Representative Xavier Becerra

First elected to the House of Representatives in 1992, Representative Xavier Becerra is Assistant to the Speaker of the House and is the only member from Southern California currently serving on the powerful House Committee on Ways and Means. His committee is responsible for formulating our nation’s tax, Social Security, Medicare, trade and income security laws. As Assistant to the Speaker, Rep. Becerra wields a strong voice in House Leadership, helping to set priorities and drive the legislative decision making process. He has dedicated himself to promoting issues affecting industries critical to the economic vitality of the Southern California region such as entertainment, high technology, health care, and stimulating free, yet fair, trade.

The first Latino to serve on the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Becerra has used his position to increase opportunities for working families, to improve the Social Security program for women and minorities, to combat poverty among the working poor, and to strengthen Medicare and ensure its long-term viability. Rep. Becerra currently serves on the Health, Oversight, and Social Security subcommittees. He is also a member of the House Committee on Budget, which oversees the federal budget process. Rep. Becerra is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) where he served as Chair during the 105th Congress (1997-98). The Congressman is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. At the international level, he serves as Vice Chair of the U.S.-Korea Interparliamentary Exchange, and is Co-Chair of the Congressional Friends of Spain Caucus.

In addition to his Congressional duties, Rep. Becerra enjoys his service as a board member for several respected institutions, including the Close Up Foundation, the nation’s largest youth civic education organization that brings more than 25,000 students and teachers to Washington, D.C., annually; and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, which provides scholarships and internship opportunities for the next generation of Latino leaders. Rep. Becerra also serves on the Smithsonian Board of Regents, a distinguished panel of 17 men and women who oversee the Smithsonian Institution’s expansive collection.

Prior to his election to Congress, Rep. Becerra served one term in the California Legislature as the representative of the 59th Assembly District in Los Angeles County. He is a former Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice. The congressman began his legal career in 1984 working in a legal services office representing the mentally ill. Rep. Becerra is the son of working-class immigrants and was the first in his family to graduate from college. In 1980, Rep. Becerra earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Stanford University. He was awarded his Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School in 1984.