Membership
The caucus is officially non-partisan, but in practice it has been closely identified with the Democratic Party, and tends to function as a lobbying group within the wider Democratic Party. Only six black
Republicans have been elected to Congress since the caucus was founded: Senator
Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts, Representative
Gary Franks of Connecticut,
Delegate Melvin H. Evans of the Virgin Islands, Representative
J. C. Watts of Oklahoma, Representative
Allen West of Florida, and Representative
Tim Scott of South Carolina. Brooke was not in the CBC. Watts elected not to join the group because of its closely Democratic affiliation and goals,
[4] saying "...they said that I had sold out and [called me an]
Uncle Tom. But I have my thoughts. And I think they're race-hustling
poverty pimps."
[5] After the 2010 midterms, Allen West joined the caucus while Tim Scott declined.
[6] West indicated that he planned to shake up the CBC's "monolithic" ideology and indicated the caucus promoted a culture of victimization among its black constituents.
[7]
The caucus has grown steadily as more black members have been elected. In 1969 the caucus had nine members. As of 2008, it had 43 members, including two who are non-voting members of the House, representing the
District of Columbia and the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
[edit] White membership
Over the years, the question has arisen, "Does the caucus allow only black members?"
Pete Stark, D-CA., who is
white, tried and failed to join in 1975. In January 2007, Josephine Hearn reported in
Politico that white members of Congress were not welcome to join the CBC.
[8] Freshman
Representative Steve Cohen, D-TN., who is white, pledged to apply for membership during his election campaign to represent his constituency, which is 60% African American. Hearn further reported that although the bylaws of the caucus do not make race a prerequisite for membership, former and current members of the caucus agreed that the group should remain "exclusively black." Rep. William Lacy Clay, Jr., D-MO., the son of Rep. William Lacy Clay Sr., D-MO., a co-founder of the caucus, is quoted as saying, "Mr. Cohen asked for admission, and he got his answer. He's white and the caucus is black. It's time to move on. We have racial policies to pursue and we are pursuing them, as Mr. Cohen has learned. It's an unwritten rule. It's understood." In response to the decision, Rep. Cohen stated, "It's their caucus and they do things their way. You don't force your way in." Clay issued an official statement from his office:
Quite simply, Rep. Cohen will have to accept what the rest of the country will have to acceptthere has been an unofficial Congressional White Caucus for over 200 years, and now it's our turn to say who can join 'the club.' He does not, and cannot, meet the membership criteria, unless he can change his skin color. Primarily, we are concerned with the needs and concerns of the black population, and we will not allow white America to infringe on those objectives.
On January 25, 2007, Representative
Tom Tancredo, R-CO., spoke out against the continued existence of the CBC as well as the
Democratic Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the
Republican Congressional Hispanic Conference saying,
"It is utterly hypocritical for Congress to extol the virtues of a color-blind society while officially sanctioning caucuses that are based solely on race. If we are serious about achieving the goal of a colorblind society, Congress should lead by example and end these divisive, race-based caucuses."[9]
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