Civil and Human Rights Coalition Condemns Speaker Ryan’s Plan to Dismantle Nation’s Safety Net

WASHINGTON – Today, Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released a statement in response to the release of a plan by Speaker Paul Ryan to dismantle the social safety net under the guise of fighting poverty:

“The Ryan Plan is another attempt to cut the social safety net from our nation’s poorest and most marginalized communities. Instead of helping low-income people, this plan would dismantle the programs that keep children fed and in school, guarantee health care, and ensure a minimum income for seniors and people with disabilities.

Underneath all of the pomp and circumstance of today’s announcement was nothing more than a flimsy repackaging of proposals that make it harder for low-income people to live day-to-day. Nowhere was there a commitment to creating jobs that pay a living wage or raising the minimum wage, closing the wage gap for women, or improving public schools.

We commend Speaker Ryan for adopting the rhetoric of economic empowerment, but rhetoric alone won’t help people make ends meet or enter the middle class.”

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 and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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