Rep. Wasserman Schultz: Latinos Growing Voting Age Population Will Change American Political Landscape Forever

REP. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: LATINOS GROWING VOTING AGE POPULATION WILL CHANGE AMERICAN POLITICAL LANDSCAPE FOREVER

WASHINGTON, DC -- Rep. Wasserman Schultz today issued the following statement regarding the impact of the growing Latino voting age population:

"While much has been written of the growing Latino population's impact on American politics, many have overlooked perhaps the most influential aspect of this growth: the younger generations coming of age."

The Latino population is overall a very young population in America, with only 41% of Latinos being of voting age, compared with 76% of whites and 65% of African Americans. But even with the tremendous growth in the Latino population (2.85 million people from 2000 to 2004), a full one-third weren't yet old enough to vote.

"Republicans, seeing the shifting demographics, pay lip service to Latinos while ignoring the issues and policies that are so important to the Latino community. From education to health care, Democrats have fought Republican attempts to gut or destroy so many programs that empower the Latino community. With continued Democratic outreach, we will be able to better communicate our ideas to this key community," Rep. Wasserman Schultz said.

In 2004, 7.6 million Latinos cast their votes on Election Day, a jump of more than 20% from the 6 million Latino votes cast in 2000. Further, in the swing states of Arizona and New Mexico, where a few thousand votes can mean so much in elections, Latinos comprised over 10% of the overall vote in each state. As the Latino population continues to surge and more Latinos come of age, we can expect to see continued jumps in the amount of Latinos voting in America.

One-third of the overall Latino population was not of voting age in 2004, but 20% of those will be eligible to vote in 2008, and virtually all of this baby boom will be eligible by 2012. These millions of new voters, especially in the swing states, will permanently influence the political balance of America.

Rep. Wasserman Schultz continued: "Democrats must continue to reach out to their Latino constituencies to better communicate our fight for the quality of Latinos' education, jobs, health care, and the preservation of Latino values. While Republicans talk about eliminating bilingual education, shortchanging minority health care, and speak of immigration as a plague upon America, their campaigns reach out and attempt to court the Latino community.

"Republicans speak out of both sides of their mouths to the Latino community, and we must not allow this double-talk to continue. Democrats are the party that embraces Latino values, protects the programs vital to Latino social empowerment, and our outreach must spread the word about who is fighting for the progression of the Latino community in America," Rep. Wasserman Schultz concluded.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/fl20_schultz/Latinovoters.html