Press Releases
Rep. Mark Takano Statement on President Obama’s Executive Order Protecting LGBT Employees
Washington, DC - Rep. Mark Takano released the following statement after President Obama signed an executive order that bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity for federal contractors: “Today’s executive order signed by President Obama represents what millions of LGBT families and activists have fought for for decades - fairness and equality. It is a simple idea that says nobody should be fired from their job because of who they are or who they love. … Continue Reading
July 17, 2014
Rep. Mark Takano Speaks on the Humanitarian Crisis at Our Border
Washington, DC -Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) took to the floor of the House of Representatives to speak on the humanitarian crisis at our border: (click to watch) [[{"fid":"445","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","attributes":{"style":"height: 326px; width: 550px;","class":"media-element file-default"}}]] “Several weeks ago, the first wave … Continue Reading
July 16, 2014
Rep. Mark Takano Introduces Helping Schools Protect Our Children Act
Washington, DC -Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) introduced the Helping Schools Protect Our Children Act, which would ensure that teachers receive the training they need to properly recognize signs of sexual abuse in children. The Helping Schools Protect Our Children Act is the companion to the Senate version, which was introduced by Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA). The Helping Schools Protect Our Children Act would expand Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to … Continue Reading
June 30, 2014
Rep. Mark Takano Statement on the Nomination of Bob McDonald as Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Washington, DC - Rep. Mark Takano issued the following statement after it was announced that President Obama would nominate Bob McDonald for Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs: “I am pleased to see the President has chosen to nominate Bob McDonald as the next Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Mr. McDonald will bring decades of military and corporate experience to the VA and I look forward to his confirmation by the Senate. However, we must remember that the … Continue Reading
June 30, 2014
Rep. Mark Takano Statement on Hobby Lobby Supreme Court Ruling
Washington, DC -Earlier today, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. The 5-4 decision ruled that closely held corporations could deny women access to contraception. Rep. Mark Takano issued the following statement: “Today’s decision by the Supreme Court to give corporations say-so over women’s health coverage is misguided and I disagree with the ruling. The owners of Hobby Lobby or other closely held for-profit corporations should not be able to impose their … Continue Reading
June 30, 2014
Rep. Mark Takano Statement on Murder of Israeli Teenagers
Washington, DC - Rep. Mark Takano released the following statement after the bodies of three Israeli teenagers were discovered earlier today in the West Bank: “I am saddened to hear that the bodies of Gil-ad Shaar, Eyal Yifrach and Naftali Fraenkel were discovered earlier today in the West Bank. My thoughts and prayers go out to their families during this difficult time, and I stand with the international community in condemning this barbaric and cowardly act. It is my hope that the … Continue Reading
June 24, 2014
Representative Takano Introduces Legislation to Honor the Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week
Washington, DC - Earlier this week, co-chair of the Congressional Deaf Caucus Representative Mark Takano introduced legislation with fellow co-chair Representative Kevin Yoder (R-KS) to honor the Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week’s 30th Anniversary. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed the proclamation to create Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week, to not only honor Helen Keller, but also to spread understanding of deaf-blindness and the specific needs of the Deaf-Blind … Continue Reading
June 20, 2014
Riverside Makerspace Vocademy Participates in White House Maker Faire
Washington, DC - Earlier this week, Vocademy, a Riverside based makerspace, was invited to participate in the first ever White House Maker Faire, which brought more than 100 students, entrepreneurs, engineers and researchers from 25 states to Washington to showcase their inventions and advocate for ways to grow the maker movement through innovation and entrepreneurship. Vocademy Founder and CEO Gene Sherman was accompanied at the White House with Representative Mark Takano … Continue Reading
June 10, 2014
Rep. Mark Takano Statement on Vergara v. State of California Ruling
Washington DC - Rep. Mark Takano released the following statement after the Los Angeles Superior Court issued its ruling on Vergara v. State of California: “Today’s decision by the Los Angeles Superior Court ruling that teacher tenure laws are unconstitutional is disappointing. After spending more than 20 years as a classroom teacher, I learned that we are better off with teachers who see the profession as a mission and that great teachers develop over time with hard work and support … Continue Reading
May 30, 2014
