Rubén Hinojosa

Infobox_Congressman
name = Rubén Hinojosa


date of birth = birth date and age|1940|08|20
place of birth = Edcouch, Texas
state = Texas
district = 15th
term = 1997–present
preceded = Kika de la Garza
succeeded = Incumbent
party = Democratic
spouse = Martha Lopez
religion = Roman Catholic
occupation= grocery executive
residence= Mercedes, Texas
alma_mater= University of Texas, University of Texas-Pan American

Rubén E. Hinojosa (born August 20, 1940), American politician, has been the Democratic representative for the Texas 15th congressional district ( [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/tx15_109.gifmap] ) in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997.

Hinojosa was born in Edcouch, Texas. He earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin and his MBA from the University of Texas-Pan American. He served as president of his family's food processing company, H&H Foods. In 1974, he was elected to the Texas State Board of Education, serving for 20 years.

Running for Congress in 1996, Hinojosa defeated Republican Tom Haughey with 62% of the vote. He defeated Haughey again in 1998, winning 59% of the vote. In 2000 he took 89% of the vote, facing only independent Frank L. Jones III. Finally in 2002 he was elected once again.

In 2004, Congressman Hinojosa faced Republican Michael Thamm in the redrawn district 15 and defeated the former major, winning with 59 percent of the vote. In the 2006 mid-term election he faced both Paul Haring and Eddie Zamora, both Republicans. Congressman Hinojosa won 61 percent of the vote in the once-again redrawn district.

Current history

Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX) was elected to Congress in 1996 and is serving his sixth term as the representative of the 15th District of Texas. The 15th Congressional District stretches from the Rio Grande Valley to historic Goliad County and the Coastal Bend region. Much of the region is rural, however Hidalgo and Cameron Counties are part of the third fastest growing metropolitan statistical area in the country.

In Congress, Rubén Hinojosa is regarded as a champion for the disadvantaged and has is an advocate for education, housing and economic development. His primary goal in Congress has been to reduce the chronic unemployment rate in regions of the district. He has worked on developing an educated, trained workforce, modernizing the local infrastructure including roads and highways, and creating job opportunities.

Congressman Hinojosa serves on three House committees: 1) Committee on Education and Labor, 2) Committee on Financial Services and 3) Committee on Foreign Affairs.

As a senior member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, Congressman Hinojosa is a champion for investing in human capital through education, and a voice for communities left behind in America's education system: low-income families, minorities, students with disabilities, English language learners, and the children of migrant and seasonal farm workers. He also works towards every child being able to afford a college education.

In January 2007, Congressman Hinojosa was appointed Chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education. Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness. As incoming chair, Congressman Hinojosa helped guide into law the historic College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, which represents the single largest increase in student financial aid since the GI Bill. Congressman Hinojosa’s leadership has also enabled the passage of an unprecedented number of measures in the 110th Congress that boost the achievement of Hispanics in higher education. His successful initiatives include a landmark $510 million investment in minority institutions and a program to support graduate degree attainment at Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs).

As chairman of the Education Task Force for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressman Hinojosa ensures that federal education policy never loses sight of the youngest and fastest growing population in the country - Hispanic Americans. By focusing on a group of proven federal education programs that are critical to the Hispanic community, often referred to as the Hispanic Education Action Plan (HEAP), Hinojosa has helped to secure resources that target Hispanic communities.

During his time in Congress, Congressman Hinojosa has also succeeded in vaulting Hispanic-Serving Institutions to a position of prominence in higher education. In the 1998 amendments to the Higher Education Act, he succeeded in establishing a separate title of the Act dedicated to the development of HSIs. Since that time, funding for HSIs has grown from $12 million to nearly $95 million.

On the House Financial Services Committee, Congressman Hinojosa is a leader on issues affecting the underserved, from banking to housing.

To address the plight of families in his district and across rural America, Congressman Hinojosa formed the Rural Housing Caucus to bring national attention to the scarcity of housing in rural areas. He introduced legislation to improve the situation and is working with his colleagues and advocates towards the Caucus's goal.

In the 110th Congress, Congressman Hinojosa was appointed to the House Foreign Affairs Committee where he has been appointed to the Subcommittee on Europe and the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment.

In recognition of Congressman Hinojosa's achievements in Congress and service to his community, he has received numerous awards and recognitions including the naming of two new elementary schools and the Rubén Hinojosa Highway and the Industrial Park in the Delta Region.

Prior to his election, Congressman Hinojosa served twenty years as President and Chief Financial Officer of a family-owned food processing company, H&H Foods. He earned a Bachelor in Business Administration and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Texas in Austin and in Edinburg, respectively. He is married to Martha Lopez Hinojosa and has one son, Ruben Jr., and four daughters Laura, Iliana, Kaitlin and Karén.

Politically, Hinojosa supports stem cell research, gay marriage rights, increased education funding, free trade agreements, gun control, and the lowering of health care costs. He opposes the Iraq War, voting against the original authorization in 2002, Social Security privatization, and stronger anti-immigration policies.

External links

* [http://hinojosa.house.gov/ U.S. Congressman Rubén Hinojosa] official U.S. House site
* [http://www.rubenhinojosa.com/ Rubén Hinojosa for United States Congress] official campaign site
*CongBio|h000636
* [http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/can_detail/H6TX15055 Federal Election Commission — Rubén E Hinojosa] campaign finance reports and data
* [http://www.ontheissues.org/TX/Ruben_Hinojosa.htm On the Issues — Rubén Hinojosa] issue positions and quotes
* [http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?CID=N00006008 OpenSecrets.org — Rubén Hinojosa] campaign contributions
* [http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=BC031883 Project Vote Smart — Representative Rubén E. Hinojosa (TX)] profile
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ruben_Hinojosa SourceWatch Congresspedia — Rubén Hinojosa] profile
* [http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/h000636/ Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Ruben Hinojosa] voting record