Washington, DC – Congressman Joe Baca issued the following statement regarding today’s announcement by Congresswoman Linda Sanchez:

“I have great respect for Rep. Linda Sanchez so I acknowledge her decision to suspend her membership in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) regretfully.”

“We have valued her participation and leadership in the CHC.  In the short time that I have served as CHC Chair, we have held numerous meetings to try to unify the Caucus and address concerns that Rep. Sanchez and others expressed.  I have worked with my colleagues to improve how the CHC operates, and I am confident that we are moving in a new direction so I had hoped that Rep. Linda Sanchez would remain an active CHC member. ”

“Nonetheless, despite her decision, I know that she shares our goals and will continue to work with us on issues that matter to us.  As the Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), I look forward to working with her on issues including civil rights, education, health and labor as well as CHCI’s programs to prepare future Latina and Latino leaders.”

“Rep. Linda Sanchez has demonstrated her leadership abilities, knowledge and commitment in numerous ways, perhaps most notably in her work on the House Judiciary Committee.”

“I hope that she will consider once again being an active CHC member in the future as she will be most welcome to return when she is ready.”