[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 13, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H2690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RURAL COMMUNITIES ARE FORGOTTEN AND LEFT BEHIND

  (Mr. COX of California asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COX of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
Equality Act.
  Too often in our policy debates, it is our rural communities that are 
forgotten and left behind. And for LGBTQ people living in rural 
America, this is no different.
  If you want to live and work and raise your family in rural America, 
you should be able to have that choice, but it is unfortunately the 
case today that rural LGBTQ families are denied opportunities in 
housing, employment, and healthcare access.
  While in California we have comprehensive laws to protect LGBTQ 
people and protect them against discrimination, this is not the case 
everywhere.
  That is why we need bills like the Equality Act.
  This bill would take important steps to protect every LGBTQ family 
from discrimination in housing, employment, and financing.
  It will help ensure that every family that chooses to live in rural 
America can fully participate in our society free from fear of 
discrimination simply because of who they are or who they love.

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