Hoyer: We Must Not Rest Until All Americans Are Treated Equally Under the Law

“First let me thank Chairman [Rodney] Frelinghuysen, who is the Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Committee, and Mr. [Pete] Visclosky. They have worked together, they have worked positively, and America can be proud of their leadership. Both of them have been extraordinary advocates for our military men and women who serve.

“This rule presents a rejection, however, of the regular order Speaker Ryan promised in the House. He promised it, that's the issue. Not a question of how many here or here -- what he said was, this was going to be open.

“As soon as it became clear, however, that the House Republicans might have to take an up or down vote again on whether to ban discrimination against LGBT Americans, they shut the open appropriations process down. And in fact, when we adopted that amendment, a majority of the Republican party voted against their own bill. That was the abuse of the system, I tell my friend, not anything we've done over here.

“No transparency, no open process, no regular order, no scruples about denying America’s representatives the chance to add their input in this defense bill simply because they want to allow discrimination against LGBT Americans. That's what this is about. That's how we got to this closed rule or structured rule.

“Make no mistake about it, in rejecting the [Rep. Sean Patrick] Maloney amendment last month and now closing the process as a result of losing the energy and water bill because it did not allow discrimination, House Republicans are feeding the same kind of anti-LGBT sentiment that makes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans feel unsafe in our country and creates an environment which furthers racism, homophobia, and xenophobia. That’s tough language, I get it.

“Speaker Ryan had said he would allow the House to work its will. That was his pledge. He told Roll Call in November that the Republican leadership would not, and I quote, ‘predetermine the outcome of everything around here.’ Well, in this instance the House is being steered in a very deliberate direction by the Speaker and the Leader. The Republican leadership once again is more concerned with keeping its Members from having to vote on LGBT discrimination than on maintaining the open process that it promised.

“Each and every Member of this House ought to be not only willing, but eager to cast their votes to say unequivocally we are against discrimination.

“Let me be clear: there are many provisions in this bill that I support, but there are a number about which I have serious concerns.

“My concerns include the dangerous act of setting up a funding cliff next year that would put our troops in danger. In their attempt to get around the funding caps both parties agreed to last year, House Republicans pretend that they're keeping the deal we made. But, in reality, they are raiding the account that provides our troops with the resources they need to do their jobs safely.

“This bill also includes restrictions on the Pentagon's ability to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees, as well as once again abandoning military civilian pay parity and cost of living increases. The American public, Mr. Speaker, ought to know it costs $5 million per incarceree at Guantanamo. Five-million dollars per person. How many terrorists have escaped from American prisons? Zero. Zero.

“Now there's a Republican amendment to ban DREAMers from serving in uniform, a discriminatory provision in this bill.

“Because the process has been shut down, Mr. Speaker, Democrats have been severely limited in our ability to put forward amendments to improve this bill and address these concerns.

“We will continue, however, to push hard to ensure all our troops have the tools they need to succeed at their mission and come home safely and we will keep asking the House to take a vote end to discrimination. We must not rest until all Americans are truly equal under the laws and Constitution our men and women in uniform put their lives at risk to defend. I yield back the balance of my time.”