Veronica Escobar
DemocratU.S. Representative, TX-16| Age | 56 (b. 1969-09-15) |
| Gender | Female |
| In office since | 2019-01-03 (~7 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | Hispanic/Latino (Mexican American) |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Education | B.A., University of Texas at El Paso (1991); M.A. in English Literature, New York University (1993) |
| Prior occupation | English instructor (UTEP and El Paso Community College), nonprofit executive director (Community Scholars), communications director for El Paso Mayor Raymond Caballero |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | El Paso, Texas |
| Marital status | married — Michael Pleters |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Central El Paso, Texas |
Pending research: languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2018 |
| Previous offices | El Paso County Commissioner, Precinct 2 (2007-2011) · El Paso County Judge (2011-2017) |
| Committees | House Committee on Armed Services · House Committee on the Judiciary |
| Caucuses | Congressional Hispanic Caucus · Congressional Progressive Caucus · New Democrat Coalition · Congressional Equality Caucus · Democratic Women's Caucus · Pro-Choice Caucus |
| Leadership | Co-Chair, House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), 2023-2025 |
| Ideology | Progressive Democrat; voted with President Biden 100% during 117th Congress; member of Congressional Progressive Caucus; bipartisan immigration work with Republican co-sponsors on Dignity Act |
| Signature legislation | Dignity Act of 2023 (bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform, co-authored with Rep. María Elvira Salazar, R-FL) · Dignity Act of 2025 (reintroduction of bipartisan immigration reform) · Homeland Security Improvement Act · Asylum Seeker Protection Act · Department of Defense Climate Resiliency and Readiness Act · Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act (co-introduced after 2019 El Paso mass shooting) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $4,003–$46,000 (2023) · estimate
| EPCC TX Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) | fund · $1,001–$15,000 · 2023 |
| GECU Checking and Savings Account (joint) | other · $1,001–$15,000 · 2023 |
| New York State College Choice Tuition Savings Program Trust Fund (Conservative Portfolio) | fund · $1–$1,000 · 2023 |
Top donors: Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) PAC ($10,000 (2022 cycle)) · Service Employees International Union (SEIU) COPE ($10,000 (2022 + 2024 cycles))
Top industries: Lawyers/Law Firms · Labor Unions · Healthcare
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — Arrest for Crowding and Obstructing Outside U.S. Supreme Court During Abortion Rights Protest
On July 19, 2022, Rep. Escobar was among 17 members of Congress arrested by U.S. Capitol Police outside the Supreme Court building for blocking an intersection during a civil disobedience protest against the court's reversal of Roe v. Wade. She was charged under D.C. Code with 'crowding, obstructing, or incommoding' — a minor infraction — and ticketed on-site. Escobar paid the $50 fine. The House Ethics Committee convened on July 27, 2022, to consider the arrests and voted against opening a formal investigation, issuing a statement that each member had paid or intended to pay the fine and that legal proceedings were expected to resolve with no further action.