Congressman Gregory Meeks Introduces Bill to Advance Equity through the Legislative Process

On March 19, 2021 U.S. Representative Gregory W. Meeks, introduced H.R. 2078, the Social and Economic Equity Promotion Act, a bill to require analyses from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on how legislative proposals would impact historically underserved communities, including communities of color and others that have experienced longstanding social and economic inequality.

The bill largely tracks the White House’s definitions of “equity” and “underserved communities” within President Biden’s January 20, 2021 Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government.

The bill’s proposed Division of Social and Economic Equity within CBO would serve as an important resource to Members of Congress as they think through how proposed federal policies impact often marginalized communities.

Rep. Meeks stated, “First, I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for taking tangible steps towards promoting the welfare of often overlooked communities through the federal policymaking process. In that vein, Congress should also take steps to ensure there are nonpartisan congressional personnel dedicated to examining the impact of policies on the often underserved and overlooked. This bill will give the People’s House the tools to best serve all the People.”

The bill has received the endorsement of the National Action Network and Common Cause.

“For far too long, certain bills have created unintended consequences for traditionally underserved communities. In other instances, legislation has had an outright discriminatory effect, often targeted at Black and Brown voters,” said Keshia Morris Desir, Census & Mass Incarceration Project Manager for Common Cause. “We commend Congressman Meeks for introducing the Social and Economic Equity Promotion Act to help ensure that Members of Congress can understand how bills they vote on will impact communities that have traditionally been marginalized.”

Rep. Meeks’ bill comes on the heels of research from Andre Perry, Senior Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, that argued for a scoring system that holds federal policy makers “accountable to basic democratic principles such as racial inclusion.” Writing in response to the January 6th insurrection, Perry recommended that “just as we score policies’ impact on the budget, we need to account for their potential impacts on racial equity.”

Congressional Black Caucus PAC endorses Joe Biden for president

The Congressional Black Caucus PAC endorsed Joe Biden’s presidential bid on Monday, further cementing his support among the nation’s influential black political leadership.

The political action committee’s unanimous endorsement came on the heels of several key nods of support among caucus leadership and members, including civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis of Georgia and caucus Chairwoman Rep. Karen Bass of California. The PAC is the caucus’s separate campaign arm.

“There’s no question that Joe Biden is badly needed by this country,” CBC PAC Chairman Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York said in an interview with The Associated Press. “His leadership, his experience, his understanding on how to get things done and his ability to work and pull people together is needed now more than ever. We need someone that is a healer and not a divider, and that’s Joe Biden.”

Meeks said he believes Biden is well-suited to address the lasting impact of the pandemic and he’d like to see an agenda from him that specifically addresses racial disparities that have long plagued black Americans. Many of the nation’s front-line workers, who are among the most at risk, are black Americans and other people of color.

“There’s no question in my mind that there needs to be an agenda that pushes forward black America,” Meeks said. “Joe Biden has proven that he has the ability to get things done and that he has a vision to bring us together and have an agenda of significant importance for the black community.”

[SOURCE: WTHN]

Rep. Gregory Meeks endorses Mike Bloomberg for president

Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York has endorsed Mike Bloomberg for president, touting his plan to invest in all Americans – especially those that have been abandoned by President Trump. He applauded Bloomberg’s vision for improving our nation’s infrastructure and transportation systems, saying America deserves a pragmatic leader who will deliver.

“The most vulnerable communities in America cannot weather another four years of a Donald Trump presidency. Too much is on the line to allow that to happen,” said Congressman Gregory Meeks. “We need someone in the White House who will unite us behind the common purpose of rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure and driving our economy forward into the 21st century. Mike Bloomberg will do exactly that. As mayor, he made promises with concrete plans to see them through. As president, he will do the same. I look forward to working with Mike as we revitalize overlooked communities, enable wealth creation for working families, and fight back against Donald Trump who continues to threaten our fundamental American values.”

“Congressman Meeks knows we need to rebuild America, starting with the infrastructure that President Trump has allowed to crumble and the health care system Trump is trying to destroy,” said Mike Bloomberg. “I worked with Congressman Meeks during my time in City Hall, and his efforts in Washington helped New York City rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. He knows the importance of investing in sustainable infrastructure and building on Obamacare to make sure every America has access to affordable health care. I’m excited to welcome him as a Co-Chair for the Mike for Black America National Leadership Council. As President, I’ll work with Rep. Meeks to get both done — after we send the Queens native in the White House on a permanent vacation to Mar-a-Lago.

Congressman Meeks has devoted his energy and skill to serving one of the most diverse constituencies in the nation. Throughout his tenure in Congress, Meeks has fought to make New York City accessible and full of opportunity for all New Yorkers. He has prioritized revitalizing the economy and creating quality jobs. As Representative of the Fifth District, which was hit hard by Superstorm Sandy, he has focused on investments in transportation, housing, and environmental infrastructure.

Meeks is Chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions. The Subcommittee oversees the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, bank regulators and all matters pertaining to consumer credit and the stability of the banking system. Meeks is also a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he serves on the Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy and the Environment and is Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security and Trade.

Meeks is Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC and the Queens County Democratic Organization.

Congressional Black Caucus member to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Primaries go both ways

Queens (NY) Democratic boss and 11-term congressman Greg Meeks took a thinly-veiled jab at fellow Big Apple Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday, urging her to back off her racially-tinged feud with party leaders or face a fight for her political life.

In an interview with the Daily News, Meeks fumed over Ocasio-Cortez’s recent racial beef with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and pushed back against her left-wing allies at Justice Democrats for openly backing insurgent candidates trying to unseat members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

He also said the CBC can play the same game.

In an interview with the Daily News, Meeks fumed over Ocasio-Cortez’s recent racial beef with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and pushed back against her left-wing allies at Justice Democrats for openly backing insurgent candidates trying to unseat members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

He also said the CBC can play the same game.

“Primaries go two ways," Meeks said when asked whether his wing of the party would consider challenging progressive members next year, including Ocasio-Cortez. “If someone picks a fight with somebody else, you fight back. That’s what my parents told me.”

Meeks stressed there weren’t any current plans to challenge Ocasio-Cortez, but left the door open: "If you get in the ring, expect that people are going to start throwing punches.”

The Justice Democrats, a progressive political action committee that is closely aligned with Ocasio-Cortez and propelled her to victory in 2018, has already backed primary challenges against CBC members, including 10-term Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.).

Meeks said the Justice Democrats and left-leaning lawmakers may be shooting the party in the foot.

“I would hope that these individuals would realize who the opposition is here,” Meeks said, referring to Republicans. “The focus should be to keep the majority, grow the majority and win the presidency.”

[NY DAILY NEWS]