Rudy's report on visit to The White House, Tuesday, May 22
I sat next to the President.
For sheer dramatic impact, what beats a lead sentence like the above? Not much. The statement is true. But the reason I lead with that statement is because this report on my visit to The White House on Tuesday, May 22 contains a lot of important info that is likely to be pretty boring, as "important" information tends to be. So why not liven it up a little at the start?
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INSIDE THE PRESS BRIEFING: President George W. Bush made comments to the press on Tuesday, May 22 about the important role of Hispanic/Latino clergy in undergirding American life. Behind the President (from right): Pedro Windsor, Lisa Cummins, Jesse Miranda, Armando Contreras, Luis Cortes, Daniel De Leon, Raymond Rivera, and Rudy Carrasco. Read the text of the President's remarks here. |
What was going on, anyway? Why was I invited out to The White House along with over a hundred Hispanic/Latino pastors? Here's the scoop:
On Thursday I received a call informing me that I was invited to a Tuesday meeting with the President where the President would do two things: 1. Acknowledge the contributions of the Latino faith community to this nation, and 2. Encourage Latino faith leaders to get behind his faith-based and community initiative. I got the OK from my wife, and I was on my way. The White House does not pay for these sorts of things, and this trip is not in my personal or Harambee budget, but a few friends graciously agreed to cover the cost (you know how you are - thank you).
I left home late Monday night, after seeing my Sammy to bed and praying with my wife Kafi. The plan was for a quick go-and-come, leaving Monday night and coming back Tuesday night right after the meeting. To my pleasant surprise, my friend Michael Mata was on the same America West flight out of LAX. We landed in Las Vegas (what a skyline, eh?) and proceeded to wait... and wait... as America West tried to fix a "mechanical problem" with our plane. An hour and a half passed. I went to the counter and asked the attendant when the next plane for Baltimore / DC area left. She said 7am, which would get us into DC at... 4pm. For about thirty minutes it looked like we would miss the meeting. But America West has a vested interest in this route, so the officials decided to take over the plane headed for Phoenix and divert it to Baltimore. The poor Phoenix passengers were left stranded in the terminal.
Sleep - I did not sleep well. We hit the ground late, at 9:30am, so Michael and I found the quickest way to DC. We took the Baltimore airport shuttle to the MARC train, paid our $5 for a ticket, and hopped the train for the 20-minute ride into DC. After disembarking at Union Station (very nice building) we caught a cab that took us straight to the St. John's Church across the street from The White House.
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THE BRIEFING: The briefing of what The White House calls "The National Leadership of the Hispanic faith-based community" was led by Rev. Luis Cortes of Nueva Esperanza Community Development Corp. in Philadelphia and Lisa Trevino Cummins, Associate Director of The White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives.
THE GROUP: This is a shot of some of 130 Hispanic pastors who attended the day's events. |
A briefing had been set for 11am. All the Hispanic pastors who were invited gathered to review the plan for the day and generally find out what was up with the meeting.
What's up is that Hispanic Faith Leaders from across the country support the President's efforts to bring faith organizations to equal footing at the table when it comes to providing government services. That's it.
Really, that's it. The faith-based effort is not about convincing churches and groups like Harambee that it is now time to get feed at the government trough. No, far from it.
The issue at hand is that, for years, organizations that are religious in character have been discriminated against by government agencies that give out the cash. Churches and organizations that chose to compete for dollars to provide services found themselves penalized because of their faith.
The Charitable Choice provisions of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act, which was signed by then-President Bill Clinton, changed much of that. It provides for religious groups to not be penalized in the competition - and that's it. Charitable Choice does NOT promise that religious groups will get dollars. Charitable Choice does NOT favor religious groups. Charitable Choice does NOT allow religious groups to use the money to prosyletize. Charitable Choice does not preach that it is better to use government funds than private funds.
What is the difference between Charitable Choice and the President's Faith-based initiative?
Charitable Choice is the name of the actual set of laws and regulations that give religious groups equal footing in the competition for dollars.
The President's initiative is not a piece of legislation per se, more a title for a thrust of attention the President is giving to this important issue. As such, the President's Initiative and similar faith-based initiatives authored by various Congressmen include all sorts of creative ideas that receive little to no attention from the major media. These include allowing people who do not itemize their tax deductions to nevertheless itemize and write off their charitable contributions (one Hispanic clergy leader suggests that provision alone with unless $15 billion for private, religious efforts in Latino communities).
At the 11am briefing, Rev. Luis Cortes of Nueva Esperanza Community Development Corp. in Philadelphia took the lead in defining the unified position of Hispanic clergy. The clergy (our group) supports the President's efforts and plans to educate Congress and the public about the ways that Charitable Choice and the President's Initiative will benefit Hispanic communities across the nation.
To wit: Someone gave a statistic (I need to verify this, but it sounds accurate) that 80-90 percent of Hispanic churches are located in low-income, poor communities. Those churches that are interested in accessing government resources to alleviate poverty in their communities should not be blocked or hindered from fair competition for dollars.
It was stated clearly, many times throughout the day, that the official position was not that Hispanic churches should seek funding; no one said that and no one is saying that. It is when an organization chooses to seek government funds that these non-discrimination clauses should apply.
Briefing, briefing - ya'll know I was schmoozing during the briefing, too. There were so many good people in the room, and a lot of old friends from my years of national networking.
At this point, about 12 noon, I thought I had received what I had come for. I needed this clarity of information regarding the President's faith-based initiative. Having received it at the briefing, and looking around the room at 130 pastors, I figured that personal photos with the President, private audience, whatever, would logistically not be possible. Then Cortes said as much from the podium, that there were too many people to go through some of the usual niceties, like an individual photo for each person. Oh well.
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WAITING TO ENTER: This is the group of leaders who met privately with the President to discuss the faith-based initiative. (From left) Jesse Miranda, Rudy Carrasco, Daniel De Leon, Pedro Windsor, Luis Cortes, Kittim Silva, and Raymond Rivera (not pictured: Armando Contreras). |
Cortes then said that a group of ten leaders would go early to meet the President in a private session, then go with the President for a public press briefing with the entire group of 13o. He said, "You know who you are, and if you don't know who you are, you better find out for yourself - quick." I thought, that's nice for whoever goes. Then I tried to find out what was for lunch. There were box lunches that looked pretty tasty. The line was long. I waited in line.
Then my friend Max Torres from Houston (yes, Max who preached in my church last Sunday) came up to me and said, "You need to get to that meeting, bro. I think they're leaving now." "What meeting?" I said. "The early meeting. You're on the list. You didn't see it?" Well, that was news to me. We scrambled for the list. Couldn't find it. Finally a brother walked by reading a foreign document. There it was. I was listed to meet, I guess because I represent youth and young people (if that wasn't the reason, no worry: When I spoke up after that, it was to raise attention to the needs of Latino young people).
Our little group left mid-lunch and walked across the street to the White House. We were Jesse Miranda, president of A.M.E.N., from Los Angeles; Cortes, from Philly; Pedro Windsor, vice president of AMEN, from Chicago; Ray Rivera, Latino Pastoral Action Center, New York; me; Armando Contreras, National Catholic Council on Hispanic Ministry, Phoenix; Daniel De Leon of Templo Calvario in Santa Ana; and Kittim Silva, who runs a radio station that broadcasts in New York, New Jersey and the island of Puerto Rico. There is a group photo of us that was shot with the Harambee digital camera.
We stood outside one of the many White House gates, waiting for someone to let us in. Finally, we were escorted to another gate where we pressed up against the gate while they "verified" us. Let me tell you, keep your nose clean if you are trying to get in to The White House. They WILL check you out thoroughly. We walked through and walked straight into the West Wing and into a small conference room.
The White House is nice. It's elegant, but not too elegant. It's actually very functional. It's more usable than the Tournament House in Pasadena or a lot of the nice buildings on the Stanford campus. The carpet color - I don't remember. The rooms - are well lit. The walls - I didn't notice. How's that for journalistic attention to detail?
Inside the conference room we met John DiIulio and some of the faith-based office staffers (I haven't mentioned it yet, but Lisa Trevino Cummins, who spoke at our Harambee banquet in early April, was present with our group the entire day. She worked hard to put the event together. Thanks, Lisa, for all your efforts and support.) There were name cards on the table that indicated where we should sit. My name card was at the immediate left of the President.
Well, that was news. Pleasant surprise. We sat down and chatted with DiIulio, Don Eberly, Don Willett, Lisa and some others for a bit, as we waited for the President. DiIulio - I like him. Nice guy. Real friendly, real sincere, and knows how to crack a joke. DiIulio left the room to go get the President. Someone else entered the room and put a water glass next to me, in front of the President. On the glass it said "President of the United States." I looked at the Asian-American staffer who put the water there and thought of Nehemiah from the Bible - wasn't Nehemiah the King's food taster? But I don't think this staffer's job is to taste the President's food and drink - or was it? Doesn't someone fulfill that function?
As I sat wondering if modern heads of state need royal food-tasters, the President entered the room. He walked straight to his seat and shook my hand first, as he had no other choice, I was right in his path. Before taking my hand he looked quickly at my name card and said cheerily, "Rodolpho!" He went around the room, greeting people and shaking hands, and then sat down.
The meeting lasted about twenty minutes, and was it a good one. There's a sense where you can never say all you want in twenty minutes, so I made an effort not to speak up, because brothers Cortes, Miranda, Rivera and others had many good and important things to say. I sat there and agreed often, nodding vigorously and giving the occasional "mm, hmm." A photographer hovered from one side of the room, shooting pictures of the President, mostly.
What is there to say about the President? He's a regular person. He's a clear thinker. He made us feel at ease. He knows what he's talking about when it came to this subject. He was fluid with his communication. He was focused, but not pressured. He looks young. He's an inch or two taller than me. And rest assured, there is a "there" there: all that media stuff about him not being smart or not having depth of thought is a bunch of hooey. He remembered many details from a visit to Luis Cortes' place in Philadelphia a year and a half ago. He talked about the speech he gave at Notre Dame University's graduation on Sunday, where he put the issue of poverty on the forefront. My impression of him is "what you see is what you get." Afterward I was thinking that it would have been nice to meet Laura, his wife.
