El Presidente Recicla Promesas Rotas, No Ofrece Soluciones Para los Hispanos

Esta noche el Presidente Bush ofreció unicamente la misma retórica vacía de los últimos seis años desperdiciando la oportunidad de ofrecer nuevas ideas y de unirse a los Demócratas para trabajar a favor de los intereses del pueblo estadounidense. Durante sus dos periodos presidenciales, el Presidente Bush no ha logrado presentar un verdadero plan para mejorar el sistema de cuidados medicos, no ha presentado un plan para reducir los problemas económicos y en la educación que enfrentamos en la comunidad hispana, y no ha logrado liderar en el tema de la reforma migratoria, permitiendo que el Partido Republicano use a los inmigrantes como chivos expiatorios por ganancia política.

Los Demócratas, para contrastar, hemos luchado con la agenda de las primeras 100 horas para aumentar el sueldo mínimo, para reducir los costos de las recetas médicas, y para hacerle más facil a todo estadounidense ir a la universidad. A la vez, Nancy Pelosi, Presidente de la Cámara de Representantes, y Harry Reid, Líder de la Mayoría en el Senado, han reiterado consistentemente que estan comprometidos a aprobar una reforma integral del sistema de inmigración.

"Luego de seis años de promesas rotas y retórica vacía, el Presidente Bush no ofreció soluciones esta noche,” dijo el portavoz del Comité Nacional Demócrata Luis Miranda. "El Presidente reanudó su compromiso a su estrategia fracasada en Irak, propuso un plan de cuidados médicos que aumenta las obligaciones tributarias pero que no amplía la cobertura de seguros médicos, y ofreció las mismas propuestas en materia de energía que abandonó de inmediato al terminar su discurso el año pasado. En el tema de la reforma migratoria las palabras del Presidente no se pueden tomar en serio ya que durante los últimos años permitió que los Republicanos usaran a los inmigrantes como chivos expiatorios por ganancia política. Además propuso el mismo programa de trabajadores huespedes que forzaría a los inmigrantes a aceptar condiciones laborales inaceptables. Los Demócratas en el Congreso están luchando para aprobar verdaderos proyectos de ley que ayuden a todas las familias trabajadoras en Estados Unidos, y ya es hora de que el Presidente Bush haga lo mismo.”

Datos sobre el estado de la unión para los hispanos incluídos al final de este mensaje.

For Immediate Release
January 23, 2007

Contact: Luis Miranda - 202-863-8148

President Recycles Broken Promises,
Offers No Solutions for Hispanics

Washington, DC - Tonight, presented with the opportunity to offer new ideas and join Democrats in working to advance the people's agenda, President Bush offered only more of the same empty rhetoric. During his two terms, President Bush has consistently failed to present a real plan to address health care, economic and educational disparities in the Hispanic community, and has failed to lead on comprehensive immigration reform while allowing the Republican Party to scapegoat immigrants for political gain.

In contrast, as part of the first 100 hours agenda, Democrats have worked to raise the federal minimum wage, decrease the costs of prescription drugs and make college more affordable for all Americans. At the same time, both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have consistently reiterated their commitment to passing comprehensive immigration reform.

"After six years of broken promises and empty rhetoric, President Bush offered no solutions tonight," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda. "The President renewed his commitment to a failed strategy in Iraq, proposed a health care plan that raises taxes but does not increase coverage, and made the same proposals on energy that he turned his back on immediately after last year’s address. On immigration reform, the President’s words ring hollow after years of allowing Republicans to scapegoat immigrants for political gain, while proposing nothing more than a guest worker program that would force immigrants into indentured servitude. Democrats in Congress are fighting to pass real legislation that will work to help all working families in America, and it’s time for the President to do the same.”

The State of the Union for Hispanics Under Bush

Hispanics and Education:

  • Hispanics are significantly less likely to complete high school than their non-Hispanic white peers. Although the high school graduation rate for non-Hispanic white students is 75%, only an estimated 53.2% of Hispanic students and 50% of Black students who enter 9th grade will complete the 12th grade and graduate with a regular diploma. [“Hispanic Education in the United States.” Washington (DC): National Council of La Raza (NCLR), 2007. Statistical Brief No. 8. NCLR]

Economy:

  • The median incomes of Hispanic was $35,967, or 29% below the $50,784 median income of non-Hispanic Caucasian families [“The Rising Burden of Energy Costs on American Families, 1997-2007.” Alexandria (VA): Americans for Balanced Energy Choices, 2006]
  • Latinos had a lower per capita income in 2005 ($14,483) in comparison to non-Hispanic whites. ($25,036) [U.S. Census Bureau]
  • Among minimum-wage workers Latinos are overrepresented; they make up nearly 12 percent of the United States workforce but represent 19.2 percent of those that would benefit from a minimum wage increase. Moreover, the group earning just above the minimum wage (minimum wage + $1) would also greatly benefit from an increase. [http://www.nabe.org/research/demography.html]

Health Care:

  • Nearly four in ten Latinos on Medicare lack prescription drug coverage for either part or a full year [“Implications of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit for Latinos,” Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 16 November 2005]
  • More than a third of Latinos on Medicare rely on Medicaid for their prescription drug coverage (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Exhibit 4).
  • 21.9 percent of Hispanic children are uninsured, nearly twice that of any other racial group (Black; 12.5 percent; Asian; 12.2 percent) and almost three times that of White children (7.2 percent) [U.S. Census Bureau]

Comprehensive Immigration Reform:

After six years in office President Bush has failed to move immigration reform forward, even allowing extremists to scapegoat immigrants for political gain. The President even supported the House Republican bill that would have criminalized immigrants, their families, and even members of the clergy. Now, the President is returning to a plan that was widely criticized for the impact it would have on wages and labor standards as a result of impeding a path to legalization for guest workers.

President Failed to Protect Borders

  • Congressional Research Service Briefing Shows Bush Trailing on Border Security: A CRS briefing noted that the Bush Administration trailed the Clinton Administration “on a series of measures of border security” including increasing the number of Border Patrol agents and pilots, and during the first five years of his Administration, President Bush caught and returned less illegal aliens than “any five-year period during Mr. Clinton's administration, the briefing says." [Washington Times, 5/25/06]
    Bush Allowed Extremists to Scapegoat Immigrants for Political Gain
  • Bush “Strongly” Supported Passage of House Republican Bill That Would Have Criminalized Immigrants, Doctors, and Even Clergy. The Bush Administration released a Statement of Administration Policy saying, “The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 4437 and appreciates the efforts of the House Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee in bringing this important legislation to the floor.” The National Catholic reporter wrote, “The bill also would criminalize the actions of doctors, teachers, social workers and ministers who aid undocumented immigrants at Catholic social agencies, hospitals, schools and parishes. Many could face felony charges and penalties including forfeiture of assets and jail terms from three to 20 years.” [Statement of Administration Policy, 12/15/05; National Catholic Reporter, 3/3/06]

The New Proposal, Same as the Old

  • Bush’s Immigration Outline Would Drive Down Wages, Create Underclass of Workers. As with his 2003 plan, Bush’s outline in tonight’s State of the Union provides no path to legalization for guest workers. That approach was criticized in 2003 because it would create a permanent underclass of second-class residents who are subject to abuse and would drive down wages and labor standards for all Americans. [White House Fact Sheet, 1/23/07; White House Press Briefing, 1/7/04; National Council of La Raza, 1/7/03; New York Times, 1/8/03]