Racial Equity & Equal Justice for All
Americans were horrified in the summer of 2020 at the unjust killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black Americans during encounters with police. These tragedies highlighted the deep-seated injustices that have long affected Black Americans and the denial of equal justice for all. Not only is our criminal justice system inequitable, but racial disparities continue to exist in many aspects of American life and our economy, including income, wealth distribution, housing, health care, and access to higher education. For too long this country has ignored the need to engage in real, serious policymaking focused on eliminating these disparities and ensuring that every American has an equal shot at “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Democrats are continuing to make equity and reducing disparities a focus of our legislative and economic agenda. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes equitable investments to address long-ignored disparities that prevent underserved communities from reaching their full economic potential. These include expanding access to broadband for 42 million Americans who currently lack reliable Internet access, funding upgrades to our water infrastructure to ensure Americans have clean drinking water, addressing legacy pollution, and expanding reliable public transit to underserved communities. During the 117th Congress, history was made when the Emmett Till Antilynching Act was passed and signed into law. This long-overdue law designates lynching as a hate crime under federal law, ensuring the full force of the government is brought to prosecute these monstrous crimes that have terrorized the Black community for over a century. House Democrats also passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in 2020 to root out racial biases in police departments and ban practices such as chokeholds and no-knock warrants. In the 118th Congress, Democrats will continue to we work with the Biden Administration to make equal justice, racial equity, and opportunity a reality for all Americans.
This is not a new fight. We’ve been here before. We were here in the 40s, in last century, that the military would be undermined if African Americans served side by side. That assertion was wrong.
President Trump’s announcement this morning on Twitter that transgender Americans will not be permitted to serve in the defense of our country is shameful and will endanger our national security.
President Trump’s speech to the Boy Scouts of America was highly inappropriate and runs directly counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts stand.
Today, the House took a stand against discrimination by defeating the Hartzler Amendment, which would have denied critical health care services to transgender Americans serving in our Armed Forces.
This amendment is not about defense. This amendment is about politics.”
I was deeply saddened to learn today of the passing of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Liu Xiaobo.
The amendment to the defense authorization bill offered by Rep. Hartzler and made in order today by the Rules Committee not only tells transgender Americans that they are not welcome in our military but also disparages all who serve and wish to serve under our flag.
I support the extension of the review period for easing sanctions on the Sudanese government, which has yet to demonstrate fully that humanitarian aid can reach the parts of the country that need it most and that those delivering the aid can do so safely.
It is outrageous that the Trump Administration would issue a delay in allowing transgender Americans to serve openly in our military without providing any evidence to support such a decision.
I am disappointed that the Supreme Court will allow some parts of the President’s dangerous Muslim ban to be enforced while the justices hear arguments against it.