James E. Clyburn, a long-serving member of the U.S. Congress representing South Carolina’s 6th district since 1993, shared his thoughts on historical and contemporary issues through a series of tweets in June 2025.
On June 19, 2025, Clyburn reflected on the significance of Juneteenth, commemorating the day when federal troops arrived in Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865. He tweeted: “On June 19, 1865, freedom finally reached the last enslaved African Americans in Texas as federal troops arrived to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. This #Juneteenth, we honor their resilience and reflect on how far we’ve come—and how far we still must go—in the fight for”.
On June 22, Clyburn highlighted an issue concerning veterans’ benefits. He mentioned that while President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the GI Bill 81 years ago to provide life-changing benefits to veterans, many Black veterans were denied these benefits in practice. He stated: “81 years ago, FDR signed the GI Bill, offering veterans access to life-changing benefits. But in practice, most Black veterans were denied them—especially access to home loans programs.” He further announced that he and Representative Seth Moulton introduced the VA Housing Loan Forever Act to address this issue.
In another tweet on June 22, Clyburn criticized former President Donald Trump’s decision regarding military action against Iran. He expressed concern over Trump’s actions without Congressional approval: “President Trump’s unilateral decision to attack Iran without Congressional approval is unconstitutional and unwise. This move, a rash sequel to his withdrawal from the nuclear deal, puts our nation, our troops, and innocents at grave risk.”
Jim Clyburn was born in Sumter, South Carolina in 1940 and currently resides in Columbia. He graduated from South Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962.
