Washington, DC – Congresswoman Nydia. M. Velázquez, the Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), commented on President Obama’s State of the Union address before a Joint Session of Congress tonight:
“In his address tonight, the President made job creation his number one priority. With Hispanic unemployment at nearly 13 percent, the CHC is committed to working with President Obama to rebuild our economy and put Americans back to work.
“While we’ve made progress in turning the economy around, working families continue to struggle. That’s why I applaud the President’s proposals to help the middle class. Every American deserves a chance to provide for their family, send their children to college and pursue the American Dream.
“The President also recognizes that our nation’s economic future hinges on our ability to reform immigration. Unjust policies are not only tearing families apart, they are punishing workers trying to make ends meet, crippling honest employers, and draining our government of revenue. The CHC is working to find a balanced solution to this problem, one that upholds national security while ensuring the rights of families, workers, and employers.
“As the President reminded us tonight, health care reform is also critical to economic recovery. Without reform, costs will continue to spiral out of control, threatening our long-term prosperity. With 40 percent of Hispanics uninsured, the CHC will continue to fight for options that lower costs, extend coverage and protect our children.
“As our nation recovers from the worst downturn since the Great Depression, Latino families are being forced to make tough choices. In the CHC, we are committed to working with President Obama and our colleagues in Congress to ease the burden on the working class, and lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity.”
