Sen. Kennedy Meets with Leaders of Major National Hispanic Advocacy Organizations

Stresses Importance of Health, Education, Immigration, and Strengthening Ties With Latin America

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stori ... 678&EDATE=

3/2/07

WASHINGTON, March 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a
transcript of Sen. Kennedy's meeting with leaders of major national
Hispanic advocacy organizations:
"Thank you so much for coming to share your insight about the
priorities the Senate should address with regards to improving the quality
of life of Hispanic Americans. The work that you do is essential in our
struggle to make sure the American Dream is available to those who work
hard to strengthen their families and communities.
"As Senator Reid said, we need to do a lot more to strengthen our ties
with Latin America. I remember when President Kennedy created the Alliance
for Progress with our brothers in the hemisphere. I remember when he went
to Mexico. He also went to Venezuela to meet their first democratically
elected president, Romulo Betancourt. Betancourt fought to lift his people
out of poverty through democratic means. Those were also the days of Luis
Munoz Marin, Puerto Rico's elected governor. Munoz Marin was a true Puerto
Rican patriot who fought against the special interests and was able to
transform what was called the Poor House of the Caribbean, into a shining
beacon of justice and democracy. Munoz Marin's legacy served as an example
for the rest of Latin America on how to alleviate poverty through peaceful
and democratic means and transform the lives of the citizens of Latin
America.
"Here in the Senate, we still have much to accomplish. We will get an
immigration bill done this year. I come from a family of immigrants myself.
I know the struggle and the sacrifices immigrants make to come to a strange
land, without knowing the language, without having many friends if at all,
but with the hope of having a chance to succeed. Immigrants also make
important contributions to the armed forces of our country. Many immigrants
are in uniform fighting for our country right now, many of whom aren't even
citizens. The values that immigrants bring, of hard work, family, and
faith, are values that our strengthen our nation enormously.
"We will also tackle the issues of health disparities, educational
opportunities, and many other issues which Latino families care about. We
need your help in making this happen and again, I appreciate you coming
here today and sharing your vision of social and economic advancement for
the Hispanic community. Senate Democrats will keep fighting so that these
priorities are addressed."


SOURCE Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid