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CHC Roundup: Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) - The Cutting Edge of California Politics [1]
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Date: 2025-05-03
Sen. Alex Padilla recently toured the devastation of the wildfires that tore through the Pacific Palisades. He did so to both see the progress being made in clearing the rubble and to push for the relief needed to continue the slow and painstaking work.
During his visit, Padilla highlighted the scale of the fires that burned in January, which were approximately four times the size of Manhattan. Padilla also surveyed ongoing construction efforts and discussed bipartisan legislation to address wildfire risks, including the creation of a National Wildfire Intelligence Center. The "Fix Our Forest Act" aims to foster collaboration between federal and state governments on wildfire prevention, as the federal government owns and manages nearly half of California's lands, particularly forests bordering communities.
This wasn’t his first push for legislation to combat the wildfires. As they were still burning, Sen. Alex Padilla pushed the Trump regime not to punish California and to provide aid for the state just as it has been done for decades.
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) called for “no strings attached” support for California as President-elect Trump and his allies continue criticizing the state amid the ongoing wildfires. Padilla joined NPR’s “Morning Edition” for an episode that aired Tuesday to discuss the destruction to the Los Angeles area after hurricane-force winds fueled flames that leveled neighborhoods. He was asked about President Biden’s support coming to an end, as Trump is set to be inaugurated in less than a week. The president-elect has slammed California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and the blue state over its water policies, and questions remain about whether he will support the rebuilding process for the wildfires. “I’m hopeful that President Trump will do the right thing, frankly, despite the political rhetoric that we’ve heard from him in recent days,” Padilla said. “I’m hopeful because the California delegation request for aid was bipartisan. The California House Republicans joined us in those efforts, and I imagine their support is going to continue.”
It has been a long slog with the GOP showing no signs of relenting on the stalled aid package. As recently as 3 months ago, both of California’s Senators took to the floor of the Senate advocating for more aid.
Sen. Alex Padilla has done much more than wildfire aid for the state of California. He is a technocratic Senator not aligned with either the more moderate members of his party nor with the progressives. But who is this California native of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus? What are his other priorities? What legislation has he sponsored or co-sponsored? Join me in learning about Sen. Alex Padilla below the fold!
Personal History
Sen. Alex Padilla has been a California phenom for over 25 years now.
Sen. Alex Padilla was born on March 22, 1973 in Los Angeles, California to parents who emigrated from Mexico. In a common story amongst the CHC, he rose above humble beginnings to become the first Latino Senator from the state of California.
The son of Mexican-born immigrants who settled in Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley, Mr. Padilla, 47, will be the first Latino senator from California, where Latinos are about 40 percent of the population.
Even with his meteoric rise in California politics, it was a long and arduous road to get to becoming one of the most powerful elected officials. It started in a rough and tumble section of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. He became a rarity upon graduating from high school — he matriculated and went far away to MIT to study engineering. That career did not suit him as he returned home and quickly entered politics. The San Fernando Valley is known for politics that match its gritty streets and a young Alex Padilla fit right in.
The first sign of revolt came when Alarcón, newly installed in the senate, endorsed his then wife to replace him on the Los Angeles City Council. Acevedo pushed instead a 25-year-old Cardenas staffer who had pitched on the San Fernando High School baseball team. The youngster, Alex Padilla, was a Coro alum like his campaign mentor. Tall and attractive, he also had a compelling personal story. The son of hardworking Mexican immigrants (father a cook at Du-par's, mother a housekeeper), Padilla was a Pacoima rarity: an MIT-trained engineer. He won and ascended rapidly to president of the council. His adviser's clout grew as well. Acevedo served on the fire commission during the Riordan administration, was hired to help candidates around the state, and floated Cardenas, by now chair of the assembly's budget committee, as a candidate for secretary of state. For the first time, Acevedo and friends were the target of whispers that they constituted an East Valley political machine with grand ambitions.
Padilla quickly rose through the ranks by displacing the old guard establishment in the San Fernando Valley. He has served under Richard Alarcon, Tony Cardenas, and even Dianne Feinstein amongst other luminaries.
Padilla’s work in public service dates back to the mid-90s, during which time he worked as a campaign manager for Assemblyman Tony Cardenas, Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, and State Senator Richard Alarcon. In 1995, he also served as an aide to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who he will now be serving alongside. Starting in 1999, Padilla then spent seven years as a member of the LA City Council, five of which he served as President. That stint was followed by nearly eight years in the California State Senate, where he succeeded Alarcon.
He cemented his rising star status by serving as President of the LA City Council which boosted his profile — especially during the 9/11 terror attacks when the mayor was stuck in Washington, D.C.
In the meantime, the nation’s second-biggest city is left in the hands of Padilla, the acting mayor who is widely thought to harbor designs on someday winning the job in his own right--a prospect he may have enhanced in the last two days. “This can only be helpful, if you want to be crude in the political sense, to whatever future plans he has,” said Rick Taylor, a Los Angeles political consultant who ran Padilla’s 1999 council race. “He’s done a very good job, though it’s a terrible thing to say at this moment of horrible tragedy.”
