CHC Tells Curbelo Nah
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Thursday denied Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) membership in the all-Democratic Caucus. This was after weeks of a beef that got ugly and personal and spilled over onto Twitter. Some CHC Members suggested his intentions were politically motivated since he represents a Latino-heavy district in Miami that is a top target for Dems in 2018. After the vote, Curbelo tweeted in English and Spanish, “It is truly shameful the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has decided to build a wall around the organization to exclude Hispanic-Americans who aren’t registered in the Democratic Party. This sends a powerful and harmful message of discrimination, bigotry, and division. Unbelievably, petty partisan interests have led the CHC to formally endorse the segregation of American Hispanics. It is a dark day on Capitol Hill. However, this only strengthens my commitment to working with my colleagues on both sides to urgently seek a solution for young immigrants in the DACA Program.” Part of the beef was Curbelo’s refusal to back the DREAM Act. Curbelo has said he would vote for the Dream Act if it made it to the floor but has declined to cosponsor the bill. CHC Chair Congresswoman Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) said the group’s decision wasn’t just based on the DREAM Act but also on Curbelo’s support for the GOP tax bill and Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare. CHC spokesperson Carlos Paz issued a statement after the vote saying, "The CHC isn’t just an organization for Hispanics; it is a Caucus that represents certain values. This vote reflects the position of many of our members that Rep. Curbelo and his record are not consistent with those values." More here.
View our articles on the issue to catch up:
Curbelo Takes to Twitter to Hit the CHC and the Fight is Getting Uglier