Press Releases

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... Read more

Last week, Charlie Scharf, CEO, of Wells Fargo blamed the lack of diversity at the bank on a “very limited pool of Black talent to recruit from.” His statement is a slap in the face to the Black professionals who have sought employment at this institution and were denied, despite possessing the qualifications for the job. Despite gains in degree attainment over the years for Black Americans, Mr. Scharf’s comments seem to say, Black candidates, even those that are qualified, are not good enough. ... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

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... Read more

The blatant disregard for human life, especially Black lives, is on display once again in our country’s police departments. This time in Kenosha, Wisconsin and Lafayette, Louisiana. Both men were shot in the back by police officers. Jacob Blake is paralyzed from the waist down and Trayford Pellerin is dead. The shootings of Jacob Blake and Trayford Pellerin are yet again two tragic incidents of police brutality against Black people in America. In the letter, the Chair of the Congressional Black ... Read more

Today, we celebrate the 55-year anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But 55 years later, our nation is still struggling to ensure voting rights for all Americans. This 1965 law was an historic win for African Americans, but we continue to face ongoing voter suppression efforts, from modern-day poll taxes for formerly incarcerated individuals and needless ID requirements, to closed polling locations and ballot shortages in Black communities, to disinformation campaigns on ... Read more

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... Read more

On Monday, July 20th, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) sent a letter to Secretary Mike Pompeo to address the lack of diversity and inclusion among the State Department's foreign service and civil service personnel. During this movement for change, we must look within our institutions to ensure that they reflect a multicultural America. There is a prevalent and persistent institutional racism at the State Department. A February 2020 study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found di... Read more