Congressional caucus facts for kids
A congressional caucus is a special group of members from the United States Congress who come together because they share similar goals or interests. These groups are officially known as congressional member organizations (CMOs). They follow rules set by the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. Sometimes, these groups are also called conferences, coalitions, study groups, or working groups.
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Political Party Groups in Congress
The biggest groups in Congress are the ones for each political party. All members of one party in either the House or the Senate belong to these groups. For example, there's the House Democratic Caucus and the House Republican Conference. The Senate also has its own Senate Democratic Caucus and Senate Republican Conference.
These party groups meet regularly in private. They decide what laws they want to work on and choose who will be on different committees. They also elect their leaders. These groups help their party members get elected to Congress.
Some congressional groups are formed around specific political ideas. In the United States, where two main parties are very strong, these groups help members with similar beliefs work together. They push for certain ideas within their larger political party.
Most of these groups are in the House of Representatives. Members can join more than one group, so there can be some overlap.
Groups for Different Backgrounds
Some of the most well-known groups are made up of members who share the same race or ethnic group. These include groups for people of color. The Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus often work together as the Congressional Tri Caucus.
- The Congressional Black Caucus is for African-American members.
- There are two Hispanic groups:
- The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is for Hispanic Democrats.
- The Congressional Hispanic Conference is for Hispanic Republicans.
- The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus represents members who are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Other members can also join.
ERA Caucus
The ERA Caucus was started on March 28, 2023. Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Cori Bush formed it. Their goal is to make sure the Equal Rights Amendment is recognized as the 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They believe it met all the requirements in 2020 when Virginia became the 38th state to approve it.
This caucus quickly grew to be one of the largest in the U.S. House of Representatives. By May 2023, it had 69 members. The ERA Caucus showed its support by marching to the Senate on April 28, 2023. They supported a bill to confirm the ERA.
Southern Caucus
The Southern Caucus was a group in the United States Senate. It was made up of Southern Democrats and led by Richard Russell Jr.. This group was against civil rights laws. It was a key part of a larger group that had a lot of power in the Senate until the 1960s.
This caucus wrote the Southern Manifesto. This document supported overturning the important 1954 Supreme Court ruling Brown v. Board of Education. Nineteen Senators and 82 Representatives signed it.
Equality Caucus
The Congressional Equality Caucus (once called the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus) was announced on June 4, 2008. It was started by Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank, who were openly gay members of Congress.
The caucus works for LGBTQ rights. They want to get rid of laws that are unfair to LGBTQ people. They also work to stop hate-motivated violence and improve health for everyone. This is true no matter their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. The caucus helps members of Congress and the public learn about LGBTQ issues.
The Equality Caucus welcomes any member who wants to help LGBTQ rights. It has historically been led by every openly LGBTQ member of the House. In the 118th United States Congress, the caucus had 194 members, all of them Democrats.
Groups for Specific Interests
Many groups in Congress are formed by members who share a common interest. These groups often include both Democrats and Republicans. They can also include members from both the House and the Senate.
For example, the Congressional Bike Caucus works to promote cycling. The Senate Taiwan Caucus works to build strong relationships with Taiwan.
Rules for Congressional Member Organizations
The House Committee on House Administration sets rules for Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs). Each new Congress, CMOs must register with this committee. They must provide their name, purpose, officers, and the employee who will help with their work.
Membership Rules
Members from both the House and Senate can join a CMO. However, at least one of the officers of the CMO must be a member of the House. Senators joining a CMO does not change what the CMO is allowed to do.
Funding and Resources Rules
- CMOs are not separate legal entities and cannot hire their own staff.
- Official funds cannot directly support a CMO as a separate group. CMOs cannot have their own office space.
- CMOs cannot hold events outside of Washington, D.C. Official funds cannot be used for travel to support a CMO.
- CMOs or individual members cannot accept money or services from private groups to support the CMO. Members can use their own personal money to support the CMO.
- A member of a CMO can use their staff and official resources to help the CMO. However, no employees can be hired in the name of the CMO. Business cards for staff working on CMO issues must clearly state they work for the member, not the CMO.
- CMOs can have their own websites if no official resources, other than staff time, are used to create and support them.
- Members can ask for a website address (URL) for a CMO. This request must follow the rules for CMO domain names. These websites do not have to look exactly like the sponsoring member's website.
Communication Rules
- CMOs cannot use the Frank (free mailing privilege). A member cannot let a CMO use their Frank.
- A member can create materials about CMO issues to share with other members. They can use official resources for communications on their official social media and websites related to the CMO's purpose. However, they cannot create a document that makes the CMO look like a separate group. All communications must follow official standards.
- Members can have a section on their official website dedicated to CMO issues.
- Members can mention their membership in a CMO on their official stationery. Official funds cannot be used to print stationery for the CMO itself.
See also
- All-party parliamentary group
- Caucuses of the United States Congress
