Congressional Hispanic Caucus On Latinos & State Of The Union

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Charles Gonzalez  in a statement following president Barack Obama stated the Union address Tuesday evening:

What the President laid out this evening was a choice– for the leaders of this country as well as the people of America.  We can remain entrenched in an unproductive partisan debate or we can unite and work together on the issues necessary to create growth and prosperity.  At a time when we see a shrinking middle class, our country needs to restore our values to ensure hard work pays off and that Americans can work and retire with dignity.

I‘m glad the president believes that we have a lot of work to do. Even though there has been consistent private sector job growth for the past 22 months, unemployment levels are simply unacceptable. With 11% of Hispanics left jobless in the wake of a housing crisis and financial meltdown, President Obama and Congress must do everything we can to jump start our economy and to avoid creating another legacy of boom-and-bust cycles.

Latinos have so much at stake. Caucasians have 18 times more household wealth than their Hispanic peers, but we can help narrow the achievement gap by building an economy that will last for all Americans.

I was glad to see that President Obama invited Juan Jose Redín, an attorney from North Hollywood, California, who came to the U.S. from  Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico at the age of 10. After years of studying, working hard and playing by the rules, Juan earned his citizenship under California’s Assembly Bill 540 and graduated with honors from UCLA. He now practices law and is a shining example of how passing the DREAM Act could bring positive change in our communities.

Mayor of San Antonio Julian Castro’s presence at tonight’s State of the Union is a testament to San Antonio’s leadership and willingness to come together to provide a better life for its citizens. Both San Antonio and the rest of the country still have a lot of work to get our economy on the path to sustained prosperity, but utilizing the initiatives laid out by the President this evening, we have a better opportunity to create an America that is built to last.

I sincerely hope that my Republican colleagues see the next year as an opportunity to rebuild our middle class and will commit themselves to help create an economy built to last.