Civil and Human Rights Coalition Slams House Budget Proposal and Calls for One that Promotes Opportunity for All

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement following the House passage of their budget resolution:

“The federal budget is a representation of our country’s moral values. Congress has a responsibility to fund the programs that support America’s working families while making critical investments that grow our economy. Today’s vote by the House is an abdication of that responsibility. The Republican budget would give unnecessary tax cuts to the wealthy, while making massive cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and other important programs that provide essential support to working families, including communities of color. We applaud the 18 Republicans who joined all the Democrats in opposing this dangerous measure.

When the Senate takes up its budget resolution on the floor week after next, it should take a different approach and pass a budget that expands opportunity for all and protects the most vulnerable among us. Senators must reject any budget that provides a backdoor to taking health care away from millions of people, guts essential programs to help feed the needy and care for the elderly, and undermines civil and human rights protections for all.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is 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 member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.