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! March 2,7,2010 January 2010 The Honorable Harry Reid Senate Majority President Barack Leader, Obama U.S. Senate 522 White Hart Senate The HouseOffice Building Washington, DC 20510 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500! Dear Senator Reid: Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House We come as the nation’s civil rights leaders to urge you to stand up for all of America’s U.S. Housetogether of Representatives workers and resist efforts derail the job creation agenda. Given the economic emergency our 235 Cannon House Officeto Building nation faces, DC it is20515-0508 appalling that certain senators plan to introduce measures that would result in Washington, massive layoffs and prevent millions of unemployed Americans from getting hired. Honorable Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader U.S. Senate Workers and families are hurting; they cannot afford unnecessary obstructions and setbacks on 522 Hart Senate OfficeThese Building the road to recovery. roadblocks include anti-immigrant measures that purport to “put Washington, DC 20515-2005 American workers first,â€? which would in reality block legally present workers and U.S. citizens from getting jobs, while adding crippling costs to struggling small businesses. Any member of Congress who cares about American workers and businesses should vote against these harmful Dear President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid, amendments. • Expanding the E-Verify system nationwide would cause at least 3.6 million workers to We applaud the House, Senate and the President for all of your hard work to bring us so close to lose their jobs if they don’t go to a Social Security Administration (SSA) office to correct meaningful health care reform. It has been a monumental undertaking in the face of an discrepancies in their records, according to the SSA.! unproductive and many times disingenuous opposition. However, we are deeply concerned • Minority workers and foreign-born U.S. citizens—who already face staggering about several aspects of the current Senate bill and therefore, the final outcome of health reform unemployment face greatera harm. While the national unemployment rate is policy, including the rates—would taxing of health benefits, lack of shared responsibility to ensure employers 9.7%, it is 16.5% for African Americans and 12.6% for Latinos. Evaluationsoption of E-Verify DUH FRQWULEXWLQJ WR WKHLU ZRUNHUVÂś KHDOWK LQVXUDQFH DQG WKH DEVHQFH RI D SXElic to keep have shown that minorities and legally present immigrants are up to 30 times more likely to insurance companies honest and keep insurance costs down. We are a coalition of organizations be incorrectly flagged as ineligible to work. ! that represent communities of color and low-income communities and our recommendations • Mandating Social Security “No Matchâ€? rule would cost employers below give voicethe to the specific concerns of those letter communities. approximately $1 billion per year to implement, according to an independent analysis for the government. Furthermore, with E-Verifythe would be impossible for small We strongly urge House and Senatecomplying negotiators to address problematic provisions listed businesses without high-speed access. ! affordable, quality health care for American below in order to achieve the goalsInternet of health reform: families. In a letter sent to you on February 19, we outlined several bold proposals to rescue Americans Afrom ffordability. Requiring people insuranceforthat they prosperous cannot afford is not job loss and foreclosure andtotobuy lay health the foundation a more future foraall. Our legitimate, feasible, sustainable, or desirable solution to ourhardest-hit health carebycrisis. We believe plan ensures that relief and opportunity is targeted to those the recession. Wethe House bill got the affordability balance right and suggest that the final bill expand Medicaid to at recommend: least 150% of poverty. Consider the reality that the average family of three earning $28,400 (or • Fast-tracking the creation of jobs in the public sector which serve community-level 155% of poverty) $2100 more in premiumsunemployed and out-of-pocket costs under the Senate needs. With awould focus pay on distressed neighborhoods, and underemployed residents bill than the House bill. The Senate bill would have a serious impact on the quality of life should be hired to provide housing counseling, maintain foreclosed properties, and carryforout working people in this country. Without better affordability provisions, people will continue to