AMY IS ONE OF 11 MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING
TO "THE SUNDAY SHOW."
>> MY PLEASURE.
SO, LIZ, IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME
SINCE I’VE SEEN YOU.
MY NEW YORK DAYS.
TALK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU
NOW AFTER ALL THESE YEARS TO
HAVE THE SENATE AND, THEREFORE,
THE U.S. CONGRESS BE THIS CLOSE
TO MAKING -- TURNING INTO LAW A
PIECE OF LEGISLATION YOUR MOTHER
FIRST INTRODUCED.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I COULDN’T BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT
THE POSSIBILITY IT’LL FINALLY
HAPPEN.
47 YEARS AFTER MOM INTRODUCED
THE BILL IN 1974, AS YOU KNOW,
IT’S WAY, WAY OVERDUE.
CIVIL RIGHTS FOR LGBTQ AMERICANS
SHOULD BE PART OF THE NATIONAL
LAW.
AS YOU POINTED OUT IN THE
OPENING, THE MAJORITY OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SUPPORTING
LGBTQ CIVIL RIGHTS.
I BELIEVE NOW IS THE TIME.
WE’RE THIS CLOSE.
I UNDERSTAND AND I KNOW THERE’S
A LOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES WORK
BIPARTISAN TRYING TO -- REACH A
COMMON GROUND ON WHAT WE NEED TO
GET PASSED AND I’M THRILLED
ABOUT THAT.
I WANT TO THANK THE CONGRESSMAN
FOR YOUR ROLE IN WHAT YOU’RE
DOING IN TERMS OF TRYING TO GET
THE BILL MOVED THROUGH.
>> AND THAT’S A NICE SEGUE TO
THE CONGRESSMAN.
I WANT TO PUT UP ON THE SCREEN
SOMETHING YOU HAD IN A PRESS
RELEASE.
TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
THIS BILL AND 27 STATES.
A PERSON CAN BE DENIED HOUSING
BECAUSE OF THE SEXUAL
ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY.
LGBTQ PEOPLE CAN ALSO BE DENIED
ACCESS TO EDUCATION IN 31
STATES.
AND THE RIGHT TO SERVE ON A JURY
IN 41 STATES.
CONGRESSMAN, TALK MORE ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS BILL BUT ALSO
IN THAT, TALK ABOUT YOUR HOW
OPTIMISTIC YOU ARE ABOUT IT
ACTUALLY PASSING
>>WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU.
THE EQUALITY ACT PASSED THE
HOUSE, AS YOU SAID, IN EARLY
FEBRUARY.
THIS IS A SECOND TIME WE’VE
PASSED IT.
IT’S A SIMPLE BILL THAT SAID
IT’S WRONG TO DISCRIMINATE BASED
ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER
IDENTITY IN ALL AREAS OF LIFE.
IT’S A FULLY INCLUSIVE CIVIL
RIGHTS BILL.
IT IS SUPPORTED BY THE VAST
MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS, AND
INDEPENDENTS.
AND REALLY THE ONLY PLACE IT
REMAINS CONTROVERSIAL IS IN THE
REPUBLICAN.
THIS IS ABOUT THE SENATE OF THE
UNITED STATES CATCHING UP TO
WHERE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE.
DISCRIMINATION IS WRONG.
PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE
THEIR LIVES FREE FROM
DISCRIMINATION OF ANY KIND.
WORK IS UNDERWAY TO ENSURE WE
GET THE VOTES IN THE SENATE.
UNDER THE CURRENT SENATE RULE
RULES, WE HAVE TO SECURE 10
REPUBLICANS IN THE EFFORT.
WE’RE WORKING CLOSELY TO SENATOR
AMERICALY AND BALDWIN AND OTHERS
WHO ARE WORKING WITH THEIR
COLLEAGUES TO ENSURE WE HAVE THE
VOTES NECESSARY TO PASS IT.
WE HAVE A PRESIDENT READY TO
SIGN IT.
PRESIDENT BIDEN SAID IT’S A
PRIORITY FOR HIM.
SO THEY SHOULD BE THE TIME IT
FINALLY IS THE CASE THAT LGBT
AMERICANS CAN LIVE LIVES FREE OF
DISCRIMINATION PERIOD.
>> YET, CONGRESSMAN, YOU HAVE
PUT YOUR FINGER ON THE BIG, BIG
PROBLEM.
EVEN THOUGH THERE’S SUPPORT FOR
THIS IN THE COUNTRY, IN THE
CLOAK ROOM IS WHERE THE PROBLEM
IS.
