Foolish Move

Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R, SC) has introduced legislation that would make illegal formation of House caucuses organized around race, ethnicity, or national origin.

If adopted, the measure would effectively force the dissolution of Democrat-aligned groups, including the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
The proposal could also affect GOP-affiliated organizations, including the Black Republican Congressional Staff Association, the GOP Latino Staff Association, and the Republican Asian American Staff Association.

It’s a nice idea, blocking race-based organizations and the like in the House. Mace’s argument is straightforward and entirely legitimate.

Race-based caucuses are not diversity. They are federally sanctioned segregation. You do not get to lecture America about inclusion while running an organization which checks your skin color at the door. The hypocrisy ends now.
It is time to end taxpayer-funded discrimination in this institution[.]

There is, though, no way to enforce the intent of the thing, even were the legislation to pass. The caucuses won’t disappear. The groups will just continue to meet informally in glorified coffee klatches and therewith continue to coordinate legislative proposal and votes. Nothing material will change.

Stop Wasting Time

Alternatively, stop timidly ducking the issue.

The issue at hand is the SAVE Act, which would plus up our election security with strong steps aimed at ensuring only American citizens vote in American national elections. The time waste/timidity is Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R, SD) and his…hesitancy…to put the Act, already passed by the House (twice!), on the floor of the Senate for a vote.

Thune may well be right that the Act doesn’t have the votes for passage. At this point, that’s not important. What matters is putting all of the Senators on the record as voting for or against the Act (or, their own timidity, voting Present or not voting at all). Us average Americans have a right to know who of them wants a secure election system, who actively opposes security in our elections, and who just doesn’t care enough or is too timid to take a position.