From The Chair

Dear Friend:

It is my distinct honor to serve as the 24th chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) for the 114th Congress.  I am proud to lead the largest membership in the history of the CBC with 45 members, including 20 women from all across our nation.  The new Congress provides a fresh start to address the issues that are important to us all. 

For more than 150 years, African Americans have worked tirelessly to empower future generations toward equality and achievement, and we continue that fight today.  The 45 members of our caucus hail from 21 states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands, and represent more than 30 million people.  The CBC is one of the largest member organizations in the U.S. House of Representatives, making up 23 percent of the House Democratic Caucus and 10 percent of the entire House of Representatives.  Several CBC members hold leadership positions in the Democratic Caucus and seven hold the top Democratic positions on full committees.

The composition of our Caucus brings a diverse set of experiences and viewpoints to tackle the unique challenges of African American communities.  While we each have our own priorities, we maintain our dedication to upholding our reputation as the “Conscience of the Congress.”  We speak with a singular, powerful voice in our fight to deliver on the expectations of Americans—to have a government that works for us all.

This online portal will provide you with our rich history, legislative agenda, and updates on our work toward positive change in this country.  As chair, I look forward to working with my CBC colleagues as we implement a new agenda—one that learns from our past, but boldly confronts the future.

I welcome your thoughts on how to better serve you and I am confident that together we can make a difference.

Thank you very much.

Very truly yours,

Rep. G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)
Chair, Congressional Black Caucus