Congressional Hispanic Caucus Selects Leadership Team for the 115th Congress
Washington, DC- Yesterday, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) selected its leadership team for the 115th Congress. Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham will chair the CHC, Congressman Joaquin Castro, Congressman Ruben Gallego, and Congressman Pete Aguilar will join her on the leadership team.
115th Congress -- CHC Leadership Team
CHC Chair: Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01)
CHC First Vice Chair: Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20)
CHC Second Vice Chair: Congressman Ruben Gallego (AZ-07)
CHC Whip: Congressman Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
CHC Chairwoman Michelle Lujan Grisham: “I want to thank my colleagues for entrusting me with the great responsibility of leading the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in the 115th Congress. As the next Chairwoman, I intend to continue building on the many accomplishments we have achieved this Congress and ensure that the Caucus is leading the fight to support Hispanic communities and protect families across this country.
“CHC will face many challenges given the outcome of the presidential election and the political environment in the next Congress. However, now more than ever, the CHC needs to demonstrate unity and strength in order to effectively combat dangerous rhetoric and regressive policies proposed by President-elect Trump aimed to tear families apart and hurt the communities we represent.
“Hispanics represent $1.9 trillion in purchasing power, and we will shape the future of our great nation. Hispanic businesses have been a driving force in my home state of New Mexico; we have specifically seen significant growth among Hispanic women entrepreneurs. It’s up to the CHC to develop a strong economic agenda to highlight the economic impact of Hispanic communities and create more opportunities for Hispanic-owned business and entrepreneurs.
“I am proud to say that CHC received unprecedented support from voters in this election, which increased our membership to a record-breaking total of 31 Caucus members. We must build off this momentum and support, and I believe that the CHC has an obligation to step up and lead during these uncertain times.”
CHC First Vice Chair Joaquin Castro: “I am grateful to my CHC colleagues for entrusting me with this new responsibility. As we look ahead to the 115th Congress, great challenges loom. We will need to contend with a new administration and a President who displayed appalling hostility toward the Hispanic community throughout his campaign. More than ever, the CHC must be united, determined, and strategic in its efforts to improve educational outcomes, expand economic opportunity, and pass meaningful immigration reform. I am eager to tackle these and other matters with my fellow Caucus members. I thank outgoing CHC Chair Linda Sánchez for her leadership, and I look forward to working with incoming CHC Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham to advance our Caucus’ goals in Congress.”
CHC Second Vice Chair Ruben Gallego: “I am honored to have been elected to serve as 2nd Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for the 115th Congress. I look forward to working with my fellow CHC members and Congressional leadership on issues that are important to the Latino community, including expanding educational and economic opportunities, protecting immigrant families, and making sure our seniors and veterans have the care they need and the benefits they have earned.”
CHC Whip Pete Aguilar: “I’m grateful to have been chosen to serve as the Whip of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The CHC’s priorities include comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship, creating good-paying jobs, accessing affordable health care, and investing in quality education for our kids – all issues that are significant in my community. He added, “San Bernardino is representative of many of the regions throughout the nation that would benefit from these priorities, so I’m glad to take on a new role to help push those policies forward.”
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories.