Representative Clyburn stayed on as No. 3 in the House Democratic caucus as adviser to Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi after Democrats lost their majority in 2010.
He is a veteran of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and represented House Democrats at the debt talks brokered by Vice President Joe Biden. In a leadership team that prizes unity, Clyburn has managed to stay close to Pelosi, while reaching out to progressives and the Congressional Black Caucus.
Yet on fundamentals, there isn’t a shade of difference between the three House Democratic appointees. All oppose any cuts to benefits to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare and favor requiring the wealthiest Americans to share in the sacrifice of spending cuts by paying higher taxes.
