His family moved to San Antonio from Eagle Pass and into the Alazan Apache Courts. He enrolled in first grade at J.T. Brackenridge Elementary not knowing any English, one of the many school challenges he faced.

Ciro dropped out of the ninth grade, due to grief over the death of his mother and the usual problems of adolescence. He worked at a gas station. He learned the importance of getting an education. His father said, “Go to work or go to school.” Ciro did both. He had lost a whole year of school. School officials told him it was impossible to finish his senior year on time but Rodriguez was determined to catch up. He attended two different summer schools at the same time and graduated with his class.

Ciro went to San Antonio College, then St. Mary’s University earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University.

Ciro married Carolina Pena, his wife of thirty-four years. She taught elementary school and was an elementary school librarian. They have one daughter, Xochil, a recent college graduate.

Ciro has two sisters, Rosario and Rosantina and three brothers, Luvin, Javier and Sergio. His parents were Luvin Rodriguez and Aurora Davis from Eagle Pass. His grandparents were from Del Rio, Texas. On his mother’s side both grandparents; Manuela Gonzales and Wilkes Davis, his grandfather who worked on the railroads grew up in Del Rio. Both of this grandparents on his father’s side also lived in Del Rio. They were De Hoyos and Felix Rodriguez. His parents met in Del Rio and later moved to Eagle Pass. His family traveled frequently between the two countries.

Ciro Rodriguez was first elected to the Harlandale school board. During his 12 years on the board, he earned recognition throughout the country. He helped to establish the Mexican Hispanic Caucus of the National School Boards Association and serving as its first national president.

In 1987, Ciro Rodriguez was elected to the Texas House of Representatives where he served for eleven years. He served in the Higher Education and Health Committees. Speaker Pete Laney appointed him Chairman of the Local Consent Calendar Committee. Ciro Rodriguez worked to reduce the high dropout rate and drafted legislation to allow students to earn college credit while in high school. He drafted the law that guaranteed the top ten percent of graduating students a place at a Texas four-year university.

In April 1997, Ciro Rodriguez was elected to Congress. During his four terms in Congress, Ciro served with distinction as a member of the House Veterans Affairs, Armed Services and Resources Committee. Ciro also served on the House Armed Services Committee from 1997 to 2005,where served on four key Subcommittees: Military Readiness; Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities; Research and Development; and Military Installations and Facilities. On the House Veterans Affairs Committee, he was the Ranking Member of Veterans Health Subcommittee and was on the Benefits Subcommittee from 1997 to 1998. Ciro also served as the Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus of the House of Representatives during the 108^th Congress.

He was then elected in 2006 to serve as Congressman from the 23^rd Congressional District. Ciro D. Rodriguez was appointed to serve on the powerful Appropriations Committee, where he is a member of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, transportation and HUD. He is a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.