Nelson A. Pryor: Guest Columnist
Scheduled for September 17 to 19, Congressman Lawson, and the Congressional Black Caucus, were to meet with the President.
The Congressional Black Caucus, a formidable block of lawmakers, 47 House members, and 3 Senators, have a big voice in framing the message of President Donald J. Trump, and his legislation.
The caucus’ chairman, Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., explained that the meeting was endangered because of the President’s remarks after the deadly August 12 protest in Charlottesville, Va. Richmond said the caucus was outraged by Trump’s assertion of “blame on both sides” for the violence between so-called white supremacists and the so-called Antifa.
Fitness to Serve
“You can make an argument based on pure competency and fitness to serve, and that’s the conversation the caucus will have” before the scheduled meeting with the President, Richmond told the McClatchy Newspapers. (August 23, 2017 Atlanta Constitution 1).
Rep. Richmond said, before the caucus meets with the President, they should discuss whether to back Democratic-led efforts to impeach him.
“Am I concerned about high crimes and misdemeanors?” The Black Caucus Chairman asked. “Absolutely. Am I concerned about this President’s fitness to serve? Absolutely.”
Impeachment? Not Happening!
Republicans control 52 of the Senate’s 100 seats, and 240 of the House’s 435 seats, and there’s been no GOP talk of impeachment.
Instead of running away from Trump, our Congressman, Al Lawson, C.D. # 5, needs to get real and meet with the President, and let him know the concerns of this part of Florida. We need the President’s help; and if there is a rural caucus, our Congressman needs to join that.
Get Real
At least three Congressional Black Caucus members, Reps. Al Green, D-Texas, Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and Gwen Moore, D-Wis., have called for the President’s impeachment. What priority does Lawson place on this issue?
While Lawson mulls over the impeachment issue, apparently a big issue for the Congressional Black Caucus, it will be a lost generation for the rest of us. Losing ground, I think they call it. Our 45th President, love him, or hate him, is still the President. Both he and the rest of us have different political, economic and perhaps even religious viewpoints. Can’t we get along?
Face to face time, with the President? Why not? As our representative, he should not give up his appointment.
We haven’t done a great job of figuring out what exactly our common interest is, rural vs. the urban interest of Jacksonville and Tallahassee, but we have to try.
Perhaps there is no difference between the two interests. But the compass of his thinking has to swing around to include the pressure of each constituency. He should want to see the President. A meeting to do this has already been set up. The Atlanta Constitution says that the President is still committed to the meeting. That the President doesn’t want to lose the opportunity to talk with the Congressional Black Caucus.
What will Al Lawson do? The rural areas need the representation that the U. S. Constitution allows for! And meeting with the President, no less!