Biden for President
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2019

Biden for President Launches ‘Todos Con Biden,’ a Grassroots Movement of Latino Supporters

Today, Biden for President launched Todos con Biden, a national network of Latino supporters working to connect and organize other Latinos to help Vice President Joe Biden restore the soul of our nation, rebuild the middle class so that this time everyone comes along, and move our country forward beyond Trump’s failed leadership.  

Joe knows the Latino community is a core part of the American story – our ability to draw hard-working, aspirational people from every culture and every nation is an indisputable strength. With so much at stake in 2020, Todos con Biden will host robust Latino outreach operations, including Latino-to-Latino phone banks,  community events, days of action, and fundraising activities; and will build on the work already being done by  bicultural/bilingual staff on the ground across all early voting states. 

"Joe Biden knows that our diversity is our strength, and as president, he will continue to ensure that all Americans are treated with dignity – not scapegoated or used to score political points, ” said Laura Jiménez, National Latino Vote Director, Biden for President. “Joe knows the Latino community and it knows him; he has been fighting beside us for decades. Now we’re going to fight for him: knocking on doors; registering voters; and talking to our friends, family, and neighbors about Joe, and about how absolutely crucial it is to vote in 2020.” 

For decades, Joe has worked with and supported the Latino community, turning bold, progressive policies into tangible results. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with President Obama to pass the landmark Affordable Care Act; fought for overtime pay, unemployment benefits, and  strong workers’ rights; and twice defeated the National Rifle Association to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines. When Republicans refused a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, Joe helped to create the DACA program that gave DREAMers a shot; and he secured $750 million to boost prosperity and security in Central America, forcing fewer families to make the hard journey north.

Joe is running to restore, protect, and build on that progress. As president, he’ll continue his lifelong fight for the American middle class, and make sure that everyone – including Latinos – come along. Specifically, he will:

Expand access to quality, affordable health care: Nearly twenty million Americans gained health coverage under the Affordable Care Act – including more than 4 million Latinos, the largest increase for any race or ethnic group. Trump now is attempting to rip that coverage away. As president, Joe will lower premiums, and automatically cover the 5 million low-income Americans who would be eligible for Medicaid if Republican state lawmakers hadn’t refused to expand it. He’ll double funding for the community health centers that so often provide care to undocumented immigrants. And he’ll also restore funding for Planned Parenthood, which treats more than a half-a-million Latino patients.

Invest in education from birth through 12th grade: Joe will make sure that every child in America – including the nearly quarter of K-12 students who are Latino – has the chance to realize their full potential, regardless of zip code, race, or family income. He will make pre-K universally available and triple funding to Title I schools, giving teachers the higher pay they deserve and narrowing the gap between rich and poor districts. He’ll expand “community schools” that serve the needs of both students and parents; and double the number of school psychologists, nurses, and counselors, giving kids the support they need to grow. And, through partnerships between high schools, community colleges, and employers, Joe will make sure that all kids have a chance to graduate with an industry credential, ready to compete in the 21st century workforce.

Reform our immigration system:  As vice president, Joe backed reforms that would have established a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants; when Congress failed to pass them, the Obama-Biden Administration created the DACA program so DREAMers could pursue their lives free from fear of deportation. Biden also led the administration’s work with Central America – securing $750 million to boost prosperity and security in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, easing the root causes of migration.  

As president, Biden will prioritize a comprehensive immigration reform to finally give 11 million undocumented immigrants a roadmap to citizenship. He’ll invest in smart technology at our ports of entry and streamline the asylum system, hiring more immigration judges. He’ll ensure those seeking refuge in the United States are treated with dignity and get the fair hearing they’re legally entitled to. Moreover, a BidenAdministration will extend TPS to Venezuelans seeking relief from humanitarian crisis, and will immediately review and overturn every TPS decision made by the Trump administration that does not appropriately consider the facts on the ground. 

Make sure Latinos have a fair shot at the middle class:  Latinos make up almost one-fifth of the U.S. population and account for more than 80% of the growth in labor-force participation – meaning that the vast majority of new workers are Latino. Still, many are stuck in low wage jobs, making it harder to own a home or build wealth. As president, Biden will restore the basic bargain between workers and management, and make sure that everyone has a fair shot at the American Dream. He’ll start by increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, restoring overtime pay to millions of workers, and getting rid of non-compete clauses and unnecessary licensing requirements that make it harder to move to higher paying jobs. And he’ll continue his life-long fight for workers’ right to form unions and bargain, and in support of the key role that Latinos have long played in the American labor movement.

Todos con Biden launched today with a video of supporters sharing their reasons for supporting Joe, and a fact sheet highlighting how his policies will serve and advance the Latino community.