Three black Republican House candidates are in a position to possibly join the 2011 congressional freshman class, but the official spokesman for the Congressional Black Caucus refused to say Monday whether they will be invited to join the traditionally Democratic group.
“It’s an issue that will be addressed when it’s relevant to be addressed,” said CBC spokesman J. Jioni Palmer, who punted to previous statements made about the issue.
Of 14 black Republican candidates this year, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Allen West of Florida and Ryan Frazier of Colorado are in reach of winning their districts. While West and Frazier’s races are considered toss-ups, Scott has a comfortable lead over his Democratic challenger and is widely considered a shoe-in.
While the CBC officially has not been clear about who they will allow in next year, Democratic Rep. James Clyburn, a CBC member and House majority whip, said last month that he would welcome a black Republican.
“If Tim Scott is interested in joining the caucus, he would be welcome,” he said.
But CBC Chairman Barbara Lee implied a few weeks later in an interview with The Economist that black Republicans would be welcomed only if they conform to the group’s liberal guidelines. “The CBC has an agenda,” Lee told The Economist. “Our agenda is about lifting people out of poverty, providing middle-class tax cuts, supporting climate-change legislation. Do [incoming black Republicans] embrace this agenda?”
Republicans have not elected a black member of Congress since Oklahoma Rep. J.C. Watts retired in 2003, who notoriously refused to join the CBC. Connecticut Rep. Gary A. Franks was the last Republican to be part of the caucus, and he lost his re-election bid in 1997 after years of fierce contention with the organization.
While the group’s by-laws forbid discrimination, it has never invited a white member of Congress to join. When Tennessee Democratic Rep. Stephen I. Cohen, who is white but represented a majority black district, made an effort to join in 2007, he was resoundingly discouraged from doing so and ultimately dropped his bid. California Democratic Rep. Pete Stark, also white, was excluded in his 1975 attempt.
As for whether any of the three candidates will join if elected, Scott said in July that he is “probably leaning against it,” West has indicated that he would likely join and Frazier said he would consider it if he “can have an effective voice in making that caucus better.”
In an interview with The Daily Caller, Palmer refused to discuss the specific requirements that members need to meet to join the caucus.
“I’m not going into that,” Palmer said. When asked why, he replied, “Because I’m not, alright?”