Congressional Black Caucus RSS Articles

Congressional Black Caucus Urges Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel to Launch Federal Review of Nolan Wells’ Death

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Chair Yvette D. Clarke and members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) issued a letter to U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel urging the U.S. Department of Justice to immediately launch an independent federal review of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and death of 18-year-old Nolan Xavier Wells.

“Accordingly, the Congressional Black Caucus requests that the United States Department of Justice immediately undertake an independent federal review of the circumstances surrounding Nolan Wells’ disappearance and death, provide appropriate federal investigative assistance, and determine whether there is a basis for a federal investigation, including under applicable federal civil rights laws.”

In the letter, the Congressional Black Caucus raised concerns regarding the lack of transparency and unanswered questions surrounding the circumstances of Nolan Wells’ disappearance and death more than one month later. The CBC emphasized that while local authorities in Mississippi have an ongoing investigation, the continued absence of answers warrants additional federal resources and an independent assessment of whether federal involvement is appropriate.

“More than 30 days after his disappearance and death, significant questions remain unanswered about the events of July 4, 2026, and the circumstances that led to his death. The Wells family has been forced to grieve while also seeking basic information about what happened to their son.”

The CBC stressed that federal involvement would not prejudge the facts or outcome of any ongoing investigation, but would help ensure that every appropriate investigative resource and avenue of inquiry is being pursued.

“The Wells family deserves to understand what happened to their son. They deserve answers. They deserve transparency. And they deserve confidence that every available resource has been brought to bear in determining the truth.”

The Congressional Black Caucus requested that the Department of Justice immediately review the matter and provide a written response within seven days regarding the Department’s involvement and the steps it has taken or intends to take.

Read the full text of the letter here.

Congressional Black Caucus Statement on Senate Consideration of the Protect College Sports Act

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement:

“The Congressional Black Caucus cannot support advancing the Protect College Sports Act in its current form.

“The Congressional Black Caucus is clear that this debate is about much more than college athletics. It is about an industry that has a profound impact on the sports culture and entertainment enjoyed by American society. It is about who has a voice in shaping the economic future of Black athletes, coaches, agents, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and the communities that have helped build college sports into a multibillion-dollar enterprise.

“At the very moment that Black political representation is under attack across the country, we will not be complicit in efforts to further exclude the interests of Black people by advancing legislation that will determine the economic future of Black athletes, their families, and their communities without their meaningful participation and engagement.

“Several months ago, before the Senate ever reached this moment, the Congressional Black Caucus made clear that Congress should not rush to provide sweeping new federal protections and legal certainty to powerful athletic institutions while those same institutions remained largely silent as Black voting rights and Black political representation came under unprecedented attack.

“The legislation before the Senate has evolved. However, the fundamental concerns of Black collegiate athletes, coaches, agents, HBCUs, and the communities we represent have not.

“As states across the country continue taking aggressive steps to dismantle Black political representation and erode decades of hard-won protections secured by the Voting Rights Act, Congress is preparing to rewrite the economic rules governing college athletics. In doing so, it is assigning authority to various entities across this growing industry and establishing rules that will shape earning opportunities, representation, and long-term economic mobility for generations of Black athletes. Those issues cannot be separated.

“Black athletes have transformed college athletics into one of the most successful enterprises in America. Yet the people most affected by this legislation have not been meaningfully included in shaping it.

“Despite months of negotiations and multiple Senate hearings, the legislative process has failed to meaningfully incorporate the perspectives of Black athletes, Black coaches, Black agents, HBCUs, or the Congressional Black Caucus, despite the disproportionate impact this legislation will have on those communities. Meaningful engagement is measured by results, not meetings.

“No legislation that disproportionately affects Black athletes should move through Congress without meaningful participation from the communities it will most directly affect.

“The Congressional Black Caucus has consistently advocated for stronger rights, protections, and economic opportunities for Black athletes and the broader ecosystem that supports them. We have sought stronger athlete protections, greater transparency and accountability, meaningful representation in the governance of college athletics, and policies that expand—not limit—opportunities for Black athletes, Black coaches, Black agents, Black entrepreneurs, and HBCUs. Those priorities are not meaningfully reflected in the legislation before the Senate.

“Instead, the so-called Protect College Sports Act grants sweeping new legal protections to powerful institutions while failing to adequately protect the athletes whose talent fuels this multibillion-dollar industry. It falls short of providing Black athletes with the rights, representation, economic opportunities, and meaningful safeguards they deserve, while also failing to adequately recognize the interests of Black coaches, Black agents, HBCUs, and other professionals whose futures will be shaped by this legislation. Those concerns have also been echoed by the NAACP and a broad coalition of athlete advocates, labor organizations, civil rights organizations, and public interest organizations urging the Senate not to advance this legislation in its current form.

“We will not be a party to strengthening powerful institutions while they remain silent as Black political representation is decimated. Congress should not determine the economic future of Black athletes without ensuring they and the communities they come from have a meaningful voice throughout the process.

“Senate Democrats now have both the opportunity and the responsibility to insist that this legislation reflects the interests of Black athletes, HBCUs, and the communities it will most directly affect. We urge our Democratic colleagues to use their leverage to ensure these concerns are addressed before this legislation advances any further.

“Our communities have done their part in strengthening and advancing our democracy. While many in this debate view this as a matter of collegiate athletics, the Congressional Black Caucus maintains that this is about political representation. It is about economic opportunity. It is about whether those whose talent built college athletics will have a meaningful voice in determining its future.

“Nothing about us without us.”

Congressional Black Caucus Condemns Trump Administration's Rescission of Disparate Impact Rule

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement:

“The Congressional Black Caucus condemns the Trump Administration's decision to abandon decades of civil rights enforcement by eliminating the longstanding disparateimpact standard under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. This reckless action will make it harder to challenge school policies that disproportionately harm Black students and other communities of color, even when the discriminatory effects are clear.

“Instead of working to lower costs for families and expand opportunity for the American people, the Trump Administration returns time and again to its racist playbook—using the federal government to weaken civil rights protections and target Black and minority communities with discriminatory policies. By refusing to recognize policies with discriminatory effects unless there is proof of intentional discrimination, the Administration is turning its back on the promise of equal educational opportunity and undermining decades of progress toward educational equity.

“The Congressional Black Caucus will continue fighting to protect every student's civil rights and ensure our nation's schools remain places where every child has an equal opportunity to succeed.”

CBC Members and Black Mayors Discuss Safety in the Age of Trump

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Yesterday, the Congressional Black Caucus and the Vera Institute of Justice hosted a virtual roundtable and Q&A to discuss how local and federal leaders are contributing to historic crime declines, and present a proactive vision of public safety. The conversation was moderated by Vera President Insha Rahman and featured U.S. Rep. Summer Lee (PA-12), U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown (OH-11), Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, and Durham Mayor Leonardo “Leo” Williams.

The conversation and Q&A can be viewed here.

“For too long, leaders in Washington and around our nation have weaponized the issue of public safety with a failed 'tough on crime' approach that drives fear and division while fueling a cycle of mass incarceration, instead of delivering real solutions that make communities safer,” said CBC Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09). “President Trump has routinely demonized cities with sizable Black populations as crime-ridden or lawless to justify policies that have made our communities less safe, undermined trust between communities and law enforcement, and diverted attention from proven, evidence-based strategies that reduce violence. The facts tell a different story: Black mayors in cities across America are leading some of the nation's most successful crime reduction efforts. The Congressional Black Caucus is proud to partner with the Vera Institute of Justice on the Serious About Safety campaign, and I applaud the leadership of Congresswomen Summer Lee and Shontel Brown, along with mayors like Brandon Scott, Ras J. Baraka, and Leonardo Williams, who are proving that community-based, evidence-driven investments make neighborhoods safer. The CBC will continue fighting for serious solutions that reduce crime, strengthen communities, and deliver lasting public safety.”

“While Trump focuses on “tough on crime” fear-mongering and counter-productive gimmicks like deploying the National Guard, Black Mayors across the country are doing the real work to make cities safer. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus to set the record straight and advocate for real public safety solutions,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.

“In Baltimore, we know how to solve the issue of public safety,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “It's about investing in public health, it's about getting rid of vacant houses and providing opportunities. It's about being focused on the very small percent who are responsible for the overwhelming amount of violence in our communities—going after guns and getting them off our streets. We are currently seeing a historic reduction in violence and homicides, and we want to push it even further. You don't do that without the support of the community.”

“Crime rates continue to fall across the country to historic levels thanks to bold, community-first approaches to public safety like the ones discussed today. While the Trump administration continues its assault on immigrants and cities, while simultaneously gutting programs that we know increase safety, local and federal leaders—specifically Black leaders like Rep. Summer Lee, Rep. Shontel Brown, and Mayors Scott, Baraka and Williams are charting a path forward for all to follow. Their serious approach to safety is a model for how we can prevent crime before it happens and continue to help communities thrive,” said Vera President Insha Rahman.

“Our approach in Newark is to treat crime and violence as a public health issue. And what we see now in our city — with a homicide rate that hasn’t been this low since Eisenhower was president — is the result of us focusing on the kind of things that have been absent from our neighborhoods: investing in housing, investing in our young people, literacy, education, recreation and opportunity. When you start to add that, and at the same time address some of the symptomatic issues and build a community-based public safety ecosystem centered on violence prevention and trauma recovery, you’ll see that violence and crime gets reduce gradually. It’s all about putting the 'public' back into 'public safety.'" - Newark Mayor Ray J. Baraka

Congressional Black Caucus Condemns Trump Administration's Rollback of EEOC Workforce Data Collection

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement:

“The Congressional Black Caucus strongly condemns the Trump Administration's decision to eliminate the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's long-standing requirement that employers submit workforce demographic data. For more than 60 years, this reporting has served as a vital tool for identifying patterns of workplace discrimination against Black and minority communities while ensuring that our nation's civil rights laws are enforced.

“The Trump Administration should be working to strengthen accountability for employers, not weaken it. Its decision to dismantle one of the federal government's most effective tools for monitoring equal opportunity in the workplace is outrageous and will make it more difficult to identify disparities in hiring, promotions, pay, and leadership representation. Rather than strengthening the enforcement of civil rights protections, the Administration is undermining the very tools that have helped expose discrimination and expand economic opportunity for generations of Americans.

“The Congressional Black Caucus remains committed to protecting the civil rights laws enacted to combat systemic discrimination and ensure fairness in the workplace. We will continue to fight against efforts to weaken accountability and roll back decades of hard-fought progress toward equal opportunity.”

Congressional Black Caucus Statement on Retirement of Rep. Cleo Fields

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement:

"The Congressional Black Caucus applauds Congressman Cleo Fields for his distinguished tenure in the U.S. Congress. For more than three decades in public service, Congressman Fields has been a champion for education, economic development, and community empowerment—dedicating his career to improving the lives of Louisianans through leadership, vision, and action.

"While we are saddened that this chapter of his service in the House of Representatives is coming to a close, we are grateful that his service to the people of Louisiana and to our nation is far from over, as he continues his commitment to public service by seeking election to the Louisiana State Senate in the 14th District.

"Congressman Fields' career tells a story that is, unfortunately, all too familiar in the struggle for voting rights. He first came to Congress in the 1990s, and after returning to the House in 2025, the ongoing battle over fair representation continues to impact the state of Louisiana. This is now the second time that changes to Louisiana's congressional map have altered the course of his service and silenced the voices of the communities that elected him to represent them in Congress. Congressman Fields' journey, and the experiences of the communities impacted by partisan racial gerrymandering, are a powerful reminder that the work of protecting the right to vote and ensuring fair representation is never finished.

"We thank Congressman Fields for his service to the Congressional Black Caucus, to this institution, and most importantly, to the people he has faithfully represented throughout his distinguished career. This body has been made better because of his voice, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to justice.

"We look forward to serving alongside Congressman Fields through the completion of his term and wish him godspeed in the next phase of his public service."

Joint Statement from Tri-Caucus, Democratic Leadership on Mace Resolution

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The Chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus—Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Rep. Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)—along with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar released the following joint statement on Rep. Nancy Mace’s resolution that would effectively abolish the Congressional Tri-Caucus, among other groups:

“Nancy Mace rose to infamy for her cheap political stunts, and this is just the latest distraction from her failed primary and complete inability to deliver for her constituents. Members of Congress have every right to organize around shared policy priorities and the constituencies they serve. There are dozens of bipartisan congressional caucuses dedicated to ethnic communities, geographic regions, industries, veterans, faith traditions, and countless other interests. Singling out the Congressional Tri-Caucus—which represents nearly half of all Americans—is racist and a shameless attempt to silence the voices of minorities.

“The Tri-Caucus does not need a lecture about what constitutes federally sanctioned segregation—least of all from a member who has repeatedly made racist and bigoted comments about minority communities over the course of her tenure in Congress.

“The Congressional Tri-Caucus was formed to address the needs and concerns of Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander American communities that are too often ignored in the halls of power. These caucuses existed long before Nancy Mace arrived in Congress, and will remain long after she fades into irrelevancy.”

Joint Statement from Democratic Caucuses on DHS Public Charge Rule

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The Chairs of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Rep. Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair Teresa Leger Fernández released the following joint statement on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) rescission of the 2022 public charge rule, which would provide immigration enforcement officers more discretion to deny applications based on an applicant's perceived likelihood of relying on public benefits:

“The Trump administration is tearing down America’s legal immigration system brick by brick, making it harder for immigrants who have followed the rules to build a future in this country. DHS is gutting clear guidance on how to determine whether an individual is likely to become a public charge, instead leaving that determination wholly in the discretion of individual officers. Those officers will now be able to count a family's use of non-cash, means-tested benefits — like Medicaid, nutrition assistance, and housing support — in a public charge determination, a stark departure from decades of practice, settled legal understanding, and congressional intent.

