Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Supreme Court Decisions on Fair Housing and Health Care
WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement following Supreme Court decisions in Texas v. The Inclusive Communities Project, which was a challenge to the use of disparate impact claims under the Fair Housing Act, and in King v. Burwell, which was a challenge to the Affordable Care Act:
“In a time when bedrock civil rights protections are slowly receding in the areas of voting, education, and elsewhere, today’s two Supreme Court decisions preserving the integrity of the Fair Housing Act and the Affordable Care Act are a welcome relief for the most vulnerable Americans.
In the Texas case, the Supreme Court’s decision ensures that millions of Americans will still be protected from housing discrimination and upholds the important principle that, as a nation, we value the diversity of the communities in which we live. When Americans are denied equal opportunity to housing, they are denied access to good jobs, quality education, safe streets, transit, and a clean and healthy environment, all of which are critical to leading healthy and prosperous lives. As the Court acknowledged, ‘much progress remains to be made in our Nation’s continuing struggle against racial isolation.’ At a time of heightened concern across the country over threats to racial justice, as seen in places like Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland, a fully functioning and effective Fair Housing Act is more important than ever, and we applaud the Court’s recognition that the Fair Housing Act has a ‘continuing role in moving the Nation toward a more integrated society.’
In King v. Burwell, the Supreme Court articulated, for the second time, that the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land and is here to stay. The burdens of costly health care are not distributed evenly. Rather, they fall disproportionately on disadvantaged populations, which are more likely to experience higher rates of unemployment, to have jobs that do not provide health insurance, and to have lower incomes putting higher insurance premiums out of their financial reach. The Affordable Care Act is a giant leap forward in narrowing these disparities and today’s decision solidifies to these communities that their health care is no longer at risk of being taken away.”
Wade Henderson is president and CEO 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.
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