THE IDEA OF GETTING TEN
REPUBLICAN SENATORS TO OVERCOME
THE 60 VOTE THRESHOLD TO HOLD
ASSEMBLY MAJORITY VOTE, DO YOU
KNOW WHERE THE 10 VOTES WILL
COME FROM?
>> WE ADOPT KNOW WHERE THEY’LL
COME FROM TODAY.
WE’RE WORKING ON EVERY MEMBER OF
THE UNITED STATES TO MAKE THE
CASE.
THEY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO
PASS THE EQUALITY ACT SO THEIR
CONSTITUENTS CAN LIVE LIVES FREE
OF DISCRIMINATION.
WE’RE ENCOURAGING MEMBERS OF THE
COMMUNITY AND OUR ALLIES TO BE
SURE THEY’RE REACHING OUT TO
MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES
SENATE AND MAKE IT CLEAR THAT
THE TIME HAS COME FOR
NONDISCRIMINATION LAW TO BE
FINALLY PUT INTO PLACE.
TO LET THEM UNDERSTAND THEIR
CONSTITUENTS AND THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE EXPECT THEM TO OUTLAW
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST OUR
COMMUNITY BASED ON SEXUAL ORR
JENATION OR GERNTDNDER IDENTITY.
IT’S WRONG AND THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT.
I’VE BEEN ADVOCATING PUBLICLY
FOR A CARVEOUT TO THE FILIBUSTER
FOR ISSUES OF CIVIL RIGHTS,
VOTING RIGHTS, AND BASIC
DEMOCRACY.
IT OUGHT NOT STAND WHERE
PROGRESS ON CIVIL RIGHTS BUT
WE’RE WORKING NOW TO GET AS MANY
VOTES IN THE SENATE AS WE CAN IN
THE EVENT THAT THE SENATE
PROCEEDS OUT OF THEIR CURRENT
ROLES.
>> AS I SAID IN THE INTRO, AS
YOU SAID IN THE FIRST ANSWER,
IT’S BEEN 47 YEARS SINCE YOUR
MOTHER FIRST INTRODUCED THE
BILL.
GIVE WHAT THE CONGRESSMAN WAS
TALKING ABOUT, ARE YOU
OPTIMISTIC THAT THE BILL, THE
EQUALITY ACT WILL, INDEED,
BECOME THE LAW OF THE LAND?
>> YES, I AM TOTALLY.
I AM TOTALLY, JOHN THAN.
MY FIRST JOB OUT OF LAW SCHOOL
ACTUALLY WAS TO WORK IN THE
OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCING
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION WORK BILLS
AND TITLE 9, TITLE 6, ET.
CETERA.
IT WAS IN 1978.
I BELIEVE BASED ON THE FACT THAT
ALL OF THE ACTION THAT IS
HAPPENED IN THE HOUSE AND THE
NEGOTIATIONS IN THE SENATE
BEHIND THE SCENES, ACROSS THE
AISLE, THEY HAVE BEEN A STRONG
SUPPORTER OF PRESIDENT BIDEN OF
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THE GAY
AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY ACROSS
THIS COUNTRY REALLY SAYING IT’S
TIME NOW.
NO MORE SHALL WE WAIT TO HAVE
OUR NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS
ENACTED INTO THE STRONGEST CIVIL
RIGHTS BILL.
WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WITH THE
LEADERSHIP AND BECAUSE THE WHITE
HOUSE IS SOLIDLY BEHIND THIS AND
IT’S BECOME MORE OF A PRIORITY
AGAIN IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE GOT GAY MAJOR.
I’VE FELT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOUGHT FOR IN
THE SAME TIME AS WE WERE
FIGHTING FOR DPAI MARRIAGE.
AS YOU KNOW, YOU CAN MARRIED AND
LOSE YOUR HOUSE OR JOB AND, YOU
KNOW, MANY STATES ACROSS THIS
COUNTRY THAT DON’T HAVE -- WHERE
THERE ARE 38 STATES THAT DO.
SO THEREFORE, TO ME, AND MY
MOTHER’S UNDERSTANDING BACK IN
1974 THIS WAS A NATURAL
EXTENSION OF CIVIL RIGHTS FOR
AMERICAN PEOPLE BY EXTENDING THE
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.
FIRST IS SEX AND NOW LGBTQ.
SHE UNDERSTOOD AS A CIVIL RIGHT