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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Yesterday, 27 year old Walter Wallace, Jr. was killed by a Philadelphia police officer in front of his home and in front of his mother. His young children are now without a father. The Congressional Black Caucus calls for an immediate independent investigation into the shooting but also for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to take up the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act for an immediate vote. He has had more than enough time to take this transformative policing reform bill up fo...
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Today, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Karen Bass sent a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on the state sanctioned violence against peaceful non-violent protesters in Nigeria and calling for dialogue with the CBC and the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Sylvanus Nsofor. In the letter, the Congressional Black Caucus expressed particular concern with the documented force used by the Nigerian police and military, which has resulted in the loss of lives and injury of do...
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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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Today, Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), unveiled the second edition of the Jobs and Justice Act. The comprehensive legislation developed by the Congressional Black Caucus is aimed at increasing the upward mobility of Black families in America. The bill was first introduced in 2018 by then-CBC Chair Cedric Richmond (LA-02). The Jobs and Justice Act of 2020 is a package of over 200 bills championed by members of the CBC. This omnibus bill addresses a wide range of issues, from comm...
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Today the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act (S.2163/H.R. 1636), introduced by Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson, to establish a 19-member commission examining the social disparities that disproportionately affect black males in America. Led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), the Senate unanimously passed a companion bill, S. 2163, on June 25. The two lawmakers created a similar commission when they served together in Florid...
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Yet again, we have witnessed the use of excessive force, specifically the chokehold, by a police officer in our country. Over the weekend, an officer from the Allentown Police Department was caught on camera placing his knee on the neck of a man, in an attempt to arrest him after the officers noticed the man was vomiting and staggering along the street. In this instance the unarmed man was in need of medical attention but instead was met with force by the police officers. The disturbing video al...
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Today, Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner; Samaria Rice, mother of Tamir Rice; and John Crawford, Jr., father of John Crawford III, released the following joint statement in support of the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act, legislation to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement and build trust between law enforcement and our communities: “The unjust killing of a loved one, especially at the hands of law enforcement, is a pain too many families have been forced to endure. ...
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