Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity

We need to ensure that the rights and freedoms of citizens are protected.  When the fundamental rights of life, liberty, and equal opportunity are unfairly denied to a person or a group of people, it is the role of the federal government to step in and fulfill the promise of America.

Marriage Equality

I firmly believe that all people deserve equal protection under the law, regardless of who they love.  The 113th Congress has been a monumental year for marriage equality. On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States declared Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. Section 3 defined any legal marriage as between one man and one woman in all federal laws, rules or regulations, and ignored all public acts, records and judicial proceedings enacted by each state that performs and recognizes same-sex marriages.  I was happy to see section 3 of DOMA ruled unconstitutional. Same-sex spouses who are legally married in their states have been treated unfairly by being denied several federal rights and responsibilities such as spousal estate tax benefits, social security benefits, the ability to share health insurance through their employers, and filing income taxes jointly.

I also commend Attorney General Eric Holder for issuing a memo on February 8, 2014 to all Department of Justice employees to ensure same-sex couples be given the same recognition under federal law as heterosexual couples. Same-sex couples can now receive death and educational benefits for spouses in law enforcement, have visitation rights in hospitals and prisons, file jointly for bankruptcy, and have equal treatment in immigration matters.

As the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, one of my top priorities has always been to ensure that we take care of the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces, as well as our veterans, to ensure that they continue to receive the pay and benefits that are necessary to support an al volunteer force. That is why I introduced the Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act to ensure equal benefits for same-sex spouses in the military. This type of federal legislation is necessary to codify executive action like that taken by Attorney General Holder into federal law.

Voting Rights

Since its passage in 1965, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) has served as a benchmark to ensure all Americans’ voices are heard at the ballot box.  But on June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court invalidated Section Four of the VRA, a provision that protects voting rights in nine states that historically have had discriminatory voting practices. The Supreme Court found that Section Four had an outdated formula that placed undue and outdated federal burden on the nine states.

I was very disappointed in the Supreme Court’s ruling. By striking Section Four, the Supreme Court limited the federal government’s ability to implement Section Five, consequently rendering this section of the Voting Rights Act powerless and threatening the right to vote for many Americans.  Any state can now implement Voter ID laws and redraw district lines to dilute the voices of large populations of mainly racial and ethnic minorities without federal oversight. In the 2012 election, low income voters and people of color, mainly African American and Hispanic voters, waited in line to vote twice as long as white voters. Additionally, many local and state laws and policies were put into effect subjecting low-income Americans, especially those of color, to undue electoral burden.

Even given the invalidation of Section Four, Congress can still impose a new formula to determine which states’ voting practices still need federal oversight. I signed an Amicus brief in support of Section Five of the VRA, and I am a cosponsor of the Voter Empowerment Act which would require states to make public websites for online voter registration.

Protecting Equal Opportunity

Historically, one of the most important duties of the federal government has been creating, improving, and enforcing laws that ensure all citizens have equal access to education, jobs, and happiness.  I continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that students feel safe from bullying and discrimination in their schools by cosponsoring the Student Non-Discrimination Act and the Safe Schools Improvement Act.  I have supported laws like the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that ensure women are paid equal to men for doing the same job.  I have also supported legislation such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that would make it illegal for an employer to hire, fire, promote, or engage in any other personnel decisions based purely on race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, sex, disability, gender, or gender identity.

Students have the right to learn without fear of violence or aggression.  Similarly, workers should be treated based on their performance, and not fear losing their jobs because of who they are.  By instituting these bills into law and securing the civil rights of students and workers, all people will have the opportunity to be successful.

I will continue to work for equal rights for all Americans. The United States is the greatest country in the world and no one should be discriminated against or denied their basic rights here.

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