Equality Act with LGBTQ protections passes House, heads to Senate - 0 views
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Lawmakers passed the legislation on a 224-206, mostly party-line vote. Three Republicans voted with all Democrats.
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The bill is one of President Joe Biden's top legislative priorities, one he wants passed in his first 100 days in office.
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He said it was important to pass the legislation because many Americans thought the protections were already enshrined in law. The idea that Americans could be denied service in a restaurant simply because of their sexual orientation "doesn't comport with our basic understanding of fairness and equality," he said.
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The House passed a similar version of the bill in May 2019, but it died in the then-Republican-controlled Senate.
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Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., the first openly gay person of color in Congress, told reporters when he voted Thursday he would "be thinking of all the LGBTQ activists who marched, protested and built a movement to protect the lives of LGBTQ people and expand our rights."
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Although many states have enacted anti-discrimination laws, advocates such as the Human Rights Campaign argue today's "patchwork" of laws across states leaves LGBTQ Americans vulnerable to discrimination.
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., addressed the feud during a Thursday press conference, telling reporters there was a "sad event here this morning demonstrating the need for us to have respect. It's not even just respect, but take pride, take pride in our LGBTQ community."