Boehner Bucks Tradition, Punts on Capitol Cinco De Mayo Event

WASHINGTON -- Breaking with a bipartisan tradition kept by previous House speakers, Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced that he is not putting on a Cinco de Mayo reception at the Capitol next month.

“We've told the Hispanic Caucus that they are welcome to host one this year,” said Boehner spokesman Michael Steel. “The speaker won't personally be hosting it, but we are supportive of them having it.”

Leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus reached out to Boehner earlier this month urging him to host the reception. It has been an annual event since at least 2003, when Illinois Republican Dennis Hastert was the House speaker.

On Thursday, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) added her voice to the chorus. Boehner's Democratic predecessor sent him a letter saying that she had held the event every year when she was speaker and offered to assist in planning it again.

“Members of the House and Senate, Walter Reed Hospital wounded soldiers and their families, and other invited guests attended this reception, which included a brief speaking program with Mexico’s Ambassador and Members from both sides of the aisle,” Pelosi wrote.

Steel wouldn’t say why Boehner isn’t hosting the event or if the Ohio Republican has other plans on May 5.

One possibility is that he doesn’t want to pay for it. A source familiar with planning for the annual event said the costs for the event typically come out of the speaker’s budget.

May 5 also falls on a Thursday when the House is slated to hold its last votes of the week “no later than 3pm,” according to the floor schedule posted by Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.). That could mean Boehner is angling to leave town for the weekend.

An aide to Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-Texas), who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said his group got a formal response from Boehner’s office Monday saying the speaker won’t be putting on the event.

“The letter didn’t really answer our question of, ‘Will you host one?’" said Gonzalez spokeswoman Patricia Park. "It was more a response like, ‘That’s a good idea. You should host something.'”

Gonzalez is currently talking with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute about the possibility of hosting a reception with them, added Park, since “the speaker pretty much handed off the responsibility.”

Comments

[tinka]

07:57 PM on 05/09/2011

Mr. Boehner doesn’t want to participate in the Cinco de Mayo reception. Maybe he can’t handle his tequila. Hum… it does seem odd that he was willing to host the party for St Patricks Day!

“Boehner to Host Obama, Biden, Irish PM Kenny for St. Patrick's Day Luncheon”
www.myfoxla.com/ Wednesday, 16 Mar 2011, 11:57 AM PDT

[jammers046]

10:57 PM on 05/04/2011

Good job, John. I wouldn't do it either, and I'm Hispanic, but ya know, I live here. I celebrate the 4th, not the 5th.

[tagtron]

03:44 PM on 04/21/2011

WASHINGTON -- Breaking with a bipartisan tradition kept by previous House speakers, Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) announced that he is not putting on a Cinco de Mayo reception at the Capitol next month..................That is at least consistent with the contempt with which the Repug Baggers hold Hispanics.

[butterfly218]

07:54 PM on 04/20/2011

Boener was not elected by Hispanic's . He is not their speaker . The repubs only work for the repubs not America . Google it .

[mug555]

10:23 AM on 04/20/2011

Great news for Latinos! The racists are coming out of the woodwork along with the roaches. The enemy is identifying itself.

[luckyt]

09:25 AM on 04/20/2011

I don't believe Mr. Boehner to be a racist, but a country club elitist snob yes.

[gumbo1049]

08:34 AM on 04/20/2011

They are not white enough for them to celebrate.

[rhdsma]

07:29 AM on 04/20/2011

If the GOP keeps up alienating Latinos, women, gays, African Americans, veterans, workers, they will have less votes from these constituencies. So I guess this is a good thing, to see another example of their shortsightedness.

[Big Game Hunter]

05:32 AM on 04/20/2011

And they wonder WHY they keep losing Latino voters...

[cabaretchatnoir]

04:02 AM on 04/20/2011

Great way of bolstering the Hispanic support behind Republicans. :D

[Madbunny]

02:55 AM on 04/20/2011

Wow, so the Republicans are again, distancing themselves from Hispanics in this country. Actually that isn't really news, I think a bigger story would have been if they were embracing them.

[nopaytaxes]

12:49 AM on 04/20/2011

Good for you John, what's next guy Faulks day, Mao day, stalin day?? This has zip nada nothing to do with the US

[Madbunny]

02:46 AM on 04/20/2011

""Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a holiday held on May 5 that commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. It is celebrated primarily in the state of Puebla and in the United States. While Cinco de Mayo sees limited significance in Mexico itself, the date is observed nationwide mostly in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. "Cinco de Mayo is not a Mexican holiday—it is an American Civil War holiday, created spontaneously by Mexicans and Latinos living in California who supported the fragile cause of defending freedom and democracy during the first years of that bloody war between the states."Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day, the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.""

[cabaretchatnoir]

04:04 AM on 04/20/2011

you do realize this is one of those drinking holidays that has no other meaning to it in the us. Kinda like St. Pat's day, except on a lower scale. (Not to say it doesn't hold meaning for Mexican immigrants and citizens)

[glddraco]

11:41 PM on 04/19/2011

Republicans want to deport hispanics and believe me when I say that they want to do it to the legal ones if they could find a way to do so.

[apiazza]

11:28 PM on 04/19/2011

He's too busy worried about trying to defeat gay marriage. But that's okay...most Hispanics won't be voting Republican anyway.

[Madbunny]

02:49 AM on 04/20/2011

I've never understood why the Republicans have gone to such great lengths to alienate the Mexican-Americans in this country.

[apiazza]

07:17 AM on 04/21/2011

Because Mexican-Americans aren't 'real americans' with 'real american values.' Just ask Sarah Palin.

[wonderboy69]

11:00 PM on 04/19/2011

But I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to host an event for past-middle-aged, alcoholic, corporate white guys

[leajazz]

01:05 AM on 04/20/2011

Yep!