Representative-Elect Cori Bush has earned a major cosign from the Democratic Party. Heading into her first term in office, Bush has been nominated to join the House Judiciary Committee. If confirmed, Bush will join Reps. Karen Bass, Sheila Jackson Lee and several others overseeing activities in federal courts and other administrative agencies. Representative-Elects Mondaire Jones and Deborah Ross have also been nominated for the committee.
Before stepping foot on Capitol Hill, Bush has emerged as one of the most outspoken members of Congress. As the first Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress, she has advocated for larger stimulus payouts, defunding police departments and forgiving student debt. Her advocacy for marginalized communities across the country has also earned the support of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Ayanna Pressley.
In addition to advocating for marginalized communities, she has not held back when confronting those who don’t think she is capable of her newfound role in American politics. Most recently, critics pointed out her lack of legal experience before her House Judiciary Committee nomination.
“Some people [are] in my mentions are saying I need a law degree to serve on the Judiciary Committee. No degree can teach you what it feels like to experience an officer’s boot stomping [on] your head. The expertise of my community’s lived experiences will drive my work,” she tweeted.
Before serving in Congress, Bush was a prominent community leader in Ferguson following the death of Michael Brown. Taking her activism to public office, she ran for Senate in 2016 before losing to Democratic challenger Jason Kander. Two years later, she fell short of earning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives while running against former Rep. Lacy Clay. In 2020, she broke through with a major win over Clay.
Bush is set to be sworn into office in January 2021.
