WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-4) today joined her Congressional colleagues in a letter calling on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to re-designate Vietnam as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its serious abuses of religious freedom.  Reserved for countries that "engage in or tolerate particularly severe violations of religious freedom," the CPC designation would give the Secretary of State the option to pursue a variety of diplomatic remedies, including economic sanctions or the negotiation of a bilateral agreement.

The text of the letter, which was signed by a bipartisan coalition including Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao (R-LA), Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), and Rep. Daniel Lungren (R-CA), can be found below:

Bill passes House with broad bipartisan support

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today issued the following statement on her vote to support our troops and honor our veterans by providing funding for veterans health care services and the construction of key military facilities.  The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2010 will strengthen quality health care for more than six million patients - including 419,000 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The bill will also provide advanced funding for veterans health services in 2011, so that our veterans' health care needs can be met quickly, effectively, and reliably.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today issued the following statement concerning a just-released report from the National Employment Law Project, which finds that TSA's severely delayed implementation of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program is causing significant employment problems for longshore workers and others who work at our nation's ports.

WASHINGTON , D.C. - Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today voted to create new jobs and boost the economy by making critical investments in America's small businesses. The Small Business Research and Innovation Act is part of Congress' long-term economic strategy to spur job creation by providing entrepreneurs with the resources they need to innovate and grow. 

Nguyen Tien Trung targeted for speaking out against civil, political persecution in Vietnam

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today issued the following statement regarding Monday's arrest of Nguyen Tien Trung, a prominent Vietnamese pro-democracy and youth activist.  Mr. Trung's arrest for "anti-state activities" comes three weeks after the detention of Vietnamese lawyer Le Cong Dinh for defending pro-democracy and free speech advocates in Vietnam.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today welcomed seven new interns to her Washington, D.C. and Garden Grove offices.  As interns, these young men and women will play an important administrative role in Rep. Sanchez's official offices. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) today issued the following statement regarding the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) decision to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing their partnership to stop illegal weapons trafficking, particularly along the U.S.-Mexico border:

"Illegal gun trafficking is part of the reason we've seen such horrific cartel violence in Mexico and along our Southwest Border.  Effective interagency coordination will play a critical role in stopping weapons smuggling and ensuring the safety of the American people.  I applaud ATF and ICE's decision to formally coordinate their efforts to investigate and incarcerate gun traffickers.  As Chairwoman of the House Homeland Security subcommittee with primary jurisdiction over border issues, I will continue to focus on ensuring our security agencies are working together to streamline our fight against firearms trafficking."

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