Rich Neal: “I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Judy Chu) for the really extraordinary job and leadership that she offered…”

“I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Judy Chu) for the really extraordinary job and leadership that she offered on this legislation. For far too long, LGBTQ Americans have been denied equal treatment under the Tax Code. Six years after the Supreme Court found it unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples the full rights and privileges of marriage, Congress has yet to rectify the consequences of the Tax Code's discrimination against LGBTQ couples. We must live up to our duty to govern in a manner such that everyone is treated equally under the law, which is why I stand in support today of this legislation. Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Recognizing the deep historical importance of this event in a decades- long fight for equality, the PRIDE Act--which, by the way, passed the Ways and Means Committee unanimously--seeks to end and correct discriminatory practices in our tax system affecting LGBTQ community members. The PRIDE Act essentially clarifies that all Federal tax provisions respecting marriage will apply to legally married same-sex couples by removing gender language related to married couples from the Tax Code. Additionally, this bill will reconcile discriminatory Federal policies by ensuring fair tax treatment for those couples for every year of their marriage. This is the way anybody is treated in the Tax Code if they choose to take advantage of that deduction.…”