Washington, DC – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., today applauded House Speaker-Designate Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) decision to name Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

“We welcome this historic appointment. Congressman Reyes brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this position,” stated Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “The Intelligence Committee and the nation as whole will be well served by Congressman Reyes’ leadership.”

The announcement of Congressman Reyes’ chairmanship follows that of Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) as Chair of the House Small Business Committee. In addition, the upcoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has appointed Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) to the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over issues of critical importance to Latinos, including health care, child care, Social Security, and the Earned Income Tax Credit.

“The appointment of these distinguished Hispanic leaders to key committees is an important step,” concluded Murguía. “They have the expertise to develop policies which effectively address the needs of all Americans. Fortunately, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has a ‘deep bench’ of talented legislators, and we hope that Congresswoman Pelosi and Senator Reid continue to appoint Hispanic Caucus members to key committees and the highest level of leadership.”

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