Ed Royce

Member For

33 weeks 2 days

Website:

U.S. Representative Ed Royce (CA)

Contact:

2185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4111

BIOGRAPHY

U.S. Representative Ed Royce (R) is serving his ninth term in Congress representing Southern California's 40th District, based in Orange County. He and his wife, Marie, are longtime residents of Fullerton, CA.

Royce's priorities in Congress are: protecting our homeland, supporting our troops and veterans, providing meaningful tax relief for workers, protecting the budget and cutting excessive government spending, fighting crime and supporting victims of crime, strengthening education for all students, and preserving Social Security and Medicare.

Royce has a strong history of public service. In 1982, he was elected to the California State Senate where he began his fight for victims' rights. He authored the nation's first anti-stalker law and versions of his bill have been adopted in all 50 states. He was also the legislative author and campaign co-chairman of California's Proposition 115, the Crime Victims/Speedy Trial Initiative, approved by the voters in 1990. In Congress, Royce continues his fight for victims' rights. He wrote and passed the Interstate Stalking Punishment and Prevention Act in 1996. This law makes it a federal crime to pursue a victim across state lines and enables law enforcement to intervene before violence occurs. Royce was active in passing AMBER Alert legislation in 2003, and legislation in 2004 to enhance rights for victims of crime.

For the 111th Congress, Royce serves as a senior member of two important Committees in the House: Foreign Affairs and Financial Services. As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Royce has been named Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade; member of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Enviornment and the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia.

As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, Royce is at the forefront of some of the most important issues facing our country. The Subcommittee explores issues including the threat posed by Islamist terrorism, especially the al-Qaeda network; terrorist financing; terrorist sanctuaries and failed states; and capacity building of foreign forces to fight terrorism. The Subcommittee's jurisdiction over nonproliferation issues is crucial given the severity of the threat of weapons of mass destruction falling into terrorist hands.

Within the Financial Services Committee, Royce sits on three Subcommittees: Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises; Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit; and Oversight and Investigations. Royce has served on the conference committees for some of the most significant legislation in the financial services arena. For more than a decade Royce has called for a stronger federal regulator to limit Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's excessive risk taking at the expense of taxpayers. In 2003, he offered the first legislation that sought to bring Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Bank System under a strong federal regulator.

Royce has consistently earned honors and awards from the National Taxpayers Union, Citizens Against Government Waste, National Federation of Independent Businesses, Watchdogs of the Treasury, Americans for Tax Reform, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, United Seniors Association, 60 Plus, American Share Holders Association, Citizens for a Sound Economy and the Small Business Survival Committee.

A California native, Royce is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, and School of Business Administration. Prior to entering public service, his professional background includes experience as a small business owner, a controller, a capital projects manager, and a corporate tax manager for a Southern California company.

COMMENTARIES

Time to Stand Up, Mr. President. The AG Works for You!

By Rep. Ed Royce | 09/01/09

"The interrogators are about to be interrogated." That's how Richard Cohen puts it in his Washington Post op-ed today ("Torture's Unanswerable Questions") about last week's appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate claims of CIA prisoner abuse detailed in a released Inspector General report. The liberal writer, struggling with this issue, talks about the interrogation playbook that has now been handed to... read more »

8 Comments | Related Topics »Orange County (CA) | National |

Tightening the Economic Vice on North Korea is a No-Brainer

By Rep. Ed Royce | 08/20/09

With its recent release of two American journalists and a South Korean worker, North Korea is again looking for a new start with the U.S. and others. That's what the cottage industry that follows North Korean maneuverings says. Perhaps, but why do I feel like I have seen this movie before... Experience tells us that North Korea has no intent to denuclearize. Do you really think the North Korean leadership, with its... read more »

