Civil and Human Rights Coalition Responds to Administration’s Budget Proposal

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WASHINGTON, DC – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to the offering of a compromise budget from the Obama administration:

“The budget offered today by the Obama administration protects some of the most important and vital programs for underserved communities while investing in our nation’s economic well-being. However, in an effort to compromise with Republicans, it also contains a wrongheaded provision that extracts revenues from middle class pocketbooks instead wealthy corporate interests

We applaud that this budget proposal maintains the funding levels of Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Supplemental Security Income, and other vital safety net programs. We also welcome the additional funding for infrastructure and job training, both of which will help underserved communities rise from stubborn double-digit unemployment rates.

But in an effort to make this budget palatable to Republicans, it also contains provisions that will hurt America’s middle class and allow corporations to avoid paying their fair share.  Chained CPI will undermine the Social Security benefits that people have worked a life time to earn and, by resorting to revenue neutral corporate taxes, this budget would tie the hands of government to raise revenue.

What’s important now is for Congress and the administration to work together on a budget that will protect Social Security, Medicare and vital safety net programs, create jobs and expand opportunities, and make sure that corporations and the wealthiest in our society pay their fair share.”

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.