News Releases

Urging the SEC Not to Sacrifice American Competitiveness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2012

CONTACT:
press@hispanicleadershipfund.org

New Dodd-Frank rule threatens major American job-creating industries

WASHINGTON, DC—The Hispanic Leadership Fund is urging the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to consider economic growth and international competitiveness when drafting rules and regulations for an important piece of the Dodd-Frank Act. In a letter to the commissioners, HLF President Mario H. López explains: More

Response to Harry Reid’s Smears of Sen. Rubio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 16, 2012

CONTACT:
press@hispanicleadershipfund.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Hispanic Leadership Fund today released the following statement from its President Mario H. Lopez, in response to the most recent attacks on Senator Marco Rubio (FL) coming from Senator Harry Reid (NV):

“It is hard to decide where to begin with Reid and the administration’s smear campaign against Hispanic leaders who disagree with their radical Leftist agenda.  Let’s not forget that internal memos showed that Senator Reid and Democrats were guilty of backroom schemes against the judicial appointment of Miguel Estrada, specifically because he was a Hispanic appointee.  This latest coordinated smear campaign is comes at a time when Reid and his cohorts are attacking First Amendment rights of religious freedom, increasing government dependency, and obstructing every effort at job creation.  Hispanics are the hardest hit victims of President Obama’s and Harry Reid’s destruction of the American economy, so it is no wonder why they are eager to change the subject.”

Federal Court Set to Take Up Landmark Election Law Case

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 11, 2012

CONTACT:
press@hispanicleadershipfund.org

Federal Court Set to Take Up Landmark Election Law Case

HLF Defends First Amendment Freedoms in Van Hollen v. Federal Election Commission

WASHINGTON, D.C.–Following the United States District Court for the District of Columbia’s decision permitting the Hispanic Leadership Fund to intervene as a defendant in U.S. Representative Chris Van Hollen’s (D-MD) lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission challenging the Federal Election Commission’s donor disclosure rules, the federal court is set to hear arguments on Wednesday, January 11, 2012.

Hispanic Leadership Fund President Mario H. Lopez said, “We are glad that the Hispanic Leadership Fund can be at the forefront of protecting the First Amendment rights of our members and all who seek to inform the American public about political candidates and their positions on issues.  We will continue to oppose liberal attempts to force federal courts to impose rules restricting free speech. ”

In April of last year, after Congress failed to pass the DISCLOSE Act, which aimed to counter the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which determined that corporations, including non-profits like the Hispanic Leadership Fund, have a constitutional right to engage in independent expenditures.  The FEC declined to impose similar free speech restrictions through additional regulations.  Van Hollen then filed this lawsuit as a last resort attempt to push courts to impose DISCLOSE Act-style regulations on groups that exercise their First Amendment rights. More

Letter to Walgreens: Dispute Threatens Health Care Options for Millions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2011

CONTACT:
press@hispanicleadershipfund.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Hispanic Leadership Fund today released a letter from its President Mario H. Lopez, to Walgreens CEO Gregory Wasson, expressing concern over the ongoing dispute.

At a critical time in our nation’s history, millions of patients, including many in underserved communities, are in danger of having health care choices severely affected by the dispute, which has also negatively impacted Walgreens itself.

The text of the letter follows:

Dear Mr. Wasson,

I am writing to respectfully request that you weigh the negative consequences of severing your relationship with Express Scripts and that you reconsider the decision to end Walgreens low cost prescription drug program.

As the largest drug store chain in America, Walgreens is in a unique position to affect significantly a wide variety of communities.  Walgreens position has served its customers well, providing convenient access to important medications for millions of Americans in both affluent and struggling communities. That access is especially important in Hispanic areas, which are traditionally underserved.

Severing your relationship with Express Scripts and their customers would needlessly disenfranchise a large segment of the public from critical health care options.  If you follow-through with your plan to stop accepting Express Scripts prescription drug coverage, there may be significant harm to underserved individuals and families across the country.

From our perspective, it would seem that Walgreens, and its customers and shareholders, all have much to gain from negotiating a mutually beneficial agreement with Express Scripts.

I thank you in advance for your consideration of these concerns.

 

Sincerely,

/s/

Mario H. Lopez

 

 

HLF Supports Further Study on Salt Reduction in School Lunches

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 15, 2011

CONTACT:
press@hispanicleadershipfund.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Hispanic Leadership Fund today applauded Congressional action intended to delay recently revised school lunch standards developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, especially in regards to a proposed reduction in salt consumption.

“Once again, federal regulators have abandoned sound science in favor of political correctness and a flawed agenda,” said Hispanic Leadership Fund President Mario H. Lopez.  “The scientific and medical evidence clearly shows not only that salt is essential to good health, but also that there is a lack of evidence of health benefits from reduced-salt diets.”

Lopez also expressed concern over the unintended consequences of government-mandated reductions of salt in food.  Human beings have an innate physiological appetite for salt, and the human body moderates its behavior to replenish the blood’s ionic balance.  So individuals who are faced with food mandated to be low in salt may, even unconsciously, be driven to eat considerably more to satisfy the natural appetite for salt.  “The irony is that, despite good intentions, federal regulators may be contributing to an increase in obesity, which is a problem for the Americans of all background, and especially for Latinos.  Calling for further study on the effects of the USDA’s sodium reduction guidelines is the right thing to do,” said Lopez.

Last week, the Hispanic Leadership Fund wrote to the Food and Drug Administration prior to a public hearing they hosted with other government agencies on sodium reduction to express these same concerns.

 

‘Gainful Employment’ Rule Will Reduce Educational Opportunities for Students

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2011

WASHINGTON—Following the Department of Education’s release of the controversial final ‘Gainful Employment’ rule, the Hispanic Leadership Fund condemned the content of the rule and its harmful impact on students, including many Latinos, and the tainted process by which the Administration is forcing it through.  Hispanic Leadership Fund President Mario H. Lopez issued the following statement:

“The Department of Education has defied a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives, which overwhelmingly passed an amendment defunding the implementation of this harmful regulation.  The administration has ignored the objections of 90,000 individuals who submitted comments against the rule and relied on a biased and proven to be inaccurate GAO report.  As if that were not enough, alarming journalistic reports show that Wall Street short-sellers had undue influence on the entire process raise serious ethical and legal issues.
More

Statement on President Obama’s Immigration Speech

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2011

CONTACT:
press@hispanicleadershipfund.org

WASHINGTON, DC–The Hispanic Leadership Fund issued the following statement from its President Mario H. Lopez regarding President Obama’s immigration speech in El Paso today:

“From the time President Obama was in the US Senate–when he supported poison pill amendments designed to kill immigration reform efforts–we have seen that President Obama is only a friend to Latinos when he is in campaign mode.  But President Obama’s rhetoric cannot compare to his lack of action, his lack of a plan, and his hypocrisy in targeting families with US citizens resulting in more households being torn apart—despite what he promised during his first presidential campaign. More