Rep. Eric Johnson and other African American legislators discuss “fiscal cliff” with President Obama

Representative Eric Johnson (D-Dallas) joined a delegation of a dozen members of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) in a meeting with President Barack Obama and key members of his administration to discuss the fiscal cliff Tuesday at the White House. It is the first time that President Obama has met with a group of exclusively African American state legislators since taking office.

“I am deeply honored to be included in the delegation of African American state legislators who had the historic opportunity to meet with President Obama and his advisors today,” said Representative Johnson. “The President wants to make sure our constituents are aware of what is at stake in this fiscal cliff debate and to do all we can to make sure that Congress doesn’t jeopardize our economic recovery,” Johnson said.

The NBCSL delegation met with President Obama and a group of his top advisors, which included Senior Advisor to the President and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls Valerie Jarrett and Special Assistant to the President for Education Policy Roberto Rodriguez. The meeting also included Cabinet Member and Council of Economic Advisors Chairman Alan Krueger, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs David Agnew, and Luke Tate with the White House Domestic Policy Council. The meeting was held in the Roosevelt Room in the White House and lasted for more than 90 minutes.

Currently the NBCSL has a membership roster of over 600 African American state legislators. The NBCSL’s primary mission is to develop, conduct and promote educational, research and training programs designed to enhance the effectiveness of its members. Representative Johnson has been a member of the NBCSL since 2010 and has served on its executive committee since 2011.