Hispanic Leadership Fund Launches Ad Campaign Against Rep. Pete Gallego to Stop Obamacare

Average family of four will see health care costs increase by more than $7,000

On October 24th, the Hispanic Leadership Fund (HLF) launched a $200,000 television advertisement campaign urging constituents of U.S. Representative Pete Gallego (D-TX) to call his office and demand the repeal of Obamacare. 

The campaign is the first of its kind to highlight the failure of President Barack Obama’s health care law to a Spanish-speaking audience.

A recent report shows that Obamacare is going to increase healthcare costs for an average family of four by more than $7,000 a year. 

“Hard working families in Texas deserve a healthcare system that keeps costs low and puts them in control of their own future,” said Hispanic Leadership Fund President Mario H. Lopez.  “With every passing day, Obamacare is proving to be a disaster for all Americans and it is happening because Washington politicians like Pete Gallego refuse to put the interests of everyday people first. Mr. Gallego’s constituents can do their families a great service by calling his office and urging him to stop this insanity.”

The television ads have been running for the past few weeks the local affiliates of Univision and Telemundo stations.  The ads can be seen in Spanish and English.

Advocacy Groups Gather in DC In Support of Statehood for Puerto Rico

(Clockwise from top left: Rep. Pedro Pierluisi, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Zoraida Fonalledas,
Grover Norquist, rally participant, Niger Innis, Sharon Day, and Rep. Raul Labrador)

Advocacy groups promoting statehood for Puerto Rico held a rally today outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC to demand that Congress take action on results from the island's November 2012 status plebiscite.

The "Puerto Rican Journey for Equality” rally included hundreds of members of pro-statehood groups, including the Puerto Rico Statehood Council, Statehood Mission, Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, Puerto Rico Statehood Students Association, Puerto Rico Statehood Democrats, and others.

In the November 2012 referendum, the people of Puerto Rico voted by a solid majority to move beyond the island’s current territorial status and towards statehood.  Voters were asked two questions: (1) whether they agreed to continue with Puerto Rico's territorial status and (2) to indicate the political status they preferred from three possibilities: statehood, independence, or a sovereign nation in free association with the United States.  Fifty-four percent of voters chose "No" on the first question, expressing themselves against maintaining the current political status.  Of those who answered the second question, more than sixty-one percent chose statehood.

Participants at today’s event asked Congress to approve a bill sponsored by Rep. Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR) that would establish a formal process to deal with the island’s current political status, specifically holding a binding referendum where Puerto Rican voters can vote either for or against statehood.

Puerto Rico currently remains and has been a territory of the United States for the past 115 years – far longer than any other U.S. territory.  Its 3.6 million residents are natural-born citizens of the United States and have attained one of the highest levels of military service in the country.  Yet, Puerto Ricans do not have equal rights and responsibilities under U.S. law or the U.S. Constitution compared to U.S. citizens residing in the 50 states.  Puerto Ricans cannot vote for President and lack full congressional representation except for one non-voting Resident Commissioner in the House of Representatives. 

Rep. Pierluisi, who spoke at today’s event, also argued for his position in a Washington Times editorial.  He stated that the unequal treatment the island receives under its current territorial status is the principal reason why “Puerto Rico has faced severe economic problems for at least four decades, carries more than $70 billion in debt, and has bonds trading at near-junk levels.”

Other speakers at the event included Representatives Raul Labrador (R-ID) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Republican National Committee Co-Chair Sharon Day, RNC National Committeewoman for Puerto Rico Zoraida Fonalledas, Congress of Racial Equality spokesperson Niger Innis, and Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist.

Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) restated his support for Puerto Rico becoming a state.  He blamed Republicans for not supporting and advancing initiatives to decide the political future of the island.  "For me, the answer is very simple. I am in favor of statehood, always have been," Reid said.

As a truly representative democracy, it is time for the United States government and the Congress to review the current status of Puerto Rico and begin the process of granting full equality to its citizens in Puerto Rico. 

Houston Astros to Host 2014 Civil Rights Game

Major League Baseball (MLB) today announced that the Houston Astros will host the 2014 Civil Rights Game at Minute Maid Park on May 30th.  The Astros will play the the Baltimore Orioles.

The Civil Rights Game and related activities are a series of events developed by MLB to pay tribute to those who fought on and off the field for equal rights for all Americans.  The eighth installment of the game will be televised nationally on MLB Network.

"I am pleased to announce the Houston Astros, who have demonstrated a substantial commitment to supporting diversity throughout our industry, as the hosts of Major League Baseball's 2014 Civil Rights Game," said MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.  "The Civil Rights Game and its surrounding events are an opportunity not only for our game to honor those who have fought for equality throughout American history, but also to remind us that the battle against injustice continues.  As a social institution that features unprecedented diversity of all races and ethnicities throughout our sport, we are proud to join the Astros in remembering this important era in history."

In addition to the game, other events include the MLB Beacon Awards Luncheon, the Baseball & Civil Rights Movement Roundtable Discussion, and a youth baseball and softball event.

Ticket sales and additional information on the 2014 Civil Rights Game and related events will be made available at a later date.

idea:AMERICA Initiative to Launch Soon

Americans wake up every day to news highlighting tales of gridlock, finger pointing, and zero sum games.  People are tired of negative sound bites, political rancor, and Washington’s inability to get much done.   

The economic model that served so well from the 1970s to the early part of the century no longer supports the challenges our country faces.  Belt tightening and the status quo is not enough.  Today, competitive advantage is not a product of resources or distance to markets, and does not depend solely on tax breaks and incentives.  It depends totally more and more on the quality of its people and their ideas – a direct result of education; investments in research and development; and creating a culture that encourages innovation, invention, and entrepreneurship. 

We are in the process of launching an initiative called idea:AMERICA, which will allow participants to share information, insights, and ideas to usher in an era of innovative thinking.  Let’s engage with people – the innovators, entrepreneurs, laborers, community leaders, students, parents – to create a movement that inspires, unites, and discovers new solutions to today’s challenges.

We will focus on ways to transform economy and government, what leaders must know to do this, what must be done to get there, and what we can learn from people who are already doing this.  It all starts with an “idea.”

Stay tuned for more information.  If you have any questions about idea:AMERICA, please feel free to contact us at jmartinez@fusiondc.com.  

Senate Majority Leader Supports Statehood for Puerto Rico

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Majority Leader

Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) spoke out in favor of Puerto Rico becoming a state.  

Reid blamed Republicans for not supporting and advancing initiatives to decide the political future of the island. He made ​​the comments at a roundtable with reporters at the U.S. Capitol, on the eve of a demonstration from advocacy groups that support making Puerto Rico the 51st state of the United States.

"For me, the answer is very simple. I am in favor of statehood, always have been," Reid said.

On Tuesday, the Puerto Rico Statehood Council and other groups will hold the "Puerto Rican Journey for Equality", a rally to demand that Congress takes action on the results of the island's November 2012 plebiscite.

In that referendum, Puerto Rican voters were asked two questions: (1) whether they agreed to continue with Puerto Rico's territorial status and (2) to indicate the political status they preferred from three possibilities: statehood, independence, or a sovereign nation in free association with the United States. Fifty-four percent of voters chose "No" on the first question, expressing themselves against maintaining the current political status, and forty-six percent voted "Yes" to maintain the current political status. Of those who answered on the second question more than sixty-one percent chose statehood, thirty-three percent chose free association, and almost six percent chose independence.

Several hundred advocates are expected at tomorrow's rally, which will be held on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol across the Library of Congress.