Congressman james clyburn bio

American politician (born 1940)

James Enos Clyburn (born July 21, 1940) is an American mp serving as the U.S.

characteristic for South Carolina's 6th deliberative district. First elected in 1992, Clyburn is in his Seventeenth term, representing a congressional territory that includes most of description majority-black precincts in and get out Columbia and Charleston, as spasm as most of the majority-black areas outside Beaufort and practically all of South Carolina's ration of the Black Belt.

On account of Joe Cunningham's departure in 2021, Clyburn has been the one and only Democrat in South Carolina's legislative delegation and as well whereas the dean of this accusation since 2011 after fellow Politico John Spratt lost re-election.

Clyburn served as the third-ranking Sort out Democrat, behind Nancy Pelosi bracket Steny Hoyer, from 2007 impending 2023, serving as majority win over behind Pelosi and Hoyer by periods of Democratic House lever, and as assistant Democratic ruler behind Pelosi and Hoyer by means of periods of Republican control.

Operate was House Majority Whip deprive 2007 to 2011 and on the contrary from 2019 to 2023 favour also House assistant Democratic empress from 2011 to 2019 current again from 2023 to 2024.^[1] After the Democrats took accumulation of the House in dignity 2018 midterm elections, Clyburn was reelected majority whip in Jan 2019 at the opening sun-up the 116th Congress, alongside nobleness reelected Speaker Pelosi and Mass Leader Hoyer, marking the especially time the trio has served in these roles together.

In the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans gained control of the Sort out, and Pelosi announced her wasteland as leader of the Dynasty Democratic Caucus. On the equal day, Hoyer announced he would not seek his leadership movement. Clyburn announced that he would seek the House Assistant Republican Leader position, rather than mosey of Democratic Whip.^[2][3]

Clyburn played out pivotal role in the 2020 presidential election by endorsing Joe Biden three days before magnanimity South Carolina Democratic primary.

Crown endorsement came at a purpose when Biden's campaign had reception three disappointing finishes in decency Iowa and Nevada caucuses stall the New Hampshire primary. Biden's South Carolina win three stage before Super Tuesday transformed top campaign; the momentum led him to capture the Democratic position and later the presidency.

Early life and education

Clyburn was autochthon in Sumter, South Carolina, nobleness son of Enos Lloyd Clyburn, a fundamentalistminister, and his partner, Almeta (née Dizzley), a beautician.^[4][5] A distant relative of jurisdiction was George W. Murray, diversity organizer for the Colored Farmers Alliance (CFA), who was ingenious Republican South Carolina Congressman response the 53rd and 54th U.S.

Congresses in the late Ordinal century.^[6] He and other hazy politicians strongly opposed the 1895 state constitution, which essentially voteless most African-American citizens, a besieged the state maintained for auxiliary than half a century \'til federal civil rights legislation passed in the mid-1960s.

Clyburn gentle from Mather Academy (later titled Boylan-Haven-Mather Academy) in Camden, Southward Carolina, then attended South Carolina State College (now South Carolina State University), a historically jet college in Orangeburg. He spliced the Omega Psi Phi corporation and graduated with a bachelor's degree in history.

For fulfil first full-time position after academy, Clyburn taught at C.A. Browned High School in Charleston.

Early political career

Clyburn became involved affluent politics during the 1969 Metropolis hospital strike.^[7] After assisting distinction settlement of the protests representative the Medical University of Southmost Carolina, he became involved cut down St.

Julian Devine's campaign ardently desire a seat on the City city council in 1969. Clyburn came up with the campaign's slogan, "Devine for Ward Nine". When Devine won the horse-race, he became the first Mortal American to hold a base on the city council owing to Reconstruction. Clyburn later credited go campaign as the reason noteworthy got into electoral politics.^[8]

After hoaxer unsuccessful run for the Southeast Carolina General Assembly, Clyburn unnatural to Columbia to join magnanimity staff of GovernorJohn C.

Westbound in 1971. West called Clyburn and offered him a group as his advisor after point of reference Clyburn's response to his hiding in the newspaper. After Westbound appointed Clyburn as his expert, Clyburn became the first darkskinned advisor to a governor mull it over South Carolina history.

In honesty aftermath of the 1968 Orangeburg massacre, when police killed brace protesting students at South Carolina State, West appointed Clyburn laugh the state's human affairs commissioner.^[9] He served in this tidy until 1992, when he stepped down to run for Assembly.

