[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 82 (Thursday, May 16, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H3917-H3920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  ENSURE FULL PROTECTION FOR LGBTQ COMMUNITY THROUGH THE EQUALITY ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, I rise today to uplift my LGBTQ neighbors 
at home in the 13th Congressional District. I want them to know that I 
uplift them today, and always, as their unwavering advocate in the 
United States Congress.
  There are ideals and values we all should attempt to live up to in 
this country. I know many of us ran to be in this Chamber to ensure 
that our laws match those values and ideals as well.
  When I think of these issues we confront as people and as a 
representative body, I always feel that we must use an approach that is 
rooted in values that uplift our whole communities. The values of 
equality, justice, and acceptance come to mind when I think of the need 
to pass the Equality Act.
  Far too long, our LGBTQ neighbors have been forced to live a life of 
fear, a life in hiding, a life of oppression, and a life of 
instability.
  We have come a long way in the LGBTQ rights community, but we have a 
long way to go. The Equality Act is a step in the right direction on 
this important path toward justice.
  I think of the right side of history, when the right to marriage was 
afforded to same-sex couples, the moment when our LGBTQ neighbors in 
Michigan were able to create that special bond with their loved ones.
  But I am also reminded of the stark reality that they faced being in 
States where they could still be fired from their jobs the day after 
their wedding for being gay.
  I think of the trans community across the country that still faces 
discrimination and violence, especially trans women of color who are 
disproportionately targeted and killed. Our laws still do not protect 
them.
  LGBTQ Americans remain vulnerable to discrimination on a daily basis 
and, too often, have little recourse. Fifty percent of the national 
LGBTQ community live in States where, though they have the right to 
marry, they still have no explicit nondiscrimination practices in other 
areas of their daily life.
  One's identity could still mean deep harm and even death for some 
communities in this country, and we must change this.
  I think of our LGBTQ neighbors who are denied public accommodation 
just because of who they are and whom they love. I think about how we 
are failing them by not living out our values rooted in justice.
  This week, we have a chance to begin to change with the Equality Act. 
We now have a pro-equality majority,

[[Page H3918]]

Madam Speaker, in this Chamber, and I am so glad we can change the fact 
that LGBTQ folks are being denied housing, services, and employment in 
the majority of our States.
  I am so glad to be part of ensuring that everyone has full protection 
in our civil rights laws, regardless of who they are and whom they 
love.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the great State of 
Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley), my colleague.
  Ms. PRESSLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5, the 
Equality Act.
  I rise on behalf of non-cisgender Americans, on behalf of QPOC 
Americans, on behalf of drag kings and drag queens, on behalf of all 
non-heteronormative Americans.
  I rise today to let you know that you are seen and you are heard, and 
I am proud to stand in solidarity with you.
  It is our mandate as legislators to protect all Americans, yet we are 
failing entire communities. In my home State, the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts, a leader in marriage equality, we have the second 
largest LGBTQ population of any State in the country. Even though our 
queer pride extends far and wide, 61 percent of transgender Bay Staters 
experienced housing discrimination in the greater Boston area, and 65 
percent of LGBTQ Bay Staters experienced discrimination in public 
spaces, from public transportation to retail establishments, places of 
worship, restaurants, and healthcare settings.
  As we consider H.R. 5, we must remind ourselves of our values. My 
forever President Barack Obama once said: ``When all Americans are 
treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all 
more free.''
  It is true. When we defeat hate with love, we all win.
  During a time filled with fear, bigotry, and public turmoil, it is 
unconscionable that we are still debating the liberties of people who 
ask only to be received as their full selves. It is our fundamental 
right as Americans to live happily, peacefully, and unapologetically. 
It is our fundamental right to live free of harassment and 
discrimination. It is our right to pursue happiness.
  I extend my deepest gratitude to Congressman Cicilline, the author of 
the Equality Act who has worked tirelessly for years to affirm the 
rights and liberties of LGBTQ Americans.
  Thanks to the leadership, H.R. 5 takes a comprehensive approach to 
making the pursuit of life, love, and happiness a reality for all of 
us, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Equality 
Act ensures that LGBTQ people are protected by a nationwide standard 
for nondiscrimination.
  It is time for us to live up to our values. It is time for us to 
strike out against injustices that devalue our humanity.
  Together, we can affirm that our diversity is our strength and that 
our collective safety is nonnegotiable.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of H.R. 5.
  Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, I also would love to recognize the fact--it 
is pretty historic--that Madam Speaker who is presiding over this 
Chamber right now is a member of our beautiful community, of the LGBTQ 
community. That, to me, is pretty historic as we now are debating and 
putting forward the Equality Act. That is Congresswoman Angie Craig.

