Congress may be the most diverse it has ever been, but it is also more divided, according to The Caucus, the New York Times’ politics and government blog.
Author Erin Banco referenced a report released by Thomas E. Mann of the Brookings Institution on Tuesday, “Vital Statistics on Congress”, which showed that currently there are 96 women, 42 African-Americans and 31 Hispanics – all record numbers – in the 113th Congress. Despite the progress, Congress remains a “predominantly white, male institution.”
” . . .Congress is the most diverse in its history, and if recent voting patterns are a guide, it also could be among the most polarized,” she wrote.
Hispanics make up 23 House Democrats, five House Republicans, one Senate Democrat and two Senate Republicans.
In a video accompanying the report, Mann said, “The most striking feature of the contemporary Congress is extreme partisan polarization, which has reached the level not seen in well over a century.”
(Photo by Brittanylynae via Flickr)
