Black lawmakers are likely to lead key committees in the new, Democrat-led House, and that means issues such as Hurricane Katrina relief, hate crimes and voting problems are likely to get much more attention.
“Within the Congress, their influence went from about a one to a nine,” said David Bositis, who analyzes black politics for the Joint Center for Economic Studies in Washington. “This is by far the peak – ever – for the Congressional Black Caucus.”
Members of the group may head as many as five prominent House committees and 17 subcommittees.
The 43 black members of Congress, all of whom are Democrats, include some of the longest-tenured representatives. Because committee leaders traditionally are chosen according to seniority, black members are expected to play important roles.
Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina was selected last week to be majority whip, the No. 3 post in the House. He is the second black lawmaker in history to hold the seat, which lines up votes on legislation.
Likely committee chair appointments include John Con yers of Michigan to the Judiciary, New York’s Charles Rangel to Ways and Means, Bennie Thomp son of Mississippi to Homeland Security and Juanita Millender-McDonald of California to House Administration, which oversees federal elections.
By seniority, California Rep. Jane Harman should lead the Intelligence Committee, but House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi has told Harman she won’t be reappointed to the committee.
Alcee Hastings, a black Florida congressman, is the next senior Democrat. He would be a controversial choice, however. A former federal judge, he was charged in an FBI bribery sting and was acquitted by a federal jury. He was later impeached by the House and removed from the bench in 1989 by the Senate.
“These are committees that have great influence on the concerns of the African-American community,” said Hilary O. Shelton, who heads the Washington bureau of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Among likely policy goals:
- Increasing the federal minimum wage. More than half the states now mandate wages higher than the $5.15-per-hour minimum, and Democrats are expected to try to make those pay raises national.
- Reviving a stalled Hurricane Katrina recovery bill to help New Orleans and Mississippi rebuild following the disaster.
- Working to close racial gaps in health care, especially on HIV/AIDS, which hits black communities hard.
- Probing reports that voters, especially in black neighborhoods, have faced intimidation, faulty machines and other barriers to voting in recent elections.
