As first reported by The Hill, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute announced the presence of President Joe Biden at the organization’s 45th Annual Awards Gala this year in Washington, DC. Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off on Sept. 15, Mexican Independence Day, and runs through Oct. 15.

“A long-time ally of the Latino community, President Biden will deliver remarks to an audience of policymakers, industry leaders, and community champions. The 45th Annual Awards Gala is the culmination of our signature Hispanic Heritage Month events, which fosters dialogue, engagement, and development for the next generation of Latino leaders,” read an announcement from the organization. President Biden is scheduled to attend the pivotal event celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in Washington, as The Hill has learned.

Biden's appearance at the 45th annual gala is the first by a president since former President Obama gave a speech at the 39th edition in 2016.

This is also the first CHCI face-to-face conference since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It houses the biggest names in Latin activism, culture and politics. Vice President Kamala Harris has also confirmed her presence at the conference.

According to Marco Davis, the CEO of CHCI, “It’s an example of the commitment of our nation’s highest ranking leaders to our community and desire to engage with us directly – to speak to us, to hear from us, to learn about our needs and desires”.

“From 1979 to 2016, every sitting president was invited to address the gala, and only former President George H.W. Bush was unable to attend during his time in office. But in 2017, CHCI broke with tradition and didn’t invite former President Trump after he pardoned Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio and announced a plan to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program”, according to The Hill. CHCI’s main function is to train young Hispanics who want to work in government, and its intern classes usually include a number of DACA beneficiaries.

Joe Arpaio had been convicted of contempt of court after refusing to obey an order to prevent his police forces from making arrests on suspicion that individuals were illegally residing in the United States. Trump also did not attend or speak at subsequent galas, and the coronavirus pandemic forced CHCI to hold the event online in 2020 and 2021.

Biden has twice participated as a keynote speaker in the virtual editions, sending video messages as a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020 and as president at the 2021 event.

The 2022 event will posthumously honor Celia Cruz, the famed Cuban American singer, with the 2022 Medallion of Excellence Award. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra will receive the 2022 American Dream Medallion Award.

Also receiving awards will be retiring Reps. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) and Albio Sires (D-N.J.), Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Kenia Seoane López, and Marvin Figueroa, a CHCI alumnus who heads the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, according to The Hill.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, CHCI’s parent organization, are openly nonpartisan as they have welcomed both Republican and Democratic members as well as other Hispanics without a party who co-exist for a common interest in political leadership.