Civil and Human Rights Coalition Responds to Murray-Ryan Budget Deal

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WASHINGTON – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement about the results of the budget deal brokered by Senator Patty Murray and Representative Paul Ryan:

“We are encouraged that Sen. Patty Murray, D. Wash., and Rep. Paul Ryan, R. Wis., have agreed on the need to make at least some changes to the budget sequester. The damage already caused by the sequester has been widespread, and it will continue to get worse unless Congress eliminates it. Children have lost access to Head Start, class sizes have grown; health care programs have been cut back; law enforcement programs are being starved of resources; and badly needed upgrades to our roads and bridges have been put off. The Murray-Ryan agreement will not end the sequester, but when it comes to overall budget numbers, it is a step in the right direction. We’re also hopeful that a deal like this will reduce the number of budget standoffs that we have seen in the past several years.

But we are troubled by some of the details. Most notably, the deal does not include an extension of unemployment insurance – something that could easily be done by closing tax loopholes that favor the wealthiest Americans. It is unconscionable that Congress would leave our existing tax policies intact in order to kick an estimated 1.3 million working families out of a vital safety net – and just in time for the holidays, no less. We’re also disappointed that the budget would demand more out-of-pocket sacrifices from federal employees, and puts new burdens on private pension programs. There are better ways to go about addressing our budgetary problems, and we will continue urging Congress to do more to protect America’s working families as this deal moves forward.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is 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.