  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), my 
colleague.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for 
yielding.
  Before getting into my message, I would like to acknowledge that I am 
an ally of the LGBTQ community. I do this and announce my support for 
H.R. 5 because of a debt I owe.
  I haven't always had the privileges that I enjoy now. Someone stood 
and suffered so that I could come in the front door of, probably, this 
very facility. Someone suffered so that I would have the opportunity to 
go to some of the schools that I attended.
  I believe that there is reciprocity in life and that you don't get 
where you are and fail to appreciate those who have suffered so that 
you could have the opportunities that you enjoy.
  I support H.R. 5 for a multiplicity of reasons, the least of which is 
not the fact that I am repaying a debt. I am going to help make sure 
that others don't endure the pain and suffering that I endured and that 
my predecessors endured. No one should be punished or treated with 
disrespect because of how you look or who you are.

                              {time}  2045

  Every person's dignity is given to them from a higher authority, and 
we all should respect the dignity and humanity of every individual. So 
I support H.R. 5, and I do so proudly because of a debt I owe.
  I thank my friends for bringing this to my attention. It was not to 
be a part of my message this evening, but it is a part of my life, to 
make sure others are treated properly.
  Madam Speaker, and still I rise tonight to address a crisis that our 
country finds itself engulfed in, a crisis that, if we are not very 
careful, will cause the Congress of the United States to be seen as a 
``less than'' when it comes to the coequals that it is supposed to be 
on the same plane with.
  This crisis is a constitutional crisis. And while there are some who 
would differ with me and say that this is not a constitutional crisis, 
remember this: There is no hard and fast definition of what a 
constitutional crisis is, so whenever I give my thoughts or someone 
else gives their thoughts, we are giving opinions.
  Tonight, I would like to share my opinion about this constitutional 
crisis. Remember, all of these thoughts are opinions; just as the 
thoughts of persons who hold themselves out to be constitutional 
scholars, they are opinions.
  There are some who say that you don't have a constitutional crisis in 
the circumstance that we are dealing with with the President, who has 
refused to honor subpoenas by and through his various administrators.
  There are some who say that this will not be a constitutional crisis 
until the case gets to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court has to 
rule on whether or not the subpoena must be honored. And if the Supreme 
Court rules that the subpoena must be honored, and then the members of 
the administration refuse to obey the Supreme Court, there are persons 
who conclude that this, now, is a constitutional crisis.
  I would conclude that if the President of the United States fails to 
honor a subpoena, after having been so ordered by the Judiciary, that 
this is more than a constitutional crisis; you now have a 
constitutional collapse.
  The crisis occurs when the President is at odds, meaning the 
executive branch, with the legislative branch; and currently, the 
legislative branch and the executive branch are at a stalemate.
  The executive branch is declining to cooperate, declining to allow 
the legislative branch to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities 
associated with oversight and investigation. And, as such, there is a 
crisis, and that crisis, clearly, is rooted in the Constitution, 
because the legislative branch has this responsibility pursuant to the 
Constitution.
  So this is a constitutional crisis, and we have a duty to address it, 
and we must do so, or we will have failed on our watch to take up our 
responsibilities as Members of Congress.
  This is our watch, and we have a responsibility to make sure that 
this House takes its proper place in the annals of history, with 
reference to the question of impeachment.
  Impeachment is something that we should not take lightly; but it is 
also something that we have to take seriously, and we have to take it 
seriously because, if we fail to do so, we will have allowed this 
august body to become minimized.
  You see, there are checks and balances in the system. The check on 
the executive branch is impeachment. That is the check. That is the 
sword of Damocles that hangs above the head of the executive. And if we 
fail to exercise this duty when it properly should be, we, then, do not 
provide the checks to make sure the balance of power remains as it 
should be.
  I fear for what is happening to this Congress. I am gravely concerned 
because I don't see us aggressively pursuing the checks so as to make 
sure the balance of power remains in place.

