TX: Van de Putte: Latinos Left Behind By Bush

Austin American Statesman, January 28, 2008
By Corrie MacLaggan

In the Spanish-language Democratic response to the State of the Union address, state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, said President Bush's administration has left many Latinos struggling.

She said that Latinos are earning less and that the collapse of the housing market has many fearing they'll lose their homes. And she admonished Bush for twice vetoing an expansion to the Children's Health Insurance Program, pointing out that one in three Latinos lacks health insurance."But while I'm concerned about the current state of our country," Van de Putte said in Spanish, "I remain hopeful and optimistic about our future and proud of the direction Democrats in Congress have advanced us the last year."

Here is a release from Van de Putte's office with an English translation of her prepared remarks:

Date: Monday, January 28, 2008State Sen. Van de Putte Responds to State of the Union Address in SpanishGood evening — this is Texas State Senator Leticia Van de PutteTonight I speak to you not only as a Democrat, but as one of you: a concerned parent, grandparent, community member, and worker.The State of the Union under President Bush's Administration has left much to hope for. Under President Bush, Latinos have suffered from stagnating incomes — in fact, the average wage for Latinos has actually declined.

At the same time, our families have been burdened by record high oil and gasoline prices, and the housing market collapse has left many of us fearing the loss of our homes. Despite working harder, we are able to do less, and for too many families there are more bills than disposable income at the end of the month.But while I'm concerned about the current state of our country, I remain hopeful and optimistic about our future, and proud of the direction Democrats in Congress have advanced us the last year.

We have come a long way from when Democrats took control of Congress and led the fight to put the American Dream within reach for everyone in America. One of the first things Democrats did was to increase the minimum wage, a battle fought for a decade, but only possible with a Democratic majority in Congress. That resulted in a raise for nearly 2.3 million Latino workers.

The change didn't end there.Latinos own a record 1.6 million small businesses, and small businesses are the backbone of our economy. So this past year Democrats in Congress passed legislation that lowered the cost of financing a small business. Our Democratic leaders in Congress also succeeded in reducing the cost of a college education for the 1.8 million Latinos who attend college. They also increased funding for housing for hardworking low-income families helping an additional 100,000 families.We've also worked on one of our greatest challenges as a nation, to unite our people toward achieving our common goals.

That's why our Democratic leaders in Congress sat down with the President to address the struggling economy, and put our country's best interests first. As a result of that effort, an economic stimulus package has been crafted that will give our economy the push it needs. This effort will help our economy and will bring relief to the millions of families who are feeling first-hand the strains of seven years of reckless fiscal policies.This should not be about the short term.

For Latinos, our fundamental values are rooted in strengthening our families from generation to generation. We are working every day to ensure that our children can live a better life than we did. I am proud of the work Democrats are doing in Congress on behalf of our children.We have much to do.

One in five children in public schools is Hispanic, but too many are not finishing high school. That's why Democratic priorities like legislation to improve and expand educational programs for our youngest, and like Head Start, have been a priority.And while our children need a good education, they also need good health care.

One out of every three Latinos lacks health care insurance in this country. As a pharmacist for more than 28 years, I know how important it is that Democrats continue to work to ensure that everyone has access to quality health care. That care shouldn't begin in the emergency room, but rather prevent major problems and keep our children, parents, and grandparents healthy.Our Democratic Congress has approved legislation that among other things improves and expands health care for women against breast and cervical cancer. Congress has also approved the renewal and expansion of SCHIP, a federal program to provide health care coverage to millions of children.

Unfortunately, President Bush has vetoed this legislation, not once, but twice. How sad.The truth is, the President seems satisfied to stay the course, but it's a course that has led to 46 million Americans uninsured, and too many being left out and falling behind.The same is true on Iraq. The President continues to fight Democrats, and insists on keeping our troops caught up in the Iraqi civil war indefinitely.

And on issues specific to our community, the President has allowed extremists to dominate the rhetoric on immigration, disrespecting our rich history, and the contributions immigrants have made to strengthen our country. Senate Democrats fought to reach a compromise bipartisan immigration reform bill and brought it for a vote 3 times, but were blocked by the anger of the far right, and Republicans who prefer to use it as a campaign issue than to actually address it.

The same happened with the DREAM Act, critical for immigrant children who grew up in America to achieve their dreams of a higher education.The state of the union is stronger, when our children have the opportunity to fulfill their potential. The state of the union is stronger, when no family has to lose it all because of illness. The state of the union is stronger, when our country can offer good jobs and dignity for its workers and retirees. America is far stronger when we work to unite, not to divide.

The state of our union is up to each and every one of us. We can make our country stronger, we can bring people together, and we can deliver the change that every American wants and deserves.But we need your voice, we need your help, and most importantly we need your participation.This is Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte, on behalf of the Democratic Party. Thank you for listening. And God bless you.