Tom Perez Is the Best Choice to Restore the Integrity of the Civil Rights Division

April 28, 2009 - Posted by The Leadership Conference

Yesterday, LCCR sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of the nomination of Tom Perez to be head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, saying that Perez is the "right person to take on the challenge" of returning the division to its former status as the nation's premier civil rights enforcement agency. The letter was signed by more than 20 civil rights organizations.

The Civil Rights Division, created in 1957, is responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion, and national origin, such as the Voting Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Americans With Disabilities Act.

However, in recent years the division has been plagued with controversy over political interference in its hiring policies and its inadequate enforcement of civil rights laws, leaving the division with little impact as a federal enforcement agency.

As the new assistant attorney general for civil rights, Perez will need to rebuild the morale of the division and renew its commitment to working to enforce the civil rights of all Americans.

Perez' confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee is tomorrow.