Today, Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) – led by CBC Foreign Affairs and National Security Task Force co-chair Congressmember Karen Bass (D-CA-37) – hosted a hearing-style briefing featuring experts and activists from around the country to examine and investigate the FBI’s August 2017 report that asserted that "Black Identity Extremists" (BIE) are likely motivated to target law enforcement officers. “Evidence and testimony at today's hearing raised further questions about the orig...
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Today, Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA), and Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security Ranking Member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) released the follow statement on the terrorist bombings in Austin, Texas: “Our prayers continue to be with the victims of the Austin bombings and their families. We continue to offer our support as the federal government and local authorities work to br...
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Today, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), led by CBC Chairman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02) and the Co-Chairs of the CBC Diversity Taskforce, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) and Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D-NC-01), made public a letter the CBC sent to investment associations urging them to leverage their influence at the firms they own to ensure these firms increase diversity in their board rooms, c-suites, and among their suppliers. The letter was sent to the Investment Company Institute, Managed Fun...
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Today, the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02), released the following statement on the passing of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY-25): “Today Congress lost its only microbiologist. “Congresswoman Louise Slaughter was a champion for justice and equality, one who worked tirelessly to make this country a more perfect union. She was also an inspiration to young women and girls who dreamed of holding public office. “During her 30-plus-year career...
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In a letter sent yesterday to Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) criticized a proposed change to HUD’s mission statement that would remove anti-discrimination language about the need to create “inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.” The CBC wrote, “As a direct result of institutional, systemic racism, the African-American community continues to face discrimination when buying or renting homes. Even to...
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In light of recent reports about National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rule violations regarding the payment of student-athletes, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) announced today that it is launching an NCAA task force that will be led by CBC Chairman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02): “The purpose of this taskforce is to assess the treatment of student-athletes, including the extent to which they are able to get a college education, and the money that influences college sports, includi...
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Today, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), led by CBC Chairman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02) and the three Co-Chairs of the CBC Economic Development and Wealth Creation Taskforce, sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin expressing the Caucus’ concern that the Trump Administration’s review of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) will result in a weaker version of the law that hurts the very communities that the law is supposed help: historically underserved communities that struggle to...
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Today, the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02), released the following statement on the pending bipartisan amendments to the Senate immigration bill: “I am encouraged by the amendments under consideration in the Senate that would provide protections for DREAMers without eliminating the Diversity Visa program. I am not in love with all aspects of some of the amendments because I continue to believe that we need a clean DREAM Act with some border se...
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Today, the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02), sent a letter to President Trump criticizing his immigration proposal as “unreasonable” and “un-American” because it unnecessarily pits black and brown immigrants against each other. Months ago, President Trump agreed to sign the DREAM Act into law, legislation that would primarily benefit Latino immigrants who were brought to the United States as children through no fault of their own, if and only i...
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Today, the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02), released the following statement in honor of Black History Month: “The political environment we’re in right now says that we as African Americans have nothing to lose and that this country was ‘great’ when we were fighting for full citizenship. But our history tells us that this could not be further from the truth. “African Americans do indeed have a lot to lose, 400 years of progress, in fact. And i...
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