Alex Padilla then was elected to the California State Senate for two terms — a job which represents more constituents than a stint in the US House! In 2012, the San Francisco Chronicle wrote about 20 rising Latino stars, and Padilla’s name was on that list. He shepherded a ban on plastic bags through the California State Senate which was confirmed by Proposition 67.
After two terms, he left the State Senate and set his sights on becoming the powerful Secretary of State for California. He was in charge of voting processes and drivers licenses and other functions in the most populous state in the union. In his tenure, he protected the right to vote in his state. One controversy bubbled up in the runup to the 2020 election where the GOP imitated official ballot boxes across the state.
California officials lowered the temperature Friday in their legal standoff with the California Republican Party over its unauthorized ballot boxes, saying the party had committed to enough changes for now to satisfy their concerns. Secretary of State Alex Padilla, a Democrat, said the state GOP had agreed to “no longer deploy these unstaffed, unsecured and unofficial ballot drop boxes.” The practice had drawn national interest as the major parties jockey for seats in California congressional battlegrounds that Democrats won in the 2018 midterms — and as Republicans continue to attack the state’s election system. In an earlier response to Padilla, the California Republican Party said it would continue to accept mail ballots at boxes but promised some safeguards: The boxes will be attended to whenever the public has access to them, and ballots will be secured and then delivered to elections officials within the required 72-hour frame, the party said. The party pledged to not represent those boxes as “official,” saying a volunteer had done so in error, while arguing that the process was legal due to a 2018 law that loosened collection requirements.
It was only after all of this that Alex Padilla was appointed Senator in early 2021 when MVP Harris ascended to the Vice Presidency.
From being the cutting edge of California politics, Sen. Alex Padilla is now one of its leading lights.
Issue Positions and Work in Congress
Sen. Alex Padilla meets with some members of the United Farm Workers during COVID-19.
As hinted at in the opening, Sen. Alex Padilla is neither an ardent progressive nor an avowed centrist. He is more technocratic than anything else, eschewing any such labeling and relying on experts to help come to an informed decision on the issues. His DW Nominate score is -0.389, which puts him as the 15th most liberal Senator and the 85th most conservative one. He has generally voted against the nominees of the Trump 2.0 regime and the few bits of legislation that have come to the Senate.
Sen. Alex Padilla has been the primary sponsor of 6 pieces of legislation that have become laws. His most consequential act was the FIRE Act. Passed in the 117th Congressional Democratic trifecta, this law came about after Paradise, CA was burned to the ground by a mega-fire.
Specifically, the act requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to report to Congress regarding the use of relocation assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for wildfire risk. FEMA, in coordination with the National Weather Service, must study, develop recommendations for, and initiate a process for the use of forecasts and data, including information that supports Red Flag Warnings and similar weather alert and notification methods, to establish plans and actions that can be implemented prior to a wildfire event that can limit the impact, duration, or severity of the fire; and
mechanisms to increase interagency collaboration to expedite the delivery of disaster assistance. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress regarding wildfires, including the effectiveness of FEMA programs. Each state, local agency, or private mental health organization providing professional crisis counseling assistance must ensure that those providing case management services to victims of a major disaster have training to address impacts in communities and to individuals with socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. FEMA must conduct a study and develop a plan to address providing housing assistance to survivors of major disasters or emergencies when presented with challenges such as the presence of multiple families within a single household.
The other 5 pieces of legislation include transferring lands from the federal government to Native American tribal governments, renaming of a post office, a Congressional Gold Medal Act, and an act that allows immigrants who work in ports to stay up to 180 days before renewing their work permits.
In the 119th Congress, Sen. Alex Padilla has sponsored a wide array of legislation. So far, he has written 30 pieces of legislation ranging from wildfire aid to a Latino Smithsonian Museum to the Housing for All Act of 2025. It is clear that he is hitting his stride now that he has been in the Senate for over four years. He has further so-sponsored 220 pieces of legislation in the 119th Congress! I get that the Senate is different from the House but these are still impressive numbers (I think!).
Some aspirational legislation that Sen. Alex Padilla has supported in the past includes Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and comprehensive immigration reform. Padilla also is known for his efforts to expand voting rights and recently took the lead in opposing the heinous SAVE Act in the Senate. The SAVE Act would’ve potentially disenfranchised up to 69 million Americans.
x NEW: @padilla.senate.gov (D-CA) is leading Democrats on the Senate floor to push back against Trump's attacks on elections and denounce the SAVE Act.
[image or embed] — Democracy Docket (@democracydocket.com) April 30, 2025 at 4:50 PM
His #1 task right now is to try and protect California from the whims of the Mango Mussolini mad king. With the state increasingly under attack, he has his work cut out for him.
Here are a couple of clips of him grilling nominees for the Trump regime.
Sen. Alex Padilla recently spoke on MSNBC about the first 100 days of Trump 2.0 and his reprehensible immigration policies.
