Posted on 04/24/2002 5:39:14 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult
Washington, DC) -- The nation's independent agency charged with monitoring federal civil rights enforcement has released a report concluding that enforcement of civil rights laws continues to be threatened by insufficient funding for federal agencies. In a series of three reviews, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights analyzed budget requests from the Clinton and Bush administrations from fiscal year 1994 to fiscal year 2003, and funding levels appropriated by Congress. The Commission found that civil rights agencies' budgets were reduced as their enforcement responsibilities were increased.
"As we have found in years past, the enforcement of civil rights laws receives short shrift in the funding cycle," stated Commission Chairperson Mary Frances Berry. "In terms of real spending power, we found unchanged or insufficient funding that has resulted in understaffed agencies with large pending case loads."
The agencies in question are the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights; Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division; Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs; and two programs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity: the Fair Housing and Assistance Progam and Fair Housing Initiatives Program.
The third of the Commission's civil rights funding reports was approved at its April 12 meeting. Previous reports were released in 1995 and 2001. The Commission will continue annual reviews of civil rights funding and make appropriate recommendations. The reports can be viewed on the Commission's web site at www.usccr.gov or www.usccr.gov/pubs/main.htm.
Moderators, please bear with me for posting an "old" article as we all need some good news. A FR site search turned up nothing on this since last month and this is the most recent item I can find. We can't let Peter Kirsanow be forgotten. The commission has met several times since the court ruled that Berry was "right".
SEAT PETER KIRSANOW!
That's the best news I've seen lately.
Now reconcile that with this from the Civil Rights Commission's own website;
The Commissioners serve 6-year terms. No Senate confirmation is required. The President may remove a member of the Commission only for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.
Clinton had no basis to fill the vacancy with Wilson.
snip-The Department of Justice, which filed a suit against Wilson to challenge her legitimacy on the panel, said immediately that it will file an appeal.
All of the secretaries are sending subordinates to the meeting. Kirsanow's attorney Rob Kelner said Kirsanow would attend commission meetings until the appeal is decided.
Just wanted to let those who care know where we currently stand with this. I hope we are all still behind Peter Kirsanow.
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