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Congressional Black Caucus To Confront Trump on Budget

Chairman Richmond says he’ll ‘call him out’ on education funding and policing

Congressional Black Caucus chairman Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., center, said he had received calls to cancel the caucus' meeting with President Donald Trump. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
Congressional Black Caucus chairman Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., center, said he had received calls to cancel the caucus' meeting with President Donald Trump. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are set to meet with President Donald Trump and plan to “call him out” on parts of his agenda.

The caucus wants to push the president on the changing priorities of the U.S. Justice Department and cuts in education funding for college students, The Associated Press reported.

“His budget is contrary to African-American interests in a number of ways, and it’s our role as policymakers to call him out on it,” caucus chairman Cedric Richmond, D-La., told the AP

Richmond said the caucus does not plan to take photos with the president. Trump received only about 8 percent of the African-American vote in November.

Despite calls to cancel the meeting, Richmond said, “If our only action is to resist,” then it would hurt African-American constituents.

“We have a responsibility as African-American leaders to always put them first,” Richmond said. 

During a news conference last month, Trump was asked by April Ryan, an African-American reporter, if he would meet with the CBC, Trump asked, “Do you want to set up the meeting? Are they friends of yours?”

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