Early Life
Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia is a native of Palito Blanco, a South Texas farming community. The eighth of ten children, Congresswoman Garcia saw her parents struggle to raise her and her siblings. Congresswoman Garcia's parents taught her that with hard work and a good education she could accomplish anything.
As a result of these lessons, Congresswoman Garcia dedicated herself to success at school. She earned a scholarship to Texas Woman's University in Denton, where she graduated with a degree in social work and political science. Congresswoman Garcia then received her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in Houston, working several jobs to pay for her tuition.
"The children of Texas can do anything."
Just as her parents believed in her future, Congresswoman Garcia believes the children of Texas can do anything. Garcia has dedicated her life to her community and to public service. As a social worker and legal aid lawyer early in her professional career, she protected our community's most vulnerable, old and young, and ensured no one was forgotten.
City Hall
Congresswoman Garcia continued her public service career by serving as Director and Presiding Judge of the Houston Municipal System for an unprecedented five terms under two mayors.
In 1998, she was elected City Controller, the second highest elected official in Houston city government and its chief financial officer. She quickly earned a reputation as the taxpayers' watchdog, fighting to protect the pocketbooks of working families and ensuring the City was transparent and accountable.
Breaking Barriers
In Harris County
After two terms as Controller, Congresswoman Garcia was elected to the Harris County Commissioner's Court. The first Hispanic and first woman to be elected in her own right to the office, she continued her advocacy for working families and made certain Harris County took care of its most defenseless, all while making certain Harris County led the way for new jobs and economic development.
In the Texas Senate
Congresswoman Garcia was sworn in to the Texas State Senate on March 11, 2013, representing Senate District 6. She became the seventh woman and the third Hispanic woman to serve in the upper chambers after winning a special runoff election for the seat of the late Senator Mario Gallegos.
Over three terms in the Texas Senate, Congresswoman Garcia has been a fighter for her district and advocated for veterans, immigrant rights, women's health and access to healthcare. She has passed numerous bills including the Relationship Privacy Act which outlaws revenge pornography, the Truckers Against Trafficking Bill, which requires human trafficking training for commercial drivers, and the School Bus Safety Act, which requires school buses in Texas to have seat-belts.
In Congress
In 2018, Congresswoman Garcia decided to take her fight to Washington. She ran to represent her community, country and family in Congress. On January 3, 2019 she was inaugurated to represent Texas Congressional District 29. She became the first Hispanic member of the Houston Congressional Delegation and one of the first two Latinas to represent the State of Texas in the U.S. Congress.
Congresswoman Garcia serves as the Vice Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee. During her first year in Congress, she played a critical role in the impeachment investigation against Donald Trump. On January 15, 2020, she was selected as one of seven impeachment managers tasked with making the case to the American people and the Senate for the removal of Donald Trump as President of the United States.
She is the first Hispanic and one of the first three women to ever serve as an impeachment manager in a presidential impeachment trial.
Honors and Recognitions
Congresswoman Garcia has been named "Humanitarian of the Year" by the National Conference of Communities and Justice and chosen as one of "Houston's 25 Power People" by Inside Houston magazine. She has been awarded the Hispanic Scouting Distinguished Citizen Award from the Sam Houston Area Boy Scouts of America, the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund Matt Garcia Public Service Award and the Houston GLBT Political Caucus Eleanor Tinsley Award.
Active in the Houston community, Congresswoman Garcia has served on more than 25 community boards and commissions, including the San Jacinto Girl Scouts, the Houston Hispanic Forum, the American Leadership Forum, Battleship Texas and the Museum of Fine Arts - Houston.
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives write and vote on federal laws, including the federal budget. Each represents one district and serves a two-year term. Tax bills must start in the House, only the House can impeach federal officials, and members oversee federal agencies through their committees.