Press

Today, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced that the DNC has released a new Spanish-language ad, underscoring the President’s commitment to the Hispanic community and setting the record straight.

"President Obama has made it clear that his number one goal as President is to guarantee America is able to win the future – that Americans across this country are able to thrive by out-innovating, out-educating, and out-building the world. Fixing America’s broken immigration system is not only in keeping with that goal – it is central to it."

Cinco de Mayo is an opportunity for our nation to come together and celebrate the countless contributions of Mexican Americans and all Hispanic Americans to our great country. Like Mexicans that fateful morning in 1862, today Hispanic Americans continue the fight to give their families a better life. And they answer the call of American democracy by making their voices heard.

Yesterday, President Obama met with influential Hispanics at the White House to discuss fixing our broken immigration system. In response, DNC Vice Chair Linda Chavez-Thompson issued the following statement:

Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (D-TX) denounced the Republican-approved budget on a Democratic National Committee conference call today, saying the budget will hurt Hispanics. Instead of working to cut the deficit in a responsible manner, the House Republican plan would slash initiatives that are overwhelmingly beneficial to the Hispanic community, including ending Medicare as we know it, and would instead increase health care costs for America’s poor and elderly.

“Today, as we celebrate what would have been Cesar Chavez’s 84th birthday, we reflect on the life of an extraordinary man. Cesar Chavez grew up working the fields of the Southwest; it was back-breaking labor, but he did not allow himself to be broken. He devoted himself to improving the working conditions and the lives of farm workers, empowering individuals to make their voices heard. And when Cesar Chavez spoke, America listened. Along with Dolores Huerta, he co-founded the United Farm Workers of America, and made the plight of farm laborers a national issue.

Not only is the DREAM Act a commonsense bill that will strengthen the American military and economic security, it has the backing of leaders from both sides of the aisle, the President, Department of Defense and the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Education. I urge the Senate to follow the House of Representative’s lead in voting to give these young people the opportunity to achieve the American dream.

A majority of service members believe that those who are willing to offer their service should be able to do so without regard to their sexual orientation. And across the country, a majority of Americans believe the time has come to end ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’