Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) welcomed Secretary Buttigieg to the Port of Long Beach for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Pier B Port Project, which will complete the North Rail Yard Expansion and the South Rail Yard Expansion at the Port of Long Beach. Last year, Congressman Garcia helped secure over $283 million in federal grant money for the completion of the project, which is estimated to create over 1,000 new jobs directly in our community and over 13,000 jobs nationwide. The project will connect the Port with inland rail yards, enhancing on-dock rail operations at one of the nation’s busiest container ports. This will significantly reduce truck traffic and harmful emissions while improving safety, local congestion, and yielding nationwide economic benefits. 

Washington, D.C. – This week, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) introduced the SHIELD Act to ensure that immigrants receive high quality legal representation in immigration court. Under current law, there is no right to counsel in immigration court. Millions of people, including children, face complicated deportation proceedings without lawyers. The SHIELD Act will create a grant program to support the recruitment, training, retention, and development of staff and resources for immigrant legal defenders. This legislation aims to increase the quality of legal representation for individuals facing deportation and create a more just and humane immigration system for our country. Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35) and Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (IL-03) are original co-sponsors of the legislation. The bill text can be found here.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) and Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) introduced the Surveilling Effluent Water for Epidemic Response (SEWER) Act, which will fund the work of the CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System. The bill authorizes the program at $150 million for each of the next five fiscal years. To read the full bill text, click here.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) released his 2024 Pride Playlist to celebrate the end of Pride Month. The playlist includes songs from artists like Chappell Roan, Beyoncé, and Selena. This is the second annual Pride Playlist that the Congressman has released. You can listen on Spotify or Apple Music. 

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42), joined by co-leads Congressman Nick LaLota (NY-01) and Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), introduced the Supporting Passengers with Efficient and Effective Detention (SPEED) through Screening Act, which will require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop strategies to reduce intrusive pat-downs without reducing transportation security, with particular consideration of passenger populations who receive pat-downs at disproportionately high rates. Security pat-downs during travel can be inconvenient, humiliating, and uncomfortable for travelers, and this legislation aims to make the travel process more respectful while maintaining the highest standards of security. To read the full bill text, click here.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) and Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) sent a letter to Secretary Mayorkas of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the acting head of the Customs and Border Patrol requesting an update on actions the Department has taken to address the threat of racism and white nationalism within the Department.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) released the following statement after the Peruvian Government’s Health Ministry ruled to classify transgender, non-binary, and intersex people in Peru as “mentally ill:”  

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) announced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allocated an additional $97 million to bring the total annual federal funding to $112,098,840 for the Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors to fund expanded operations and maintenance work as part of the fiscal year 2024 Army Corps Work Plan. The Work Plan allocates the additional funds Congress appropriated above the President’s budget.