Civil and Human Rights Coalition Calls for More Funding for Transit in Transportation Legislation

WASHINGTON – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president and director of policy of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in advance of the bicameral conference on surface transportation reauthorization legislation:

“While we applaud bipartisan efforts in Congress to pass much needed long-term transportation legislation, several issues must be addressed in conference to ensure that our nation’s most vulnerable populations are not forgotten in this bill.

Access to transit means access to jobs, affordable housing, health care, schools, and child care for both urban and rural communities. The Senate’s bill provides robust investments in transit, but the House bill is woefully inadequate. The Senate bill’s discriminatory drug testing policy and its lack of accessibility safeguards for people of color, people with disabilities, and low-income populations must be addressed. Moreover, the conference report cannot be a vehicle for ideological policy riders. 

We know that better transportation policy can help fight income inequality and that long-term transportation funding is critical to ensuring our nation’s economic prosperity. We urge Congress to enact these fixes and pass transportation legislation that provides for the needs of all Americans.”

Nancy Zirkin is executive vice president and director of policy 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.