In early October, Republican congresswoman Maya Flores of Texas requested to join the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, an originally bipartisan group that has, since 2003, been comprised entirely of Democrats
Despite being the first Mexican-born American congressperson and representing a district at the border, Flores' application was denied.
"As the first Mexican-born Congresswoman to serve in the US House of Representatives, I thought joining the Congressional Hispanic Caucus would be a constructive way to build bridges and work in a bipartisan manner on behalf of our constituents," Flores said in a statement to Townhall.
"I was wrong. This denial once again proves a bias towards conservative Latinas that don’t fit their narrative or ideology."
"Why am I not surprised?!?" she wrote on Twitter. "The party of 'inclusion' does it again…"
On Thursday, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus explained in a statement to Townhall why they had rejected Flores' membership.
"In 2003, led by Rep. Diaz Balart, GOP Members split from the CHC to form the Congressional Hispanic Conference," the group's communications director explained.
"Per our bylaws, the CHC is now for Democratic Members. Rep. Flores’ Extreme MAGA values and their attacks on Latinos and our nation’s democracy on January 6 do not align with CHC values."
Flores is still eligible to join the Republicans only Congressional Hispanic Conference, however that group is significantly smaller than its Democratic counterpart.
According to a US government website, the CHC was established in 1976 as a bipartisan group, and worked together to tackle domestic and international issues relating to the Hispanic community.
In the 90's, however, bipartisanship "dissolved" as Democrats and Republicans struggled to find common ground on issues related to Cuba, and in 2003, following condemnation from Democratic members over George W. Bush's appointment of Miguel Estrada to the US Court of Appeals for DC, Republicans split entirely, forming the Congressional Hispanic Conference.
As the Texas Tribune explains, Flores is not the first Republican to try joining the CHC since the fissure. In 2017, former Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida applied, and despite making a good impression on some members, had his request denied.
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