“This cruel decision will trigger a massive chilling effect that discourages immigrant families — including U.S. citizen children — from lawfully accessing health care, nutrition, and early childhood programs they need and are eligible for. This will only result in poorer health outcomes for children, increased food insecurity, and higher costs placed on state and local governments. When this administration last expanded public charge in 2019, nearly half of immigrants in low-income families reported that they or a family member avoided or dropped benefits they were legally entitled to out of fear.

“Congress has repeatedly affirmed that the public charge standard must be administered with clarity, fairness, and consistency for families and adjudicators alike. As Caucus Chairs, we will not stop fighting to reverse this rule and ensure public charge is determined by clear, consistent factors as intended by Congress. The unchecked power of Trump’s immigration goons must end.”

Background:

The rescission of the 2022 public charge rule will take effect on September 18, 2026 and impact applications submitted on or after that date. Under the current rule, which reflects the standard that has governed public charge determinations for decades, participation in non-cash, means-tested public benefits, including Medicaid, housing, and nutrition programs, did not trigger public charge concerns.

Prior to this rescission, a public charge finding only applied to applicants likely to become primarily dependent on cash assistance for income maintenance or long-term government-funded institutional care. Beginning September 18, that longstanding practice will end. This is a sweeping expansion of who can be denied a green card or visa, and one that Congress never authorized in legislation governing immigration and public benefits like the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) or the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA).

Congressional Black Caucus Statement on Republicans’ Stop Insider Trading Act and Voter ID Act

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement:

“The reality is this: House Republicans are not serious about enacting a meaningful congressional stock trading ban. The combined Stop Insider Trading Act and Voter ID Act—which incorporates provisions from the voter-suppressive, so-called SAVE America Act—would allow Members of Congress to continue owning, selling, and, in some cases, purchasing individual stocks while simultaneously imposing stricter voter ID requirements that would make it harder for millions of eligible Americans to vote, including by mail.

“Republicans cannot credibly present this legislation as a good-faith effort to end congressional stock trading. Instead, this bill is a Trojan horse—using the premise of congressional ethics reform to advance a broader effort to restrict access to the ballot box.

“Across the country, hundreds of bills to restrict voting access have been introduced with the aim of closing polling locations, curbing early voting and mail-in voting, and imposing stricter voter ID requirements. And in the wake of the Callais decision, Black political representation has come under coordinated attack, with Republican-led legislatures and governors moving to redraw congressional maps across the South ahead of the November election to dilute Black voting strength and roll back decades of progress achieved under the Voting Rights Act.

“This legislation is not a genuine congressional stock trading ban; it is a legislative vehicle for continuing Republicans’ onslaught of voting restrictions, with devastating consequences for Black and other minority communities.

“The CBC urges our House Democratic colleagues to vote against the Stop Insider Trading Act and Voter ID Act.”

Congressional Black Caucus Urges Senate to Reject Todd Blanche for U.S. Attorney General

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement:

“Todd Blanche has been at the center of some of the Trump Administration’s most controversial efforts, from the cover-up of the Epstein files to the creation of a $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded slush fund used to pay millions to convicted criminals and January 6 insurrectionists. He has also sought to undermine Congress’s constitutional oversight authority by targeting Black elected officials, including by bringing baseless charges against Congresswoman LaMonica McIver for conducting lawful oversight—charges that should be immediately dropped.

“Throughout his time in Washington, Todd Blanche has demonstrated unwavering fealty to Donald Trump rather than an independent commitment to serving the American people. As it stands, Todd Blanche’s tenure at the DOJ has already been detrimental to Black communities from advancing the Administration’s efforts to roll back decades of civil rights progress, to attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, to turning a blind eye to misconduct by law enforcement officials. There is little reason to believe that will change if he becomes the nation’s top law enforcement official.

“Time and again, Blanche has made clear that he does not view the Department of Justice as an independent institution. Instead, his actions suggest a willingness to expand presidential power by using the nation’s top law enforcement agency to target Donald Trump’s perceived political opponents, shield the president and his family from accountability, and interfere with state election administration, among other alarming overreaches of power. The American people deserve an Attorney General who upholds the rule of law—not one whose primary allegiance is to Donald Trump.

“The Senate must resoundingly reject this nomination—full stop.”