On the recordMay 17, 2019
First of all, I want to rise in support of H.R. 5, Mr. Cicilline's bill, the Equality Act. I rise today as a Christian. Mr. Speaker, this bill will extend the legal protections provided by the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution as well as the Civil Rights Act against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. And may I say that it is about time. This groundbreaking legislation specifically bans wrongful, hurtful discrimination in housing, employment, education, and other business and government sectors based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Individuals from the LGBTQ community are our fellow Americans. Many of them are Christians. They are our brothers and sisters. And it is, indeed, shameful that it has taken this very long to provide them with equal protection under the law. The Declaration of Independence is, again, a guide. It is instructive as it reminds us: ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.'' In closing, none of that can happen without equal treatment under the law. ``All'' means all. ``Equal'' means equal. Let's vote for equality.
