Rep. Ruben Hinojosa

Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX) represents the 15th Congressional District of Texas. Elected in 1996, Congressman Hinojosa is serving his 8th term as a U.S. Representative for the 15th Congressional District. The 15th Congressional District stretches from the Rio Grande Valley to historic Goliad County and the Coastal Bend region.

In Congress, Rubén Hinojosa is regarded as a champion for the disadvantaged and a strong advocate for education, housing and economic development. Through his leadership the unemployment rate in regions of his district dropped from a high of 22 pecent in 1997 to a record low of 6 percent in 2008.

Congressman Hinojosa currently serves on two House committees: the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Financial Services. He was elected in November of 2012 as the Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for the 113th Congress.

As a senior member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, Congressman Hinojosa is widely recognized as a champion for investing in human capital through education. On March 30, 2010, Congressman Hinojosa joined President Barack Obama for the signing of H.R.4872: The Reconciliation Act of 2010. This legislation represents the single largest increase in student financial aid since the GI Bill was signed in 1945 by investing $2.55 billion in historically Black Colleges and Universities and in Hispanic-Serving Institutions and other Minority Serving Institutions.

Congressman Hinojosa was appointed Chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness in 2007. His successful initiatives include a landmark $510 million investment in minority institutions and a program to support graduate degree attainment at Hispanic- Serving Institutions. In 2007, Hinojosa was presented with the American Society for Public Service award honoring his legislative efforts to help students pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.

On the House Financial Services Committee, Congressman Hinojosa is widely recognized as a leader on issues affecting the underserved, from banking to housing. Congressman Hinojosa co-founded the House Financial Literacy and Economic Education Caucus in 2004.

Prior to his election, Congressman Hinojosa served 20 years as President and Chief Financial Officer of a family-owned food processing company, H&H Foods. He earned a Bachelor in Business Administration and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Texas in Austin and in Edinburg, respectively. He is married to Martha Lopez Hinojosa and has one son, Ruben Jr., and four daughters Laura, Iliana, Kaitlin and Karén.