Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Priorities of Presidential Budget
WASHINGTON –Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president and director of policy at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to the release of President Obama’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2015-16:
“The proposed budget released today by the President shows a clear and unequivocal commitment to expanding the middle class, strengthening the safety net, and providing educational, economic, and employment opportunities for all Americans.
The budget would make a number of important investments in education, including in pre-K, child care, Head Start, Title I, STEM education, and community college, which will help working families and increase opportunities for children and students to thrive in the classroom and beyond. The new “second earner” tax credit, along with the expanded EITC and Child Tax Credit, will also help provide an additional measure of economic security for working families.
The President has also wisely called for a significant investment in our crumbling infrastructure through a six-year, $478 billion reauthorization of the surface transportation law. If our economy is to grow, we need to not only repair our aging highways and bridges but invest in the kind of 21st century transportation networks needed to create affordable and accessible transportation choices to millions of Americans that are transportation-disadvantaged, particularly low-income people, communities of color, and people with disabilities. We’re also pleased to see the President calling for an end to sequestration, which has had a devastating effect on safety-net programs while undermining economic growth.
The bold proposals in this budget are also fiscally responsible and include a number of overdue tax reforms that will benefit our economy while holding the line on deficits.
We applaud the thoughtful and commonsense policy choices the President has made and urge Congress to implement this budget.”
Nancy Zirkin is the 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, visit www.civilrights.org.