41 Facts About Luis Gutierrez

1.

Luis Gutierrez served as the U S representative for from 1993 to 2019.

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2.

Luis Gutierrez is a member of the Democratic Party and was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus during his tenure in the House.

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3.

Luis Gutierrez is an outspoken advocate of workers' rights, LGBT rights, gender equality, and other liberal and progressive causes.

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4.

In November 2017, Luis Gutierrez announced that he would retire from Congress at the end of his current term, and not seek re-election in 2018.

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5.

Luis Gutierrez was born and raised in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, then an immigrant and working-class community.

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6.

Luis Gutierrez's mother was an assembly-line worker, and his father was a cab driver.

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7.

Luis Gutierrez, who had never before visited the island, reluctantly followed his parents; there, he learned to speak Spanish.

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8.

In 1974, Luis Gutierrez returned to Chicago and enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University.

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9.

Luis Gutierrez got involved in student activism and social justice issues, writing for the student publication Que Ondee Sola and serving as the president of the Union for Puerto Rican Students.

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10.

In 1983, Luis Gutierrez left his job with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to run against incumbent Dan Rostenkowski for 32nd ward Democratic committeeman in the March 1984 primary election.

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11.

In July 1985, in an effort to support Washington's political reform movement, Luis Gutierrez founded the West Town-26th Ward Independent Political Organization .

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12.

Luis Gutierrez, who spoke Spanish during the debate, outperformed Torres, who chose to speak entirely in English.

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13.

Luis Gutierrez was a proponent of local economic development and construction of affordable housing.

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14.

Luis Gutierrez was referred to as a "workhorse in the city council" by political author Marable Manning.

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15.

However, the 4th is a heavily Democratic district, and Luis Gutierrez had effectively clinched a seat in Congress with his primary win.

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16.

The next day Luis Gutierrez held a press conference, he endorsed Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia for the position.

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17.

Luis Gutierrez continues to serve as the Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force.

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18.

Luis Gutierrez was a principal backer of the Dodd-Frank bill that created the United States Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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19.

Luis Gutierrez has been called the "Moses of the Latinos" due to his many years advocating for immigrant rights.

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20.

Many of the protesters who joined Luis Gutierrez had signs that called for a Presidential moratorium on deportation and criticized recent anti-immigrant legislation passed in Arizona – SB 1070.

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21.

In 2009, and again in 2011, Luis Gutierrez went on a nationwide tour in support of comprehensive immigration reform and a moratorium on the deportation of families.

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22.

Luis Gutierrez was the first elected official to sponsor a version of the DREAM Act – legislation to allow undocumented youth brought to the United States as minors a pathway to citizenship – in 2001.

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23.

In 2009 Luis Gutierrez introduced CIR-ASAP – Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America's Security and Prosperity Act – a bill to create a pathway to citizenship for non-criminal undocumented immigrants and improve border security.

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24.

Luis Gutierrez called former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley a "champion" of immigration in 2014 when the two were working to oppose the White House's deportation policy.

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25.

Luis Gutierrez successfully expanded healthcare coverage to those exposed to Agent Orange and high levels of radiation during military service.

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26.

Luis Gutierrez's assistance was pivotal in securing $92 million in additional healthcare and prosthetic funding for veterans.

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27.

Luis Gutierrez has been an advocate for human and civil rights of the Puerto Rican people.

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28.

In May 2000, Luis Gutierrez was one of nearly two hundred people arrested for refusing to leave the natural habitat the US military wished to continue using as a bombing range.

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29.

In 2011, Luis Gutierrez came out against human rights abuses occurring on the island – specifically police brutality perpetrated against University of Puerto Rico students critical of the island's government and a law passed by the Fortuno government that sought to limit student's freedom of speech.

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30.

Luis Gutierrez spoke out against a proposed pipeline which would degrade the island's lush tropical habitat and potentially put residents living near the proposed pipeline in danger.

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31.

Luis Gutierrez is a close ally of organized labor and has voted repeatedly to protect and expand workers' rights.

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32.

In 2008, Luis Gutierrez was one of the principal elected officials that assisted workers of the Chicago-based Republic Windows and Doors during their successful sit-in.

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33.

Luis Gutierrez met with workers and helped them broker a deal with Bank of America.

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34.

Luis Gutierrez is frequently invited to speak and present before labor unions.

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35.

In 1994 Luis Gutierrez was a vocal opponent of NAFTA and ultimately voted against the measure because of the legislation's failure to provide for worker retraining, protect against American job loss, and protect Mexican workers' collective bargaining rights.

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36.

Luis Gutierrez criticized the role of Rahm Emanuel in particular for the deficiencies.

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37.

Luis Gutierrez was arrested in May 2000 in protest of the US military using the inhabited Puerto Rican island of Vieques as a bombing range, and again in May 2010 in protest of presidential inaction on immigration reform.

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38.

Since 2008, Luis Gutierrez has been the subject of several critical stories in the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, detailing his relationship with former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and the real estate dealings of Luis Gutierrez and his family.

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39.

Luis Gutierrez sent each one a copy of the book Adventures in Porkland: How Washington Wastes Your Money and Why They Won't Stop.

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40.

Luis Gutierrez was a member of the Judiciary Committee during the 110th and 111th Congress, serving on the Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law Subcommittee.

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41.

Luis Gutierrez was a member of the House Baltic Caucus, the Congressional Arts Caucus and the United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus.

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