The first congresswoman of Mexican descent, Rep. Mayra Flores was denied membership in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Know why? Because she’s a Republican and not a Democrat, that’s why.
Early in October, according to reports, Flores submitted an application to join the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. This was months after she had made history by becoming the first congresswoman to be born in Mexico.
She serves a strongly Hispanic district near the Mexican border, but it seems it does not qualify her for membership in the group of other Hispanic lawmakers.
“As the first Mexican-born American Congresswoman, I thought the Hispanic Caucus would be open in working together,” Flores said Wednesday. “This denial once again proves a bias towards conservative Latinas that don’t fit their narrative or ideology.”
Sebastian Roa, a caucus spokeswoman, verified that Flores’ application was rejected due to her political beliefs.
“Rep. Flores’ extreme MAGA values and their attacks on Latinos and our nation’s democracy on January 6 do not align with CHC values,” Roa told the Texas Tribune.
Republicans are not allowed to join the caucus, and it is explicitly stated in their bylaws that only Democrats are allowed to participate. Since this caucus’ membership has been divided throughout the years, Republicans established their own Congressional Hispanic Conference in 2003.
According to a representative for Flores who talked with the Texas Tribune, Flores is open to joining the Congressional Hispanic Conference. She wants to join this caucus in order to collaborate with other Hispanic Lawmakers on both sides of the political line.
Republicans have a history of being excluded from Democratic caucuses. Rep. Byron Donalds, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, was prevented from joining the group last year.
“The sad reality is although the Congressman and those in the CBC share the same race, the (R) behind his name disqualifies him from membership today,” a spokesman for Donalds said at the time.