Ruben Hinojosa Elementary

In Congress, Rubén Hinojosa is regarded as a champion for the disadvantaged and has distinguished himself as a strong advocate for education, healthcare, housing and economic development. In September 2014, Congressman Hinojosa was honored by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation with the prestigious Hispanic Heritage Award for his long-standing commitment to strengthening STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) education pipeline for Latinas and Latinos.  His primary goal in Congress has been to reduce the chronic unemployment rate in regions of the district by focusing on developing a highly educated, well-trained workforce, modernizing the local infrastructure including roads and highways, and creating new job opportunities, Congressman Hinojosa has been instrumental in bringing unemployment rates from 22% in 1997 to record lows of 6% in 2008.

Congressman Hinojosa currently serves on two House committees: the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Financial Services and is the Ranking member for the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training. He was elected by acclamation in November of 2012 as the Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for 2013-2015 and is currently the Co-Chairman of the Education Task Force for the CHC..

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: Reconciliation Act of 2010. Better known as the Health Care and Education Reform Act, this legislation represents the single largest increase in student financial aid since the GI Bill was signed in 1945. This bill invests $2.55 billion, over 10 years, 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. Since that time Congressman Hinojosa has championed many bills which have become law, including this year's reauthorization of the "Workforce Opportunity and Investment Act", that will train our workforce for 21st Century jobs.  Congressman Hinojosa helped guide into law the historic College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. Congressman Hinojosa played an instrumental role in successfully ushering through Congress the first reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in 10 years, which was signed into law as The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.

His successful initiatives include a landmark $510 million investment in minority institutions and a program to support graduate degree attainment at Hispanic- Serving Institutions (HSIs). 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. He and Congresswoman Judy Biggert co-founded the House Financial Literacy and Economic Education Caucus in 2004, which currently numbers 87 members from both sides of the aisle. He is also Co-Chair of the Congressional Rural Housing Caucus.

Congressman Hinojosa has received numerous awards and recognitions including the naming of two new elementary schools in his honor, the Rubén Hinojosa Highway and the Industrial Park in the Delta Region, and a Regents Endowment Professorship in perpetuity at The University of Texas in Austin, all bearing his name. Congressman Hinojosa is also the recipient of prestigious awards such as the Hispanic Heritage Award from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation for his unflagging support of STEM field education and careers. The Hispanic Heritage Awards were established by The White House in 1987 to commemorate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month in America. The Hispanic Heritage Awards are considered among the “highest honor for Latinos by Latinos” and recognize notable Latinos who have made a positive impact on America, and the world. Congressman Hinojosa is also the recipient of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) award for Lifetime Achievement, Excellence in Government.

Prior to his election, Congressman Hinojosa served twenty 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.