Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressmen Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) and Pete Aguilar (CA-31) took to the House floor to honor the late Dr. Tom Rivera, the founder of the Inland Empire Future Leaders Program (IEFLP) and a pillar of the Inland Empire community. In 1985, Dr. Rivera and fellow educators founded IEFLP to address high drop-out rates of Hispanic youth in the Inland Empire. Reps. Ruiz and Aguilar, both graduates of the program, paid tribute to Dr. Rivera, who passed away last month on March 8, 2022.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) skewered Big Oil CEOs for price gouging American families at the gas pump during a time of crisis. In a hearing with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, Dr. Ruiz pressured BP, Exxon, Chevron, and Shell executives about reaping record profits to benefit shareholders rather than increasing production to lower prices.

"I'm curious— on your salaries, do any of you have trouble affording the gas to get to your jobs?" Dr. Ruiz asked the executives.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) released the following statement in response to President Biden's enactment of the Defense Production Act, which will boost mining of critical minerals, like lithium found under the Salton Sea:

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) called on the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to jointly develop a near-term funding plan to restore wildlife habitat along the Salton Sea and prevent toxic dust from federal land from blowing into the surrounding communities. In a letter addressed to the DOI Secretary Deb Haaland, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, and the USACE Assistant Secretary for Civil Works Michael Connor, Dr.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) issued the following statement on President Biden's announcement of new humanitarian, development, and democracy assistance to Ukraine and the surrounding region, including welcoming up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing Russia's aggression:

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36), SunLine Transit Agency (SunLine), and Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) announced that $17 million in federal funding is on its way to California's 36^th Congressional District to expand access to clean, reliable transportation. Dr. Ruiz advocated for the funding through the Federal Transit Agency's (FTA) Buses and Bus Facilities Grant program.

Washington D.C. – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) called on the White House to increase the global refugee cap, expedite family reunification of Ukrainians in the United States, and rebuild the U.S. Refugee Admission Program. As Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Dr. Ruiz authored the letter to President Biden following his trip to the Poland-Ukraine border last weekend where, as an emergency medicine physician trained in humanitarian aid, he witnessed firsthand the complex humanitarian crisis facing the Ukrainian people.

Washington, D.C. – Last night, the House passed an omnibus appropriations package for Fiscal Year 2022 that will bring federal funding directly to California's 36^thDistrict. The package includes $10 million secured by Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) to expand access to health care, bring clean water to the Eastern Coachella Valley, and drive economic growth in the 36^th District.