146 National Groups Outline Priorities to Avoid ‘Fiscal Slope’
Washington, D.C. –– As our nation approaches the so-called “fiscal slope,” 146 national organizations are calling on President Obama and Congress to work together to prioritize job creation, oppose benefit cuts to social insurance programs, protect the safety net, and require corporations and wealthy individuals to pay their fair share.
In a letter sent Friday to President Obama and congressional leaders of both chambers, the organizations representing working people, people of color, low-income communities, women, people with disabilities, faith communities, and good government advocates set out five urgent priorities that should be part of any budget agreement.
- The letter outlining these concerns and a full list of signatories are below this statement.
- The groups have also highlighted their priorities in a full-page Thursday ad in The Washington Post.
The joint letter states:
As you work to craft a resolution to these economic and fiscal challenges, we urge you to embrace the call of the American people to focus on job creation and avoid any actions that would cost jobs, oppose benefit cuts for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, protect our nation’s safety net, and oppose any extension of the Bush tax cuts for the richest 2 percent of Americans.
And continues:
Given the current state of the economy, we have serious concerns that many of the proposals under consideration would require substantial reductions in federal investments, removing even more money from the economy and burdening many of the same working families that have already borne the brunt of our nation’s deficit reduction efforts.
Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said, “After bearing the brunt of the recession, our communities – working people, low-income communities, women, seniors, people with disabilities and people of color – are demanding a fair deal, not a raw deal. That means creating jobs and opportunity, not cutting the safety net or Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, and asking the wealthiest Americans and corporations to pay their fair share. Nothing less will do.”
AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka said, “On Tuesday the American people said ‘no’ to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefit cuts and ‘no’ to another tax cut for the richest two percent. And we intend to make sure Congress listens.”
Deepak Bhargava, executive director, Center for Community Change, said, “The fiscal cliff is really a showdown between jobs and austerity. What America needs right now are more jobs – quality jobs that pay living wages, guarantee the right to collectively bargain and organize, and are accessible to the people who are looking for work right now. Congress needs to reject austerity and invest in an economy that can deliver shared prosperity.”
The full text of the letter and list of signers are below.
///
November 9, 2012
The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
The undersigned, representing 146 national organizations, understand the urgent budget decisions we face as a nation over the next few months. As you work to craft a resolution to these economic and fiscal challenges, we urge you to embrace the call of the American people to focus on job creation and avoid any actions that would cost jobs; oppose benefit cuts for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; protect our nation’s safety net; and oppose any extension of the Bush tax cuts for the richest 2 percent of Americans.
Despite some important steps, the economy still has a long way to go to achieve a full recovery. More than 20 million people are in need of full-time work, and unemployment continues to hover around 8 percent. Given the current state of the economy, we have serious concerns that many of the proposals under consideration would require substantial reductions in federal investments, removing even more money from the economy and burdening many of the same working families that have already borne the brunt of our nation’s deficit reduction efforts.
With these pressing concerns in mind, we urge that any budget agreement adopted must include:
Creating jobs and growing the economy. While our economy is still struggling, we urge you to prioritize job creation and economic growth in any agreement adopted. It must include steps to spur private investment and to create targeted investments in infrastructure and education that will grow the economy and create quality jobs. There are proposals available to that end, including the American Jobs Act. It is imperative that the administration and Congress address this urgent need.
No cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security benefits or shifting costs to beneficiaries or the states. Millions of seniors, children, people with disabilities, and others, depend on these vital programs and they must not be cut. They are a cornerstone of our nation’s health care and retirement systems, and a promise made to future generations.
No cuts to the safety net and vital services for low-income people. We should not allow the fiscal burden to be shifted to poor and working families who have already borne a disproportionate share of the nation’s economic pain in recent years.
Stopping the sequester. We share the concerns of economists, small business owners, state and local governments, and the millions of individuals we represent, that sequestration will harm our fragile recovery, will result in a substantial loss of jobs in both the public and private sectors, and will make harmful cuts in vital services needed to promote health, development, and economic security for people and communities nationwide that have already sustained $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction losses. We urge Congress to stop the sequester with a responsible solution that includes new revenue.
