Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn announces decision to step down from leadership role

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. House Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn, a Sumter native, announced Wednesday, Feb. 14, he has decided to step down from House Democratic leadership.

"I have informed Leader Hakeem Jeffries of my intention to step down as Assistant Democratic Leader of the House Democratic Caucus. I am deeply grateful for the confidence my colleagues have placed in me throughout my career, especially as Co-President of my Freshman Class, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Vice Chair and Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and twice as Majority Whip and Assistant Democratic Leader. I am confident that Leader Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, and the entire leadership team will continue the important work of putting people over politics," he said in a news release about the decision.

Clyburn served as majority whip from 2007 to 2010 and 2019 to 2022, making him the first African American to serve multiple terms in the role. Clyburn has represented the state's Sixth Congressional District since 1993.

"I will run for re-election for the Sixth Congressional District. Events of the last several years have made it clear that the greatness of America is at peril, and the threats to our continued pursuit of 'a more perfect Union' are real," he said in the release.

He has led efforts to preserve and restore historic buildings on the campuses of historically Black colleges and universities. Clyburn sponsored legislation creating the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, Congaree National Park, the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park and expand the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site to South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and Washington, D.C.

"Yesterday's results in New York and Pennsylvania, however, undergird my devotion to Alexis de Tocqueville's admonition that 'America's greatness is not that she is more enlightened than any other nation, but that she has always been able to repair her faults.' I am convinced that a significant majority of Americans are committed to de Tocqueville's notion, and I feel compelled to expand my efforts to maintain America's greatness and make that greatness accessible and affordable for all Americans. That has always been my life's mission and I am proud of my efforts in that regard.

"I've had the privilege of serving under consequential Democratic presidents, balancing budgets in the Clinton Administration, expanding healthcare access under President Obama, and rescuing a pandemic plagued country and economy with President Biden.

"South Carolina, and our already-great nation, have made tremendous progress under the Biden-Harris Administration. I look forward to continuing to work alongside my Democratic colleagues in the 118th Congress, and beyond, to regain a Democratic Majority, retain our Senate Majority, and rally Americans to reelect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris," he said in the release.

In the Sumter and Clarendon areas, Clyburn has brought a Rural Energy Savings Program which provides loans to families and businesses to implement durable, cost-effective energy-efficiency measures. His "Accessible, Affordable Broadband for All" bill was included in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill and is funded at $65 billion.

In previous reporting by The Sumter Item in 2022, Clyburn announced as U.S. House Assistant Democratic leader that South Carolina has appropriated an investment of roughly $490 million for broadband internet access across the state. The money comes from four broadband infrastructure grant programs.

Also during his time in the role, in April 2022, the House of Representatives passed The Affordable Insulin Now Act that would cap insulin prices at $35 a month or 25% of an insurance plan's negotiable price. He said his team and the Biden administration looked at the cost of insulin, and they concluded insulin can be made and packaged for $10 a month.

"We looked at how much people are paying for medicine, and the people who are paying for their medicine, we are going to fix things for you," Clyburn said in a previous Item article.

He said people who are using Medicare will see their medical bills plummet by 30% in the next few years.

"In 2025, everyone on Medicare will not have to pay over $2,000 a year for your medicine," Clyburn said.

Sen. Kevin Johnson, D-Manning, said he is a "huge admirer" of Clyburn.

"He has done a tremendous job as a member of the leadership in Congress over the years," Johnson said. "While his effective and efficient role as a part of the membership team will be missed, I support his decision, and I am happy that he will continue to be a member of Congress where his experience and wealth of knowledge will continue to be an asset."

Sumter Item reporter Ashley Miller contributed to this article.