Press Releases

Palm Desert, CA – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) announced that John, a 70-year-old Palm Springs resident, finally received his Survivor Benefits 16 years after the death of his husband. The news comes after Congressman Ruiz's office stepped in to resolve a long-standing dispute with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that had continued even after the U.S. District Court ruled that same-sex couples were eligible for SSA Survivor Benefits.

Washington, D.C. – Today, on National First Responders Day, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) is calling for the House to take up his legislation, the Heroes Lesley Zerebny and Gil Vega First Responders Survivors Support Act and voted to pass additional bills to support first responders. On Wednesday, Ruiz voted to pass two bills that deliver on his long-standing commitment to support the mental health needs of law enforcement officers and ensure families of fallen or injured first responders receive the benefits they deserve.

Palm Desert, CA – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) and the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) announced a $1.27 million grant award through the U.S. Department of Labor that will fund Riverside County's YouthBuild project. The project will benefit at-risk youth in the San Jacinto and Hemet region by increasing access to educational programs and occupational skills training in construction trades and technician logistics.

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) announced a nearly $5 million grant for California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) from the Department of Education's Hispanic-Serving Institution's (HSI) Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and Articulation Program. The grant will increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students who graduate from CSUSB with degrees in STEM fields.

Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed three of Ruiz's bills to address the military's use of toxic burn pits as part of this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022. Ruiz's bills would expand the Burn Pits Registry, enhance medical training on the health effects of burn pits, increase reporting of burn pit exposure, and pave the way for waste disposal alternatives to military burn pits.

Washington D.C. – Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Raul Ruiz, M.D. released the following statement regarding the Senate Parliamentarian's ruling on a pathway to legal status via reconciliation:

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) accepted the Ohtli Award from the Government of Mexico on behalf of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). The Ohtli Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Government of Mexico to individuals or organizations that have worked to empower the Mexican diaspora and helped to "open the path" for new Mexican American and Hispanic generations. Mexican Ambassador to the United States Esteban Moctezuma awarded Chair Dr. Ruiz at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C.

Palm Desert, CA – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) announced schools in the 36^thDistrict of California received nearly $250 million under the American Rescue Plan's Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund.