The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) needs to rename itself after it recently rejected Rep. Carlos Curbelo’s (R-FL) request to join the group. Curbelo, who was born in Miami, is the son of two Cuban exiles who fled to the U.S. after Fidel Castro’s takeover (much like two other prominent Republicans, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz). In other words, there is no question that racially and ethnically Curbelo is Hispanic.

After rejecting Curbelo, the CHC issued the following explanation:

After due consideration, the CHC determined not to accept Rep. Curbelo’s request. The CHC isn’t just an organization for Hispanics; it is a caucus that represents certain values. This vote reflects the position of many of our members that Rep. Curbelo and his record are not consistent with those values.

Curbelo responded to the CHC’s decision stating, “It is truly shameful the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has decided to build a wall around the organization to exclude Hispanic-Americans who aren’t registered in the Democratic Party. This sends a powerful and harmful message of discrimination, bigotry and division. Unbelievably, petty partisan interests have led the CHC to formally endorse the segregation of American Hispanics.”

What this decision makes patently clear is that the CHC is exclusively an organization of the Democrat Party (as if we didn’t already know that). Since this is the case, the CHC should be honest and rebrand as the Congressional Hispanic Democrat Caucus. It would be dishonest for members of the CHC to continue to claim they represent the consensus of Hispanic American political values.