WASHINGTON, D.C., - Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Public Policy Director Tanya Clay House released the following statement applauding President Obama’s recent recess appointments:
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law commends President Barack Obama for his bold step in appointing 15 key officials to his Administration on March 27, 2010. While we applaud the Administration, we urge them to continue to press the Senate for swift confirmation following the Congressional recess.
Particularly important are the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) appointments, which represent a critical step towards a fully-functioning agency to safeguard workers from discriminatory practices. With this leadership in place EEOC can provide proper guidance to employers on key issues, including the misuse of credit checks and arrest and conviction records to screen job applicants. These practices have a very disparate and negative impact on minority workers who are already more likely to be struggling in the current economic crisis. We look forward to the leadership of Jacqueline Berrien and her team in enforcing federal laws and ensuring equality of opportunity in employment across the country.
About the Lawyers’ Committee
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice under law, particularly in the areas of fair housing and fair lending, community development, employment discrimination, voting, education and environmental justice. For more information about the LCCRUL, visit www.lawyerscommittee.org.
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