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2005 will enter the annals of history as the first
time two newly elected Hispanics entered the United
States Senate. Hispanics also will hold key Cabinet
positions as attorney general and commerce
secretary, and a Latina was recently sworn in as the
new U.S. Treasurer. Seven Latinas hold seats in
Congress, and I would like to congratulate LATINA
Style for its continued support of the role
these women play in the political world.
I am the newly elected chair of the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus, which now boasts its largest
membership of 21 Hispanics in the House of
Representatives, hailing from all over the country,
from California to New York, Chicago to El Paso. For
nearly 30 years, we have been an almost hidden voice
of our community’s concerns in the halls of
Congress. We have always been committed to providing
economic opportunities for our small business to
secure capital, along with ensuring quality
education for our children and access to healthcare
for all.
I want to make sure all Latinos know about the
newfound power of our voice in shaping policy in
Washington and at home. Our CHC is doing its part on
behalf of our community in Congress. But we cannot
do this alone. We must develop and expand
partnerships to build a network in every state. This
effort will allow us to not only receive input from
local and state leadership, but also to hear the
concerns of you, the voter. It will also enable us
to identify and cultivate future leadership in the
Hispanic community. We invite you to join us and
learn more by visiting our Web site at
www.house.gov/napolitano.
On the issues, our CHC has been fighting for more
equity in small-business loans. We have been working
for more education dollars for our children’s
schools. We have been striving to eliminate the
various health disparities within the Latino
community, exploring why a disproportionate number
of Latinos suffer from chronic and communicable
diseases while making up a quarter of our nation’s
uninsured population.
We are committed to continuing to play a critical
role to make sure that any immigration reform
proposal will be just, fair and respectful of the
work immigrants play in our society. We dedicate
ourselves to finding the solution to the problems
that plague our nation’s immigration system.
This year, we will continue to be active in taking
on these and other issues Congress is likely to
debate. Our new direction begins with the convening
of a Task Force on Social Security to explore how
President Bush’s reform proposals would affect our
community, and what we can do to protect this
important benefit that every senior has earned.
Without Social Security, 61 percent of Latinas over
the age of 65 would live in poverty.
Our goal during my two years as chair — and beyond —
will be to ensure that Latinos have the same
opportunities for success that all Americans have.
This idea became apparent to me last fall while
campaigning across the country on behalf of Sen.
John Kerry. My experiences helped educate me on the
different priorities of our diverse communities
while reinforcing how similar they are to the rest
of the nation. Now it is up to us to make sure
Congress appreciates and understands the needs of
our working families. It will be a daunting task,
but this is clearly a tremendous opportunity for us
to voice our concerns and be sure that everyone is
listening.
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U.S. Rep. Grace
Napolitano is serving her fourth term in
Congress, representing a California
district that includes a portion of
southeast Los Angeles County. |
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