FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 7, 2013

Statement from Executive Director of ColorOfChange.org, Rashad Robinson, on the deal to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling

New York, NY – The Senate announced today a deal to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling temporarily. Negotiated by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the deal would fund the government through January 15, 2014 and suspend the debt limit until February 7th. It also calls for an agreement by mid-December on a long-term budget plan, which sets the stage for yet another round of negotiations.

In response, Executive Director of ColorofChange.org, Rashad Robinson, issued the following statement:

“Over two weeks ago, the extreme right wing shut down the government, wreaking havoc in the lives of everyday people by jeopardizing crucial business, veterans, health and education services. Tea Party conservatives engineered the current shutdown and default crisis with a dual purpose in mind — to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and defund the social safety net. The Black community has borne the heaviest burden in the wake of the standoff. Thanks to anti-discriminatory hiring safeguards, Blacks and Latinos make up a larger share of the public workforce, many of whom were furloughed during this two-week standoff. Moreover, the unemployment rate in Black communities continues to hover in the double digits. A prolonged government shutdown would have only exacerbated an already precarious situation for communities still reeling from the harsh, across the board sequester cuts imposed earlier this year. For all of the economic chaos and destruction the shutdown caused, it has made one thing crystal clear — we need a functioning government that protects the social safety net. Compromising on our long-term stability and balancing the budget on the backs of our community is not an option.”

Key Facts About African Americans and the Government Shutdown:

Thanks to anti-discriminatory hiring safeguards, Black people in particular are much more likely to find work in the public sector meaning that 2 million Americans and the families that rely on them did not receive paychecks during the shutdown. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/29/us/as-public-sector-sheds-jobs-black-americans-are-hit-hard.html?_r=0)

If the shutdown lasted more than two weeks, it could have set the U.S. economy on its way back to a recession, endangering the livelihoods of millions more. (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/09/29/questions-and-answers-about-the-shutdown/2888419/)

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Affordable Care Act makes approximately 7 million uninsured African Americans eligible for healthcare. (http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/factsheets/2012/04/aca-and-african-americans04122012a.html)

6 out of 10 Black people live in the states not expanding Medicaid. (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/health/millions-of-poor-are-left-uncovered-by-health-law.html?hp&_r=0&pagewanted=all)

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With more than 900,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the nation’s largest online civil rights organization.