Black Caucus helps hand Clinton his budget victory - Congressional Black Caucus

The six-vote margin of victory that led to passage of President Clinton's budget proposal in the House of Representatives was engineered partly by leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus. Their steadfast teamwork helped give the president his most significant and crucial political conquest to date.

Off balance and faltering in his ability to prove leadership, President Clinton once again turned to Blacks on Capitol Hill. The former Arkansas Governor had won the presidency only with overwhelming support from the country's Black voters.

In an amazing show of the sophistication and new strength, leaders of the 39-member Congressional Black Caucus launched the "secret weapon" that produced the 219-213 House squeaker. The win breathed new life into the Clinton presidency and injected new energies in the forthcoming hectic battle for passage in the U.S. Senate.

In his 25 years on Capitol Hill, Cleveland Rep. Louis Stokes called the Caucus results "a demonstrable display of both strength and sophistication of the Black Caucus." He explained that for the first time, five Blacks served on the House Ways and Means Committee and set the terms for Caucus support. Led by veteran Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel, the quintet also was comprised of Tenn. Rep. Harold Ford, recently cleared of conspiracy charges after a fight of several years, ranking Black House member, Atlanta Rep. John Lewis, Chicago Rep. Mel Reynolds, and New Orleans Rep. Bill Jefferson.

The deal was that there be no caps on Medicare and Medicaid and the Caucus members would deliver their votes. During the weeks-long battle, the Caucus, led by Baltimore Rep. Kweisi Mfume, sent word to the speaker of the House Tom Foley to remind him "to keep the position," and not trade off the agreement terms.

Just before the critical House vote, President Clinton invited Caucus members -- now the largest and most solid bloc in its history -- to the White House as the chief executive sought to hold his power in the budget struggle involving trillions of dollars.

Other Democratic representatives hopped ship and failed to back up the President -- but not the Mfume-led pack.

After the vote, the elated and victorious President got on the phone and tried to call every one of the key Black leaders. Said Atlanta Rep. John Lewis: "During the past 12 years we have had to live with economic policies that have steered us in the wrong direction. This is a real proposal -- not gimmicks."