Black lawmakers confront Trump-era cuts at CBC conference

WASHINGTON — The Congressional Black Caucus kicked off its annual legislative conference this week in Washington as members confront what they describe as Trump-era cuts and civil rights setbacks that have reshaped federal programs. The 62-member caucus, all Democrats, convened with business leaders, activists, policy experts, local government officials and other professionals from across the country to plot a new agenda and to press for safeguards against policy changes they say undermine civil rights, education, healthcare, housing, immigration and labor policy. The conference has also drawn attention for the security environment around the venue, including National Guard patrols near the site of the meetings.

Clarke, who chairs the CBC, framed the moment as a defining one for the caucus and for American democracy. “This is not a conventional time. This is the time that we make for ourselves our own destiny,” Clarke told attendees. “This is not a situation where we can necessarily say, well, look, those people in Congress have got it. Because the Congress is broken.” She added that the CBC has a history of delivering democracy and urged the group to learn from those who fought for civil rights. “We delivered democracy to the United States of America. Were it not for the abolitionists, were it not for the Civil Rights leaders, were it not for the foot soldiers on the ground, we'd still be living in apartheid. So let's get it straight and let's straighten up our backs.”

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“This is probably going to be one of the most consequential weeks that you have ever spent in your lives,” said Clyburn, the former House Democratic leader, during an address at the outset of the conference. “Take it from me: we are on the precipice of losing this democracy. We are. And if you don’t think so, take a journey through the history of the country.”

“It’s going to be a new day, in part because they’ve changed the governing structure so much,” Ivey said of how Democrats are planning to govern in response to Trump-era changes to the federal government. “Part of what we’re going to have to do is fire a big chunk of the bureaucracy that he’s putting in right now, just move them out and start over from scratch,” said Ivey, who represents the suburbs of Washington. “And we’ve got to make sure we understand that for a lot of the legislation we’ve done, we rely on particular government agencies to make it work. That's not going to fly anymore. The Department of Justice and the Civil Rights Division is an example of that.”

“The reality is that some of the bad stuff is just going to happen,” said Kamlager-Dove. “There is no strategy to stop some of the bad stuff except to continue to educate folks about the hypocrisy and the duplicity that is happening.” The congresswoman cited a wave of local races tied to the House majority’s broader agenda, noting that Democrats have found momentum in special elections and local contests since Trump took office and launched what some have called Project 2025. “The strategy is to engage community-based organizations. The strategy is to work more diligently with our legal community. The strategy is to take everything to the court. The strategy is to create some outrage. The strategy is to fight the battles at the local elections. The facts of strategy are to make sure that we are shored up so that when 2028 comes around, folks are ready.”

Pressley, another CBC member, said the atmosphere around the conference is weighed but empowering. “I think that the air feels a lot heavier than it does normally. That being said, after every session, after every engagement that I’ve had, I leave emboldened and more fortified,” she said. “It’s so important that we are leaning into community, but also that we are strategizing, that we are being intentional in our thought partnership and in our organizing, in the work of resistance and the work of reimagining. So I would say, you know, in this moment right now, I feel very encouraged.”

The conference underscores the CBC’s aim to translate civil rights history into a forward-looking policy agenda. Leaders say the caucus intends to push for stronger federal protections and funding in areas such as education, housing, healthcare and labor, while coordinating with local governments and legal groups to counter policy changes they deem harmful. The discussions also reflect an effort to mobilize voters and allies ahead of statewide and national contests slated for 2028, using community organizing, legal challenges and strategic communications to safeguard civil rights gains and push for new reforms.

Overall, CBC members described the gathering as a mix of solemn warning and renewed resolve, a moment to reassert leadership over a policy landscape they argue has been upended by the current administration and its approach to governance. While acknowledging the uphill battles ahead, participants stressed the need to sustain momentum at the local level, emphasize accountability, and build a durable, action-oriented coalition that can endure into the next national election cycle.