Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC (CBCPAC) Board has released the following statement regarding this year's election, "The CBCPAC would like to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden and is extremely proud to have our very own Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris ascend as the first Black woman to hold this important office. It is not lost on us that the Black community is still celebrating firsts, despite our long history of being in this country starting with our journey through the Middle Passage.

America needed Black communities in Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania to save us from the White House's failed leadership of the past four years and we showed up in record ways. This is a signal to all that when you invest in Black communities and Black organizers, the return is amazing. This is a time for celebration, but also a time to invest in Black leaders to take the lead in campaigns and in committees.

This election is proof positive that when we listen to Black organizers, Black leaders, and Black voters the results are tremendous. We are headed into the 117th Congress with a larger caucus that will fight for Black America which in turn fights for all Americans. We have worked hard this cycle to support candidates who will embrace the values we know will move the country in the right direction. So far, we are excited to welcome our new Members Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Cori Bush (MO-1), Mondaire Jones (NY-17), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), and Nikema Williams (GA-5) to be part of the conscience of the Congress in January. We are also closely monitoring our Frontline races and are confident that once all ballots are counted, we will have these Members back as well.

The US Senate is still in play and we need it in Democratic control in order to pass some of the critical legislation we have passed in the House, only to have it blocked by the GOP leadership. A Democratic Senate will also help the Biden administration get our country back on the right track and this starts with the two run-off elections in Georgia. Today, we will celebrate but tomorrow we continue the crucial work to ensure that voters stay engaged, active and ready to vote again on January 5th."

Background

The CBCPAC has raised over $10 million dollars this cycle in hopes to retain current Members of the Congressional Black Caucus as well as ensure that candidates running to uplift the Congressional Black Caucus’ values were supported. This allowed the CBCPAC to invest more than $6 million dollars directly into the 2020 election cycle with $2 million dollars going into an independent expenditure, $2 million+ more invested with partner organizations, and another $2 million+ dollars given directly to candidate campaigns. The CBCPAC aims to protect the sitting Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, elect new Members who will be allies for the CBC’s legislative priorities and candidates who will encourage, engage and excite voters to ensure they participate in the electoral process. For more information, on the CBCPAC, please visit www.cbcpac.org.

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