Committees and Caucuses
Natural Resources
Congresswoman Napolitano has been a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources since the 106th Congress and currently serves as the Ranking Member of the Water and Power Subcommittee for the 112th Congress. She has always been an avid promoter of conservation, water recycling, desalination, and sound groundwater management and storage to address Southern California’s need for adequate water quality and supply. She is proud of her legislative efforts on a number of fronts – assisting in the implementation of CALFED, a water management plan for the State of California, protection of the fragile ecosystem in the Bay-Delta and promotion of the use of advanced technologies. Her legislative effort in 1999 to begin removal of a 10.5 million ton uranium tailings pile at the banks of the Colorado in Moab, Utah, stands out as a major accomplishment, alleviating a very real danger to the health of more than 25 million people living in 7 states, an ecosystem that supports the Southwest’s tourism industry, two national monuments, and a variety of pristine natural habitats.
Links:
Natural Resources Committee
Subcommittee on Water & Power, Ranking Member
Transportation and Infrastructure
At the start of the 110th Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the appointment of Napolitano as the most senior new member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, yielding her a voice for her communities on matters of jurisdiction over America 's surface transportation, freight and passenger rail, the inland waterway system, international maritime commerce, the Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ' support of the nation 's water resources, and the federal clean water program. Napolitano brings strong background and experience to the Committee with 6 years on the California State Assembly Transportation Committee, and current work San Gabriel Valley . She will continue her work advocating on behalf of the transportation needs faced in the eastern half of Los Angeles County, which lacks mass transit and has the most congested and underserved transportation system in the country. She will also continue advancing and promoting the ideas of minorities, including the many Hispanic Americans who not only design and build our transportation systems, but use mass transit in greater proportion.
Links:
Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
Congressional Mental Health Caucus
In 2001, alarming statistics showing one in three Latina adolescents have contemplated suicide prompted the Congresswoman to establish a school-based adolescent mental health program in her district, which has since expanded to include 11 schools. At the beginning of the 108th Congress, Napolitano revitalized the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, which she has continued to co-chair with Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA). As co-chair, Napolitano has hosted congressional briefings on children’s mental health, veterans’ mental health, and suicide prevention. Napolitano and other caucus members pushed to prevent insurance companies from discriminating against mental illness, an effort that helped bring about the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and the mental health clauses included in the Affordable Care Act of 2010. The Congresswoman continues her efforts to better address the mental health needs of adolescents, children, minorities and seniors.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC)
The Congresswoman is a former Chairwoman of the CHC. The Caucus addresses national issues such as education, immigration, healthcare, and the impact of these policies on the Hispanic community. The CHC cooperates on shared priorities with the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Progressive Caucus. Napolitano has worked with CHC Task Force Chairs to provide leadership on critical legislative and policy priorities, such as ensuring that minority healthcare needs were addressed within healthcare reform and promoting the federal appointment of Hispanics like Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The CHC has offered legislation addressing comprehensive immigration reform, and a nation-wide solution for the country’s broken immigration system continues to be a major priority.
Other Congressional Caucus Memberships
California Democratic Congressional Delegation
Addiction, Treatment & Recovery Caucus
Community College Caucus
Congressional Arts Caucus
Congressional Bike Caucus
Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues
Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues
Congressional Caucus on California High-Speed Rail
Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues
Congressional Caucus on India & Indian Americans
Congressional Caucus on the Judicial Branch
Congressional Coastal Caucus
Congressional Courthouse Caucus
Congressional Diabetes Caucus
Congressional Hydropower Caucus (Co-chair)
Congressional Labor & Working Families Caucus
Congressional Mental Health Caucus (Co-chair)
Congressional Native American Caucus
Congressional Nursing Caucus
Congressional Steel Caucus
Congressional Taiwan Caucus
Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus
Goods Movement Caucus
House Diversity & Innovation Caucus
House Manufacturing Caucus
House Nursing Caucus
House Sugar Caucus
Neuroscience Caucus
Out of Iraq Caucus
Public Broadcasting Caucus
U.S.-Mexico Friendship Caucus
California Democratic Congressional Caucus
Congressional Hispanic Caucus
