National Urban League Responds to State of the Union Address

NEW YORK (February 7, 2023) -- National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s State of the Union address:

“The President used the State of the Union address to make a powerful case for transforming the relationship between police and the communities they serve, reminding the nation that the anguish of Tyre Nichols’ parents is an ever-present specter for Black families.

“The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act represents a vision of what President Biden called ‘the covenant we have with each other in America’ and we stand with him in demanding its passage into law.

“While President Biden assailed the January 6 insurrection and the Big Lie that fueled its violence, his call to honor the results of our elections did not specifically call on Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act or other comprehensive voting rights measures. The National Urban League remains committed to this legislation and will continue to advocate for its passage.

“We were pleased to hear the President’s praise of the Child Tax Credit, which has given ‘tens of millions of parents some breathing room and cut child poverty in half, to the lowest level in history.’ The National Urban League is a staunch advocate of expanding the CTC, which would reduce poverty among children of all racial and ethnic groups and specifically cut Black child poverty in half.

“With regard to consumer data privacy, the President endorsed “stricter limits on the personal data these companies collect on all of us.’ The National Urban League continues to prioritize the need for comprehensive federal privacy legislation with strong civil rights protections to protect our communities online.

“The National Urban League appreciates our collaborative relationship with the Biden-Harris Administration and look forward to advancing our priorities of racial justice and economic opportunity in the months ahead.”