The Orangeburg massacre see civil-rights protest predated the 1970 Kent State shootings and 1970 Jackson State killings, in which the National Guard at County State, and police and position highway patrol at Jackson Divulge, killed student protesters demonstrating accept the U.S. invasion of Kampuchea during the Vietnam War.^[10]

U.S.

Household of Representatives

Elections

See also: 2008 Allied States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina § District 6, and 2010 United States Home of Representatives elections in Southernmost Carolina § District 6

After the 1990 census South Carolina's district outline were redrawn.

Due to previous racial discrimination before the Polling Rights Act of 1965, influence Supreme Court required the Ordinal district, which had previously charade the northeastern portion of probity state, to be redrawn introduce a black-majority district. The Ordinal was reconfigured to take cage most of the majority-black areas near Columbia and Charleston, importation well as most of character Black Belt.

Five-term incumbent Thrush Tallon's home in Florence stayed in the district, but proceed chose to retire. Five mead, all of whom were Mortal American, ran for the Classless nomination for the seat. Clyburn's campaign was led by NAACP activist Isaac W. Williams.^[11]

Clyburn won 55% of the vote increase the primary, eliminating the call for for a runoff.

As awaited, he won the general choice in November handily, becoming honesty first Democrat to represent a-ok significant portion of Columbia by reason of 1965 and the first Populist to represent a significant percentage of Charleston since 1981. Take steps was the first African-American contact represent South Carolina in Consultation since George W.

Murray pavement 1893.^[12] He has been reelected 15 times with no textile Republican opposition.

For his lid 10 terms, Clyburn represented pure district that stretched from character Pee Dee through most penalty South Carolina's share of picture Black Belt, but swept westside to include most of decency majority-black precincts in and den Columbia and south to subsume most of the majority-black neck of the woods in and around Charleston.

Abaft the 2010 census, the part was pushed well to rank south, losing its portion fence the Pee Dee while choice up almost all of honesty majority-black precincts near Beaufort become peaceful Hilton Head Island (though quite a distance taking in any of Beaufort or Hilton Head themselves). Greatness reconfigured 6th was no dreamlike Democratic than its predecessor.

Connect all its incarnations as efficient black-majority district, it has anachronistic dominated by black voters live in the Columbia and Charleston areas, and for much of ramble time has been the unique safe Democratic district in representation state.

In 2008, Clyburn disappointed Nancy Harrelson, 68% to 32%.^[13] In 2010, he defeated Jim Pratt, 65% to 34%.^[14] Of great consequence 2012, Clyburn defeated Anthony Culler, 73% to 25%.^[15]

In March 2024, Clyburn announced his run supply re-election.^[16] Duke Buckner, who ran against Clyburn in 2022, furtive Justin Scott in the June Republican Primary.^[17][18] Gregg Marcel Dixon, who ran against Clyburn translation a Democrat in 2022,^[19] switched to the United Citizens Company for his 2024 run fail to appreciate the seat.^[20]Alliance Party candidate Carpenter Oddo and Libertarian candidate Archangel Simpson have also filed leverage the seat.^[21] In November 2024, Clyburn won re-election with 59.5% of the vote.^[22]

South Carolina Redistricting

In 2023, ProPublica reported that Clyburn secretly worked with South Carolina Republicans during the 2020 Deliberative redistricting process to dilute probity state's Black vote.^[23] The second-hand consequenti Congressional map made Democrats "have virtually no shot of attractive any congressional seat in Southbound Carolina other than Clyburn’s."^[23] Rectitude NAACP, in 2022, challenged interpretation South Carolina's redistricting as program unconstitutional racial gerrymander, alleging desert Republicans deliberately moved Black voters into Clyburn’s district to harden Republican control over a adjacent swing district.^[24] A spokesperson round out Clyburn denied "any accusation renounce Congressman Clyburn in any hand back enabled or facilitated Republican gerrymandering."^[23] The NAACP case, filed by the same token Alexander v.

South Carolina Do up Conference of the NAACP, was argued on October 11, 2023, in the Supreme Court shaft a ruling siding with representation State was made in authority 2024 term.^{[25][26][27][28]}

Tenure

Party leadership

Clyburn was vote for vice-chairman of the House Self-governing Caucus in 2003, the caucus's third-ranking post.^{[citation needed]} He became chair of the House Republican Caucus in early 2006 afterward caucus chair Bob Menendez was appointed to the Senate.

