LOS ANGELES--Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard yesterday endorsed Governor Dean citing his strong stance on national security issues and protecting the country against terrorism.
"It is my pleasure today to announce my support for Governor Howard Dean. After meeting with him this afternoon in Los Angeles and reviewing his stand on the issues that matter most to Americans, I am enthusiastically backing his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination," the congresswoman said.
"He is committed to preventing terrorism at home by strengthening local law enforcement and making needed security improvements at our nation's airports and seaports. He understands that protecting our country does not mean sacrificing important individual freedoms or marginalizing hardworking immigrants. He also knows that defending our country and our people can best be achieved through ongoing peacekeeping efforts and international cooperation. For all of these reasons, Howard Dean is the person with the knowledge and the principles to lead our nation through uncertain and challenging times. He is the person with the vision and conviction to restore prosperity here at home and much needed stability abroad," she continued.
"I thank Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard for her strong endorsement tonight. She understands the importance of protecting our country while simultaneously protecting our civil liberties. I look forward to working with her as we continue to build the greatest grassroots campaign presidential politics has ever seen," Governor Dean said.
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard sits on the House Appropriations Committee, one of the most powerful and distinguished committees in Congress. She serves on two influential subcommittees--the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee and the Homeland Security Subcommittee. The latter has jurisdiction over the new Department of Homeland Security, which includes the U.S. Customs Service, the U.S. Coast Guard and the agencies formerly part of the Immigration and Naturalization Service with jurisdiction over the border patrol, immigration inspectors and visa-application services.
The congresswoman is a former chair of the California Democratic Congressional delegation, and was the first woman, first Latina, and the first Member to assume this position through election rather than seniority.
Since her election in 1992, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard has represented California's 34th Congressional district, which contains metropolitan downtown Los Angeles, including Boyle Heights, Little Tokyo, Pico Union, and portions of Chinatown, Filipinotown, Koreatown, and Westlake. The suburban portions of the district include the cities of Bell, Bell Gardens, Commerce, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Maywood, Downey, Bellflower, and Vernon and the unincorporated areas of East Los Angeles, Walnut Park and Florence.
Congresswoman Roybal-Allard joins Reps. Neil Abercrombie, Xavier Becerra, Elijah Cummings, Joseph Crowley, Bob Filner, Raúl Grijalva, Maurice Hinchey, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Sheila Jackson-Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Jim McDermott, Jim Moran, Jerrold Nadler, Major Owens, Frank Pallone, Tim Ryan, Loretta Sanchez, Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, Nydia M. Velázquez and David Wu, in addition to Vermont Senator Patrick J. Leahy, who have already endorsed Governor Dean.
(Source: Blog for America)
I believe Dean now has more superdelegates pledged to his campaign than any other candidate.