Congressman Ruben Hinojosa Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Statement

Today-Congressman Hinojosa issued the following statement in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 through October 15 every year.

"Democrats in Congress have been and continue to work very hard to improve the lives and meet the needs of America's Hispanic families. During the 111th Congress we passed historic legislation that directly met the needs of Latino families. We passed laws that made college more affordable, broadened the scope of healthcare for everyone. With more than 2 million Hispanic-owned small businesses across the country, Democrats, led by President Obama, focused on building our economy and small businesses. We focused on meeting the needs of our veterans and working class Americans."

"Democrats see clearly that Latinos are a vital part of our country. Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in our great nation and contribute immensely to this country making America more prosperous. Hispanics have a long history of contributions in business, education, government and the arts."

"Right now, Democrats are working hard to pass President Obama's American Jobs Act and the Democratic Make it in America agenda to strengthen our manufacturing, technological, and industrial base. We have pledged to create more jobs, to keep America working and to keep America number one. The American Jobs Act offers a clear path forward to help small businesses succeed, provide tax relief for our workers, provide aid to those who lost their jobs, and to put our police officers, firefighters, teachers and veterans to work."

"While Republicans in Congress concentrate on protecting tax cuts for large corporations, ending Medicare and shipping jobs overseas, Democrats are in a battle to bring our economy back from the previous administration, particularly in the Hispanic community, with more than 11 percent of Latinos currently looking for work."

When Democrats controlled Congress, we increased the maximum Pell Grant from $4,050 to the current $5,550 -- an increase of 37 percent. While I was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness, I proudly stood next to President Obama when he signed the historic Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 into law. Part of this law directly increased college aid for the 39 percent of Hispanic college students who receive Pell Grants each year. In contrast, the Republican budget cuts college aid for nearly 10 million students, slashing the maximum Pell Grant award by more than $2,500."

"Last year, the Democratic-led House passed the DREAM Act, which strengthens our economy and our military and honors our American values. But Republicans blocked passage of the bill in the Senate -- thereby denying hundreds of thousands of good and talented young people brought to our country without a choice the chance to earn legal status. The DREAM Act would give students in my district, and across the country, who grew up in the United States a chance to contribute to our country's well-being by serving in the U.S. armed forces or pursuing a higher education. The DREAM Act is a first step towards enactment of comprehensive immigration reform and is urgent for the hundreds of thousands of young people who contribute to our country, and who are counting on us to bring them out of the shadows."

"Why Republicans are bent on jeopardizing, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is beyond me. Over 3 million Latinos rely upon Medicare for their health care, yet the House Republican budget would end Medicare and replace it with an inadequate voucher to buy private insurance, for those now under 55. The GOP plan would increase out-of-pocket health care costs for the typical senior by more than $6,000 per year, and put seniors at the mercy of private insurance companies. Their budget also slashed Medicaid by over $750 billion, harming the 23 percent of seniors on Medicaid who are Hispanic, as well as nearly half of all Latino children. Furthermore, a number of key Republicans have proposed to privatize Social Security jeopardizing seniors' economic security with a risky scheme that could cut benefits. They tried this before in 2005 and thankfully failed. Hispanics are more likely to rely on Social Security in their retirement, with less access to private plans."

"I am proud of my heritage, of my ancestors who came to this country from Mexico over one hundred years ago. I am proud of the contributions made by America's Hispanic community. In the next month let us celebrate our contributions and let us honor our great nation. Let us also work harder to improve the lives of all Americans and help everyone achieve the American Dream."

Source