Showing posts with label Rep. Bobby Rush. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rep. Bobby Rush. Show all posts

Monday, January 03, 2022

Rep. Bobby Rush to retire after 30 years in Congress

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) said Monday he will not seek reelection after 15 terms in Congress.

Rush told the Chicago Sun-Times he made the decision in the past several weeks and that it was a result of a conversation he had with his grandson.

“I don’t want my grandchildren . . . to know me from a television news clip or something they read in a newspaper,” Rush told the Sun-Times.

“I want them to know me on an intimate level, know something about me and I want to know something about them. I don’t want to be a historical figure to my grandchildren.”

Rush co-founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers, becoming acting chairman following the killings of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark in a police raid in December 1969.

Rush, 75, was first elected to Congress in 1992, said in an interview he intends to stay active in his ministry and find ways to use his remarkable life story — a trajectory from a 1960s radical to House member — to inspire younger generations.

He notably defeated then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in a 2000 Democratic primary for the the state's 1st Congressional District. He served previously as a Chicago alderman.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Rep. Bobby Rush Statement on testing positive for COVID-19

U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) released the following statement after testing positive with a breakthrough case of COVID-19:

“Today, after being notified of a recent exposure, I tested positive with a breakthrough case of COVID-19. Fortunately, I am fully vaccinated and recently received my booster shot. I am feeling fine and currently have no symptoms. I will be quarantining and following the latest guidance from the CDC and the Chicago Department of Public Health. As COVID-19 cases rise and the Omicron variant spreads throughout the nation, I encourage everyone who has not yet done so to get vaccinated and get boosted as soon as possible.”

Thursday, February 27, 2020

House passes Emmet Till Antilynching Act

On February 26, 2020 the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the historic Emmett Till Antilynching Act (H.R. 35), which was introduced by U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.). The legislation received broad, bipartisan support and passed the House by 410–4.

“Today is a historic day for this U.S. House of Representatives, this Congress, and the American people. Being from Chicago, the death of Emmett Till sent shockwaves through my community and personally affected me and my family. However, his death would not be in vain, for it was the spark that ignited the long arc of the civil rights movement, leading us to this very moment,” said Rep. Rush.

“With the passage of this bill we correct a historical injustice, based on a lie, that took the life of this young man. We also bring justice to the over 4000 victims of lynching, most of them African-Americans, who have had their lives tragically, and horrifically cut short at the hands of racist mobs and hate-filled hordes. After 120 years, and 200 failed attempts, the House finally positions itself on the right side of history, outlawing the heinous act of lynching once and for all.

“I am immensely grateful to my colleagues in the House for their support and to Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer, Chairman Nadler, and Chairwoman Bass for making this bill a priority.”

Tuesday, July 02, 2019

Rep. Bobby Rush endorses Kamala Harris

Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL 1st District) of the Congressional Black Caucus is backing Kamala Harris's bid for the presidency.

Rush has been sharply critical of former Vice President Joe Biden in the wake of comments in which he recalled working alongside two segregationist Southern senators. Rush told Politico that Biden, another Democratic presidential candidate, was "wholly out of touch and woefully ignorant of the nuances of the black American experience." Rush will serve as Harris' Illinois campaign co-chair.

Rush said Harris was "the only candidate prepared to fight for all Americans against a Trump Administration that has left them behind" and that she is a "once-in-a-lifetime leader" who "exemplifies what global leadership is all about."

Endorsements from the caucus, which counts more than 50 members, could be influential in the Democratic presidential primary. With Rush's endorsement, Harris now has six endorsements from the CBC.

[SOURCE: NBC CHICAGO]

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Congressman Bobby Rush: Biden is ‘woefully ignorant’

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL 1st District) issued a scathing rebuke of Joe Biden on Friday, calling him “woefully ignorant” of the black American experience, as the former vice president confronts a growing backlash over his comments about working alongside fervent segregationists.

Rush, a high-profile activist during the height of the civil rights movement, told POLITICO in an exclusive statement that Biden’s remarks at a New York fundraiser earlier this week were “wholly out of touch.”

“You would think that after eight years of serving as Vice President under President Obama, Biden would get it, that his frame of reference would be more audacious for the future and less on the obvious incrementalism of the past,” Rush said. “With his statement he has demonstrated that he is wholly out of touch and woefully ignorant of the nuances of the black American experience and that is, in itself, beyond disappointing.”

[SOURCE: YAHOO]

Monday, January 14, 2019

Rep. Bobby Rush introducing a resolution censuring Steve King

Today, U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) released the following statement announcing that he will be introducing a resolution to formally censure U.S. Representative Steve King (R-Iowa) for his pattern of racist and xenophobic statements:

“Steve King’s pattern of despicable comments harken back to the dark days of American history where his rabid, racist remarks would have been acceptable to a significant portion of our nation. This must come to a screeching halt right now. The U.S. Congress cannot be a platform for Steve King and those of his ilk. From Charleston to Charlottesville to Chicago to California, there is no home for this behavior, especially the floor of the United States House of Representatives.

“He has become too comfortable with proudly insulting, disrespecting, and denigrating people of color. As with any animal that is rabid, Steve King should be set aside and isolated. His rabid racism continues to stain and embarrass this body and the years of deliberate silence from Republicans have only emboldened his ignorant and immoral behavior and empowered those who emulate him.

“Republicans, in the interest of political expediency, sought his endorsement, ignored his racist remarks, and continued to elevate him to positions of influence. Only now that his behavior is well known to those outside the beltway and tainted him politically, do they vigorously denounce him. Knowing this, no reasonable person should take their tweets, statements, and op-eds seriously. I call on Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to withhold from Steve King the privilege of serving on any committee until he apologizes for his racism.

“My resolution to censure Representative King sends a clear message to the American people — this Congress will not turn a blind eye to his repugnant and racist behavior. Anything short of censure would be shallow.

Text of resolution subject to change:

Rush Responds to Steve King... by on Scribd