FROM: Juan Peñalosa , Executive Director, Florida Democratic Party
TO:  Interested Parties
DATE: June 24, 2019
SUBJECT: Trump’s Policies Are Toxic To Florida’s Latino Community
 
Reporters,

This week Donald Trump launches “Latinos for Trump” which is an effort that will try to distract Latinos, and many of you, from his toxic policies and hateful rhetoric directed at Latinos in Florida and across the U.S.  

As Trump tries to distract us and rewrite history on his disastrous record that has left too many Latinos behind, it’s important that the Trump administration and campaign answer the following in advance of their “Latinos for Trump” outreach campaign:

  • The Trump administration has threatened to restart raids on immigrant communities that will disproportionately harm Florida Latino families, many of whom are here legally -- why?
  • According to VENAMBAR, there are 150,000 Venezuelans who fled the brutal Maduro regime and are living in the United States. The Trump administration has tough talk against Maduro, but the President is deporting thousands of Venezuelans fleeing Maduro -- and sending them back to a brutal dictator. Why won’t Trump protect Venezuelans in the U.S. from Maduro by granting them Temporary Protected Status (TPS)? 
  • Independent analyses show Latinos get fewer benefits from Trump’s tax scam and more Latinos would lose coverage under Trump’s health care agenda than any other racial group -- how can the administration justify these policies?

As you report on the Trump campaign’s new rhetoric and weigh whether or not you think their lip service to Latino communities will help deliver Florida to Trump, it’s important that you understand what Florida Democrats are doing and remember all of the ways the Trump administration has implemented policies that have unfairly targeted and hurt Latinos in Florida and the U.S. We’ve pulled together a handful of these policies for your review, as well as some of the work that Florida Democrats are already doing to organize and educate Latino communities across the state.

Please reach out if you’d like more information on any of these (or other) policies, or if you’d like our thoughts on the “Latinos for Trump” launch.

Thanks for your time,

Juan


TRUMP’S ECONOMIC POLICIES DISPROPORTIONATELY HURT LATINOS
 
Six-In-10 Latinos Stand To Face A Tax Increase Under Trump’s Tax Law By 2027. “By 2027, six-in-ten Latinos (more than 35.5 million) will see their taxes go up, by an average of $251 per year, due to expiration of the law’s individual tax provisions, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, and from using chained CPI to measure inflation.” [Unidos US, March 2018 ]
 
Latino Americans Received Only About 7% Of The Benefits From Trump’s Tax Law . “Latinos got about 7 percent, although their share of all income is 8 percent. In total, the analysis estimates, whites will get $218 billion in tax cuts this year as a result of the law. Black and Latino Americans will get about $32 billion combined.” [New York Times, 10/11/18 ]
 
TRUMP’S ATTEMPT TO END DACA AND ELIMINATE PROTECTIONS FOR TPS RECIPIENTS WOULD HAVE A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND THE ENTIRE U.S. ECONOMY

The Center For American Progress Estimated Ending DACA Would Result In A Loss Of More Than $460 Billion From U.S. GDP Over A Decade And Remove Nearly 685,000 Workers From The U.S. Economy. “Using data from two Center for American Progress publications—a report that estimates the gross domestic product (GDP) declines that would accompany removing all unauthorized workers from the country and a survey that estimates the share of DACA recipients who are employed—CAP estimates that ending DACA would result in a loss of $460.3 billion from the national GDP over the next decade. Ending DACA would remove an estimated 685,000 workers from the nation’s economy.” [Center For American Progress, 7/21/17 ]

Replacing Job Losses Caused By Ending DACA Would Cost Employers More Than $3.4 Billion. “Further, replacing these individuals is expected to cost employers more than $3.4 billion in unnecessary turnover costs.” [Joint Economic Committee Democrats, Accessed 6/18/19 ]

Ending TPS Protections For El Salvador, Honduras, And Haiti Could Cost The U.S. Economy $164 Billion Over The Next Decade, According To A Study By The Center For American Progress. “Nicole Svajlenka, a senior policy analyst with the left-leaning Center for American Progress, co-authored a report examining the impact on the U.S. economy if the bulk of TPS recipients, from El Salvador, Honduras and Haiti, were to suddenly lose their legal status. ‘In our study, we found that the country stands to lose $164 billion from the GDP over the next decade if TPS expires,’ said Svajlenka.” [WNYC, 11/3/17 ]

TRUMP’S PLANS TO SABOTAGE HEALTH CARE WILL BE A DISASTER FOR LATINO COMMUNITIES
 
NBC News: “Hispanics Have The Highest Rate Of People Without Health Insurance Coverage And Saw The Largest Drop In People Without Insurance Under Obamacare.” [NBC News, 3/16/17 ]
 
Between The Enactment Of The ACA And 2015, 4.2 Previously Uninsured Latinos Gained Coverage Thanks To The Law. “The share of adult Latinos without medical insurance dropped from 41.8 percent to about a third, the Health and Human Services Department announced Monday. This makes Hispanics the group with the largest gains in insurance. That means 4.2 million previously uninsured Latinos have some kind of coverage since healthcare enrollment began in 2013, possibly including coverage through federal and state-funded Medicaid. The number also includes young people able to stay on their parents' insurance until age 26, which began earlier.” [NBC News, 3/16/15 ]
 
Under The Affordable Care Act, 8.8 Million Latinos Who Had Private Insurance Gained Access To Preventive Services Without Any Cost-Sharing. “8.8 million Latinos with private insurance now have access to expanded preventive services with no cost-sharing. This includes services such as colonoscopy screening for colon cancer, Pap smears and mammograms for women, well-child visits, and flu shots for all children and adults.” [Department of Health and Human Services, 11/5/14 ]
 
With The ACA’s Requirement For Essential Health Benefits, 278,000 Latinos In The Private Marketplace Were Projected To Gain Access To Maternity Coverage. “Private plans in the Marketplace are required to cover 10 essential health benefit categories, including recommended preventive services, prescription drugs, mental health and substance use disorder services, maternity and newborn care and many more. Over 278,000 Latinos in the individual market alone are projected to gain maternity coverage under the Affordable Care Act.” [Department of Health and Human Services, 11/5/14 ]
 
WHILE TRUMP IS TALKING ABOUT REACHING OUT TO FLORIDA HISPANICS, DEMOCRATS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN MASSIVE ORGANIZING EFFORTS IN HISPANIC COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE
 
Florida Democrats are making an unprecedented, early investment to reach out and mobilize Latino voters: In partnership with the DNC’s Organizing Corps program, the FDP already has 90 paid field organizers on the ground who are organizing, registering voters and building neighborhood teams in Hispanic precincts. The Florida Democratic Party is invested heavily in digital outreach in Spanish, is producing a weekly Spanish language radio show and podcast, and has launched a year-round voter protection department as Hispanic voters are disproportionately victims of voter suppression.

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