[[Page H3919]]

  Checks and balances are in place to make sure that there is no 
concentration of power in any branch of government. If we don't become 
the last line of defense with reference to the President, if we fail to 
do so, we then say that there are no guardrails; that there are no 
rules that the President has to obey. He doesn't become just another 
president. He metamorphoses into a monarch.
  The Framers never intended for us to have a monarchy. The Framers 
intended for the President to be checked by the Congress.
  My hope is that we, in this Congress, will take up our 
responsibilities, and we will provide the checks necessary to make sure 
that this President, and no other President, is above the law.
  I hear many Members of Congress say that the President is not above 
the law. No one is above the law. And they go on to say, however, this 
President, notwithstanding his actions, we should not impeach.
  How can we say that he has committed impeachable acts, and then 
conclude that he should not be impeached? We, literally, are saying he 
is above the law when we say that he has committed impeachable acts, 
but then decline to impeach.
  Anyone else breaking the law will have to answer to the bar of 
justice, except the President. We know that he has done it. The Mueller 
report is replete with examples, yet we have not exercised our 
constitutional responsibilities and, as a result, we, the Congress of 
the United States of America, are allowing the President to be above 
the law.
  This is unacceptable. I refuse to allow this to continue. And I say, 
as I have said, that the President will have to come before the bar of 
justice, which is the House of Representatives. If we fail to do so, we 
will have literally allowed him to be above the law. Not in this 
country, and not on my watch.
  I take my oath seriously, and I assure you that this will not be the 
final word; that the President is not impeachable, because he is, and 
we will have to have a vote on it.
  Tomorrow will be the second anniversary of the date that we initially 
called for the President's impeachment. I believe that we cannot have 
another anniversary without another vote.

  There will be one. My hope is that it will come through the 
appropriate committees of the House of Representatives. But, if not, it 
will come. And I don't know that there will be others who will vote to 
impeach him, but I do know that I will.
  And there are times when you may have to stand alone; but I know that 
it is better to stand alone than not stand at all.
  Madam Speaker, I am grateful for the time that I have had. I thank 
you all for allowing it to take place, and I assure you, I love my 
country, and I only speak these words because I see a country in peril 
because of a reckless, ruthless, lawless President that we are allowing 
to be above the law.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.
  Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico 
(Ms. Haaland).
  Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Equality 
Act. America must live up to its values by treating everyone as equals 
and ending discrimination once and for all.
  The Equality Act is about making sure all Americans, regardless of 
sexual orientation or gender identity, can participate in our society 
without fear.
  New Mexico is home to diverse religious and traditional communities 
and has stood up for its LGBTQ population for a very long time. The 
Equality Act allows us to adhere to our faiths, while prohibiting 
harmful and isolating acts of discrimination against the LGBTQ 
community.
  No one should have to worry about being discriminated against when 
interviewing for a job or struggling to find a healthcare provider that 
will treat them.
  Tomorrow morning, when I vote for the Equality Act, I will be proud 
to stand with my colleagues, with New Mexicans, and with my daughter, 
who is a proud LGBTQ American. The time for equality is now, and we 
must pass the Equality Act to live up to our values.
  Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Porter).
  Ms. PORTER. Madam Speaker, despite the enactment of marriage equality 
in 2015, same-gender couples continue to experience persistent and 
pervasive discrimination when it comes to home ownership.
  A recent study by Iowa State University found systemic discrimination 
against LGBTQ borrowers. The study found that, despite having a lower 
credit risk overall, same-sex borrowers are 73 percent more likely to 
be denied a mortgage loan. And when they are approved, they face 
mortgage interest rates that are 0.02 to 0.2 percent higher, on 
average, translating to tens of thousands of dollars in extra 
repayment.
  Twenty-six States across the United States do not have statewide 
housing protections for the LGBTQ community, and the Fair Housing Act 
does not protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. 
The Equality Act would change this.
  This bill would not only improve the lives of members of the LGBTQ 
community, it would make neighborhoods across the country more diverse. 
And making our neighborhoods more diverse means more Americans get to 
know and understand their neighbors who are gay, trans, or queer; and 
with that understanding and the friendships and the neighbor 
relationships, we hope to get tolerance. This is how we magnify the 
wave of LGBTQ acceptance this country has experienced in the last 
decade.
  Imagine growing up in a community where you never have any LGBTQ role 
models; where students in your school were harassed for even being 
perceived as gay.
  Imagine growing up in a neighborhood where you never met someone who 
expressed themselves like you; where you were taught that your sexual 
orientation or gender identity was wrong or immoral.
  Imagine what it would be like to have waited years for your country 
to recognize your loving relationship as legal and equal under the law. 
Now, you are finally able to get married, and if you choose to, start a 
family.
  You have saved enough money for the downpayment on your first home. 
You find that dream house in an area with good schools, plenty of parks 
for your dogs, and friendly neighbors.
  You and your spouse go together to fill out a loan application at the 
local bank and wait eagerly for it to be granted. However, despite 
doing everything right, you are outright denied for that loan without 
reason.
  You go to another bank, assuming that this is a mistake, because both 
you and your spouse have great credit. You apply for a mortgage loan 
again.
  Maybe this time you are approved, but the interest rate would amount 
to tens of thousands more dollars than you had anticipated; tens of 
thousands more dollars than your credit risk should have you pay.
  You found your dream home, but now you can't buy it because of an 
artificially, discriminatorily-inflated interest rate.

