Where's Immigration ?? Menendez's Priorities
Menendez unveils his priorities.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
By DONNA DE LA CRUZ
Associated Press
Democratic U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez said New Jersey voters made it clear on Election Day they want U.S. troops out of Iraq and he vowed Wednesday to work toward that goal.
"New Jersey voters gave me a clear mandate, and the nation gave Congress a mandate to do that," Menendez said.
Menendez, named Tuesday to the Foreign Relations Committee, said he would use his seat there to advocate for a transition out of Iraq. Menendez voted against sending troops to Iraq and was one of only a handful of Democratic senators to call for a timetable to pull troops out of Iraq.
He has laid out a plan on what the United States would need to do once the timetable is met, which includes bringing most of the troops home but leaving a contingency force "within the horizon" -- out of Iraq, but in the region.
Menendez, who spent 13 years on the House International Relations Committee, added that Foreign Relations would be instrumental in helping New Jersey companies who do business internationally.
Among his other priorities in the Senate: implementing Sept. 11 commission recommendations, beefing up security at chemical plants and ports, creating tax policies to help families, increasing the minimum wage, making college more affordable and cracking down on gang violence.
On the issue of stem cell research, Menendez hopes a Democratic-controlled Congress can change President Bush's stand against it.
Menendez served 14 years as a congressman before New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine appointed him in January to serve out the remaining year of his Senate term. Menendez defeated Republican Tom Kean Jr. by 8 percentage points last week to win a full, six-year Senate term.
Menendez, 52, is one of only two Democratic Hispanic senators -- Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar is the other -- and was vague when asked if party leaders would give him a leadership position to appeal to the country's growing Latino population. Republicans have given Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, the only GOP Hispanic senator, a prominent role as head of the Republican National Committee.
He said some Democratic party leaders have discussed the importance of Hispanics in last week's elections.
Adam Segal, director of the Hispanic Voter Project, said he expects Menendez to move quickly up the Senate Democratic power structure, just as he did in the House. Menendez was the third-highest ranking Democrat in the House when he left for the Senate, and the most powerful Hispanic congressman to date, Segal noted.
"If I were in party leadership, I would do everything that I could to empower Sen. Menendez and Sen. Salazar and give them leading roles on important issues that are important to Hispanics but are also important to the party's agenda," Segal said.
Menendez, who served only two years when Democrats were in control of Congress, said he was looking forward to being in the majority, but also reaching out to Republicans.
"I look forward to working with people on the other side of the aisle," he said.
Menendez will remain on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, the Budget Committee and Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
