The Congressional Black Caucus is pressuring major corporations across the country to publicly oppose Republican-led congressional redistricting efforts that critics say could weaken Black political representation following a recent Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act.
According to a letter obtained by The Associated Press, the caucus urged more than 250 companies to condemn ongoing redistricting efforts in several GOP-led states and disclose political donations tied to lawmakers backing the efforts.
The broader redistricting battle intensified after President Donald Trump encouraged Republican-led states to revisit congressional maps in hopes of expanding the GOP’s narrow House majority.
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Some Republicans have argued the effort could help create additional GOP-leaning districts and strengthen the party’s position heading into the midterms, though other GOP strategists have warned aggressive map redrawing could also make some previously safe Republican districts more competitive.
The CBC’s push comes amid an escalating mid-decade redistricting fight after a recent Supreme Court ruling weakened key Voting Rights Act protections governing congressional maps. Republican-led legislatures in several states have since moved to redraw district boundaries, arguing the maps should reflect updated legal standards and population shifts.
Democrats and voting-rights advocates, however, argue the new maps could dilute Black voting power and reshape the political battlefield ahead of the midterm elections.
“Corporations that have profited from Black consumers, relied on Black workers, and amassed wealth in part from Black communities cannot look away while Black political power is dismantled in plain sight,” Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., said in a statement.
The outreach campaign places renewed pressure on corporate America to weigh in on politically divisive voting-rights battles after many major companies scaled back public engagement on racial justice and diversity issues in recent years.
Among the companies contacted were firms that previously supported federal voting-rights legislation following the 2020 racial justice protests and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, including major technology, retail and financial firms.
The caucus is asking companies to publicly oppose the redistricting efforts, meet with CBC members to discuss voting-rights concerns and disclose political contributions connected to state-level redistricting campaigns.
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The effort also reflects growing frustration among some Black lawmakers toward corporations that made public commitments to racial equity following the murder of George Floyd but have since retreated from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives amid political backlash and legal scrutiny.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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