Newsroom
February 23, 2026
— Today, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39) announced that he is inviting George Retes to be his guest at the State of the Union. George Retes is a 26-year-old U.S. citizen and disabled U.S. Army veteran whose service included a deployment to Iraq before he transitioned into civilian life as a security guard in his native Ventura County, California. In July 2025, during a large-scale federal immigration raid, George—while commuting to work—was stopped by IC… Continue Reading
February 17, 2026RIVERSIDE, CA — Today, Congressman Mark Takano (CA-39) announced nearly $15 million in federal funding for 15 projects across Riverside County. He secured the resources for these Community Funding Projects as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations bills recently signed into law. The Congressman prioritized projects that improve public safety, strengthen water infrastructure, expand transportation access, and grow workforce development opportunities in Riverside, Jurupa Valley, Moreno Valley… Continue Reading
January 27, 2026— Today, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus Mark Takano (CA-39), Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Representative Sara Jacobs (CA-51) reintroduced the Commission on Equity and Reconciliation in the Uniformed Services Act. The bill would establish a commission to investigate the historic and ongoing impacts of discriminatory military policies on LGBTQ+ servicemembers and veterans.… Continue Reading
July 12, 2013
Over rancorous Democratic objections, the Republican-led U.S. House passed a farm bill Thursday that does not include reauthorization of the food stamp program. The vote was 216-208. No Democrats voted for the bill. During the nearly seven hours of debate on the legislation, Democrats repeatedly called their Republican counterparts heartless, callous and cruel for their efforts to pass a farm bill with nutrition programs stripped from it. Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., was one of many Democrats … Continue Reading
July 11, 2013Rep. Mark Takano, a former high school teacher, took a red pen to a letter about immigration reform some of his Republican colleagues were circulating. The California Democrat "graded" the two-page unsigned letter, giving it an F and asking the writers to "see me after votes," posting a copy on his Tumblr page. He was okay with the first sentence, "Our immigration system is broken and in need of serious reform," saying it was a "strong thesis." Even when the Republicans said they wanted a secure… Continue Reading
July 11, 2013You can take the teacher out of the classroom — even send him to Congress — but you can't take the classroom out of the teacher. Or take away his red pencil. Before coming to Washington, freshman Democrat Mark Takano taught English for 23 years — mostly at Rialto High School. He must have been a tough grader. In the midst of the heated Congressional debate over immigration, Takano tries humor — a bit of political fun at the expense of his GOP colleagues. Republican House members were circulat… Continue Reading
February 25, 2026