On the recordApril 23, 2015
I thank the gentleman from Maryland, and I appreciate the passions with which you have taken on this issue of right and wrong and equality, as you have taken on other issues. Thank you for you leadership. Mr. Speaker, I know that these may seem to have been very diverse issues to bring before the floor at the same time, but they are connected in so many different ways, particularly because our constituents care deeply about both of these issues. If we allow the fast-track authority to move forward, we risk signing up for a trade deal that risks our environment, the health of American families, while excusing the reprehensible conduct of many of the governments who would become our new partners, all while putting in the same compromise for future agreements. Meanwhile, if the Supreme Court upholds the tenets of justice and equality that our Nation has always valued, LGBT couples across the country will gain the access to the same rights and protections that heterosexual couples expect and enjoy, and the children of those couples will have the confidence and the security of their family's relationship. I look forward to continuing my work with that. Mr. Speaker, how much time do we have left? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has 19 minutes remaining.
