[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 24945-24946]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, just a month ago, I joined 
fellow Coloradans, my colleagues in the U.S. Congress, and others 
across the country to celebrate and acknowledge the many 
accomplishments and contributions of the Hispanic community in the 
United States and Colorado. I am particularly proud to highlight the 
long history of Hispanics in Colorado, as they established some of 
Colorado's oldest communities, irrigation systems, and earliest 
businesses. I am equally proud that this community continues to be a 
vibrant part of the fabric of our great State.
  Throughout this month, my colleagues and I have been hard at work to 
move forward on many policy concerns that are vitally important to 
Colorado's Hispanic community. From the confirmation of America's first 
Latina Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor, to progress on health 
insurance reform, and continued support for efforts to create and save 
jobs, I have been working with the best interests of Colorado in mind. 
Still, there is much to be accomplished.
  We must come together to find opportunities to improve the quality of 
life of all Coloradans. In doing so, it is important to keep in mind 
that certain populations, such as Latinos, are disproportionately 
affected by many of the challenges we face as a State and country. At a 
national level, Latinos face an unemployment rate that is 3 percent 
higher than the national rate. In Colorado, Latinos face a poverty rate 
that is 12 percent higher than the State's overall poverty rate. 
Latinos also face other challenges--40 percent of Hispanics in Colorado 
are uninsured, approximately 24 percent higher than the State average, 
according to a Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment 
report. Though these issues are not a concern for Latinos in Colorado 
alone, they undoubtedly raise heightened concerns for the Hispanic 
community, given these statistics.

[[Page 24946]]

  These are just a few reasons I have continued to support and develop 
policies that provide both quality jobs and help reduce the costs of 
hard-working Coloradans. Most notably, we have made significant 
progress toward reforming our health insurance system so that it better 
meets the health needs of all Americans. Making our health system more 
efficient, fiscally manageable, and accessible is vitally important to 
making health insurance more affordable for Hispanic and non-Hispanic 
families alike.
  As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, I 
have also been working to develop new ways to help low-income and 
working families afford to make their homes more energy efficient. By 
improving access to energy-saving technology and making homes more 
energy efficient, families can reduce their energy costs, while helping 
to make our environment and communities better places to live. This is 
just one part of a new energy economy that can bring more jobs to our 
State.
  We have had much to celebrate during this year's Hispanic Heritage 
Month, but we also have much to do, and I understand there are many 
more goals that we have yet to achieve. So while we have enjoyed the 
celebration of Hispanic heritage and the contributions Latinos make in 
our communities over the last month, I will continue my efforts to 
improve the quality of life for Coloradans of all backgrounds in every 
month of the year.

                          ____________________