Congressional democrats remain focused on delivering for latino communities

Latino history is, and always will be, American history, and we celebrate this rich history during Hispanic Heritage Month. Since before our nation was founded, Latino stories have been woven into the fabric of America, and with each passing generation a new chapter is written. This month, we take stock of that story: to see how far we’ve come, how far we must still go and redouble our commitment in Congress to deliver the promise of the American Dream for all Latinos.

While Latinos are made of up of many unique cultures, traditions and dialects, at the heart of this heritage is an abiding faith in our nation’s future and a belief that if you work hard, you can achieve the American Dream. They want the same things all Americans strive for: good jobs, great benefits, high-quality schools in a safe neighborhood with access to affordable health care, housing and child care. All of us want our children to have a better life than we did, so that the sacrifices of those who came before us were not in vain.

This is the very heart of the American Dream, and Democrats in Congress are focused on growing the middle class for Latino communities.

Since President Biden took office, Democrats in Congress have worked tooth and nail to keep the promise of the American Dream alive. We brought our economy back from the brink to create over 13 million good-paying jobs that have dropped Latino unemployment to record lows.

We’ve put health care front and center. For the first time, more Latinos are enrolled in insurance through the ACA than ever before and Latinos on Medicare, who are more likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes, are paying no more than $35 a month for insulin.

We’ve worked to support law enforcement, provide better training and accountability and keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. We have also delivered increased mental health resources, protections for survivors of domestic violence and support for school violence prevention.

And of course we’ve stood side by side with the millions of Latinos and Latinas who believe and have always believed in a woman’s right to choose. Even as Republicans double down on their efforts to enforce a nationwide abortion, Democrats will never stop working to restore the right to reproductive freedom – a principle that has long been central to our democracy.

In other words, no other party has delivered more for Latinos .

We can continue our historic progress if Republicans in Congress are willing join us in fighting for the best interests of Latino families. Both of us are proud of our track record on bipartisanship – from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the CHIPS and Science Act, Bipartisan Safer Communities and more – but unfortunately, the modern-day Republican Party has strayed from governing.

Let us be clear – bipartisanship is not dead, as Democrats' extraordinary record of bipartisan achievement shows. But in the Republican-controlled House, it has been abandoned. We can have fierce disagreements while still working together to lower costs, to make health care more affordable, to help protect our historic economic recovery or to keep children and families safe from gun violence – all issues that are top of mind for Latinos. We can avoid stand-offs on funding our government or ransom negotiations to keep our nation from going into economic catastrophe if we just find healthy consensus. However, it’s clear that Congressional Republicans’ extreme partisan tactics are not only reckless, but they’re un-American and undoubtedly contrary to our values.

This month comes at a special moment in our nation’s history. For the first time, we have more Latinos serving in Congress than ever before. In the Senate, the Democratic Majority has confirmed a historic number of Latino judicial nominees and recently confirmed the first Latina to serve on the Federal Reserve in the Board’s 109-year history. As we always say, diversity is our greatest strength – it’s what unites us – and, as the descendants of immigrants who grew up in California and New York, we know that when our government is representative of the more than 60 million Latinos in the United States, we can deliver meaningful change.

Now more than ever, Democrats in Congress recognize that the future of America depends on the success of Latino communities across the country. If the United States is to truly be a beacon of hope, everyone in this country must be given the opportunity to achieve their version of the American Dream. That’s why Democrats will keep working to grow our economy, pass real immigration reform, build safer communities and uphold a woman’s fundamental right to choose. That’s what Latino families care about and what we’re fighting for.

All future generations celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month will remember this generation of Democrats in Congress for their drive and determination to deliver for Latino families – to fight and to win for our future. That’s the legacy we can and will create together.

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