Issue Position: Civil Rights

Issue Position

In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in a crucial moment for the Civil Rights Movement. Hundreds of thousands of men and women lined the National Mall and embraced Dr. King's dream for an end to racial segregation and discrimination in the United States. The bravery of those who held peaceful sit-ins, participated in rallies and demanded change paved the way for a better and more equal America.

Fifty years later, the fight for equal rights saw a momentous victory for the LGBT movement when the Supreme Court overturned DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act. I believe that all Americans should be afforded the same federal rights and responsibilities. No American should be denied rights because of whom they love or what state they live in. On Capitol Hill, I participated in NoH8 Day to bring awareness to LGBT rights. The Supreme Court and Congress need to grant all Americans - gay or straight - the ability to protect their partner and freedom to love whomever they choose.

In that same year, the Supreme Court ruled that a key portion of the Voting Rights Act, a landmark piece of legislation for civil rights, was unconstitutional. This decision puts all of our rights in jeopardy and endangers the most sacred piece of our democracy -- the right to vote. Many Americans worked tirelessly to pass the Voting Rights Act. Our country is doing them, and all Americans, a great disservice by upending key provisions of the law.

Whether it's providing equal rights to the LGBT community, making sure that people with disabilities have the opportunity to live fulfilling lives, or protecting voting rights, the work to complete Dr. King's dream is far from finished.

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