In a speech to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus this week, Vice President Kamala Harris reaffirmed a commitment from the Biden administration to issues impacting Latinos. She spoke to immigration reform, job creation, and the expansion of healthcare, including the administration's attempt to provide fair routes to citizenship. Harris also updated attendees on educational opportunities and economic empowerment, reinforcing the notion that Latino communities are worth investing in. Her comments come as the 2024 election approaches and the Latino electorate is expected to be a decisive factor in the outcome.
Harris underlined some of the most important actions taken by President Biden's Administration with respect to immigration reform, protecting Dreamers, and allowing increased legal pathways. She called on Congress to complete its work on comprehensive immigration reform-the debate has gone on for far too long through political stalemates. Harris also talked about root causes for migration: the diplomatic efforts being made in Central America to reduce the need for people to flee because of poverty and violence.
Another major theme in Harris's speech was economic advancement. She spoke to the administration's commitment to job creation and support for small businesses within the Latino community. Harris highlighted various programs that aimed at giving access to capital for minority-owned businesses, noting that entrepreneurship is a powerful tool for economic empowerment. She also discussed the importance of tackling wage disparities and improving access to education when trying to uplift Latino workers.
Access to health care has been one of the prime focuses of this administration, and Harris made sure to express how she will continue to work toward better healthcare access and quality for the Latino communities. She spoke about the work the administration is doing on Medicaid expansion and other health services, with full knowledge of the disparate impact the pandemic has had on Latino communities. Harris emphasized that health equity is critical to overall economic stability in families and people.
Another priority is education by Harris, who spoke of investing in Latino students to make sure they have an open door for job opportunities. She mentioned a number of initiatives for opening higher education and vocational training to more students, particularly first-generation students. Harris said, "Investing in education is critical to securing long-term success for the Latino community and to creating a strong future workforce.".
Harris's comments came as the country is slowly closing in on the 2024 election, reminding people this administration has been about the Latino community and what is taking place in regard to immigration reform, economic empowerment, and access to healthcare. With Latino voters likely to play a significant role in this election, it was clear in Harris's tone that their issues are front and center in the Biden agenda.
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