Member | CA-25

The son of farmworkers, Raul grew up in Coachella Valley and learned at an early age that the key to attaining the American Dream is hard work and a great education. In the summer of 1990, Raul walked from business to business in the Coachella Valley asking them to invest in their community – by contributing to his education. With each investment for college, he made a promise to come back home and serve the community as a physician. 

As promised, after earning three graduate degrees from Harvard University, Raul returned to the Coachella Valley, where he utilized his education and experience to not only be a leader in his community but to also serve as an emergency care physician. As the founder and director of the Coachella Valley Healthcare Initiative, he brought together stakeholders to improve public health and healthcare access in the community. His early humanitarian response efforts for the victims of the Haiti earthquake as the founding medical director for the Jenkins-Penn Haitian Relief Organization earned him the Commander’s Award for Public Service from the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne. As an emergency medicine physician, Raul knows that the environment is a key determinant of health. He continues his fight as he invests in a clean energy economy that creates good-paying jobs, protects our environment, and increases our energy independence. Raul currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change and the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. Raul’s passion for helping people has furthered over time and now has become a voice for his community in our nation's capital.