[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 112 (Tuesday, July 12, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H4665-H4666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WE NEED TO STAND UP FOR THE LGBT COMMUNITY
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
Connecticut (Ms. Esty) for 5 minutes.
Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, today marks 1 month since the horrific attack
on Pulse nightclub that took 49 lives. Many of us have come here to
this floor raising our voices to demand that this House take action to
prevent the loss of life from guns in this country.
But one critical, tragic aspect of this crime that sometimes has
gotten lost is exactly who was targeted in the shooting. Pulse was a
mainstay of Orlando's LGBT community, and of the Latino community in
particular. Now, more than ever, we need to unite against hatred,
discrimination, and bigotry. We need to stand together in calling for
justice, peace, and equality.
I am, frankly, appalled to see that today, today on the 1-month
anniversary of the shootings at the Pulse nightclub, instead of
standing with the LGBT community, instead of passing background checks,
today the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will be
advancing legislation to undermine the existing and insufficient
protections that the law provides for LGBT Americans.
I am proud that my home State of Connecticut is one of several States
to pass legislation protecting the LGBT community from discrimination,
whether folks are at work, at school, at the doctor's office or, yes,
using a public bathroom. Our residents support these laws. We support
these protections. LGBT folks are our brothers, our sisters, our
friends, our neighbors. They are our kids' teachers, coaches, and their
friends. They give back to our community. They volunteer at church.
They serve in public office.
In Congress we should be focusing on legislation to prevent
discrimination and prevent hatred. Our goal should be a country in
which all Americans, in every State, can live their lives free from
bigotry and harassment and free of the fear of being targeted with guns
because of who people are. Quite simply, I can't imagine a worse way
for Congress to respond to the massacre in Orlando than with
legislation attacking LGBT Americans.
The American people overwhelmingly believe that discrimination
targeting the LGBT community has no place in our society, and yet a
bill to support that discrimination is getting a full hearing today.
Meanwhile, legislation to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists that
has broad, bipartisan support among the public cannot get so much as a
vote in this House.
In the 3\1/2\ years since the Sandy Hook massacre in my State, in my
district in Connecticut, this House has failed to take any action, any
action whatsoever to prevent the deaths of Americans by guns. In that
time, 100,000 Americans have died from guns, 49 of them in the largest
mass shooting in American history 1 month ago, targeted because they
are LGBT at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
Mr. Speaker, it is time to get our priorities straight. It is time
for us to do what the American people sent us here to do. Let us send a
very clear message: We stand up against hatred and discrimination; we
stand with our LGBT
[[Page H4666]]
brothers and sisters; and we stand with the American people who are
demanding that this House take action to keep guns out of the hands of
dangerous people, to keep guns away from terrorists, to keep guns away
from criminals, to keep guns away from domestic abusers, and to keep
guns away from the dangerously mentally ill.
We need a vote on no fly, no buy. We need a vote on comprehensive
background checks on every commercial sale of a gun. The time to act is
now, Mr. Speaker, and action is not increasing voting to increase
discrimination against our LGBT brothers and sisters and to make them
more vulnerable to the gun violence that wracks this country. We need
to act. The time is now.
____________________