Requiring the wealthiest and corporations to pay their fair share, starting with ending tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent. We urge you to allow tax cuts that benefit only the richest
2 percent to expire on schedule, which would save nearly $1 trillion in revenues and reduced interest payments. While a wide range of programs have been cut in recent years, the very wealthy and corporations have so far not been required to contribute a penny in additional revenues toward deficit reduction. Securing substantial new revenue from those with the greatest ability to contribute will allow us to meet deficit reduction goals, chart a more sustainable fiscal path forward, invest in the job creation measures our economy needs, and protect the programs and services that families depend upon.
Thank you for your consideration. Please contact Nancy Zirkin, The Leadership Conference at (202) 263-2880, [email protected]; Kelly Ross, AFL-CIO, at 202-637-5075, [email protected]; or Debbie Weinstein, Coalition on Human Needs, at 202-223-2532, [email protected], if you have any questions.
9to5, National Association of Working Women
AFGE National Council of SSA Field Operations Locals
AFL-CIO
African American Health Alliance
African American Ministers in Action
AFSCME
AIDS United
Alliance for a Just Society
Alliance for Children and Families
Alliance for Retired Americans
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
American Association for Affirmative Action
American Association of People with Disabilities
American Family Voices
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA), AFL-CIO
American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
The Arc of the U.S.
Asian American Justice Center, member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice
Asian Law Alliance
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO)
Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL)
Black Leadership Forum
Campaign for America’s Future
Caring Across Generations
Center for Community Change
Center for Law and Social Policy
Center for Women Policy Studies
The Children’s Defense Fund
The Children’s Leadership Council
Cities For Progress, Institute for Policy Studies
The City Project
Coalition on Human Needs
Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO
Community Organizations in Action
Consumer Action
Compassion & Choices
Council for Opportunity in Education
Courage Campaign
Democrats for Education Reform
Demos
Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO
Developing Communities Project
Direct Care Alliance
Disability Policy Consortium
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
Early Childhood Policy Research
Education Reform Now
The Education Trust
Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.
The Equal Justice Society
Every Child Matters Education Fund
Family Values @ Work
Farmworker Justice
First Five Years Fund
Gamaliel
Green for All
Half in Ten
Health Care for America Now
Healthy Teen Network
Heartland Alliance
Hmong National Development, Inc.
Institute of Social Medicine & Community Health
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers, AFL-CIO
International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, UAW
Japanese American Citizens League
Jewish Labor Committee
Labor Project for Working Families
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Legal Aid Society –Employment Law Center
Legal Momentum
Main Street Alliance
Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association
Medicare Rights Center
MoveOn.org
NAACP
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National American Indian Housing Council
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities
National Association of Letter Carriers
National Association of Social Workers
National Black Child Development Institute
National Black Justice Coalition
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
National Congress of American Indians
National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Women’s Organizations (NCWO)
The National Council on Independent Living
National Disability Rights Network
National Domestic Workers Alliance
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA)
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Federation of Federal Employees
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
National Health Law Program
National Indian Child Welfare Association
National Indian Health Board
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women & Families
National People’s Action
National Transitional Jobs Network
National Women’s Law Center
National Women’s Health Network
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
OMB Watch
Partnership for Working Families
People For the American Way
PolicyLink
Poverty & Race Research Action Council
Pride at Work, AFL-CIO
Public Advocates Inc.
Public Education Network
Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Coalition
Rebuild the Dream
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Sisters of Mercy Institute Justice Team
SMART – Sheet Metal Air Rail & Transportation Association
Social Security Works
Strengthen Social Security Coalition
Strong Families Initiative
Tradeswomen Now and Tomorrow
Transportation Learning Center
Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
United Methodist Women
United Neighborhood Centers of America
United Steelworkers International Union
USAction
Voices for America’s Children
Wider Opportunities for Women
Working America
Young Elected Officials Network
Young People For
YWCA USA