Economic Development and Workforce
WASHINGTON—Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chairman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) is calling for improvements to the Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program and additional funding for Economic Injury Disaster Loans and grants to ensure capital actually reaches main street business most in need. In a letter to Secretary Mnuchin and Administrator Carranza, Chairman Castro urges them to set aside at least $65 billion to be channeled through Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI), at least $50 billion in Economic Injury Disaster Loans, $15 billion in disaster grants, and institute mandatory reporting requirements. The request is for a total of at least $130 billion to support unserved businesses with stronger accountability and transparency measures.
WASHINGTON--Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and First Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, today released the following statement:
"For generations, Republican and Democratic Administration have maintained an orderly, humane asylum process that respects international law while protecting the sovereignty and security of the United States. Yet, the Trump Administration has failed miserably.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01), Chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), members of CHC leadership, and the CHC Puerto Rico Task Force, sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long and Tito Hernandez, Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer at the Puerto Rico Joint Field Office. The letter requests a meeting to discuss what immediate steps FEMA and the federal government are taking to assist in Puerto Rico's ongoing recovery efforts, and what concrete plans the agency is taking to ensure the poor response to this tragedy and loss of life that followed Hurricane Maria never happens again.
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01), Chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus issued the statement below marking the one year anniversary of Hurricane Maria making landfall on the island of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
WASHINGTON—Today, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) released the following statement on the 6 year anniversary of the implementation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by the Obama administration.
"On the sixth anniversary of DACA, we celebrate the Dreamers who serve in our military, educate our children, work as doctors and nurses to keep us healthy, and help our economy innovate and thrive as business owners and entrepreneurs. Their commitment to the prosperity of our nation is why a majority of Americans support protecting DACA recipients and providing them with a permanent legislative path to citizenship.
Washington, DC – Today, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) issued the following statement following a Congressional Hispanic Caucus meeting with Linda McMahon, the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
"Today's meeting with Administrator McMahon gave our Members the opportunity to discuss how important Hispanic small businesses and entrepreneurs are to growing the economy. More importantly, we discussed the barriers our constituents face when attempting to access critical SBA programs and small business loans. In fact, less than a quarter of Hispanic-owned small businesses have heard of the SBA and only about 8 percent of SBA loans are awarded to Hispanics.
