Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Introduction of Federal “Ban the Box” Bill, Reiterates Call for Executive Order

WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the bipartisan bicameral introduction of the Fair Chance Act, which would prohibit federal contractors and federal agencies from asking about the criminal history of a job applicant until an applicant receives a conditional offer of employment, a practice commonly known as “banning the box.” The Leadership Conference is part of a broad coalition calling for President Obama to issue an executive order to implement this bipartisan policy on the administrative level:

“The Fair Chance Act is an important bipartisan show of support for eliminating the arbitrary patchwork of policies that hinder the hiring of the most talented and effective federal workforce possible. Eighteen states, 100 cities and counties, and major employers like Starbucks, Walmart, Koch Industries, and Target have all banned the box while the federal government and its contractors have fallen behind the times. 

One in three Americans—or 70 million people—have an arrest or conviction record. These individuals face enormous obstacles to securing housing, financial aid for college, access to public benefits, and employment for the rest of their lives. These barriers, which permanently force people to the margins of our society, pose a huge cost to our nation.

President Obama could implement this policy with the stroke of a pen and this bill shows that there is broad bipartisan support for him to do so. We reiterate our call to the President to issue an executive order that would give all Americans a fair chance to work with the federal government and, given that we are in one of the least productive congressional eras in modern history, we urge the administration not to use this bill as an excuse for inaction.

We applaud Senator Booker, Senator Johnson, Rep. Cummings, and Rep. Issa for their leadership on this issue and for showing a strong bipartisan consensus that our government should give all Americans a fair chance to work.”

Wade Henderson is the 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 and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.