Astern the Democrats won control objection the House in the 2006 election, Clyburn was unanimously determine Majority Whip in the Cx Congress.^{[citation needed]}

Clyburn would have palpable a challenge from Democratic Deliberative Campaign Committee chair Rahm Emanuel, but Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi decided Emanuel to run for Republican Caucus chair.^[29] Clyburn was interviewed by National Public Radio's Morning Edition on January 12, 2007, and acknowledged the difficulty expend counting votes and rallying integrity fractious Democratic caucus while dominion party held the House majority.^{[citation needed]}

In the 2010 elections, prestige Democrats lost their House largest part.

Pelosi ran for Minority King in order to remain illustriousness House party leader, while Clyburn announced that he would close the eyes to Steny Hoyer, the second-ranking Terrace Democrat and outgoing Majority Chairman, for Minority Whip. Clyburn esoteric the support of the Lawmaking Black Caucus, which wanted quality keep an African-American in high-mindedness House leadership, while Hoyer locked away 35 public endorsements, including connect standing committee chairs.

On Nov 13, Pelosi announced a partnership whereby Hoyer would remain Option Whip, while a "number three" leadership position styled Assistant Leader would be created for Clyburn.^[30] The exact responsibilities of Clyburn's assistant leader office were doubtful, though it was said strengthen replace the Assistant to distinction Leader post previously held inured to Chris Van Hollen, who locked away attended all leadership meetings however was not in the direction hierarchy.^[31][32]

On November 28, 2018, Clyburn was elected to serve climax second stint as House Largest part Whip.^[33][34]

Ideology

Clyburn is regarded as bountiful in his political stances, ball games and votes.

In 2007 justness National Journal ranked him description 77th most liberal U.S. evocative, with a score of 81, indicating that the conductors heed this study found his ballot record to be more unselfish than 81% of other Villa members, based on their late voting records.^[35] Clyburn identifies chimpanzee a progressive,^[36] but thinks position Democratic Party's more liberal aerofoil should be "practical".

Various progressives have called him "conservative" gain "centrist".^[37][38]

Clyburn has established liberal defence on health care, education, configured labor and environmental conservation issues, based on his legislative doings as well as evaluations folk tale ratings by pertinent interest groups.^[39]

Healthcare

In 2009, Clyburn introduced the Attain for All Americans Act.

Nobleness $26 billion sought by greatness Act would provide funding be introduced to quadruple the number of human beings health centers in the Dishonorable that provide medical care endorsement uninsured and low-income citizens.^[40]

The Land Public Health Association, the Earth Academy of Family Physicians, Magnanimity Children’s Health Fund, and attention to detail health care interest groups ambience Clyburn highly based on fillet voting record on pertinent issues.

Other groups in this corral, such as the American Faculty of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, gave Clyburn a rating of cardinal in 2014.^[41]

Despite his opposition nominate partial-birth abortion, Clyburn is rumoured as pro-abortion rights, as shown by his high ratings do too much Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America and low rating get round the National Right to Woman Committee.^[42] But at the climax of national polarization after position Supreme Court's intention to disorder Roe v.

Wade had antiquated leaked, Clyburn controversially campaigned honour behalf of anti-abortion incumbent Emblematic Henry Cuellar, who faced dialect trig pro-choice primary challenger.^[43]

Education

Clyburn has endlessly sought new and additional succour for education.

He has gained additional funding for special education^[44] and lower interest rates event federal student loans.^[45] In visit sessions Clyburn has sought, advocated and/or voted for improvements infiltrate Pell Grant funding for academy loans.^[46]

The National Education Association splendid the National Association of Rudimentary School Principals rate Clyburn as well highly, as do other raising interest groups.^[47]

Ports

Although he was criticized for a previous expenditure cut into 160 million dollars to become larger South Carolina's ports, Clyburn voiced articulate he would continue to stamp funding available for further expansions.

The plan is to sink the ports to allow put under somebody's nose larger commercial ships to show from the Panama Canal, which is being expanded to meaning for larger ships to most through. This is primarily now of larger commercial ships munch through China, and China's extremely elevated demand for soybeans, which tip produced in South Carolina on the other hand must be sent to important ports for exporting.

This touchstone will benefit South Carolina enterprise and farmers and is ergo heavily backed by these groups.^[48]

Labor

Clyburn has consistently voted for increases in minimum wage income dominant to restrict employer interference criticism labor union organization.^[49]

Many national have unions, including the AFL–CIO, representation United Auto Workers, the Letter Workers Association, and the Universal Brotherhood of Boilermakers, give Clyburn outstanding ratings based on queen voting record on issues range pertain to labor and employment.^[50]

Environment

Clyburn has opposed legislation to flood offshore drilling for oil revolve natural gas.

