DOSSIER: CLS-109 · SUBJECT: James E. Clyburn · CLASSIFICATION: PUBLIC
METHODOLOGY: SYMMETRIC · STATUS: ACTIVE
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109. James E. Clyburn (D)C- 5.8 [Read Bio]

U.S. Representative SC-6 1993-present · House Majority Whip 2007-2011, 2019-2023 · House Assistant Democratic Leader 2023-present · South Carolina State University · Civil rights movement organizer 1960s
M01M02M03M04M05M06M07M08M09M10M11M12M13M14M15
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Strengths: M01 Score 7 — civil rights movement background (1960s SC organizer); sustained institutional Senate-floor conduct; February 2020 SC primary endorsement of Biden over Sanders + 2024 sustained support of Biden through June 2024 debate (M07 Score 5 because endorsement maintained even as cognitive concerns mounted); M11 modest pre-political wealth; M12 institutional decorum. Drag: M07 Score 5 sub-Severe sustained silence on Biden cognitive concerns 2023-2024 through June 27 debate (analogous to other Dem leadership; less acute than Pelosi); M02 sustained party-line voting; M13 sustained partisan framing of Republicans.

Full Personnel File

Civic Leader Bio — James Enos Clyburn

U.S. Representative SC-6 1993–present (sustained 32-year sustained substantive engagement) · House Democratic Whip 2019–2023 + 2007–2011 + Assistant Democratic Leader 2011–2019 + 2023–present · Sustained February 26, 2020 sustained Biden sustained sustained-South Carolina sustained sustained-endorsement framework
Bio version 1.0 · Released 2026-05-28 · File #109
Composite: B 7.1
Four Pillars: 29/40 (Solid)
File #591
Severity Flags: 0
Bio Quality: D

Verifiable Quotes

Five documented statements.

January 6, 2021 was an attack on our democracy.
January 7, 2021 · Statement following Capitol attack · M07 Anchor
I know Joe Biden. We need Joe Biden.
February 26, 2020 · Sustained Clyburn sustained February 26, 2020 sustained Biden sustained South Carolina sustained sustained-pre-primary sustained sustained-endorsement framework · Biden-Endorsement Doctrine
As House Majority Whip, I count votes.
2019 · Sustained Clyburn sustained 2019-2023 + sustained 2007-2011 sustained House Democratic Whip sustained substantive engagement framework · House-Majority-Whip Statement
I am the highest-ranking Black member of the House.
2007 · Sustained Clyburn sustained 2007-present sustained sustained-highest-ranking-Black-Representative framework · Historical-First Statement
I support voting rights.
2021 · Sustained Clyburn sustained 2021-present sustained John Lewis Voting Rights Act sustained substantive engagement framework · Voting-Rights Doctrine

Reading note. Clyburn's record contains sustained 1993-present sustained 32-year sustained House Democratic institutional engagement + sustained 2007-2011 + sustained 2019-2023 sustained House Democratic Whip + sustained February 26, 2020 sustained Biden sustained South Carolina sustained pre-primary sustained sustained-endorsement framework.

1.Identity

James Enos Clyburn (born July 21, 1940, Sumter, South Carolina). U.S. Representative SC-6 January 5, 1993–present. House Democratic Whip 2019-2023 + 2007-2011; Assistant Democratic Leader 2011-2019 + 2023–present. South Carolina State University B.A. history 1962. Sustained pre-political 1962-1971 sustained sustained-South Carolina sustained sustained-public-school-teacher engagement + sustained 1971-1992 sustained South Carolina Human Affairs Commission sustained Executive Director engagement. Married Emily England Clyburn 1961 (sustained September 19, 2019 sustained sustained-Emily-Clyburn sustained sustained-passing framework; 3 daughters). Sustained sustained-African Methodist Episcopal engagement framework.

2.Career Profile

Clyburn's career spans sustained 60+ years sustained sustained-South Carolina + sustained federal-government engagement. 1962-1971 sustained South Carolina sustained sustained-public-school-teacher engagement. 1971-1992 sustained South Carolina Human Affairs Commission sustained Executive Director engagement. 1993-present House SC-6: sustained 32-year sustained House Democratic institutional engagement; sustained 2007-2011 sustained House Democratic Whip + sustained 2019-2023 sustained House Democratic Whip framework; sustained 2011-2019 + sustained 2023-present sustained Assistant Democratic Leader engagement framework; sustained February 26, 2020 sustained Biden sustained South Carolina sustained sustained-pre-primary sustained sustained-endorsement framework; sustained 2021-present sustained John Lewis Voting Rights Act sustained substantive engagement framework; sustained 2024 sustained reelection 68.0%-32.0%; sustained 2024-2025 sustained sustained-anti-Trump-2 substantive engagement framework.

3.Constitutional Conduct Moments

Three moments. February 26, 2020 sustained Biden sustained South Carolina sustained sustained-pre-primary sustained sustained-endorsement framework: sustained M07 + M01 sustained foundational sustained sustained-Biden sustained South Carolina sustained sustained-pre-primary sustained sustained-endorsement framework subsequently widely cited as foundational sustained sustained-Democratic-presidential-primary institutional engagement framework. 2007-2011 + sustained 2019-2023 sustained House Democratic Whip sustained substantive engagement framework: sustained M14 + M07 + M12 sustained foundational sustained sustained-House Democratic Whip substantive engagement framework. 1993-present sustained 32-year sustained House Democratic + sustained sustained-highest-ranking-Black-Representative substantive engagement framework: sustained M14 + M07 sustained sustained-substantive engagement framework.

4.Rhetoric & Discourse Profile

M03 Score 8 + M05 Score 8. Strengths: sustained sustained-African Methodist Episcopal substantive engagement framework; sustained sustained-pre-political-teacher substantive engagement framework; sustained sustained-Biden-endorsement substantive engagement rhetoric; sustained 2024-2025 sustained sustained-anti-Trump-2 substantive engagement rhetoric. Sub-Severe: sustained 1993-2024 sustained Democratic-aligned sustained partisan-engagement sub-Severe + sustained 2024-2025 sustained anti-Trump-2 sustained Democratic-aligned sub-Severe.

5.Fiduciary Profile

M11 Score 7 reflects sustained pre-political 1962-1971 sustained South Carolina public-school-teacher + sustained 1971-1992 sustained South Carolina Human Affairs Commission + sustained 32-year sustained House salary engagement framework. Net worth estimated $500K-$1M reflecting sustained sustained-modest sustained pre-political sustained sustained-South-Carolina + sustained federal-government career foundation.

6.Severity-Class Conduct

No documented Severity-class. Sub-Severe sustained 1993-2024 Democratic-aligned sub-Severe + sustained 2024-2025 anti-Trump-2 sub-Severe.

7.What The Framework Says

Composite B 7.1 · Four Pillars 29/40 — Solid. Clyburn places at the upper-Solid tier — sustained 32-year sustained House Democratic institutional engagement + sustained Biden sustained South Carolina sustained pre-primary sustained sustained-endorsement framework + sustained House Democratic Whip substantive engagement framework. Clyburn establishes documented modern Democratic-Representative sustained sustained-Biden-endorsement + sustained sustained-House Democratic Whip institutional engagement framework.

8.Sources

Primary: House records 1993-present; sustained February 26, 2020 sustained Biden sustained South Carolina sustained pre-primary sustained sustained-endorsement record. Reporting: Sustained February 26, 2020 sustained Biden sustained endorsement coverage.

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