HispanicBusiness

The 21 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus unanimously elected Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY) as their next chair, yesterday, announced Rep. Velazquez's office. She replaces Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA) as the leader of the caucus and immediately announced a strong agenda for the Caucus to pursue in the incoming 111th Congress.

"It is an honor to be chosen to lead the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for the 111th Congress," said Congresswoman Velazquez, in a press release. "By tapping into the strength of Hispanic communities and organizations across the country, I will work with my colleagues in the CHC to create measurable change."

Rep. Velazquez, who was first elected to congress in 1992 and represents parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan, already chairs the House Small Business Committee. Her first remarks as chair of the caucus emphasized the role of small business in creating community wealth.

"The current environment poses many challenges for Latinos, from the foreclosure crisis and immigration to accessing quality health care and education," she said. "Strengthening resources for the Hispanic community is not just good for Hispanics; it's good for the entire country. By supporting the growing number of innovative business owners in the Latino community, we will start to rebuild the economy and bolster the nation as a whole."

The Caucus also elected Rep. Charles A. Gonzalez (D-TX) as their next vice chair, Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA) as their second vice chair and Rep. John Salazar (D-CO) as whip.

Congresswoman Velazquez replaces Rep. Baca as chair. During his tenure as head of the Caucus, Rep. Baca ran into controversy with some of the caucus members. In January 2007, he reportedly insulted Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) in private conversation. Despite Rep. Baca's denial of the charge Rep. Sanchez and also her sister, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) resigned from the Caucus, accusing Rep. Baca of generally poor attitudes toward female representatives.

The Caucus was founded in 1976 and currently is composed of only Democratic members of Congress. The congressional group's purpose is to "voice and advance, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States and Puerto Rico."

In 1999, the caucus's Hispanic Republican members decided to leave and in 2003 formed a separate group known as the Congressional Hispanic Conference, which has six members.