SAN ANTONIO — First Lady Dr. Jill Biden delivered a speech at the UnidosUS luncheon at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio on Monday.
During UnidosUS first in-person conference since the pandemic, Dr. Biden highlighted the strides made in the Latino community while also addressing serious challenges.
Dr. Biden reflected on her visit to Uvalde with President Joe Biden, after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School.
She talked about standing in front of 21 crosses and touching the pictures of each victim. After hearing people shout "do something" during their visit, Dr. Biden says she’s glad the president was able to pass the Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun safety law in 30 years, according to the White House.
“He will continue to do everything he can and to call on Congress to act, including on measures that ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines,” Dr. Biden said.
Dr. Biden says she knew that a piece of Uvalde would always be a part of her, saying her and President Biden think about the victims' families every day.
“We are committed to building a safer, healthier, more prosperous, and fair America. And I know that Unidos is as well, and has been from the very start,” Dr. Biden said.
Unidos US says it’s the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy group in the country. Dr. Biden reflected on the contributions of Raul Yzaguirre, one of Unidos’ longtime leaders.
Dr. Biden thanked Unidos and its advocates for tearing down barriers and making sure legislation, like the American Rescue Plan to help Latinos get vaccinated, fight hunger and invest in small businesses.
Dr. Biden also celebrated the passing of the Safer Communities Act, but says further work needs to be done after Roe v. Wade was overturned, and Congress not including an assault weapons ban in the Safer Communities Act.
“We will never make the changes we need when so many of our leaders refuse to work together. When politicians block legislation that the majority of Americans want,” Dr. Biden said.
Republicans are criticizing Dr. Biden’s visit to San Antonio. In a statement, RNC Spokeswoman Macarena Martinez said Dr. Biden’s visit was “another slap in the face to Hispanics.”
The rest of the statement reads, “Although very on brand for the Biden Administration, they continue to forget that Hispanics overwhelmingly do not identify with the term 'LatinX,' which is one of many reasons that Hispanics are moving away from out of touch Democrats and towards the GOP.”
Dr. Biden attended a fundraiser hosted by former DNC finance chair Henry Muñoz. According to a pool reporter, elected officials in attendance included Mayor Ron Nirenberg, State Sen. Jose Menendez, Bexar County Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores and Democratic congressional candidate Greg Casar.