House Veterans Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Takano Statement on the Resignation of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Shinseki
Washington DC - House Veterans Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Mark Takano released the following statement after Secretary of Veterans Affairs General Eric Shinseki resigned: “General Shinseki has served his country for decades and I admire his dedication toward our veterans. But with the recent revelations that some VA facilities were hiding wait times and using secret wait lists, I believe that his decision to resign as Secretary of Veterans Affairs … Continue Reading
May 29, 2014
Takano Supports Bill to Protect Veterans’ Education Benefits
WASHINGTON, DC - Yesterday afternoon, Congressman Mark Takano spoke on the House floor to support a bill that would reestablish the VA Advisory Committee on Professional Certification. In another example of bipartisanship from Members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, the bill was passed shortly following Mr. Takano’s comments. The bill will allow the Advisory Committee to ensure the benefits veterans have earned are being used to gain licenses in career fields of their choosing. … Continue Reading
May 22, 2014
U.S. House of Representatives Passes Two Pieces of Legislation Submitted by Rep. Mark Takano
Washington DC - Earlier today, the United States House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation submitted by Representative Mark Takano (D-CA) as amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act. The Work for Warriors Act (H.R. 4363), introduced with Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA), will create a pilot program to explore the replication and expansion of California’s WFW model nationwide. These direct employment pilot programs would enhance the efforts of the Department of Defense … Continue Reading
May 21, 2014
El Congresista Mark Takano y el Congresista Luis Gutierrez convocaran una reunión en apoyo a una reforma inmigratoria el 24 de mayo!
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May 21, 2014
Rep. Mark Takano to Hold Immigration Reform Rally with Rep. Luis Gutierrez on May 24!
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May 07, 2014
EVENT: U.S. Military Academy Information Night!
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April 30, 2014
Rep. Mark Takano Seeks to Protect Student Veterans and Taxpayers
Washington DC - Earlier today, Representative Mark Takano announced that he will offer two amendments to the MilCon/VA Appropriations legislation that will help ensure that student veteran and taxpayer dollars are being spent appropriately. The first amendment would help guarantee that student veterans in career-education programs are receiving an education that properly prepares them for their future career. The second would prevent colleges and universities from using … Continue Reading
April 24, 2014
Rep. Mark Takano Releases Report Calling Reverse Mortgages a “Senior Housing Bubble Held Together by Glue and Tax Dollars”
Washington DC - Earlier today, Representative Mark Takano released a report titled, “Reverse Mortgages: Senior Housing Bubble Held Together by Glue and Tax Dollars” and sent a letter to the Federal Housing Administration recommending reforms that would protect seniors and save taxpayers money. Several key findings in the report: One out of every ten reverse mortgages is in default and could face foreclosure. Reverse mortgages are expensive. After ten years, interest and ongoing … Continue Reading
April 16, 2014
Rep. Mark Takano Statement on “Blackstone: Atlanta’s Newest Landlord” Report
Washington DC - Earlier today, the organization Occupy Our Homes Atlanta released its report titled “Blackstone: Atlanta’s Newest Landlord” showing that: Tenants wishing to stay in their homes can face automatic rent increases as much as 20% annually. Survey participants living in Invitation Homes pay nearly $300 more in rent than the Metro Atlanta median. 45% of survey participants pay more than 30% of their income on rent, by definition making the rent unaffordable. … Continue Reading
April 09, 2014
Rep. Mark Takano Hosts Briefing on Rental-Backed Securities
Washington DC - Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano hosted a briefing for Congressional staff on the issue of rental-backed securities, institutional investors in the home buying market and the potential consequences. Sarah Edelman, Policy Analyst for Housing and Finance for the Center for American Progress, Ben Hellweg, Head of Acquisitions for Hyperion Homes, and Sam Khater, Deputy Chief Economist for CoreLogic joined Representative Takano and participated in a panel discussion. … Continue Reading
April 02, 2014
Rep. Mark Takano Statement on McCutcheon v. FEC
Washington DC - Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano released the following statement after the Supreme Court released its ruling on McCutcheon v. FEC, effectively removing annual limits for federal campaign contributors: "Today's split decision by the Supreme Court further erodes the essence of Democracy by allowing the top one percent to pour even more money into our politics. Corporations are not people and money does not equal speech, in regards to our political process. If we have … Continue Reading