Representative Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wants to shut down racial and ethnic affinity caucuses, calling these congressional causes a form of “segregation.” In fact, these caucuses first emerged in the 1960s to provide affinity spaces for members subjected to segregation.
Mace listed 23 caucuses in Congress that she feels “discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, or national origin,” according to her office’s press release.
The groups include:
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
- Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Caucus
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus
- Congressional Caucus on Black Innovation
- Congressional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Caucus
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus
- Congressional Hispanic Conference
- Congressional Latino-Jewish Caucus
- Congressional Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) Caucus
- Italian American Congressional Delegation
- Black Republican Congressional Staff Association
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Staff Association
- Congressional Black Associates Staff Association
- Congressional Hispanic Staff Association
- Congressional Korean American Staff Association
- Congressional South Asian-American Staff Association
- GOP Latino Staff Association
- Greek American Congressional Staff Association
- Italian American Congressional Staff Association
- Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Staff Association
- Republican Asian American Staff Association
- Syrian-American Congressional Staff Association
“Race-based caucuses are not about diversity. They are segregation sanctioned by the legislative branch of the federal government,” Mace said in a statement. “You do not get to lecture America about inclusion while running an organization checking skin color at the door or advocating for Americans of one race over another. It is discrimination under the guise of diversity. Our resolution calls it what it is and shuts it down for good.”
Historically, congressional members of color often found themselves isolated when they arrived on Capitol Hill. There were few other lawmakers like them. In the 1960s, Black members of Congress formed the Democracy Select Committee to create a space where they felt safe discussing issues impacting the communities they serve, according to U.S. House records. The Democracy Select Committee would eventually become the Congressional Black Caucus which paved the way for other similar groups.
House Democratic leadership and the heads of several of the groups called Mace’s move “racist” and “shameless.” The response was written by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, along with the chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus: Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y.
“Members of Congress have every right to organize around shared policy priorities and the constituencies they serve,” the Democratic leaders and leaders of the affinity caucuses said. “There are dozens of bipartisan congressional caucuses dedicated to ethnic communities, geographic regions, industries, veterans, faith traditions and countless other interests. Singling out the Congressional Tri-Caucus—which represents nearly half of all Americans—is racist and a shameless attempt to silence the voices of minorities.”
