Amidst Government Shutdown LULAC Visits Over 80 Members of Congress in ACTober Advocacy Days

By: Jossie Flor Sapunar and Declan Kingland

Undeterred by the government shutdown, over 100 LULAC members took to Capitol Hill on October 5, 2013, telling lawmakers to end the shutdown and attend to the business of the people, including issues of education, health, immigration, and Puerto Rico status. LULAC called for a national day of action on October 5, in addition to the advocacy efforts in the Capitol. LULAC organized its members to meet with over 80 congressional representatives – both Republicans and Democrats – delivering advocacy fact sheets on the different issues.

Tackling the Issues

LULAC values the issues that affect the health, education, immigration, and civil rights of the Latino community. During ACTober, LULAC members from across the country sat with different congressional offices to stress the importance of these issues.

The Lack of Accountability in the ESEA Waivers

Groups of LULAC members discussed the lack of accountability measures of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waivers system, referencing the August 2013 white paper that LULAC and nine other civil rights organizations released. The white paper raises concerns regarding the rigor of state accountability systems - ESEA waivers provide less accountability for the educational success of underserved students, including Latino students. 41 states including the District of Columbia, however, have already been granted these waivers. In the meetings, LULAC members stressed that Congress must pass ESEA legislation that requires states to establish accountability systems that set performance, growth, and graduation targets for all students to ensure that they are college and career ready. Without this type of language, many students, in particular the English language learners, low-income students, children of migrant workers, and students with disabilities, could fall further behind their peers, diminishing their chances of attending college. In addition, LULAC members urged Congress to monitor the implementation of waivers and to find ways to incentivize states to use data models to keep track of how Latino students are performing.

The Broken Immigration System

LULAC members advocated for a bill in the House of Representatives that proposes vital improvements to our current immigration system. The House must act swiftly in passing immigration reform that allows a pathway to U.S. citizenship so that aspiring Americans are able to contribute to all aspects of American society, culture, and economy.

Tweeting with the hashtag #ACTober, LULAC reported some of the responses they got from representatives. Among these, Rep.Raul Grijalva (D- AZ) said, “Most important domestic issue is immigration reform. It would pass if on the floor. Democracy must continue.”

The Improvement of Health Outcomes

As a part of this year’s ACTober Advocacy Days, LULAC’s health ambassadors and members met with several congressional offices to discuss a variety of topics regarding the health and well-being of Latinos in the United States. The offices of Frank Lucas (OK-03), Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03), Jim Jordan (OH-04), John Larson (CT-01), and Mark Takano (CA-41) welcomed LULAC members and were very open to having conversations with our delegations about how congressional members could improve the health outcomes of the Hispanic community.

The current status of the “Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Acts of 2013,” also known as the Farm Bill was a major issue discussed throughout the day. The current version of the 2013 Farm Bill cuts $40 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next 10 years denying assistance to over 2 million of America’s working poor. Members also advocated for protection against the sequester and its negative effects on Latino health. 600,000 children and mothers will see $31.4 billion in cuts to the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition program, which aims to improve the health of participants during the early critical times of growth and development. In addition, the health visits also included conversations around the Affordable Care Act and the 10.2 million uninsured Latinos that will now be eligible for affordable health coverage. Members discussed the impact of the state-based exchanges and the implementation of Medicaid expansion.

The congressional visits reflect LULAC’s commitment to advocacy for Hispanic communities across the country. ACTober is designed to maximize our advocating power and showcase it on the national stage, but LULAC members can and should strive to create change in their local communities by meeting with their local and state legislators throughout the year. LULAC members have the power and responsibility to encourage their state representatives to work on legislation that will directly benefit the Latino community such as opening healthcare exchanges within their state which will better address the needs of its citizens as well as working with state representatives to expand Medicaid coverage in those states that have not chosen to do so. The needs and concerns discussed during ACTober have the opportunity to be amplified by LULAC members meeting with their state representatives and advocating for meaningful change.