Sen. Alex Padilla has moved from a rising star in local Los Angeles politics to the cutting edge of being the establishment in the state. His influence is only on the rise as he builds more seniority in the Senate and cashes in on nearly 30 years of public service. He’s a young Senator (relatively speaking) at 52 years old so he could have a long career ahead of him!
Congressional Chronicle: Week of April 28, 2025
The latest on Capitol Hill when it comes to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Congress is back in session now so the votes will come thick and fast.
Monday, April 28
The Senate voted to invoke cloture on David Perdue for Ambassador to China. Cloture was invoked (64/27/9) with Sen. Gallego voting AYE, Sens. Cortez Masto and Lujan voting NAY, and Sen. Padilla not voting.
Tuesday, April 29
The House voted to confirm the rules package for the week. H. Res. 354 was confirmed (216/208/9) with the entire CHC voting NAY.
The House voted for H.J. Res 60 — rejecting regulations on motor vehicles in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The resolution was confirmed (209/205/9) with most of the CHC voting NAY and Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez voting AYE.
The Senate voted to confirm the nomination of David Perdue for Ambassador to China. He was confirmed (67/29/4) with Sen. Gallego voting AYE and Sens. Cortez Masto, Lujan, and Padilla voting NAY.
The Senate voted to invoke cloture on Warren Stephens for Ambassador to the UK. Cloture was invoked (59/39/2) with Sen. Gallego voting AYE and Sens. Cortez Masto, Lujan, and Padilla voting NAY.
The Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Warren Stephens for Ambassador to the UK. He was confirmed (59/39/2) with Sen. Gallego voting AYE and Sens. Cortez Masto, Lujan, and Padilla voting NAY.
The Senate voted to invoke cloture on Thomas Barrack for Ambassador to Turkey. Cloture was invoked (62/36/2) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voting NAY.
The Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Thomas Barrack for Ambassador to Turkey. He was confirmed (60/36/4) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voting NAY.
The Senate voted to invoke cloture on Tilman Fertitta for Ambassador to Italy. Cloture was invoked (84/13/3) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voting AYE.
The Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Tilman Fertitta for Ambassador to Italy. He was confirmed (83/14/3) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voting AYE.
The Senate voted for a motion to proceed on H.J. Res 42 — rejecting energy conservation regulations for certain appliances. The motion to proceed was confirmed (52/46/2) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voting NAY.
Wednesday, April 30
The House voted to pass H.J. Res 87 — rejecting a waiver for California and its tougher pollution control standards. The resolution was passed (231/191/11) with most of the CHC voting NAY and Reps. Cuellar, Gonzalez, Gluesenkamp Perez, and Vasquez voting AYE.
The House voted to pass H.J Res 89 — rejecting a waiver for California and its tougher pollution control standards. The resolution was passed (225/196/12) with most of the CHC voting NAY and Reps. Cuellar, Gonzalez, Gluesenkamp Perez, and Vasquez voting AYE.
The House voted to pass H.J. Res 78 — rejecting a classification of the longfin smelt as an endangered species. The resolution was passed (216/195/22) with most of the CHC voting NAY and Rep. Jim Costa voting AYE.
The Senate voted to pass H.J. Res 42 — rejecting energy conservation regulations for certain appliances. The resolution was passed (52/46/2) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voting NAY.
The Senate voted for a motion to proceed on H.J. Res 75 — rejecting regulations for energy efficiency for refrigerators and freezers. The motion to proceed was confirmed (52/46/2) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voting NAY.
The Senate voted to reject S.J. Res 49 — a termination of the national emergency used to declare global tariffs. The resolution was rejected (49/49/2) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voting AYE.
The Senate voted to table S.J. Res 49 — a termination of the national emergency used to declare global tariffs. The resolution was tabled (50/49/2) with a tiebreaking vote of VP JD Vance. Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voted NAY.
The Senate voted for a motion to proceed on S.J. Res 31 — rejecting regulations from the EPA under the Clean Air Act. The motion to proceed was confirmed (52/40/8) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voting NAY.
Thursday, May 1
The House voted to pass H.J. Res 88 — rejecting another waiver for California and its tougher pollution control standards. The resolution was passed (246/164/22) with many of the CHC voting NAY and Reps. Correa, Cuellar, Gonzalez, Gluesenkamp Perez, Soto, and Vasquez voting AYE.
The House is adjourned until Monday, May 5th.
The Senate voted to pass H.J. Res 75 — rejecting regulations for energy efficiency for refrigerators and freezers. The resolution was passed (52/45/3) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voting NAY.
The Senate voted to pass S.J. Res 31 — rejecting regulations from the EPA under the Clean Air Act. The resolution was passed (52/46/2) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voting NAY.
The Senate voted to invoke cloture on Frank Bisignano for the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration. Cloture was invoked (50/45/5) with Sens. Cortez Masto, Gallego, Lujan, and Padilla all voting NAY.
The Senate adjourned until Monday, May 5th.
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