Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J..) elected to the U.S. Senate last month, has decided to join the Congressional Black Caucus, but the other African-American senator, Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina, says he will remain out of the group for now.
The two men’s decisions are not surprising, considering that the CBC has long been dominated by black Democrats. Scott did not join the CBC when he entered the House of Representatives in 2011 and opted to continue that policy after his Senate appointment last December. He told Roland Martin in an interview this week he would not join the CBC because “we’re better together.” But Scott pledged to find issues to work with Booker on.
“There are a lot of things we can work together for, and we should work together on,” he said.
Booker meanwhile has not only formally joined the CBC, but last week attended a dinner House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi hosted for black caucus members where they discussed the Voting Rights Act and other key issues.