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Democrats block Latina Republican from joining Congressional Hispanic Caucus | Washington Examiner

  

Category:  News & Politics

Via:  texan1211  •  2 years ago  •  4 comments

By:   Washington Examiner

Democrats block Latina Republican from joining Congressional Hispanic Caucus | Washington Examiner
Rep. Mayra Flores, a Texas Republican, made history after taking office as the first female member of Congress who was born in Mexico. You'd think that partisanship aside, the Latina Republican would be considered a win for diversity in Congress.

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T


Rep. Mayra Flores, a Texas Republican, made history after taking office as the first female member of Congress who was born in Mexico. You'd think that partisanship aside, the Latina Republican would be considered a win for diversity in Congress.

You'd be wrong. The Democratic-controlled Congressional Hispanic Caucus is reportedly blocking Flores after she requested to join it.

"Flores requested to join CHC in early October and was rejected shortly thereafter," Townhall's Julio Rosas reports. "Flores is not only the first Mexican-born woman to serve in Congress, but she also represents a district along the U.S.-Mexico border that is overwhelmingly Latino. CHC used to have [Republican] members but they went on to create the Congressional Hispanic Conference as their own version of the CHC in the 2000s."

At first glance, this doesn't make much sense. Flores is indeed Hispanic, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is not supposed to be a partisan entity.

Per its website, the group exists to address "national and international issues," "craft policies that impact the Hispanic community," and "serve as a forum for the Hispanic Members of Congress to coalesce around a collective legislative agenda." There's nothing on its "about page" about only being open to progressives or members of a certain political party. Yet the group denied Flores membership in what's clearly a partisan snub.

Flores isn't having it.

"As the first Mexican-born American Congresswoman, I thought the Hispanic Caucus would be open in working together," Flores remarked of the snub. "This denial once again proves a bias towards conservative Latinas that don't fit their narrative or ideology."


As the first Mexican-born American Congresswoman, I thought the Hispanic Caucus would be open in working together. This denial once again proves a bias towards conservative Latinas that don't fit their narrative or ideology. https://t.co/oqYjrGDJaUpic.twitter.com/ugqkKMk5sb
— Mayra Flores (@MayraFlores2022) October 26, 2022

It's hard to see any other explanation.

The situation is eerily reminiscent of similar snubs from ostensibly neutral (but Democratic-controlled) diversity caucuses. As Rosas notes, Rep. Byron Donalds, a black Florida Republican, was similarly denied admission to the Congressional Black Caucus.

"The Congressional Black Caucus has a stated commitment to ensuring Black Americans have the opportunity to achieve the American dream," Donalds said after his snub. "As a newly elected Black Member of Congress, my political party should not exempt me from a seat at the table dedicated to achieving this goal."

Whether or not you politically agree with Flores and Donalds, this is deeply wrong. These partisan acts of discrimination reveal the contempt many Democratic elites actually have for diversity. One is not any more or less black or Hispanic because of how one thinks or how one votes — and these decisions implicitly suggest otherwise.

That's bigoted. There's simply no other word for it.

If they have any integrity at all, these groups should open up their ranks and actually represent their respective minority communities, which are not partisan or ideological monoliths. If they're not willing to do that, they should at least rename themselves and reorient their groups' values to reflect their partisan nature. Anything less is an insult to the diverse Americans they claim to represent and, frankly, pretty racist.

Brad Polumbo (@Brad_Polumbo) is a co-founder of Based-Politics.com, a co-host of the Based Politics podcast, and a Washington Examiner contributor.


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Texan1211
Professor Principal
1  seeder  Texan1211    2 years ago

We should never be subjected to Democrats braying about diversity or tolerance ever again.

 
 
 
Texan1211
Professor Principal
2  seeder  Texan1211    2 years ago
If they have any integrity at all, these groups should open up their ranks and actually represent their respective minority communities, which are not partisan or ideological monoliths. If they're not willing to do that, they should at least rename themselves and reorient their groups' values to reflect their partisan nature. Anything less is an insult to the diverse Americans they claim to represent and, frankly, pretty racist.

That is one GIANT 'if'.

One thing though.

IF the Democratic Party is supposed to be the party of diversity and inclusion, why is there a need for a black or Hispanic caucus that excludes Republicans?

Is this a tacit admission that black and Hispanics are not being served as well as the Democratic Party would like us all to believe?

 
 
 
Snuffy
Professor Participates
3  Snuffy    2 years ago

And as Paul Harvey used to say,   

The CHC was a bipartisan working group until 2003, when it splintered over U.S. policy toward Cuba. At the time, the caucus's five GOP members opted to create the Congressional Hispanic Conference.

Since then, the two groups have been divided by party, but the CHC has been more vocal because of its larger membership. The GOP-run Congressional Hispanic Conference has only nine members.

Given the CHC's larger voice, Republicans in recent years have tried to break its strict Democrat-only rule. In 2017, GOP Rep. Carlos Curbello of Florida was denied admission on the grounds of his partisanship.

House Republicans have been quick to criticize the CHC in the wake of such decisions, and did so again when Flores was rejected.

And now you have the rest of the story that is missing from the Washington Examiner article.  It's a shame this is going on, and I have no idea if the Congressional Hispanic Conference would allow a Democrat to join.  But this partisanship divide continues on I'm afraid.

 
 
 
George
Sophomore Expert
4  George    2 years ago

Why is anybody surprised by this? the democrats in congress have a long history of blocking anybody who doesn't think exactly like they do, how many republicans have been blocked from the CBC? intolerant hypocrites one and all.

 
 

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