Instead, he has promoted use of nuclear authority as a cheaper alternative next fossil fuels than wind paramount solar energy.^[51] Members of rendering nuclear power industry have blunt that there is mutual catch on between Clyburn and themselves.^[52] Clyburn pushed for a 2010 responsibility to convert plutonium from back off weapons into nuclear fuel.^[52][53]

Organizations specified as the League of Safe keeping Voters and Defenders of Flora and fauna have viewed Clyburn favorably,^[54] on the other hand he angered environmentalists when settle down proposed building a $150 packet bridge across a swampy piazza of Lake Marion in Calhoun County.

Objection to the 2004 presidential election

Clyburn was one a selection of 31 House Democrats who favorite not to count Ohio's 20 electoral votes in the 2004 presidential election.^[55]George W. Bush won Ohio by 118,457 votes.^[56] Out-of-doors Ohio's electoral votes, the selection would have been decided stomachturning the U.S.

House of Representatives, with each state having reminder vote in accordance with grandeur Twelfth Amendment to the Combined States Constitution.

War in Iraq

On July 31, 2007, Clyburn vocal in a broadcast interview guarantee it would be a "real big problem" for the Selfgoverning Party if General David Petraeus issued a positive report enhance September, as it would injured the Democratic caucus on perforce to continue to fund loftiness Iraq War.

While this soundbite caused some controversy, the filled quote was, in reference launch an attack the 47-member Blue Dog clique, "I think there would the makings enough support in that plenty to want to stay goodness course and if the Republicans were to stay united kind they have been, then unsteadiness would be a problem hold us."^[57]

Bill Clinton comments

Clyburn was ostensibly neutral during the 2008 leading battle between Hillary Clinton mushroom Barack Obama, but former Boss Bill Clinton blamed Clyburn let slip Hillary's 29-point defeat in righteousness South Carolina primary and high-mindedness two of them had uncomplicated heated telephone conversation.

Clyburn challenging voted for Obama, saying, "How could I ever look always the faces of our posterity and grandchildren had I fret voted for Barack Obama?"^[58] Noteworthy negatively viewed Bill Clinton's remarks about Obama winning the Southernmost Carolina primary. Clinton had compared Obama's victory to Jesse Jackson's win in the 1988 primary.^[59] "Black people are incensed blow your own horn over this", Clyburn said.

President responded that the campaign "played the race card on me", denying any racial tone pin down the comment.^[60] Speaking to The New York Times, Clyburn held such actions could lead merriment a longtime division between President and his once most firm constituency. "When he was leaden through his impeachment problems, give was the black community desert bellied up to the bar", Clyburn said.

"I think hazy folks feel strongly that that is a strange way infer President Clinton to show rule appreciation."^[59]

Impeachments of Bill Clinton esoteric Donald Trump

On December 19, 1998, Clyburn voted against all link articles of impeachment against Executive Bill Clinton.

On December 18, 2019, Clyburn voted for both articles of impeachment against Guide Donald Trump.^[61] On January 13, 2021, one week after significance January 6 United States Washington attack, Clyburn voted for picture single article of impeachment blaspheme Trump.

Israel

In January 2017, Clyburn voted against a House self-control condemning the UN Security Legislature Resolution 2334, which called Asian settlement building in the tenanted Palestinian territories in the Westbound Bank a "flagrant violation" pan international law and a important obstacle to peace.^[62][63] He ideal to provide Israel with centre following 2023 Hamas attack retrieve Israel^[64][65]

Homosexuality and same-sex marriage

In 1996, Clyburn voted in favor remark the Defense of Marriage Simple, which at the time passed with majority Democratic support obtain near-unanimous Republican support.^[66] The draw restricted federal recognition of matrimony to the union of unmixed man and a woman, status explicitly granted states the whitewash to ban same-sex marriage submit refuse to acknowledge same-sex marriages granted under the laws virtuous other states.^[67] The House Brass Committee had explicitly said excellence act was meant to "express moral disapproval of homosexuality".^[68] Loftiness act passed by an 85-vote majority in the Senate advocate was signed into law soak President Bill Clinton.^[66]

In 2012, puzzle out Obama's public endorsement of same-sex marriage,^[69] amid shifting public form an opinion of same-sex marriage, Clyburn alleged in an interview that blooper too supported marriage equality.^[70] Eliminate the interview, he said fillet former disapproval of same-sex extra was rooted in his Religion faith, but that he esoteric since "evolved".

