On behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus, I am delighted to congratulate our very own Member, Representative Cedric Richmond, on his historic appointment to serve in the Biden Administration. As the Director of Public Engagement and Senior Advisor to President-Elect Joe Biden, Rep. Richmond will be the most senior African-American serving in the incoming administration. This appointment is a clear recognition of both the critical role Rep. Richmond played in the Biden Campaign as national co-...
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Congratulations to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris on your historic victory today. You fought for the soul of America. Today marks a new dawn in our country and the beginning of our journey on the road to repair after four long years of repressive policies towards communities of color. The Congressional Black Caucus is proud of our very own, Sen. Kamala Harris who will be the first woman Vice President and the first Black and South Asian Vice-President. Vice Pres...
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In July, the IRS determined that incarcerated Americans were not entitled to economic impact payments (EIPs). This position is inconsistent with the CARES Act, unfairly harms the incarcerated, and disproportionately discriminates against African Americans. At the notice of this directive by the IRS, the Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter to the Mr. Charles P. Rettig, Commissioner of the IRS, and called for the reversal of this guidance because it is unlawful and discriminatory to exclude i...
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Last night’s debate was just another example of President Trump’s inability to defend his record over the last four years as President and most especially admit that the 200,000 plus American lives that have been lost to COVID-19, could have been avoided, if his Administration had proactively responded earlier when he was notified of the imminent dangers of the disease. His lackluster leadership on even basic things like making face masks mandatory, ensuring that every American had access to fac...
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Congressional Black Caucus Chair Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) and Congressional Black Caucus Judicial Nominations Task Force Chair Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today issued the following statement regarding the current Supreme Court vacancy: “Along with Americans throughout the country, we are devastated by the loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg devoted her life first to fighting for justice and equality and then on the Court to expanding equality and devoting...
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Don’t be fooled. In 39 days, you won’t hear another word about a Platinum Plan from Donald Trump. If he was serious about economic empowerment in Black communities, he would have listened to the Congressional Black Caucus when we met with him in 2017 to tell him our priorities. Instead, he never even read our 140-page proposal and went on to embolden white supremacists and give tax cuts to himself and his billionaire friends. And while Black people are being disproportionately hit by COVID-19, T...
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Leaders of the Congressional Tri-Caucus — composed of Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20), and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37) — issued the following joint statement on the Trump administration’s memo to federal agencies canceling anti-racism training for government employees: “In the middle of a national reckoning on racial injustice, the Trump administration is trying t...
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The Congressional Black Caucus released the following statement on President Trump's announcement to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO): "The move to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) in the midst of a pandemic highlights this administration’s gross mismanagement of this global health emergency and a complete abdication of international responsibility and leadership. As past administrations have done successfully before, we should be investing in our response capac...
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Representative Karen Bass, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement on the eve of the Senate’s procedural vote on Senator Tim Scott’s Justice Act: “We have reached a critical juncture in our history where the steps we take can change a generation. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act championed by the Congressional Black Caucus is the first ever comprehensive legislation to reform law enforcement but also empower communities to reimagine what just and equitable ...
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The Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter today to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) strongly opposing the nomination of Cory Wilson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit based on his record of support for ultra-right-wing ideology and his opposition to civil rights. “It should be clear,” the Congressional Black Caucus letter states, “that if Wilson is confirmed, he would not support and uphold laws that support i...
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