Black Caucus Planning Revolt Against Pelosi - DailyBeast [View all]

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Black Caucus Planning Revolt Against Pelosi
African American Democrats are vowing to block a proposal they say will diminish the political power they’ve waited a generation to attain.
Tim Mak - DailyBeast
01.29.15

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Black lawmakers are on the verge of a revolt over a proposal that could marginalize their political power, and are warning House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to crush the idea before it is discussed further -- or face a backlash.

The Congressional Black Caucus has never had more influence. It boasts a large number of senior lawmakers who have ascended to top positions only after years in the House of Representatives. They have banked on their seniority to solidify their status.

And now, with their caucus at its largest ever, they have the numbers to cause some serious trouble if they’re defied.

Its members are upset over internal Democratic discussions about limiting the role of seniority in determining key leadership posts, and imposing term limits on how long lawmakers can hold those positions.

There are more black members of Congress than ever – 46 members of the CBC in the current Congress (that’s nearly quarter of the Democrats in the House -- there’s just one Republican in the group) – wielding a historic amount of influence.

Black leaders have waited a generation for this moment.

Seven CBC members are the top-ranking Democratic leaders on Congressional committees and 23 members have the top post on subcommittees, largely because of seniority -- how long they’ve spent in Congress.

And while not all Democrats support the current system -- any change to it at this moment would have a disproportionate effect on black members of Congress, members of the CBC said.

“There's an old joke,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, “that once African Americans get there, the rules are going to change. Once Latinos get there, the rules are going to change. The seniority system has been there almost since the beginning of the Republic."

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More: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/29/facing-threat-black-dems-mull-revolt.html#