NAACP Urges President Bush to Nominate an Attorney General Who Will Protect and Enforce Civil Rights of All Americans

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August 28, 2007 -- With the resignation of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the NAACP urges President George W. Bush to nominate an individual with a real commitment to the protection and promotion of civil rights for all Americans. Areas that have been largely ignored over the last six years include voting rights, employment rights, police misconduct and housing discrimination.

“As the NAACP documented in a hearing over a year ago, the U.S. Department of Justice’s record in the enforcement of our nation’s basic civil rights, voting rights and anti-discrimination laws has been abysmal,” said NAACP Interim President & CEO Dennis Courtland Hayes. “It is the hope of the NAACP that President Bush will nominate, and the United States Senate will confirm, an individual whose commitment to the enforcement of the ‘laws of the land’ will be much more consistent with Congressional intent than his or her predecessor.”

Prior to his nomination and confirmation, the NAACP raised questions about Gonzales’ position on a number of matters based on his previous actions and writings. The NAACP intends to look closely at the record of the next nominee and urge the Senate to elicit a commitment from the nominee, during the confirmation process, that the protection of the basic civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans will be a priority.

“With 15 months left in office, the resignation of Alberto Gonzales gives President Bush a genuine opportunity to nominate an Attorney General who will aggressively pursue full civil rights protection and enforcement regardless of an individual’s race, gender, religion, age or ethnicity,” said Hilary Shelton, the NAACP’s chief of government affairs. “We need an Attorney General who will provide greater leadership in the fight against discrimination in all aspects of American life. From racial profiling by law enforcement officials to voter fraud and intimidation and housing discrimination, the U.S. Department of Justice can and must do more.”

Source: NAACP