Democrats Are Fighting for Jobs for America’s Hispanics and Their Families

As with all Americans, the number-one concern of America’s Hispanic families is jobs. 

 Democrats Are Pushing Job-Creating Legislation

 Democrats are calling on Washington Republicans to start working with us to quickly enact the American Jobs Act.  This bill would increase economic growth and create jobs now.  It contains proposals that have received support from both Democrats and Republicans in the past.   

 The American Jobs Act offers a clear path forward to help small businesses hire and grow, provide tax relief for every American worker and family, rebuild America, provide aid to those who lost their jobs through no fault of their own, and put our police officers, firefighters, teachers and veterans to work. This is particularly important in the Hispanic community as 11.3 percent of Latinos are currently looking for work.  [American Jobs Act:  Impact for Hispanic Families and the Economy and in Spanish, la Ley Para Trabajos Estadounidenses: Cómo Afecta a Las Familias Hispanas Y La Economía]

The American Jobs Act fits squarely with House Democrats’ back-to-basics, ABCs plan to create jobs:

• Make It In America – to strengthen our manufacturing, technological, and industrial base, and keep America number one.
• Build America – to put people to work rebuilding our roads, bridges, rail lines, schools, broadband, ports and airports.
• Community Recovery – to help the families and businesses affected by recent natural disasters recover by speeding rebuilding assistance to local communities.

With more than 250 days in the majority and no jobs agenda, it is now time for the House Republican leadership to change course and pass the American Jobs Act. Leader Pelosi has called on Speaker Boehner and Democratic Ranking Members to urge committee Chairmen to schedule immediate hearings and action on the President’s legislation. It is time to heed the President’s call to create jobs, strengthen our middle class, and grow our economy with this bill. 

 GOP Record – No Jobs Agenda and Passing Bills That Would Destroy Nearly 2 Million Jobs

 Republicans have held the House majority for more than 250 days and here is their record:

• Have failed to pass a single piece of legislation to create jobs even with 11.3 percent of Latinos currently looking for work.

• Have actually voted to pass legislation that would destroy nearly 2 million jobs, including:
  • Passed the “So Be It” spending bill to slash investments in our economic future like education, college aid, life-saving medical research, infrastructure, and clean energy, and cut 700,000 jobs.
  • Passed a budget that would cost Americans 1.7 million jobs by 2014, with 900,000 jobs lost next year, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.
  • Passed GOP Patients’ Rights Repeal bill that puts insurance companies back in charge of health care and repeals the Affordable Care Act, thereby destroying more than 300,000 jobs.

• Have voted 10 times against Democratic initiatives or efforts to consider Democratic initiatives to create jobs, including:
  • The China Currency bill that could help create about 1 million American manufacturing jobs.
  • An American jobs effort to end government contracts rewarding corporations that ship American jobs overseas.
  • A Build America Bonds proposal that leverages public dollars to strengthen the private sector, growing our economy by rebuilding America’s schools, hospitals, and transit projects.

 Democrats Fighting for Opportunity for Hispanics – By Protecting Gains in College Aid

 The 110 and 111thth Democratic Congress made college more affordable by increasing the maximum Pell Grant from $4,050 in 2006 to $5,550 this year, providing students with the information and support they need to make smart and informed decisions about paying for college, making student loan repayment more affordable, lowering student loan interest rates on need-based loans, and investing in Hispanic Serving Institutions.

•  The Republican budget closes the door to college with the largest cuts in the history of Pell Grants. It cuts college aid for nearly 10 million students, slashing the maximum Pell Grant award by more than $2,500 (about 45 percent) from the current $5,500 – to the lowest level in more than a decade, resulting in almost 1.4 million students losing eligibility for Pell grants.

• This reduction would disproportionately harm the 39 percent of Latino undergraduates receiving Pell Grants, who need financial aid to attend college.  With higher education costs increasingly on the rise, Latino students may be forced to drop out of school or prolong their college education.
  
   

Republican Attacks on the Latino Community

1.  Republicans killed the DREAM Act -- In the Democratic-led 111th Congress, the House passed the DREAM Act 216-198, with the support of 208 Democrats and 8 Republicans, but failed to win passage in the Senate due to the opposition of Senate Republicans.    52 Senate Democrats voted for the bill, but only 3 Senate Republicans supported it.

 2.  HALT Act – (Hinder the Administration’s Legalization Temptations Act) – Introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), this legislation suspends the President’s powers to provide certain immigration protections and relief until January 21, 2013 (day after Obama’s term comes to an end).   

3.  Making E-Verify mandatory nationwide -- Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) has introduced legislation to make E-Verify mandatory nationwide – which would be expensive to enforce and would lead to discrimination against Latino workers.   Many of America’s businesses oppose this legislation.

4. Repealing birthright citizenship – Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has introduced legislation that would repeal automatic citizenship for children of immigrants.

5.  Shameful comments from Republican Legislators – Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) stated, “I will do anything short of shooting immigrants” and Kansas state rep Virgil Peck said, “it might be a good idea to control illegal immigration the way the feral hog population has been controlled—with hunters shooting from helicopters.”