Published: November 2012

Priority legislation needed to avoid fiscal cliff

As the U.S. approaches the fiscal cliff, Consumer Action and more than 140 national organizations urged President Obama and Congress to work together to prioritize job creation, oppose benefit cuts to social services, and require corporations and wealthy individuals to pay their fair share.

In a letter sent Friday to President Obama and congressional leaders, Consumer Action and organizations representing working people, people of color, women, people with disabilities, faith communities, and good government advocates set out five urgent priorities that should be part of any budget agreement. As congress works to craft a resolution to the nation's economic and fiscal challenges, the organizations urge a focus on job creation and asked leaders to avoid any actions that would cost jobs, to oppose benefit cuts for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, to protect the nation’s safety net, and oppose any extension of the Bush tax cuts for the richest two percent of Americans.

Lead Organization

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCR)

Other Organizations

9to5, National Association of Working Women | AFGE National Council of SSA Field Operations Locals | AFL-CIO | African American Health Alliance | African American Ministers in Action | AFSCME | AIDS United | Alliance for a Just Society | Alliance for Children and Families | Alliance for Retired Americans | Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) | American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) | American Association for Affirmative Action | American Association of People with Disabilities | American Family Voices | American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) | American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA), AFL-CIO | American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO | American Medical Student Association (AMSA) | Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) | The Arc of the U.S. | Asian American Justice Center, member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice | Asian Law Alliance | Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO | Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) | Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) | Black Leadership Forum | Campaign for America’s Future | Caring Across Generations | Center for Community Change | Center for Law and Social Policy | Center for Women Policy Studies | The Children’s Defense Fund | The Children’s Leadership Council | Cities For Progress, Institute for Policy Studies | The City Project | Coalition on Human Needs | Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO | Community Organizations in Action | Consumer Action | Compassion & Choices | Council for Opportunity in Education | Courage Campaign | Democrats for Education Reform | Demos | Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO | Developing Communities Project | Direct Care Alliance | Disability Policy Consortium | Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) | Early Childhood Policy Research | Education Reform Now | The Education Trust | Enterprise Community Partners, Inc. | The Equal Justice Society | Every Child Matters Education Fund | Family Values @ Work | Farmworker Justice | First Five Years Fund | Gamaliel | Green for All | Half in Ten | Health Care for America Now | Healthy Teen Network | Heartland Alliance | Hmong National Development, Inc. | Institute of Social Medicine & Community Health | International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers, AFL-CIO | International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, UAW | Japanese American Citizens League | Jewish Labor Committee | Labor Project for Working Families | Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law | The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights | Legal Aid Society –Employment Law Center | Legal Momentum | Main Street Alliance | Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association | Medicare Rights Center | MoveOn.org | NAACP | National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd | National American Indian Housing Council | National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities | National Association of Letter Carriers | National Association of Social Workers | National Black Child Development Institute | National Black Justice Coalition | National Coalition Against Domestic Violence | National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare | National Congress of American Indians | National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians | National Council of Jewish Women | National Council of Women’s Organizations (NCWO) | The National Council on Independent Living | National Disability Rights Network | National Domestic Workers Alliance | National Education Association | National Employment Law Project | National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) | National Fair Housing Alliance | National Federation of Federal Employees | National Gay and Lesbian Task Force | National Health Care for the Homeless Council | National Health Law Program | National Indian Child Welfare Association | National Indian Health Board | National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty | National Low-Income Housing Coalition | National Organization for Women | National Partnership for Women & Families | National People's Action | National Transitional Jobs Network | National Women’s Law Center | National Women's Health Network | NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby | OMB Watch | Partnership for Working Families | People For the American Way | PolicyLink | Poverty & Race Research Action Council | Pride at Work, AFL-CIO | Public Advocates Inc. | Public Education Network | Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Coalition | Rebuild the Dream | Service Employees International Union (SEIU) | Sisters of Mercy Institute Justice Team | SMART - Sheet Metal Air Rail & Transportation Association | Social Security Works | Strengthen Social Security Coalition | Strong Families Initiative | Tradeswomen Now and Tomorrow | Transportation Learning Center | Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO | United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries | United Methodist Women | United Neighborhood Centers of America | United Steelworkers International Union | USAction | Voices for America’s Children | Wider Opportunities for Women | Working America | Young Elected Officials Network| Young People For | YWCA USA

More Information

Visit the Leadership Conference of Civil and Human Rights for more information.

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Priority legislation needed to avoid fiscal cliff   (LCCR_letter_to_avoid_fiscal_cliff.pdf)