep. Gallego on the 4th Anniversary of the Implementation of DACA
Washington, DC - Today marks the 4 year anniversary of the implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.Rep. Ruben Gallego released the following statement:"Over the past four years, the DACA program has allowed thousands of young immigrants who were raised in the United States to come out of the shadows and become active members of our communities and active contributors to our economy."While Republicans repeatedly refused to take steps to fix our broken … Continue Reading
August 02, 2016
President Obama Signs Bill to Name Phoenix Post Office After Congressman Ed Pastor
Washington, DC - On Friday, President Obama signed a bill to rename the United States Post Office located at 522 North Central Ave in Phoenix as the "Ed Pastor Post Office."The proposal (HR 4010) was introduced by Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), and was strongly supported by the entire Arizona Congressional delegation.Congressman Pastor represented the people of Arizona for twelve terms, from 1991 until his retirement in 2015. He was the first Hispanic American elected to Congress from the State … Continue Reading
July 27, 2016
Arizona Democratic Congressional Delegation Applauds CMS for Approving Plan to Re-Open CHIP Program
Washington, DC - Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it approved Arizona's plan to re-open enrollment for KidsCare, the state's Children's Health Insurance Program, after the program had been frozen for several years.The state has estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 children will be eligible for coverage once the freeze ends on July 26.Earlier this year, the Arizona Democratic Congressional Delegation sent a letter urging federal authorities to provide … Continue Reading
July 18, 2016
Rep. Ruben Gallego Congratulates Friendly House on New Department of Education Grant Award
Washington, DC - The Department of Education announced that Friendly House will receive grant funding through the Talent Search program, which provides assistance to help individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education.Friendly House will receive more than $260,000 per year for five years, for an estimated total of $1.3 million to fund the Friendly House/TRiO Talent Search college access program. That program provides academic, career, and … Continue Reading
July 14, 2016
House Republicans Defeat Rep. Ruben Gallego’s “Cliven Bundy Amendment” to the FY 2017 Department of the Interior Appropriations Bill
Washington, DC - Today, in the latest display of Republican dysfunction in the House, a vote on Rep. Ruben Gallego's amendment to end taxpayer subsidization of ranchers, like Cliven Bundy, who engage in illegal grazing was defeated after the House GOP leadership held open the roll call and convinced Members to change their votes. This follows an earlier incident in which Speaker Ryan similarly held open a vote on LGBT protections for government contractors and 7 House Republicans switched … Continue Reading
July 14, 2016
Rep. Ruben Gallego Congratulates New Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams
Phoenix, AZ - Today, the City of Phoenix announced that Jeri Williams will become the new Phoenix Police Chief, effective October 2016.Jeri Williams spent 22 years with the Phoenix Police Department prior to becoming Police Chief of Oxnard, California where she has focused on community-based policing. In her current position, she oversaw the implementation of police body cameras and training on use of force and technology topics for more than 300 California law enforcement agencies.Williams … Continue Reading
July 12, 2016
Sen. Edward J. Markey and Congressman Ruben Gallego Introduce New Legislation to Prevent Accidental Gun Deaths
Washington, DC - Today, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced new legislation that would ensure that powerful, military-style weapons don't end up in the hands of children.The Help End Assault Rifle Tragedies (HEART) Act will prohibit children under the age of 16 from possessing or firing machine guns and assault weapons, including at gun shows and shooting ranges.Sen. Markey and Congressman Gallego were joined by the four children of Charles Vacca, a … Continue Reading
July 08, 2016
House Votes to Protect Veteran Preference in Federal Hiring
Washington, DC - Last night, the House approved an amendment to the financial services appropriations bill introduced by Rep. Ruben Gallego that will protect the long-standing veteran preference in federal hiring.Rep. Gallego's amendment received the support of the vast majority of the House, with a 409 to 14 vote.A provision in the 1,700 page Senate defense authorization would have undermined this policy by preventing veterans from benefitting from the preference system if they are already … Continue Reading
June 29, 2016
Rep. Ruben Gallego Joins Local Advocates to Call for Common Sense Gun Violence Prevention Measures on National Day of Action
Washington, DC - Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego joined local Arizona advocates to call on Congress to take action to prevent gun violence. The call took place on the recently-announced National Day of Action, when advocates and Members of Congress stood up together in communities across the country to ask their elected officials to pass legislation to save lives.Rep. Ruben Gallego said, "I'm tired of seeing my Republican colleagues in Congress hold moments of silence for victims of gun violence, … Continue Reading
June 28, 2016
Rep. Ruben Gallego Helps the City of Phoenix Secure $1.5 Million Grant for Revitalization of the Edison-Eastlake Community
Washington, DC - The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that the City of Phoenix has been awarded a $1.5 million grant by the department's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative to spark economic development in the Edison-Eastlake community.The funding will help the city to redevelop 577 units of obsolete public housing in the Edison-Eastlake community in order to revitalize the neighborhood and encourage private investment. This project will also help leverage existing … Continue Reading
June 27, 2016
Rep. Ruben Gallego on the Supreme Court’s Decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt
Washington, DC - Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego praised the Supreme Court's decision in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, which struck down Texas House Bill 2 (H.B. 2), a state law that placed burdensome restrictions on abortion providers that would undermine a woman's constitutionally protected right to make her own health decisions.Rep. Ruben Gallego released the following statement:"Today's Supreme Court decision reaffirms that women deserve respect and dignity when making decisions about … Continue Reading
June 23, 2016
Rep. Ruben Gallego Statement on the U.S. v. Texas Supreme Court Decision
Washington, DC - Today the Supreme Court affirmed the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in U.S. v. Texas with a 4-4 split decision. As a result, the injunction on President Obama's immigration executive actions - the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) program - will stand. The decision does not affect those who have benefitted from the original 2012 DACA program.Congressman Ruben Gallego issued the … Continue Reading
June 21, 2016
House Passes Bill to Name Phoenix Post Office After Congressman Ed Pastor
Washington, DC - Today, the House of Representatives passed a bill (HR 4010 ) to rename the United States Post Office located at 522 North Central Ave in Phoenix as the "Ed Pastor Post Office."The proposal was introduced by Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), and was strongly supported by the entire Arizona Congressional delegation.Congressman Pastor represented the people of Arizona for twelve terms, from 1991 until his retirement in 2015. He was the first Hispanic American elected to Congress from … Continue Reading
June 16, 2016
Rep. Ruben Gallego Statement on the Defeat of GOP Attempts to Block DREAMers from Serving in Uniform
Washington, DC - Amendments to the Fiscal Year 2017 Department of Defense funding bill that would have prevented beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program from serving in the armed forces were struck down on the House floor today.The amendments, introduced by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) and Steve King (R-Iowa), would have prevented the Defense Secretary from enlisting young immigrants who have been granted work permits and want to serve in our nation's armed … Continue Reading
June 15, 2016
Trump-Ryan GOP Celebrate DACA Anniversary by Attacking DREAMers Who Want to Serve Our Country in Uniform
Washington, DC - On the 4 year anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), House GOP leaders will push for two GOP-authored anti-immigrant amendments to the defense spending bill. The amendments, introduced by Reps. Steve King (R-Iowa) and Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) would prevent the Defense Secretary from enlisting young immigrants who have been granted work permits and want to serve in our nation's armed forces.Rep. Ruben Gallego released the following statement:"The … Continue Reading