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.
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today in response to the release of the fourth plank of Speaker Ryan and House Republicans’ #WrongWay agenda.
Last night, House Republican leaders decided against allowing a vote on Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney’s amendment to the defense appropriations bill to prohibit #LGBT discrimination. In the wake of this weekend’s horrific shooting in Orlando, the House should be sending a strong signal that we will stand united against discrimination. Yet, once again, House Republicans are showing their true colors. But don’t just take it from us. These headlines speak for themselves:
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) spoke on the Floor of the House of Representatives this afternoon in opposition to consideration of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2017 due to House Republicans' refusal to allow debate on an amendment to ban discrimination against LGBT Americans.
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) spoke at a press conference this morning with Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA-12), Assistant Leader Jim Clyburn (SC-06), Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (CA-34), Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Joe Crowley (NY-14), and Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03), calling on House Republican leaders to stand in support of the LGBT community and take action to prevent gun violence following this weekend's shooting in Orlando.
This week, Speaker Paul Ryan and House Republicans unveiled the first two planks of their “A Better Way” agenda, addressing poverty and national security.
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) spoke at a press conference today with Reps. Raúl Grijalva (AZ-3), Xavier Becerra (CA-34), Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18), and Mike Honda (CA-17), as well as Members of the LGBT Equality Caucus and actress and LGBT advocate Laverne Cox, in support of the LGBT Data Inclusion Act.
Yesterday, Speaker Ryan and House Republicans decided to abandon their promise of regular order because they’re worried about having to show the American people where they really stand on critical issues. Despite promising an open appropriations process, Republican leadership is tightening their grip after their Members took down their own Energy and Water appropriations bill because it banned discrimination.
Wanted to be sure you saw today’s op-ed by Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) in the Washington Post about how House Republicans are bending rules in the House of Representatives to allow discrimination against LGBT Americans.
Wanted to be sure you saw today’s op-ed by Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) and Congressman Chris Van Hollen (MD-8) online in The Baltimore Sun about recent actions taken by House Republicans on the Select Panel to Attack Women’s Health to subpoena a reproductive health care practitioner in Maryland and several Maryland health care providers and first responders.
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) traveled to South Africa from Tuesday, May 31 – Sunday, June 5 as part of a Congressional delegation marking the fiftieth anniversary of Robert F. Kennedy’s “Ripple of Hope” speech, which was delivered at the University of Cape Town on June 6, 1966.