Hispanics anticipate leadership positions

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The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Inc. said it expects several members to become subcommittee chairmen under the Democratic-controlled 110th Congress, with one member receiving a committee chairmanship.

Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez, New York Democrat, is likely to become the chairman of the Small Business Committee in the next Congress.

"No one is challenging her for the committee chairmanship," said a staffer in her office.

Mrs. Velazquez's name recognition increased in the District after she strengthened her opposition to President Bush's small-business policies and increased her attacks against Small Business Administrator Hector V. Barreto Jr. after Hurricane Katrina.

Mrs. Velazquez said Mr. Barreto was "ineffectual" in getting small-business owners in the Gulf Coast region the loans they needed. He subsequently stepped down to lead the Latino Coalition, a prominent think tank.

Other caucus Democrats expected to lead subcommittees -- ranging from agriculture to homeland security -- include Reps. Joe Baca, Hilda L. Solis, Loretta Sanchez and Grace F. Napolitano all of California, and Ruben Hinojosa of Texas.

Committee assignments will not be finalized until Congress returns in December.

"The problem with these committee assignments is that everything is sort of up in the air because it goes through committee caucuses, then the full committee, then before the entire caucus, so we really won't know what they will look like in the 110th just yet," said a Democratic staffer.

The 21 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) are focused on passing a comprehensive immigration reform package in the next Congress, something that was left out of the Democrats' "New Direction for America" package of legislative priorities.

"We are hopeful that we can push comprehensive immigration reform to the top of the party's agenda," said a senior Democratic staffer.

"Senator Arlen Specter said he wanted to bring immigration reform up for a vote before this Congress ends, and most Democrats and the president are for comprehensive immigration reform," the staffer said.

Now that Democrats are taking control of the House and Senate, CHC members are more confident about getting the comprehensive reform package that passed the Senate last summer to the House floor, which was blocked by the House Republican leadership.

The caucus also is entangled in what has become a public battle between its male and female members over the male-dominated caucus' treatment of the six female members.

Mrs. Velazquez is third in seniority, and many of the other female members outrank the men but complain that their ideas are largely ignored by their male counterparts in the caucus.