Cortes and Miranda made some direct statements to Bush that Hispanic clergy around the country are behind his faith-based efforts and are ready to go to work to see that these ideas get put to work by Congress (in the House the resolution is called HR7).
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AFTER THE PRESS BRIEFING: Lisa Trevino Cummins and myself in front of the door the President uses to enter the briefing room. Remember to keep Lisa in your prayers: She and her husband Wayne just relocated to DC and they have a three year old and twin boys, ages 10 months!
MEET THE PRESS: Outside of the West Wing our group met the press for general comments and one-on-one interviews. That's Jesse Miranda talking to La Opinion. To read La Opinion's story about this event, click here. One of my remarks was picked up by the Associated Press. To read the AP story, click here.
KEEPING IT REAL... in front of the West Wing entrance. When the small group went to see the President, we entered through the door behind me, walked 20 paces, entered the small conference room, and sat down. |
After twenty minutes it was time to walk over to the Old Executive Office Building for the press briefing. Before leaving the private session we took a group photo together with the President. We then walked out of the West Wing and outdoors. It was odd to me to watch the President walk out the door, walk outside, up the steps, into the elevator - in the media one sees him making pronouncement after pronouncement about things that affect millions, sometimes billions, and it's easy to forget that he's just human, walking from one task to another. Once inside the next building, he strayed from the path for a minute to inspect the renovation work being done on the Executive Office Library, kind of like Derek walking around a Harambee house under renovation and barking a few orders to the workers.
We entered the press briefing in a line. Our group of nine was to stand in a row behind the President as he delivered some comments about the faith initiative and the contributions of Hispanic clergy to our nation's well-being. There were television cameras, about fifteen of them, lined up in the back row. The amphitheatre style room was filled, maybe about 150 people, mostly our group of Latino clergy. Our group entered and stood at attention for a few minutes, then someone announced, "Ladies and Gentleman, the President of the United States." In walked Bush, followed by Miranda and Cortes. I was on the end. Bush clipped my arm as he went around me, and when he touched me he immediately turned with a smile and said, "Ooh, I'm sorry" and continued on to the podium.
Miranda made comments first, then Cortes almost launched into a sermon (he didn't; his comments were short; but the spirit of a long Baptist sermon was there), then the President spoke. I'm going to get the transcript of the comments of the three, because they said good stuff. The transcript of the President's comments is below, following my comments. If you want to know what he said to us in that private session, read the transcript carefully - that's what he told us.
During the press briefing photographer cameras clicked and television cameras rolled. There were a few jokes, plenty of laughter, a few cheers. Besides keeping up with the proceedings, I was occupied with keeping my knees bent. Standing up there behind the three of them was like being a groomsman in a wedding. You sure don't want to lock knees and make yourself pass out. Could you imagine that?
It was all over rather quickly. When he finished his speech he stepped down and pumped some hands. My friend Raul Le Duc from Philadelphia, with whom I spent two weeks in South Africa in 1998, was the first one the President approached in the audience. Some Congressional Hispanic Caucus members were there, including Ileana Ros-Lehtinen from Florida. After a minute he turned and took leave. And then he was gone.
I thought we were done. Not yet. The nine of us were hustled outside to meet... the lions. I mean, the press. Now, look: I'm a member of the press, so I know how the press can be, especially with controversial and touchy subjects like religion in public life. The Press will run you over when it feels like, so I can truly say I was more nervous standing in front of the Press than I was sitting next to the President.
Our group walked out of the press briefing room and back over in front of The White House, in front of the West Wing, and planted ourselves in front of twelve microphones and umpteen TV cameras and x number of reporters and made statements (I couldn't count them).
It turned out to be kind of fun. We all took turns stepping to the microphones and saying a few things. When it was my turn I said something about Latino youth in poverty and the President's effort to bring their needs to the public consciousness, which we as Hispanic clergy applaud.
Then, just as quickly as it started, emerged, rolled out, and appeared, it all ended.
Our group stood for a few minutes, giving interviews in English and Spanish, and then we exited the grounds of The White House and returned to St. John's Church across the street. At the church a woman from Health and Human Services (budget: 1.6 billion dollars) was addressing the larger group. That meeting lasted another half hour. Then it was time to say goodbye to friends and get a cab back to the airport.
I'm on the plane now, nearing Las Vegas, eager to get home. The trip was worthwhile. Here's what the trip meant to me: For months I had delayed for writing publicly, in my newspaper column or elsewhere, about the faith-based initiative because there were some details I could not get straight in my head. But now, I think, I might be ready.
The details of the initiative are not complicated. The President wants to encourage Americans to be involved in fighting poverty. For those religious groups that seek government dollars to do programs, they should be able to compete on even ground with other groups, not be penalized, discriminated against, or overlooked because of faith.
Questions? Email me. I'll do my best to answer. Thanks to all who prayed for this meeting and who remember Harambee on a regular basis. We need all the prayers we can get.