Support the “Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act”
Advocacy Letter - 10/20/11
Source: The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Recipient: U.S. Senate
Dear Senator:
On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, we write to express our support for S. 1723, the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act. S. 1723 is a budget neutral proposal that will create or save hundreds of thousands of jobs for some of the most vital public servants in our communities. We urge you to support cloture on S. 1723 and promptly move forward with its consideration and passage.
The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act would provide $30 billion to protect or create jobs for nearly 400,000 teachers, helping ensure that our children do not bear the brunt of our economic downturn. It would also provide $5 billion to keep thousands of local police officers and firefighters on the job, helping to ensure that public safety is not compromised by state and local government budget cuts. These provisions would be fully paid for by a surtax of one-half of one percent on income above $1 million.
The provisions in S. 1723 are beneficial to our communities, will help boost our national economic recovery, are fiscally responsible, are highly popular with the public, and have a history of bipartisan support. They are particularly important for African-American and Latino communities that are currently facing unemployment rates of 16 percent and 11.3 percent, respectively, well above the national average. Notwithstanding the “pledges” that some Members made to special interest groups before the 2010 election to oppose any tax increase, Congress must face the fact that sensible, targeted revenue increases – such as the one in S. 1723 – are an absolutely necessary and fiscally responsible component of ensuring our long-term economic health.
For these reasons, we urge you to support cloture on S. 1723 and work towards its enactment. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Wade Henderson
President & CEO
Nancy Zirkin
Executive Vice President
