"The next Congress shouldn’t be about remaking Democrats,
it should be about reminding America what we stand for," Gutierrez writes

November 10, 2010

Media Contact: Douglas Rivlin (202) 225-8203

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Washington, DC) – Today, Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) renewed his call on all House Democrats to support Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) for Democratic Whip in upcoming House Leadership elections. In a letter to all Illinois House Democrats, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and in a blog article for the Huffington Post, Rep. Gutierrez said Rep. Clyburn would be "a leader who will remind the American people what Democrats stand for – yesterday, today and tomorrow."

In separate letters to Illinois House Democrats (link) and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (link), Rep. Gutierrez said:

I am certain that we can and must regain our majority in two years, but we need a leadership team that will stand up for the principles we cherish and effectively communicate why these principles will create more opportunity for all Americans.

In his article for the Huffington Post (link), Rep. Gutierrez wrote:

A competitive leadership election will be the Democratic Party's first chance to cut through hundreds of millions of dollars of third-party and corporate ads and remind the American people that we’re still standing, and what we stand for. We should make it clear there is no retreating and we stand by the values and policies that make us Democrats.

Rep. James Clyburn is running for the number two Democratic Leadership position behind Speaker Nancy Pelosi who is widely believed to be a shoe-in for the role of Democratic Leader in the new Congress. Rep. Gutierrez supports Rep. Pelosi in that bid, as well. Leadership elections will be held sometime before Congress adjourns and could take place as soon as next week.

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Letter to Illinois House Democrats

Letter to Congressional Hispanic Caucus