Statement by Wade Henderson on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Membership in The Leadership Conference

“The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights regrets the decision by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to discontinue its membership in The Leadership Conference. The USCCB has been an important and valued member of The Leadership Conference for many years, and we have – and will continue to have – many shared goals.

It is particularly regrettable that the USCCB now believes that its views do not align with The Leadership Conference’s positions regarding the individuals who dispense justice in our society. The Leadership Conference has long held the view that those individuals have a direct impact on civil rights protections for all and therefore the composition of the federal judiciary is a civil rights issue of profound importance to all Americans.

The Leadership Conference is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. Given the broad diversity of our membership, organizations are not required to accept every policy position reflecting a general consensus of the majority of the coalition. Every organization retains its complete sovereignty to make decisions consistent with its views and values. We also want to be clear that The Leadership Conference takes no position on the issue of abortion.

The Leadership Conference appreciates the significant contributions that the USCCB has made on behalf of the civil and human rights for all Americans. We look forward to working alongside the USCCB in the future to advance our common objectives.”