▁Running ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁against ▁Ernest ▁E . ▁Deb s ▁for ▁a ▁seat ▁on ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁County ▁Board ▁of ▁Super vis ors , ▁Roy bal ▁lost ▁a ▁bitter ly ▁cont ested ▁election ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁held ▁a ▁sl im ▁lead ▁on ▁election ▁night , ▁but ▁lost ▁after ▁four ▁rec ount s ▁gave ▁the ▁election ▁to ▁Deb s . ▁ ▁U . S . ▁Congress ▁ ▁Despite ▁this , ▁Roy bal ▁ran ▁for ▁Congress ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁winning ▁election ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 5 th ▁District , ▁an ▁area ▁that ▁included ▁his ▁native ▁Bo yle ▁He ights , ▁the ▁larger ▁East ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁area , ▁Dow nt own , ▁and ▁parts ▁of ▁Hollywood . ▁Begin ning ▁his ▁term ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁Lat ino ▁Congress person ▁from ▁California ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁election ▁of ▁Rom ual do ▁P ach ec o . ▁ ▁As ▁Congress man , ▁Roy bal ▁was ▁generally ▁known ▁for ▁a ▁low - key ▁legisl ative ▁style . ▁In ▁his ▁first ▁term , ▁he ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁Inter ior ▁and ▁Ins ular ▁Affairs ▁Committee ▁and ▁the ▁Post ▁Office ▁Committee . ▁In ▁his ▁next ▁term , ▁he ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁Foreign ▁Affairs ▁Committee ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁V eter an ' s ▁Affairs ▁Committee . ▁ ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 , ▁he ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁House ▁App ropri ations ▁Committee ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁dec ades ▁and ▁author ed ▁a ▁number