AP News, April 12th, 2007
A second congresswoman said Thursday she is quitting the Congressional Hispanic Caucus over opposition to its male leadership.
The announcement came from Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., whose sister, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., quit the caucus in January and accused the group's leader of calling her a "whore."
The chairman, Rep. Joe Baca, also a Democrat from Southern California, has denied saying that. But other women also have complained about his leadership. When Baca was elected chairman in November, he was supported by only one of the six women in the caucus.
Since January, the 21-member, all-Democratic group has been meeting to try to resolve the dispute but has not announced any changes. Baca survived a confidence vote in March.
Linda Sanchez said in a statement she was suspending her membership in the caucus "because I believe that the current leadership has not made needed structural reforms to ensure that the caucus is more equitable and inclusive of all its members."
"My decision isn't based on who serves as chair. The decision is based on seeing some real reforms," Sanchez told reporters on a conference call later.
"I think there is a more equitable way to make sure that every member of the caucus' opinion is valued and their input is heard, and I don't think that's specific to women," she added.
Caucus members had pushed Baca to accept a leadership-sharing structure that would dilute his power. He has refused to accept such a change. He has said he is open to more modest changes, such as reducing emphasis on seniority in the caucus.
"I have great respect for Rep. Linda Sanchez so I acknowledge her decision to suspend her membership in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus regretfully," Baca said in a statement.
"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. "
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On the Net:
Congressional Hispanic Caucus: http://www.house.gov/baca/meetjoe/cau_hisp.htm
