of that Republican blockade, those special interests -- even foreign corporations -- can spend tens of millions of dollars on campaign ads without even having to disclose who they are. You’ve seen some of these ads. You know, they call themselves “Americans for Apple Pie” or “Moms for Motherhood.”
And then they use their voice to drown out yours. To let Wall Street write rules that take advantage of Main Street. To let insurance companies write rules that let them cover or drop folks whenever and however they please. To go back to that “exact same agenda.”
Well, tell me you something. That agenda didn’t work out so well for the Latino community. It didn’t work out for anybody here in America. It is not going to solve the challenges we face. We can’t go backwards. We’ve got to go forwards.
So let me say this, not just to the folks who are in this room, but to the Latino community across this country. You have every right to keep the heat on me and keep the heat on the Democrats, and I hope you do. Thats how our political process works.
But don’t forget who is standing with you, and who is standing against you. Don’t ever believe that this election coming up doesn’t matter. Don’t forget who secured health care for 4 million children, including the children of legal immigrants. Don’t forget who won new Pell Grants for more than 100,000 Latino students. Don’t forget who fought for credit card reform, a new agency to protect consumers from predatory lending, and protections for folks who send remittances back home. Don’t forget who cut taxes for working families. Don’t forget who your friends are. No se olviden. Don’t forget.
We can’t go back now. Not when there is so much work to be done. We’ve got to move forward. We’ve got to move forward on jobs, and on the economy, and on immigration reform, and all the unfinished business of our time. These are serious times. They require serious leaders and serious citizens, and your voice matters. Your voice can make the difference.
So let me close by saying this. Long ...