WASHINGTON – A coalition of 117 national civil rights and civic organizations has sent a letter to senators establishing five principles for ensuring that the Fiscal Year 2012 budget and debt limit deals address the nation’s debt in a fair, equitable, and responsible manner.
In the letter, the coalition expresses concern about the inadequacy and unfairness of current budget proposals, stating that:
“[Congress]…has the potential to either improve our overall economic situation or make matters even worse. Some of the proposals that we have seen to date are overly simplistic and would, in reality, do little to solve our budgetary problems. Others are simply draconian.”
The letter lays out five principles that the coalition urges the Senate to follow as budget negotiations unfold:
“Our coalition understands that deficit reduction is an important long-term goal for the nation,” said Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “But it cannot be accomplished without putting revenues on the table. Otherwise, the burden of reducing the debt will be laid at the feet of low- and moderate-income Americans and jeopardize a still-sluggish economic recovery.”
The text of the letter with a full list of its signatories is below.
COALITION STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES FOR FY 2012 BUDGET AND DEBT CEILING NEGOTIATIONS
Dear Senator:
The undersigned 117 organizations represent persons of color, women, children, low- to moderate-income workers, people with disabilities, consumers, elders, people of faith, English language learners, LGBT people, educators, and many other Americans. Together, we have formed a coalition that is extremely concerned with the ongoing state of negotiations over the Fiscal Year 2012 budget. We write today to present you with a list of principles that our coalition believes are essential to address as the budget discussions move forward.
As Congress focuses attention on reducing our federal budget deficits, it has the potential to either improve our overall economic situation or make matters even worse. Some of the proposals that we have seen to date are overly simplistic and would, in reality, do little to solve our budgetary problems. Others are simply draconian.
As Congress continues its negotiations over the debt ceiling and the FY 2012 budget, we urge you to adhere to the following principles:
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
9to5, National Association of Working Women
AFL-CIO
All Education Matters
Alliance for Retired Americans
American Association of People with Disabilities
American Association of University Women (AAUW)
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
American Network of Community Options and Resources
The Arc of the United States
Asian American Justice Center, a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Campaign for America’s Future
Campaign for Community Change
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR)
CFED, Corporation for Enterprise Development
Children Now
Children’s Defense Fund
Cities for Progress, Institute for Policy Studies
CLASP
Coalition on Human Needs
Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism
Committee for Education Funding
Communications Workers of America (CWA)
Community Action Partnership
DÃâmos
Direct Care Alliance
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
Easter Seals
Equal Justice Society
Families USA
Family Equality Council
Farmworker Justice
Food Research and Action Center
Friends of the Earth
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
Health & Disability Advocates
Health Care for America Now
International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW)
Japanese Americans Citizens League
Jewish Funds for Justice
Jewish Labor Committee
Latinos for a Secure Retirement
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
League of Women Voters of the U.S.
Legal Momentum
Mental Health America
Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund (MBELDEF)
NAACP
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National African American Drug Policy Coalition, Inc.
National AIDS Housing Coalition
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
National Association for Children's Behavioral Health
National Association for Hispanic Elderly
National Association of Human Rights Workers (NAHRW)
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development
National Community Reinvestment Coalition
National Congress of American Indians
National Congress of Black Women, Inc.
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council on Independent Living
National Disability Rights Network
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Focus on Gender Education
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund
National Health Law Program
National Immigration Law Center
National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC)
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
National Legal Aid & Defender Association
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Priorities Project
National Senior Citizens Law Center
National Skills Coalition
National Urban League
National Women’s Law Center
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Not Dead Yet
The Office of Gender and Racial Justice, RE&WM, GAMC, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
OMB Watch
PHI - Quality Care through Quality Jobs
Physicians for Social Responsibility
PolicyLink
Poverty & Race Research Action Council
ProgressNow
Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Coalition (REHDC)
RESULTS: The Power to End Poverty
SER- Jobs for Progress National, Inc.
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Sisters of Mercy Institute Justice Team
Social Security Works
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
Southern Poverty Law Center
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
United for a Fair Economy
United States Student Association
United Steelworkers
U.S. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (USPRA)
USAction
Voices for Progress
Wider Opportunities for Women