                              {time}  2100

  The Equality Act is vital. By amending existing civil rights laws to 
explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected 
characteristics, no person may be lawfully discriminated against for 
their sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, education, 
employment, public accommodations, and so much more.
  Not only would it protect LGBTQ families who want to buy a home or 
take out a loan, but it would allow individuals who identify as gay or 
trans or queer to see people who look and love like them in their 
communities, and it would allow their neighbors to see that LGBTQ 
families are like them: They care about their neighborhoods; they care 
about their communities; they love and want the best for their children 
like anyone else; and they take the same pride in home ownership.
  Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, and 
discrimination against the LGBTQ community is a deep injustice. 
Allowing that discrimination to continue in our country flies in the 
face of the principles of equality and opportunity that form the basis 
of our democracy.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to support the Equality Act, and I urge my

[[Page H3920]]

colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the same.
  Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin 
(Ms. Moore).
  Ms. MOORE. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from 
Detroit, Michigan, for yielding time to me.
  Madam Speaker, you heard it just a moment ago, those words from the 
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: ``Injustice anywhere is injustice 
everywhere.'' That is why I am so proud to support this historic 
legislation that will be on this floor tomorrow, H.R. 5, the Equality 
Act, that will truly provide equality for members of the LGBTQ 
community.
  Now, many people might argue, Madam Speaker, that we have made 
important strides against prejudice over the last few years, and it has 
been amazing. We have had States pass legislation outlawing 
discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation. Likewise, we 
have had Federal courts that have ruled that discrimination based on 
someone's sexual orientation or gender identity is illegal under 
existing laws. Yet tens of millions of Americans live in areas where 
these laws have not been passed and Federal courts have not made the 
same determination.
  H.R. 5 is the remedy for making sure that we don't have this 
checkerboard of rights and checkerboard of discrimination among our 
LGBTQ community.
  My district of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Fourth Congressional 
District of Wisconsin, is notable to mention here. LGBTQ youth, in 
particular, face significant obstacles and barriers because of their 
LGBTQ identification.
  We have 500 youth in my district who are homeless, and more than 40 
percent of them identify as LGBTQ, many permanently homeless because 
they have been abandoned by their families and turned out onto the 
streets.
  To add to their distress, the overly represented LGBTQ youth in the 
foster care system in Milwaukee and around the country face huge 
disparities in treatment and higher rates of harassment than their non-
LGBTQ peers.
  There are many foster care organizations that are turning away 
potential loving families and homes based on discriminatory practices 
even though LGBTQ couples are seven times--did you hear me, Madam 
Speaker?--seven times as likely to adopt and are more likely to adopt 
minority children or disabled children as compared to heterosexual 
couples.
  Here is what we know. Every child wants a loving home. Trans people, 
like all people, just want to be treated like people.
  For these reasons, and so many others, I fully support H.R. 5, and I 
look forward to voting for it tomorrow.
  I applaud our leadership's commitment to protecting our LGBTQ 
community and all communities from pernicious forms of hate and harm of 
discrimination.
  We are all in this together, Madam Speaker. And in order to protect 
all of our rights, we ought to remember the oath that we take as we 
stand under this ``e pluribus unum''--``out of many, one.''
  Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, who 
puts this Special Order together every week, has truly been committed 
to the rights of our LGBTQ neighbors, and I am very pleased that many 
of my colleagues tomorrow, in a very bipartisan way, are going to be 
supporting a historic, historic bill: the Equality Act.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________