Civil and Human Rights Coalition Blasts Ryan Budget for FY2013

Washington, D.C. – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued this statement regarding the new budget being proposed by Congressman Paul Ryan:

“Here we go again.  Today, Chairman Ryan is expected to present the same bad ideas in his budget that fell flat last year.  Even worse he will wall off cuts to the military at the expense of domestic priorities like education, job training and the programs that keep America working and protect those who can’t find jobs. 

And when Chairman Ryan opts to pay for more irresponsible tax breaks for millionaires, more subsidies for big oil companies, and protects military spending from cuts, domestic priorities will have to be drastically cut.

We expect that the 2013 Ryan budget, like its 2012 counterpart, will gut programs needed by the low-income people, women, seniors, people with disabilities and communities of color.  Today, there are millions of families either struggling to find work or living on reduced incomes, the Ryan budget would make things even worse for them.

Chairman Ryan might be able to live fine with this budget – but the communities represented by The Leadership Conference don’t have the same options as he does. ”

Nancy Zirkin is executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.