▁of ▁b ills , ▁many ▁of ▁which ▁were ▁not ▁univers ally ▁popular , ▁which ▁offered ▁support ▁for ▁groups ▁he ▁saw ▁as ▁dis enf ranch ised ; ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁actions ▁were ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁veter ans , ▁the ▁elder ly , ▁and ▁Mexican - Amer icans . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁he ▁wrote ▁the ▁first ▁bill ▁giving ▁federal ▁support ▁to ▁b iling ual ▁education , ▁creating ▁special ized ▁language ▁instruction ▁for ▁imm igr ant ▁populations . ▁As ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁Select ▁Committee ▁on ▁A ging , ▁he ▁led ▁a ▁successful ▁campaign ▁to ▁restore ▁$ 1 5 ▁million ▁in ▁fund ing ▁the ▁low - cost ▁health ▁programs ▁for ▁senior ▁citizens ▁and ▁an ▁expanded ▁public ▁housing ▁program ▁for ▁sen iors . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁he ▁worked ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁Me als ▁on ▁Whe els ▁program ▁and ▁veter ans ' ▁prefer ences ▁in ▁h iring . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁against ▁the ▁wishes ▁of ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁constitu ents , ▁he ▁argued ▁for ▁expanded ▁fund ing ▁for ▁A ID S ▁research . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Cong r essional ▁His pan ic ▁C au cus ▁( CH C ) ▁and ▁later ▁co - f ounded ▁the ▁[( National ▁Association ▁of ▁Lat ino ▁Elect ed ▁and ▁App oint ed ▁Official s )] ▁( NA LE O ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁as ▁chair ▁of ▁the ▁Cong r essional ▁His pan