Biden to speak at annual Hispanic gala

President Biden will speak at an annual gala celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in Washington, making his second straight appearance at the most celebrated event on the Latino political calendar.

Biden will address the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) 46th Annual Awards Gala on Sept. 21, and Vice President Harris will participate in the CHCI Leadership Conference leading up to the gala.

“CHCI is honored to have President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris join us at this year’s conference and gala,” said CHCI Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.).

“Their participation is a testament to the priorities of this administration and a reminder that we have partners in the White House who give us a seat at the table and are fighting for the needs of Latino families across the country. It is with great appreciation that we welcome President Biden and Vice President Harris to this year’s conference and gala.”

The yearly event brings together a who’s who of the Hispanic political world, and each year it features a top-tier musical guest.

This year’s gala will feature Bobby Pulido, the Tejano singer whose debut 1995 hit “Desvelado” has aged into a classic in the genre, and who won Best Tejano Album at the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards for “Para Que Baile Mi Pueblo.”

From the time the gala was instituted until 2017, all presidents of both parties were invited to appear.

Former Presidents Carter, Reagan, Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama all made appearances; former President George H.W. Bush was unable to appear because of scheduling conflicts, but he was invited all four years of his presidency.

In 2017, the gala’s organizers took the unprecedented step of withdrawing former President Trump’s invitation in response to his rhetoric on immigrants during the 2016 campaign. Trump never attended the event.

Biden’s first official appearance as president at the event was in 2021, though that year’s gala was substituted with a livestream because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At his first in-person event in 2022, Biden drew cheers as he sang “Happy Birthday” to Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Biden won’t get the opportunity to try for an encore — Barragán’s birthday is Friday, almost a week before this year’s event.

But the president will take to a stage with a majority-Democratic Latino audience primed to hear his plans to appeal to Hispanics ahead of 2024.

Last year, he touted the major legislative accomplishments he achieved with the help of a Democratic majority in both chambers of Congress; in 2023, he will take to the stage at a combative stage in his relationship with Congress, with House Republicans moving toward an impeachment inquiry.

Yet the big stage is an opportunity for Biden to hone his message to Latino voters as his 2024 campaign gets rolling.

In 2022, he touted the presence of Cabinet members Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Small Business Administrator Isabella Guzman at the gala; this year, the three will be joined by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on a panel titled “Our Moment in History: Latinos at the Decision-Making Table” at the Leadership Conference.

The president is also likely to give a shout-out to his 2024 campaign manager, Julie Chávez-Rodríguez, a political rights activist who is well-known among the CHCI Gala crowd.

Biden’s message will center on inclusion in his team and engagement efforts in the White House, including a South Lawn screening of the film “Flamin’ Hot” and inviting local Latino radio programs to broadcast from the White House.

Biden also will tout the effects of “Bidenomics” on Hispanic communities, touching on pandemic recovery efforts, the historically low Latino unemployment rate, expanding credit for small businesses, low drug prices and access to education.

Harris, who last year spoke with Barragán about a series of issues including reproductive rights, the economy and representation, will focus her participation in the 2023 conference on issues relevant to young Latinos.

The vice president will embark on a college tour Thursday starting at Hampton University in Virginia, and will make stops at Hispanic Serving Institutions like the College of Southern Nevada and Northern Arizona University, as well as at the CHCI conference.

Updated at 12:05 p.m.

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