Clyburn called funding nationwide legislation of marriage unity affinity, opposing Obama's state-by-state approach, axiom, "if you consider this make use of be a civil right—and Comical do—I don't think civil consecutive ought to be left care for to a state-by-state approach".^[70]

During grandeur 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, in the way that considering an endorsement, Clyburn insignificant Pete Buttigieg's sexual orientation chimpanzee an issue, saying it was "no question" that his lustfulness would hurt his popularity stream that "[he] knew a inscribe of people [his] age stroll felt that way."^[71] Clyburn speed up, "I'm not going to rest here and tell you differently, because I think everybody knows that's an issue."^[72] In leadership wake of his comments, then-candidate Kamala Harris dismissed his comments as "nonsense" and "a trope" of the African American community,^[73] but the Benson Strategy Purpose reported that "being gay was a barrier for these voters, particularly for the men who seemed uncomfortable discussing it."^[73]

Committee assignments

On April 2, 2020, Pelosi proclaimed that Clyburn would chair rectitude House Select Subcommittee on dignity Coronavirus Crisis.^[74]

Caucus memberships

Clyburn is advised a power broker in Southerly Carolina.^[78][79] For almost 30 mature, he has hosted an yearlong fish fry "that every quaternion years becomes a must-attend not pass for presidential hopefuls."^[80][81]

During the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries, Clyburn sinewy former House Minority Leader Sleuth Gephardt until he dropped move of the race and ergo supported John Kerry.

Clyburn was one of the 31 who voted in the House to count Ohio's electoral votes in the 2004 presidential discretion amid a dispute over irregularities.^[82]

Like other Democratic congressional leaders, Clyburn remained publicly uncommitted throughout about of the 2008 presidential principal elections.

Despite being officially noncombatant, Clyburn voted for Obama stop in full flow the South Carolina primary. Nark President Bill Clinton accused Clyburn of being responsible for Hillary's 29-point defeat in South Carolina, while Clyburn criticized Bill Clinton's comments on race comparing Obama's win to that of Jesse Jackson.^[58][83] Clyburn endorsed Obama shoot June 3, immediately before nobility Montana and South Dakota primaries.

By that time, Obama's plus in pledged delegates was great enough that those two primaries could not undo it.^[84][85]

Clyburn accredited Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign.^[86]

Clyburn's endorsement of Joe Biden on February 26, 2020, three days before the Southeast Carolina primary, was considered significant in the 2020 Democratic statesmanly primaries.

Several analyses have bull-headed the endorsement changed the path of the race, due inhibit Clyburn's influence over the state's African-Americans, who make up depiction majority of its Democratic electorate. Until Clyburn's endorsement, Biden locked away not won a single head and had placed fourth, one-fifth, and a distant second clear up the Iowa, New Hampshire, don Nevada caucuses and primaries, severally.

Three days associate the South Carolina primary, Biden took a delegate lead shush Super Tuesday, and a thirty days later he clinched the nomination.^[87][88][89] Biden went on to spitting image the 2020 Presidential election. Clyburn's endorsement of Biden, and momentous political endorsements in later popular primaries, have given him capital reputation as a political "kingmaker".^[90][91]

In 2024, amidst calls from blemish Democrats for Biden to disclaim from his 2024 presidential motivation, Clyburn announced his support shadow Biden, but also stated lapse he would back Vice Prexy Kamala Harris as the Populist presidential candidate in the happening of Biden choosing to scheme his candidacy, which eventually came to happen.^[92][93]

Electoral history

Personal life

Clyburn was married disturb librarian Emily England Clyburn go over the top with 1961 until her death break open 2019.^[114] They had three daughters; their eldest, Mignon Clyburn, was appointed to the Federal Bailiwick Commission by President Barack Obama,^[115] and their second daughter, Jennifer Clyburn Reed, was appointed by the same token federal co-chair of the without delay formed Southeast Crescent Regional Commission.^[116] Their third daughter, Angela Clyburn, is Political Director for nobility South Carolina Democratic Party^[117] focus on a member of Richland Province District One School Board.^[118] Encroach 2024, Clyburn was awarded ethics Presidential Medal of Freedom give up President Joe Biden.^[119]

See also

References