[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 128 (Thursday, September 20, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S6476]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, this month I join more than 52 million 
Latinos in Nevada and across the country to celebrate Hispanic Heritage 
Month.
  Each year Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to honor the 
contributions of a population that is so important to our national 
identity--a community that has contributed to our country's progress 
for centuries.
  We see those contributions in every facet of our society: on the 
battlefield and in the boardroom, in the courtroom and the classroom, 
at the art gallery and in the recording studio, and on the playing 
field. In Nevada Hispanic influence is evident in the name of our 
State--Nevada, snowcapped Las Vegas, and the meadows.
  Today, more than one-quarter of Nevada's population is Hispanic. 
Nationwide, Latinos are expected to make up 60 percent of the 
population growth in the coming decades. To ensure our country thrives, 
we need to make sure its Hispanic population thrives as well.
  That is why President Obama and Democrats in Congress have fought for 
the policies that are making the Hispanic community stronger and more 
prosperous. Despite opposition, we have made progress on economic and 
educational issues that are important to Latinos and to all Americans. 
The Recovery Act, which included tax cuts for working families and 
improvements in unemployment insurance, kept more than 2 million 
Hispanics out of poverty.
  Unlike Governor Romney, we know Americans who access the employment 
benefits they have earned while working are not ``victims'' who are 
unwilling to take ``personal responsibility'' for their lives. 
``Victims'' is Mitt Romney's word; ``personal responsibility'' are his 
words.
  Democrats secured tax credits for more than 8 million Hispanic 
children and their families. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, believes 
tax credits for working parents struggling to make ends meet are a hand 
out, not a hand up.
  Democrats fought to give small business loans to almost 9,000 
Hispanic-owned businesses. Under a Romney administration, loans for 
small businesses would be a thing of the past--one more remnant of the 
dependency culture he loathes.
  Mitt Romney was caught on tape telling wealthy donors he would be 
winning this election if he was Latino. That is what he said. But we 
know Mitt Romney's problem isn't that he is not Hispanic; his problem 
is that he opposes the commonsense policies that are good for Hispanic 
families.
  Republicans have been paying lipservice to concerned Hispanic 
families in the months leading up to election day. Democrats are 
helping Hispanic families tackle the challenges they face every day.
  To us, Hispanic Heritage Month isn't just about recognizing the 
incredible contributions Hispanic Americans make to our Nation; it is 
also about building a brighter future for Hispanic Americans in our 
Nation.

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