Washington, D.C. – Today, after H.R. 5, the Equality Act, passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 224 to 206, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) delivered the following statement:
"I would like to begin by thanking Congressman Cicilline for his leadership on this landmark legislation, and to Speaker Pelosi for her steadfast support of this legislation.
"The Equality Act represents one of the most significant opportunities we have had to expand civil rights in this country in many years. For a long time, whenever the LGBTQ community came to Congress, it was to defend their rights—from the Defense of Marriage Act to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Even when we considered ENDA, there was a major discussion as to whether we could include protections for transgender people.
"It is not lost on me that this is only the second time in history that Congress has been able to consider truly comprehensive LGBTQ civil rights legislation—and I could not be more proud of the gains we have made to even be standing here today.
"By freeing the LGBTQ community from discrimination, the Equality Act makes America a little more free for everyone.
"We cannot rely on the Supreme Court to continue to advance these issues for us—instead, I expect that without the Equality Act, we will begin to see the court chipping away at the rights the LGBTQ community has already had acknowledged.
"I am grateful to my colleagues for their work on this vital legislation and deeply proud of the House Judiciary Committee’s commitment to creating a vision of America that is freer, fairer, and more equal. I am hopeful that with Majority Leader Schumer at the helm in the Senate, and President Biden in the White House, we have a chance to see this signed into law and to take decisive action against the discrimination faced by the LGBTQ community nationwide."
