WASHINGTON -- Congressional Democrats in the Hispanic caucus are accusing the White House of neglecting Latinos.

Rep. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., delivered the weekly Democratic radio address Saturday, accusing President Bush with failing to meet the Hispanic community's needs - and, as a result, she said those needs are greater than ever.

"Unemployment among Hispanics has skyrocketed to 6.9 percent and is now 19 percent higher than when President Bush took office. Poverty rates and levels of uninsured among Hispanics have gone up -- one out of three Hispanics lacking health insurance."

As remedies Solis highlighted two proposals: "We … unveiled our Democratic Hispanic Agenda, the Compromiso Democrata con el PuebloLatino, so that our communities can prosper. And, we introduced the SOLVE Act, which would fix our immigration system and provide for earned legalization of immigrants who work hard and pay taxes."

She added, "Our community knows the difference between a true commitment and false promises. As we celebrate our culture during Hispanic Heritage Month, we will continue to defend our rights and fight for our aspirations."

Source: Copyright 2004 by United Press International.