Ramirez, Delia C.

Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez represents Illinois's 3rd Congressional District and serves as Ranking Member of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. In this role, she leads the Democratic opposition on the subcommittee, which conducts oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs and investigates issues affecting veterans and VA operations. As ranking member, she has significant power to launch investigations, demand accountability from VA leadership, and shape the legislative agenda on veterans' issues.

Ramirez brings deep experience in social service and community advocacy to her committee work. Before entering Congress in 2023, she served two terms in the Illinois House of Representatives, where she rose to Assistant Majority Leader and co-founded the Illinois House Progressive Caucus. During her state legislative career, she championed housing justice, healthcare expansion, and workers' rights. She is the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants and the first Latina elected to Congress in Illinois and the entire Midwest. Her background leading nonprofits focused on homelessness and housing, combined with her legislative experience, directly informs her work on veterans' issues.

As ranking member, Ramirez has launched significant investigations and introduced legislation protecting veterans and VA workers. She has led inquiries into the Trump administration's deportation of immigrant veterans and service members, demanding accountability for the targeting of hundreds of veterans and their families. She has also introduced bipartisan legislation to restore collective bargaining rights for VA employees and protect their right to representation in disciplinary proceedings. Additionally, she has demanded answers from VA leadership regarding hiring freezes and workforce reductions affecting veteran employees and veterans' access to services.

Ramirez's legislative profile reflects a strong commitment to veterans' welfare, workers' rights, and immigrant protections. She serves on multiple committees including Homeland Security and has introduced legislation on diverse issues ranging from student veteran benefits to restrictions on immigration detention. Her work demonstrates a focus on holding the executive branch accountable while advancing protections for vulnerable populations, particularly veterans in mixed-status families and VA workers.