Civil and Human Rights Coalition Condemns House Vote for Ryan Budget

WASHINGTON – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement after the House of Representatives voted to pass the budget proposed by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis.:

“The Ryan budget passed by the House today is a retread of failed ideas and unconscionable spending cuts that ignores both the reality of our economy and the struggles of hard-working Americans seeking a better life for themselves and their families.

At a time when we’ve already made serious strides to reduce deficits, the Ryan budget would demand even more sacrifice from those least able to afford it, cutting $137 billion in food assistance, cutting trillions in health care assistance to people with low-to-moderate incomes, and increasing the cost of health care to seniors by turning Medicare into a voucher program. Meanwhile, the budget fails to make critical investments in our future, cutting billions in transportation and K-12 education, ignoring the plight of the long-term unemployed, and slashing $125 billion in Pell Grants for low- and moderate-income students who are struggling to pay skyrocketing tuition costs.

For most Americans, Ryan’s ‘path to prosperity’ is nothing more than a road to nowhere, and those who voted for it should be held accountable for voting to weaken America’s future.”

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.