All-Dem Hispanic Caucus Won't Admit GOP Rep. Mayra Flores

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) denied Texas Republican Rep. Mayra Flores admission.

At its founding, the CHC was a bipartisan organization; however, it is now composed entirely of Democrats.

Flores responded in a tweet, saying, "This shows the true bias towards the first Mexican-born Congresswoman in U.S. history."

Sebastian Roa, a spokesman for the CHC, said the CHC's bylaws have changed, permitting only Democrats.

"In 2003, led by Rep. [Mario] Díaz Balart, GOP Members split from the CHC to form the Congressional Hispanic Conference. Per our bylaws, the CHC is now for Democratic Members," said Roa. "Rep. Flores' extreme MAGA values and their attacks on Latinos and our nation's democracy on January 6 do not align with CHC values."

The caucus bylaws changed after former Republican Florida Rep. Carlos Curbelo's rejection in 2017.

Rep. Díaz-Balart, R-Fla., told The Hill that bipartisan caucus membership could be problematic.

"The reality is, just from what I've heard, well, they might accept Carlos [Curbelo], but then they're going to have to throw him out when they're dealing with partisan issue," Díaz-Balart told The Hill in 2017. "I don't have a problem with that, but the reality is that, in essence, that's why there's been two and why they're partisan."

After disagreements over view on policy toward Cuba, Díaz-Balart and a group of Cuban American Republicans split from the CHC in 2003 to form the Congressional Hispanic Conference.

Months later, the Hispanic Conference announced the launch of a PAC that would protect conference incumbents and elect Republican Hispanics to Congress. It currently has nine members, of which Flores is not a member.

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