After a tense night in the House on Wednesday, House Democrats met in Philadelphia on Thursday for their annual conference.
They were hoping to regroup and unite after a chaotic night in the House.
In the midst of the crisis, House Democrats will be heading off to the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia for three days to hang out and have fun. A drag queen will perform on the first night. While you pay 5 dollars a gallon in gas, they'll be at swanky hotel watching a drag show.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) March 9, 2022
Lawmakers reached the city of Brotherly Love around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday.
This was after internal disagreements over a pandemic relief stipulation in a $1.5 trillion federal funding bill compelled them to cancel day one of the getaway.
The bill was eventually passed around 10 p.m. after the global epidemic relief language was removed from the measure.
Even though the start of the conference was put back, legislators said they wanted to work together to improve their message strategy before the November midterm elections.
Importance of the Hispanic Vote
Raul Ruiz, the Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said the Democrat Party must work very hard to keep and gain Latino voters to maintain its House majority in November.
The California Democrat observed on Thursday night, while the Republican Party could capture districts with large Hispanic populations, their party maintained a strong base of support among Latino voters in general.
On the other hand, Ruiz emphasized Democrats should not take the Hispanic vote for stride.
PHILADELPHIA — Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Raul Ruiz asserted that the Democratic Party must work to retain and attract Latino voters as it fights to maintain its House majority in November…. https://t.co/3ArpJyXDzM
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Republicans point to recent House victories as evidence that Democratic support from Hispanic voters is eroding.
This involves flipping two seats in the Miami-Dade region in 2020. Following the election of former President Trump, House Republicans are examining numerous South Texas districts as potential pickup possibilities in November.
In historically Democratic and mainly Latino communities along or near the United States’ border with Mexico, Trump increased his vote share.
“There were some advances, both percentage-wise and absolute-wise, in different locations around the country when Hispanics voted along party lines,” says Ruiz.
He represents a congressional district in Southern California that stretches from the Palm Springs region to the Arizona state boundary.
Votes Not Definite
Ruiz, speaking at the House Democrats’ conference in Pennsylvania, stated, “it is not definitive” whether the advances made by the Republicans imply a permanent shift in political identification.
Democrats, on the other hand, need to pay attention to Latino voters and not assume that the party has their support.
When it comes to retaining support among Latino voters, Ruiz believes Democrats’ broad issue platform should be coordinated with their efforts to keep their slim House majority, which Republicans may soon hold.
“Hispanic concerns are American issues,” says Ruiz. “Educating oneself is important; so is obtaining opportunities; so is understanding economics; so is understanding pay.”
“Likewise, so is understanding jobs; so is understanding healthcare; so is understanding retirement. So to continue to win the Hispanic vote by a wide majority, we must effectively communicate our message with all Hispanics throughout the country.”
