Diaz-Balart Will Lead HSI Caucus

Florida Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart is taking on a new task in South Florida as he has just been tapped to lead the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Caucus in Congress.

Most recently, the South Florida Congressman met with President Donald Trump and other lawmakers while visiting Lake Okeechobee to discuss infrastructure improvement for the Herbert Hoover Dike. As written in an Instagram post, the Florida rep. said that he “helped secure the necessary funds for the expedited completion of the Dike, which will help continue Everglades Restoration efforts and the communities around Lake Okeechobee.”

As well, he has been involved in other environmental issues in Florida.

With the Caucus, Diaz-Balart will lead an effort that “aims to educate members of Congress about the prevalence and importance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions in their districts and communities, and about the importance of allocating adequate resources and legislative opportunities for these institutions.”

Antonio Flores, the President and CEO of the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Caucus announced the leadership role Diaz-Balart will undertake, and there are almost 525 HSIs across the United States with more than 325 HSIs emerging.

In Flores’ statement, he informed that “the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities commends Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart for his commitment to Hispanic higher education and welcomes him as one of the co-chairs of the Congressional Hispanic-Serving Institutions Caucus.” Flores further expressed that he looks “forward to working with him as he joins this important bipartisan HSI Caucus” because “his leadership and expertise within the U.S. Congress will serve to propel the work of the Caucus and enhance advocacy efforts on behalf of Hispanic-Serving Institutions and the more than 4.4 million undergraduate students they serve.”

Diaz-Balart further noted that “with 25 established and 31 emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the state of Florida alone, we must ensure that federal funding and investments match the growing number of HSIs in our nation.”