The Leadership Conference Applauds Civil Rights Investments, Condemns Increased Police Funding in President Biden’s FY2024 Budget
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dena L. Craig, [email protected]
WASHINGTON — Jesselyn McCurdy, executive vice president of government affairs at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement in response to the Biden administration’s budget:
“In its proposed FY2024 budget, the Biden administration has rightly recognized the importance of civil rights enforcement as demonstrated by funding increases for the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education, the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). We are also encouraged by proposed increases in early care and education, K-12 schools, and higher education access and by the restoration of the expanded Child Tax Credit. The nation’s budget should reflect our values, so we are encouraged by proposed investments, which would have a transformative impact for families and working people across the country — including closing the coverage gap in states that have not adopted Medicaid expansion, strengthening and protecting Medicare, bolstering support for paid family and medical leave, and modernizing unemployment insurance.
“In spite of these strides, The Leadership Conference is disappointed that the president’s budget seeks to revive ineffective 1990s policies by calling for the funding of 100,000 new police officers. As communities across the country continue to grapple with incidents of police violence, it is not clear that the administration has a viable plan to deal with the law enforcement practices and culture that led to the murder of Tyre Nichols and far too many other Black and Brown people. We urge Congress to advance federal funding that protects people from discrimination and provides the programs and supports that people need.”
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 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 member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.
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