The Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to members of Congress Tuesday formally endorsing 13 bills in Congress that would close opportunity gaps for Black Americans and people of color.
The letter, which was sent to all 535 Members of Congress, is part of the Chamber’s national Equality of Opportunity initiative. The initiative seeks to develop real, sustainable methods to close systemic, race-based gaps in education, employment, entrepreneurship, and criminal justice.
Included in the bills, many of which have bipartisan support, are the Minority Business Development Act of 2019, which supports entrepreneurship in minority communities; the REAL Act of 2019, which would expand educational and occupational opportunities for incarcerated Americans, and the Driving for Opportunity Act of 2020, which would assist criminal justice efforts.
“This is the next step in our commitment to listen, learn, and lead the way to solutions addressing the longstanding, systemic challenges and bridge the opportunity gaps that Black Americans and people of color face,” Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said in the letter. “The Chamber and our hundreds of partners across the country are putting the collective muscle of American business behind these bills, which will get us closer to all Americans having equal opportunities to succeed.”
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