1 Comment | Related Topics »Orange County (CA) | National |

Qadhafi Requests Bedouin Tent in Central Park for U.S. Visit

By Rep. Ed Royce | 08/18/09

The annual September gathering at the U.N. in New York has been hard to take seriously. Remember Ahmadinejad at Columbia University, a lamentable sideshow, or Chavez addressing this "august" gathering by ranting about the U.S. devil? Looks like another bad show is shaping-up. Newsweek reports ("A Wet Kiss for Qadhafi") that Libyan leader Col. Muammar Qadhafi is coming to America for the first time ever. And... read more »

2 Comments | Related Topics »Orange County (CA) | National |

Secretary of State Clinton Concludes Seven Nation Tour

By Rep. Ed Royce | 08/14/09

A few thoughts from afar on Secretary of State Clinton's concluding seven-nation, eleven-day Africa trip: The agenda was certainly grueling. Even with official support, I don't envy a country every 1.57 days over a week and a half. You have to wonder whether much of substance can be achieved in such a whirlwind? Last month, I posted ("Obama to Africa; Pretty good message - so far") good word about... read more »

2 Comments | Related Topics »Orange County (CA) | National |

Thai Court Rejects U.S. Request to Extradite Arms Dealer

By Rep. Ed Royce | 08/11/09

I woke up this morning to the lousy news that a Thai court has rejected a U.S. request to extradite notorious international arms dealer Viktor Bout to face terrorism charges. There was Bout, flashing a "V" sign on his way out of the courtroom. Forgive the Shakespeare reference, but something is rotten in Bangkok. I posted the other week ("Will 'Merchant of Death' face justice?") on Bout's case and my hope... read more »

3 Comments | Related Topics »Orange County (CA) | National |

Obama Administration Headed Towards an About-Face on Sudan Policy

By Rep. Ed Royce | 08/10/09

If those sporting “Save Darfur” t-shirts are a bit agitated these days, it's probably because the Obama Administration looks to be letting them down -- big time. Little noticed, Administration officials are headed towards making a big about-face: "changing" Sudan policy. You see, when the Obama Administration came to office, many top jobs (V.P., Secretary of State, UN Ambassador, etc.) were filled by persons... read more »

2 Comments | Related Topics »Orange County (CA) | National |

A "Get Tough" Approach Needed on North Korea

By Rep. Ed Royce | 08/06/09

I admire it when people admit being wrong. Having the guts to reassess the facts in a public forum makes one a more credible voice in policy debates. Such an admission came today from New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof in his op-ed, "Rethinking North Korea, With Sticks." In a 2005 column, during a trip to Pyongyang, Kristof, whose top human rights credentials command attention, argued for lifting U.S. sanctions and an... read more »

7 Comments | Related Topics »Orange County (CA) | National |

Nigerian Security Forces Battle Islamic Extremists

By Rep. Ed Royce | 08/05/09

Africa's most populous, and perhaps most important, country risks being torn apart. Last week, Nigeria suffered a string of violence between an Islamist group named Boko Haram and Nigerian security forces that left over 800 dead. The group , which translates into "education is prohibited" seeks to impose a strict form of Shariah law. Women are not to be seen by anyone but their husbands; all western goods should be... read more »

3 Comments | Related Topics »Orange County (CA) | National |

Awarding Ambassadorships to Political Donors Raises Questions

By Rep. Ed Royce | 08/04/09

"He speaks English." That was a recent response from the White House press secretary when challenged on the qualifications of President Obama's campaign contributor and nominee for Ambassador to The Court of St. James's, that's the U.K. I picked-up this tongue-in-cheek exchange in a blog attack (Daily Beast: "Obama's Embassies for Sale") against President Obama by a former career diplomat for his being... read more »

3 Comments | Related Topics »National | Orange County (CA) |

Will "Merchant of Death" Face Justice?

By Rep. Ed Royce | 07/30/09

Viktor Bout inspired the 2005 action movie Lord of War. He is a gun-running former Soviet pilot who fueled death and destruction worldwide, plaguing Africa in particular. Fortunately, Bout has been jailed in Thailand since March of 2008, when a U.S. DEA-led sting operation got him. He is charged in New York with "conspiracy to provide weapons to a terrorist organization," the FARC in Colombia. But this slippery... read more »