Letters Sent
Representative Takano Submits Public Comments Calling for Debt Relief for Corinthian College Students
Washington, DC - Earlier today, Representative Mark Takano submitted public comments encouraging the Department of Education to allow greater access to debt relief for former students at for-profit institutions run by Corinthian Colleges, Inc. The collapse of Corinthian has highlighted concerns that the Congressman has long held about the for-profit higher education system. In his comments, Takano encourages the Department of Education "to issue regulations that include a class-wide automatic s… Continue Reading
01.19.15
Rep. Mark Takano and 31 House Democrats Call for Expanded Overtime Pay
Washington DC - Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) and 31 additional House Democrats sent a letter to President Obama and Labor Secretary Tom Perez calling for the Administration to take bold action in raising the income threshold for overtime pay. In the letter, the House Democrats state the urgency in updating the income threshold saying, "The current salary threshold of $23,660 applies to only 11 percent of the nation's salaried workers and is below the federal poverty level for a fam… Continue Reading
11.26.14
Eleven House Democrats Call for Voluntary Shifts and Mandatory Overtime Pay on Thanksgiving
Washington DC - Earlier today, Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY), Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), and nine additional House Democrats sent a letter to Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez asking the Department of Labor to encourage companies to end mandatory shifts on Thanksgiving and to provide overtime or holiday pay to those who choose to work. The letter states, "We understand that people choose to shop on Thanksgiving and that stores would not open if it was not profitable to them. That is why we believe the… Continue Reading
06.09.14
Representative Takano Addresses Retaliation Against VA Whistleblowers
Washington, DC - Earlier today, Representative Mark Takano sent a letter to Loma Linda VA Medical Center Director Barbara Fallen stressing for the Inland Empire's local VA administrator to take notice of information related to systemic wait time issues provided by employees and to protect VA whistleblowers. In the letter the Congressman asks for allegations by VA employees to be taken seriously and highlights how important understanding the facts are for restoring faith in the VA saying, "W… Continue Reading
03.06.14
Rep. Mark Takano Sends Letter to Various Federal Agencies Requesting Information on Rental Backed Securities
Washington DC - Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) sent a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Securities Exchange Commission, and the Department of Treasury's Office of Financial Research requesting information about single family rental backed securities. In the letters, Rep. Takano says, "I am writing to bring to your attention the recent increase in investor owned rental properties and the development of single family … Continue Reading
01.09.14
Rep. Mark Takano Signs Letter Calling for Extension of Unemployment Benefits
Washington DC - Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano signed a letter, led by Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI), urging Speaker John Boehner to schedule an immediate, up-or-down vote to extend emergency unemployment insurance for 1.3 million Americans who lost their benefits due to congressional inaction at the end of the year. "As members of the freshman class, we are writing to request an immediate, up-or-down vote to extend long-term unemployment insurance for 1.3 million Americans," the letter reads. … Continue Reading
12.13.13
31 House Democrats Send Letter to Secretary of Education Calling for Regulations to Protect Students from Unmanageable Debt and Worthless Degrees
Washington DC - Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), and Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), joined by 27 additional House Democrats, sent a letter to United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan supporting the Department's efforts to finalize gainful employment regulations. In the letter, the signee's state, "More than ever, we need a rule that ends federal financial aid for programs that consistently leave students - our veterans, working par… Continue Reading
12.03.13
Rep. Mark Takano Calls for Fraudulent Health Care Website Being Promoted by Republican Lawmakers to be Taken Down
Washington DC - Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) sent a letter to California Attorney General Kamala Harris about CoveringHealthCareCA.com, a website being promoted by California Republican officials, which features fraudulent, inaccurate and misleading information about the Affordable Care Act. In the letter, Rep. Takano asks Attorney General Harris to issue a cease and desist letter to the operators of the website as it violates state law which prohibits domain names that are … Continue Reading
11.08.13
Rep. Takano and Eight Additional Members of Congress Denounce Attempt to Repeal School Success and Opportunity Act
Washington DC - Earlier this week, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) was joined by eight other Members of Congress in sending a letter to California Governor Jerry Brown to express support for AB1266, the School Success and Opportunity Act, and to formally oppose the attempt to repeal the protections it provides. Rep. Takano was joined by Rep. Mike Honda, Rep. Susan Davis, Rep. Sam Farr, Rep. Eric Swalwell, Rep. Henry Waxman, Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Jackie Speier, and Rep. Alan Lowenthal. Th… Continue Reading
10.24.13
Rep. Takano Sends Letter to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti Asking for Continued Negotiations for Local Control of Ontario Airport
Washington DC - Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) sent a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti requesting negotiations continue regarding local control of Ontario International Airport (ONT). In the letter, Rep. Takano expresses the importance of Ontario International Airport to the Inland Empire saying, "As the Inland Empire continues to grow in population, the region needs the Ontario International Airport to be under local control. It is a vital economic resource to my reg… Continue Reading
10.08.13
Rep. Takano and Rep. Ros-Lehtinen Join Thirty-Seven Members of Congress Asking U.S. Olympic Committee to Ensure Safety of Americans During Winter Olympics
Washington DC - Yesterday, Representative Mark Takano (D-CA), Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and thirty-seven additional Members of Congress sent a letter to United States Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer Scott Blackmun raising concerns about the treatment and safety of American athletes and spectators during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. In the letter, the Members of Congress stated, "We are very concerned with Russia's anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and tran… Continue Reading
06.17.13
Rep. Takano Joins Five Members of Congress Requesting the VA Reduce Veterans’ Claims Backlog
Washington, DC- Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) and five other Members of Congress from California sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Benefits General Alison Hickey requesting the VA provide matching funds to the State of California for its Joint Claims Initiative. Joined by Rep. Julia Brownley, Rep. Raul Ruiz, Rep. Paul Cook, Rep. Jeff Denham, and Rep. Gloria Negrete-McLeod, the letter detailed recent difficulties in California saying, "There are current… Continue Reading
06.11.13
Rep. Takano Sends Letter to Federal Transit Administration Requesting Perris Valley Line Funding Remain Intact
Washington DC - Today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) sent a letter to Administrator Peter Rogoff of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requesting the $75 million appropriated under the Small Starts program for the Perris Valley Line remain available for the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC). In the letter, Rep. Takano reassured the FTA the commitment of the project's sponsor saying, "The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) has assured me that they are pur… Continue Reading
05.28.13
Riverside County Congressional Delegation Sends Letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Seeking Improved Efficiency and Communication
Washington DC - Yesterday, members of the Riverside County Congressional Delegation (Rep. Mark Takano [D-Riverside], Rep. Ken Calvert [R-Corona], Rep. Raul Ruiz [D-Palm Desert], and Rep. Duncan Hunter [R-Temecula]) sent a letter to the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Alejandro Mayorkas regarding recent difficulties EB-5 regional centers in the Riverside area have been having with the USCIS. In the letter, the Members of Congress detail the recent difficulties of… Continue Reading
05.14.13
Rep. Takano and 18 Additional Freshman Democrats Send Letter to Chairman Paul Ryan Requesting Budget Specifics
Washington DC - Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) and 18 additional Freshman Democrats sent a letter to House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan requesting specifics for his 2014 Budget. Rep. Takano was joined in the letter by Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH), Rep. Tony Cardenas (CA), Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA), Rep. Steven Horsford (NV), Rep. Jared Huffman (CA), Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY), Rep. Joe Kennedy (MA), Rep. Dan Kildee (MI), Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA), Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (NH), Rep. Alan Lowenthal (CA), Re… Continue Reading
