Clyburn reelected Majority Whip for 111th Congress

House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn today was reelected by the House Democratic Caucus to serve as Majority Whip for the 111th Congress.

By Newsroom
Published: November 19, 2008

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House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn today was reelected by the House Democratic Caucus to serve as Majority Whip for the 111th Congress. Clyburn will remain the highest ranking African American in Congress and the second African American to be elected to Majority Whip. Members of the 111th Congress will be sworn in on January 6, 2009.

“I am humbled and honored to be reelected by my colleagues to serve another term as House Majority Whip," Clyburn said. "This is a critical time in our nation’s history and we will have to make critical decisions to keep our country united and moving in a new direction.

“I recall another time in our nation’s history when General George Washington had to make a critical decision in the Southern theater during the Revolutionary War. The previous southern generals he appointed were not succeeding, so he did something out of the ordinary—he decided to cast aside regionalism and send a Rhode Islander, Nathaniel Greene, to Charleston, South Carolina, to get the job done. General Greene was victorious in a pivotal battle in the southern theater which changed the direction of the Revolutionary war and put our country on the path toward becoming the greatest nation in history.

“We face serious crises in many critical areas—health care, housing, jobs, finance, education and the economy. As we take on these future challenges, we must move beyond regionalism, govern from the center and continue our quest towards a more perfect union.”