Castro, Gallego, and Hispanic Caucus Members Urge Defense Secretary Austin to Remove Trump Appointees from Confederate Renaming Commission, Include Latino Representation

Press Release

Representatives Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Ruben Gallego (AZ-7) led a Congressional Hispanic Caucus letter to Secretary Austin regarding the process for renaming U.S. military bases named after Confederate traitors. Specifically, the letter urges Secretary Austin to remove the 4 appointees of the Trump administration to the commission that will make renaming recommendations as mandated by the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act and replace these appointees with people that reflect the diversity of America, including at least one Latino. The letter seeks to ensure that Latino perspectives are included when discussing how to rename the bases in ways that reflect the diversity of the American military and the contributions of Latinos in uniform throughout our history.

"From Glorieta Pass to Khe Sahn to Normandy to Fallujah, Latino Americans have time and again proven their fighting skills, their courage, and their patriotism in defense of the Union," wrote Reps. Castro and Gallego. "We urge the Department of Defense to seize this opportunity to recognize and celebrate the contributions and sacrifice of generations of Latino Americans and other people of color who have served the United States with distinction in uniform."

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