Robert Hune-Kalter Talk Radio News Service The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) hand delivered a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Wednesday, urging him to support job creation, especially for America’s youth. The Senate recently rejected a provision put forth by the House to create summer employment for youths but CBC Chairwoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said they were able to make headway in creating jobs for young Americans. “In this bill we were able to negotiate a $1 billion provision for a summer youth jobs program, our black farmer settlement [and] an expansion of temporary assistance for needy families,” Lee said. The CBC points out that although the unemployment rate dropped May, the unemployment rate for African-American youths showed a 1 percent increase between April and May to 38 percent. “I used to remember when the summer came, young people were just anxious to have that opportunity for their first job, to deny that opportunity to young people today is a crime,” said Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.) The CBC is looking at passing a jobs bill as soon as possible, saying that funding would be most effective during the summer months while students are out of school. “If the bill is approved at 3:30 today, we still have a problem, and that’s why we can’t wait,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-Mo.). “The money goes through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to the state governments, then they go to the municipal government, which requires a vote to accept the money.”