Thread: Hispanics' clout up in Congress

Hispanics' clout up in Congress
Gannett News Service

WASHINGTON -- For years, Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico chaired or co-chaired the Senate's Democratic Hispanic Task Force. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York also have headed the group.

But this year, two Hispanic senators for the first time will head the 18-year-old group that advocates forissues important to Hispanics.

"When there was no voice here, they at least had something going," said Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., who co-chairs the task force with Sen. Ken Salazar, a Colorado Democrat. "But the difference is that when Ken Salazar and I -- from different parts of the country, different parts of the Latino community -- come together we bring to it a whole series of dimensions that are much different than any of our colleagues ... even with their best intentions."
The leadership roles for Menendez and Salazar reflect an overall increase in power among Hispanics in Congress since Democrats regained control of the House and Senate in November. While the number of Hispanic lawmakers did not increase, the influence of those already in Congress grew dramatically.

There are three Hispanic senators and 27 Hispanic House members, including one nonvoting delegate from Puerto Rico. Among the House members, two are part of the Democratic leadership team, two chair committees, 14 chair subcommittees and 15 are part of their party's whip operation. One of the five Republican Hispanic House lawmakers is a ranking member of a committee.

These lawmakers vow to use their new clout to push an agenda important to Hispanics, who make up the largest group of minorities in the nation.

Early this month, Hispanic lawmakers met with Senate Democratic leaders to draft a measure that would overhaul immigration policies -- a key issue for the party. Last week, Hispanic leaders blasted President Bush's budget proposal, which they complained would hurt Hispanic families. Hispanic lawmakers also have delivered more Democratic radio addresses in Spanish.

"We've never, never had that type of leadership ability all at one time," said Menendez, who recently gave one of those addresses. "These committees can really be advocates for different issues."

When Ileana Ros-Lehtinen arrived in Washington in 1990, she was the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress. Then, the Miami Republican was one of 11 Hispanics. Today, there are 30, and Ros-Lehtinen is ranking member on the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee.

"It's just a great opportunity," she said, "because I understand the need for freedom and the promotion of democratic values."

Hispanic lawmakers say they work on an array of issues but lend their voices to issues that affect their mostly Hispanic constituents.

"We bring a set of unique experiences and values to the table when we're creating laws and policies that affect everybody," said Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., who chairs a judiciary subcommittee. "We're finally starting to see the government look like the country we represent."

Political experts say one reason for the increased clout is the growing number of Hispanics and efforts by Democrats and Republicans to court them.

Hispanic lawmakers are also expected to play key roles in the Democratic push for more oversight hearings on Bush's policies.

"The fact that we're going to have brown faces at these hearings asking tough questions is incredibly exciting," said Sanchez.

That clout could increase as Hispanic voters become a stronger force, said Sergio Bendixen, a Hispanic pollster. He said Hispanic voters are an influential voting bloc because of their growing numbers and because many are swing voters.

Still, Hispanic lawmakers say they have a long way to go to achieve the clout of their counterparts in the Congressional Black Caucus, a 43-member group.

Black voters wield more political power in Congress than Hispanic voters because they are better organized and make up a larger part of the electorate, Bendixen said.

"That's what counts in terms of representation in Congress," he said.

Compared with black lawmakers, Hispanics have a "a slender profile of power," said Ron Walters, a political scientist at the University of Maryland. "So they're not able to exercise the same kind of power. ... But it looks as though that will come."

Bendixen and Walters expect to see more Hispanic lawmakers after the 2010 Census when states redraw their congressional districts.

"When it happens, if there is any semblance of a coalition between African-American and Hispanic" lawmakers, Walters said "they will be a very powerful force to reckon with."



http://www.bucyrustelegraphforum.com/ap ... 60301/1002

"We bring a set of unique experiences and values to the table when we're creating laws and policies that affect everybody," said Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., who chairs a judiciary subcommittee. "We're finally starting to see the government look like the country we represent."

Perhaps, but your ideas regarding border security and illegal immigration certainly don't represent the thought of the majority of Americans!

These lawmakers vow to use their new clout to push an agenda important to Hispanics, who make up the largest group of minorities in the nation.

Why not push an agenda that is important to American citizens (Hispanic, black, white, yellow, and pink polka-dotted)? Instead you choose to be the voice of criminal aliens because most of them are Latino. If most of the illegals were caucasion or black, I seriously doubt we'd hear a word out of you!

MW, exactly! It is my opinion that the main reason they are pushing so hard for amnesty is to bring as many of "their people" in as possible to grab political power. At that point, they will craft policies and laws to benefit "their people" and the heck with everyone else.

The seem to be completely ethnocentric in their way of thinking. As well, they will be pushing Socialism as it is "their people" who will benefit from all of the programs. In the meantime, the rest of us will be staggering under the weight of it all. I look at California as an example of what is to come for the rest of us.

You are both right !!
Blacks and Whites are screwed if we don't stop the majority of immigration coming from this one country!!Their will be no going back for this nation.
Isn't it odd the majority in congress doesn't seem to care if they lose power to Hispanic's, are they so stupid they don't see whats coming,

They are so blatant about their agenda to!

I take that last sentence of the article as a threat.

I am tired of hearing about how much "power" and "clout" these illegal invaders are getting by a few la raza types getting into politics.

And you are right, it'll be all for la raza and to hell with everyone else in this country.

I don't believe any minority Caucus has any place in Congress whatsoever.
No ethnic group should have any more influence than any other and no ethnic group should have inside influence in our halls of Government.
All directions and all judgments from Government should be for the good of the country, not for the benefit of any one or even multiple ethnic groups.