Can The CBC Help Obama Fight The GOP?

President Barack Obama met with the Congressional Black Caucus this week. While it’s a principled effort to address serious concerns and racial disparities in education, health care, employment and the criminal justice system, I question whether real progress can be made while a mean-spirited GOP-controlled Congress is poised to block Obama’s legislative agenda during his remaining two years in the White House.

The White House said Obama and the Caucus discussed a wide range of topics underscoring the need to build on the legislative gains accomplished over the past six years and they agreed that there is still more work to be done together.

Here’s how the White House framed the meeting: The President expressed that while we have seen continued economic progress, there is more work to do to help ensure that all Americans share in the benefits of our growth. He expressed shared concern with the CBC regarding the unemployment rate among African Americans and reaffirmed his commitment to support and create policies that will help all hardworking families make ends meet, while boosting America’s productivity and giving workers the tools they need to secure the good jobs of the future.

The President also underscored the need to continue to work with Congress to reform the criminal justice system and the critical need to build trust between communities and law enforcement officials and highlighted the work he and his Administration are doing on this important issue.

So here’s the part that gave me pause: Working with Congress. How can Obama and the Congressional Black Caucus work with a Congress that is completely unwilling to work with them? The goal for the Republican Congress is to set up roadblocks so Obama’s legislative agenda is never realized. Obama knows it and Black legislators know it.

Republicans plan to cut spending for a myriad of social programs, education grants and student loan initiatives that have benefitted African-Americans for years. Sadly for the next two years, , there will be partisan bickering and gridlock of historic proportions. The divide between Democrats and Republicans couldn’t be more apparent. The Congressional Black Caucus said education is one of their top priorities, especially as it pertains to the country’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

“There are more than 100 HBCUs throughout the country, and we want them to be centers for excellence for many generations to come,” the CBC said in a statement.

I believe the President is now focusing more specifically –and publicly — on helping black folks. Call it a black agenda or call it the right thing to do, but there is no doubt that Obama is finally using his White House bully pulpit to talk about social justice.

But this is not about effort, nobility or progressive leadership: It’s about Congress appropriating money to fund critical programs to aid Black Americans – and all Americans – in need. Just this week, a House subcommittee voted to shut down South Carolina State University for two years while the university tries to deal with its monumental financial woes.

South Carolina State University is the state’s only public historically black college. Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina is an alumni of the school. South Carolina State officials say the school has debts of at least $17.5 million so lawmakers are suggesting closing the school until its creditors can be satisfied.

University President Thomas Elzey, who took charge in mid-2013, said, “I want to make one thing clear. SC State will not close.”

I’m not a pessimist, but I am a realist, and I don’t see a path for substantive dialogue between Obama and the GOP particularly when it comes to funding Black colleges. Republicans in Congress are not focused on finding ways to educate Black students. It’s not a priority. They don’t care. And so the partisan blame-game and finger-pointing continues.

What do you think?

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