President Obama has first meeting with Congressional Black Caucus

By Todd J. Gillman  |  Dallas Morning News  |  Link to article
February 27, 2009

WASHINGTON – The Congressional Black Caucus met Thursday for the first time as a group with President Barack Obama, the group's most famous alumnus.

"Obviously this is the first time ever that the CBC had the opportunity to be with a president who happened to be of African ancestry," said Houston Rep. Al Green, one of three Texans in the 42-member group, all Democrats. "This country has demonstrated that character counts. And that's important, not to overlook the fact that we have had this giant leap forward."

The caucus chairwoman, Rep. Barbara Lee of California, called the hourlong White House meeting a "historic moment."

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a fellow Houstonian, noted the 12 percent unemployment rate among blacks and said the caucus is eager to work with Obama on solutions.

"This was a vibrant meeting. This was a meeting where there were a lot of 'amens' because here we were, listening to someone that is on the same page as the American people of all economic levels," she said.

Although some caucus members had grumbled about waiting more than five weeks for the meeting, long after Obama sat down with conservative "blue-dog" Democrats and House and Senate Republicans, the praise flowed Thursday.

The caucus met three times in eight years with the last president, Republican George W. Bush.

This time, said Rep. Chaka Fattah of Philadelphia, "There was no need for staff to whisper in his ear."

Fattah urged the new president to create a commission to fix educational disparities. The meeting also covered health care, judicial nominations, civil rights, foreign policy and – naturally – jobs, taxes and the economy, participants said.

"All of the issues were important," Green said, and the reception was "without question" better than in the Bush years.

"Not only do we have an ear, but we have someone who wants to act on some of the concerns that we have. Our agenda has not changed, the presidency has," he said.

The caucus includes many of Congress' most senior members. It's a powerful group, with four committee chairmen and 16 subcommittee chairmen, and includes some of the House's most liberal members.

Dallas Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson declined an interview request and didn't join other lawmakers who spoke with reporters after the meeting. In a written statement, she said caucus members emphasized the need to make "a brighter future possible for young African-Americans" and said that "today's meeting was truly a dialogue."