Contact: Scott Gunderson Rosa, (202) 833-6130

For Immediate Release: January 9, 2000

Washington, D.C. -- The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is pleased that Linda Chavez has withdrawn her nomination as Secretary of Labor. Ms. Chavez did the right thing by withdrawing her nomination and avoiding what would have been contentious hearings based on her record that includes seeking the elimination of affirmative action, job-training programs and bilingual education, and pushing for English as the nation's official language.

"While we would have liked to support Ms. Chavez on the basis of being Latina, we cannot be hypocritical and stand for individuals who expend inordinate amounts of energy attacking the interests of the Latino community," said Rick Dovalina, LULAC National President.

Dovalina added, "We hope that President-elect Bush will continue considering Latino nominees for this very important position. There are a number of Republican Hispanics who would be excellent candidates and do not seek to divide our community. LULAC is prepared to work with the administration to move these possibilities forward."

The labor secretary will have a tremendous amount of influence over issues such as affirmative action, the minimum wage, and job training programs.

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization in the United States. LULAC advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health, and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.