CBC meets with Obama to discuss summer jobs legislation
In a meeting aides described as “frank but cordial,” members of the Congressional Black Caucus told President Barack Obama on Thursday that he has to do more to help African-Americans.
Members of the caucus have complained — both publicly and privately — that they aren’t getting enough from the nation’s first black president. Thursday’s hourlong session was their chance to make that case directly with Obama, and aides said they did just that.
CBC Chairwoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said the group discussed direct job creation and work force training as well as areas where government can help “create jobs immediately.”
People close to the caucus said members pointed to the high unemployment rate in their largely majority African-American congressional districts. They encouraged Obama to push legislation in the Senate that would lead to direct jobs creation, particularly a summer youth jobs program — a proposal that failed in the Senate this week.
In a statement, the White House said that Lee had discussed “the impact of the economy in economically distressed communities and the need for additional assistance in these areas,” and that other CBC members had “presented their concerns and solutions for broadening the impact of the recovery effort.”
The White House said Obama and the CBC members agreed on “a number of things” that could be done to address the unemployment problem, both immediately and in the long run.
Prior to the meeting, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) said the CBC would be asking Obama to help get the summer jobs program through the Senate, which has just one black member, Roland Burris of Illinois
