Not a single member of House GOP leadership will be present at this weekend’s Selma anniversary event.
House Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Majority Whip Steve Scalise and Senate Majority Mitch McConnell all will not be present.
“It is very disappointing that not a single Republican leader sees the value in participating in this 50th commemoration of the signing of the Voting Rights Act. I had hoped that some of the leadership would attend, but apparently none of them will,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina.
She continued:
“The Republicans always talk about trying to change their brand and be more appealing to minority folks and be in touch with the interests of African-Americans. This is very disappointing.”
“Not only do they have an opportunity to participate in something that is historic in this country, but certainly they’ve lost an opportunity to show the American people that they care,” said former CBC Chair Marsha Fudge (D-Ohio). “Their loss.”
Several rank-and-file GOP congresspeople have been strenuously lobbying for their leaders to attend the event. Even if their leaders are not attending, 23 Republican House and Senate members will be attending, including Sen. Tim Scott, the first African-American Republican elected from the South since the end of Reconstruction, and Rep. Martha Roby of Alabama. Both Roby and Scott are co-sponsors of the event.