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Education Is the Key to Success
Hispanics stand at a crossroads in America, with
potential available at every avenue. We are the
fastest growing minority group, younger by a decade,
with over $1 trillion purchasing power available at
our fingertips. With this powerful potential comes
great responsibility, most especially to ensure that
our children have access to the quality education
they will need to be able to meet the challenges of
a growing global economy — to be able to become the
next great surgeon, teacher, engineer, business
leader, first responder, elected official, or
whatever dream they want to pursue.
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Senator Ted
Stevens, (R-AK) administers the oath of
office to Senator Menendez. |
I firmly believe education is the key to unlock
social mobility and economic opportunity. I have
experienced the power of education first hand, and
it has been the guide for my public life. I began my
life of public service fighting to change my local
school board, in order to ensure that all children
in my mostly immigrant town of Union City had access
to quality education that would prepare them for
college and the work force. I succeeded in changing
the school board and, at age 20, won my first
election to that board. I went on to graduate from a
local college in New Jersey, then from law school,
and I have had the privilege to serve as a mayor, as
a member of both houses of the New Jersey state
legislature, and for the past 13 years as a member
of the House of Representatives. I now have the
privilege to be the first Hispanic to represent the
great state of New Jersey in the United States
Senate, which I believe is a further testament to
the power of a solid educational foundation. None of
this would have been possible without financial aid
from the federal government, which is why I will
continue to fight in the Senate to ensure funding
for education programs for current and future
generations.
As the Latino community continues to grow and
prosper, we must also work together to ensure access
to quality, affordable health care services. We
cannot train the next generation of great leaders if
they are plagued by preventable illnesses, or unable
to reach their God-given potential due to a lack of
care. It is shameful that in the richest nation in
the world, millions are forced to make the choice
between having access to life-saving, life-enhancing
drugs, putting food on the table or keeping a roof
over their head. We can and must do better,
including providing special programs for small
business owners, so that they can better afford to
provide health coverage for their employees and
themselves.
I firmly believe that the only way to stay healthy
is to see a doctor when you are healthy. That is why
I fought hard and joined in a bipartisan fashion
with my colleagues in the House and Senate to pass
the Patient Navigator, Chronic Disease and
Prevention Act of 2005. The law creates a national
program of specially trained navigators, who are
very involved in the community, and help local
residents ‘navigate’ the often confusing health
system. In my own community, this program helped
hundreds of people over the course of a year. I am
proud to see it become a national effort.
As Latinos, we hold the values of family and
community in the highest regard. Together, we can do
better to ensure a safe and secure future for our
next generation of great leaders. Our nation and the
world depend upon us.
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Sen. Robert
Menendez (D-NJ) has served at the
national level for over a decade,
beginning his service as a congressman
in 1993, representing New Jersey’s 13th
district. Menendez was appointed to his
current office by New Jersey Governor
Jon S. Corzine on Jan. 18, 2006. |
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