Washington Bureau
Established June 1, 1941, the NAACP Washington Bureau is the federal legislative liaison and national public policy office of the NAACP. For more than 55 years the NAACP Washington Bureau has been the premier civil rights advocacy entity on Capitol Hill; the Bureau was a leading force behind the enactment of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, the 1968 Fair Housing Act, the 1991 Civil Rights Restoration Act and the 2002 Help America Vote Act, the most current reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act among countless others. The Washington Bureau has been lead in the past by such greats as Clarence Mitchell (1950 - 1978), who was known as the "101st Senator"; Althea Simmons (1979 - 1990) and Wade Henderson (1990 - 1996).
The current Director of the Washington Bureau, Mr. Hilary Shelton, has placed a renewed effort on engaging the grassroots NAACP membership in the federal legislative process. Thus the Bureau has heavily recruited NAACP branches, members and friends to join the Action Alert network, through which NAACP Action Alerts and Issue Updates are e-mailed or faxed letting the recipient know about actions on Capitol Hill that affect the NAACP legislative priorities and how people across the nation can have an effect on those actions.
The job of the Washington Bureau is to turn NAACP priorities, as approved by the national Board of Directors, into federal public policy through the legislative process. General topics include the promotion and protection of civil rights, securing a fair and equal criminal justice system, ensuring high quality educational opportunities for all Americans, a fair labor environment, and securing affordable adequate housing and health care for all Americans.
The Bureau has also produced, since 1914, an annual Civil Rights Legislative Report Card. This resource is designed to provide NAACP members with insight into the general voting patterns of their congressional representatives (Senators and members of the House of Representatives) over the course of the year. The NAACP Civil Rights Legislative Report Card demonstrates how every Member of Congress voted on the bread and butter civil rights issues important to the NAACP.
Finally, as part of our mission, the NAACP Washington Bureau takes pride in helping to educate and organize our grassroots membership and engage them in the federal legislative process. As such, we offer a number of legislative advocacy tools for our members and friends to help them become more effective advocates.
Action Alerts
- June 30, 2009: NAACP Supports Voter Re-enfranchisement for Rehabilitated Felony Offenders
- June 24, 2009: NAACP Urges Congress to Pass Post-Katrina Employment, Rebuild and Development Legislation as People Affected by Katrina and Rita Continue to Suffer
- June 19, 2009: U.S. Senate Passes Legislation Apologizing for the Horrors of Slavery, Jim Crow and Continuing Racism
- June 15, 2009:NAACP Calls on the U.S. Senate for Swift Enactment of Expanded Hate Crime Prevention and Protection Legislation
- May 27, 2009: NAACP Calls for Expeditious Confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor for Associate Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court
- May 22, 2009: NAACP–Supported Legislation to Stop Predatory Lending Abuses by The Credit Card Industry Signed Into Law
- May 13, 2009: NAACP Supports Bill to Prevent Youths From Joining Gangs
- May 11, 2009: NAACP-Supported Mortgage Loan Restructuring Legislation to Help Rescue from Foreclosure
Defeated by U.S. Senate
- April 29, 2009: NAACP-Supported Homeowner Mortgage Rescue Restructuring Bill Scheduled for Vote Tomorrow by U.S. Senate
- April 28, 2009: NAACP Calls for Swift Enactment of Expanded Hate Crime Prevention Legislation
- April 22, 2009: Lawsuit Before the U.S. Supreme Court Seeks to Overturn Section 5 Enforcement Provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act
- April 9, 2009: Voting Rights Bill Stalled in the House
- April 3, 2009: NAACP Calls for Passage of Legislation
To Protect Workers
Who Choose To Form Unions
- March 19, 2009: NAACP Urges President Obama to Grant Temporary Safe Haven to Haitian Refugees Already In The U.S.
- March 19, 2009: NAACP Calls on New Mexico Governor to Sign the Death Penalty Abolition Bill Today
- March 10, 2009: Voting Rights Bill Stalled in the House
- March 6, 2009: NAACP–Supported Legislation to Help Homeowners Facing Foreclosure Save Their Homes Passes U.S. House
- March 4, 2009: NAACP-Supported Homeowner Mortgage Rescue Restructuring Bill Scheduled for Vote Tomorrow by U.S. House of Representatives
- February 25, 2009: NAACP-Supported Homeowner Mortgage Rescue Restructuring Bill Scheduled for Wednesday Vote by U.S. House of Representatives
- February 18, 2009: NAACP-Supported Voting Rights Legislation Giving the District of Columbia Full Representation in the House to be Considered by the Senate
- February 13, 2009: The U.S. House and Senate "Honor and Praise" The NAACP on its 100th Anniversary
- February 6, 2009: NAACP–Supported Children's Health Care Coverage Expansion Legislation
is Signed into Law
- January 29, 2009: Holder Nomination to U.S. Attorney General Has Been Rescheduled to Come Before Full U.S. Senate on Monday, February 2
- January 28, 2009: NAACP–Supported Legislation to Correct a Loophole in Pay Discrimination Passes Congress
- January27, 2009: NAACP Urges President Obama to Ensure That Funds to Help Financial Institutions Preserve Accountability of Those Who Discriminated In Lending
- January 23, 2009: Senate Judiciary Committee Delays Final Vote on Eric Holder’s Nomination to be the Next Attorney General for One Week
- January 23, 2009: NAACP–Supported Legislation to Make it Easier For Women To Receive Equal Pay For Equal Work and Correct a Loophole In Pay Discrimination Passes U.S. House In First Week of 111th Congress
- January 8, 2009: NAACP Urges U.S. Senate to Confirm Eric Holder as Attorney General as Quickly as Possible
