Rubén Hinojosa
Encyclopedia
Rubén E. Hinojosa is the U.S. House of Representative
for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party
. The district stretches from the Rio Grande Valley to historic Goliad County and the Coastal Bend region. Much of the region is rural, although Hidalgo and Cameron Counties are part of the third fastest growing metropolitan statistical area in the country. He serves on the Financial Services and Education committees.
. 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 and Chief Financial Officer of his family's food processing company, H&H Foods, for twenty years.
In 1974, he was elected to the Texas State Board of Education, serving for ten years.
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. In 2002, he was elected once again.
In 2004, 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. Hinojosa won 61 percent of the vote in the once-again redrawn district.
Hinojosa supports the DREAM Act
, a law which would give a path to citizenship to children who entered the country illegally before the age of 16. On October 3, 2008 Rep. Hinojosa voted in favor of the Troubled Asset Relief Program believing that the enumerated powers
grant Congress the authority to "purchase assets and equity from financial institutions in order to strengthen its financial sector." Hinojosa voted for the passage of the 'Cap and Trade' bill known as H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy and Security Act.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. The district stretches from the Rio Grande Valley to historic Goliad County and the Coastal Bend region. Much of the region is rural, although Hidalgo and Cameron Counties are part of the third fastest growing metropolitan statistical area in the country. He serves on the Financial Services and Education committees.
Early Life, Education and Career
Hinojosa was born in Edcouch, TexasEdcouch, Texas
Edcouch is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,161 at the 2010 census. Edcouch is located at the intersection of State Highway 107 and Farm to Market Road 1015...
. He earned his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
and his MBA from the University of Texas-Pan American. He served as President and Chief Financial Officer of his family's food processing company, H&H Foods, for twenty years.
In 1974, he was elected to the Texas State Board of Education, serving for ten years.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Education and the WorkforceUnited States House Committee on Education and the WorkforceThe Committee on Education and the Workforce is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. From 1947 until 1994 and again from 2007 to 2011, during Democratic control of the House, it was known as the Committee on Education and Labor.-History of the Committee:Attempts were...
- Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and PensionsUnited States House Education Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and PensionsThe House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce...
- Committee on Financial ServicesUnited States House Committee on Financial ServicesThe United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer CreditUnited States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer CreditThe U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services.-Jurisdiction:...
Political campaigns
Running for Congress in 1996, Hinojosa defeated RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
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. In 2002, he was elected once again.
In 2004, 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. Hinojosa won 61 percent of the vote in the once-again redrawn district.
Political positions
Hinojosa is considered a liberal and votes with his party 86% of the time. Hinojosa has sponsored 61 bills since Jan 7, 1997. Five of these bills were enacted.Hinojosa supports the DREAM Act
DREAM Act
The DREAM Act is an American legislative proposal first introduced in the Senate on August 1, 2001 and most recently reintroduced there on May 11, 2011....
, a law which would give a path to citizenship to children who entered the country illegally before the age of 16. On October 3, 2008 Rep. Hinojosa voted in favor of the Troubled Asset Relief Program believing that the enumerated powers
Article One of the United States Constitution
Article One of the United States Constitution describes the powers of Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. The Article establishes the powers of and limitations on the Congress, consisting of a House of Representatives composed of Representatives, with each state gaining or...
grant Congress the authority to "purchase assets and equity from financial institutions in order to strengthen its financial sector." Hinojosa voted for the passage of the 'Cap and Trade' bill known as H.R. 2454 American Clean Energy and Security Act.
Personal life
Hinojosa is married to Martha Lopez Hinojosa and has one son, Ruben Jr., and four daughters Laura, Iliana, Kaitlin and Karén. His net worth was between $636,034 and $2,443,999 in 2007 according to financial disclosure statements. However, he filed for bankruptcy in 2010, listing assets of around $1.4 million and debt in excess of $2.7 million.External links
- U.S. Congressman Rubén Hinojosa official U.S. House site
- Rubén Hinojosa for United States Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...