WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- DNC Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Iris Y. Martinez issued the following statement following Rep. Mario Diaz Balart's (R-FL) Spanish-language response to President Obama's State of the Union address:

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"Going back to old, tired tricks, Rep. Diaz Balart tried to sell Latinos a Republican Party without a record. I know many of my constituents in Chicago would be thrilled to see real, meaningful gestures from Republicans to tackle our nation's problems. When President Obama came to office, he took aggressive steps to bring this nation back from the brink of depression. And it hasn't been easy.  Even to this day, as the worst of the economic crisis has passed, too many Americans endure difficulties and other problems persist.

"But the Republican Party, be it in English or Spanish, is entrenched in trying to sell us nothing but out-of-context ideology and lies about Democratic accomplishments. For example:

"Mario Diaz-Balart complained about unemployment, but criticizes the president's initiative adding or saving two million jobs.

"He touts the Republican health care plan, a laughable measure which would have barely covered one tenth as many people as the Democratic plan.

"He dislikes a growing deficit, but neglects to mention it was his party that drove us into the brink of another depression.

"At every turn Republicans have turned their back on opening doors of opportunities for our community. It is clear by the lack of support they have shown to issues that matter to us and that have a deep impact on our families and community, that their support for us comes in the form of shallow words and ideology, not productive action.

"What I saw tonight is a clear distinction between a president who is committed to doing everything within his power to make the economy work not only for Latino families, but for all Americans, and a Republican Party still desperate to make a comeback – so desperate that they continue to politicize and lie on a health reform bill that would bring 30 million Americans closer to health care and improve the lives of 80 percent of Latinos.

"Tonight Diaz-Balart called for an end to 'rhetoric,' right before twisting the facts about the administration's results in his out-of-context remarks. Instead of the post-partisanship he called for, what we got from the representative is a dose of that familiar rhetoric of fear and deception – the rhetoric that brought us to the mess we were in a year ago."

SOURCE Democratic National Committee

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