The Congressional Black Caucus' record 62 members plan to fight Trump's agenda
The Congressional Black Caucus will have 62 members in the 119th Congress, contributing to a record 67 Black representatives.
The Congressional Black Caucus will boast a record 62 members for the next session of Congress, contributing toward the highest number of Black federal lawmakers in history, according to the organization.
In all, 67 Black people will serve in Congress. Five Republican members are not listed as members of the CBC.
While the caucus's members had planned to uphold a policy agenda for Black and marginalized people under a Kamala Harris administration, instead Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said the CBC's role will be to hold President-elect Donald Trump and his congressional supporters accountable.
“We’ve always been the conscience of the Congress, and that’s no matter who’s in charge,” Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told NBC News. “We always try to work with folks where we can. But we call them out also. And now we have more of these leaders to call truth to power, to make sure that the voices of the voiceless are heard.”
The Congressional Black Caucus, established in 1971, is not tied to a political party, though all members are Democrats. Its mission has been to represent Black and marginalized groups through voter enfranchisement, health care access, broader educational opportunities, jobs, reform of the criminal justice system and foreign relations with predominantly Black nations around the world. According to its website, members of the CBC currently represent 120 million people in the U.S. and 41% of Black Americans.
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