Announcement By the Acting Chair
Floor Speech
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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
Instead of debating the very many pressing national security issues that our country faces, my Republican colleagues are, unfortunately, using this amendment and many others to continue their needless crusade against the LGBTQ+ community.
It goes without saying that regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, the servicemembers and civilian employees who work at the Department of Defense provide a great sacrifice and great service to our great Nation. With this amendment, my Republican colleagues are once again attempting to erase and censor the LGBTQ+ community in our Armed Forces and in those workplaces.
For 17 years, Don't Ask, Don't Tell prohibited servicemembers from being openly themselves without the threat of being discharged. I served during this time. Since its repeal, our country has made significant strides to acceptance in our Armed Forces and in the DOD.
With this amendment, anti-equality lawmakers are attempting to take us backward by prohibiting servicemembers and DOD employees from displaying the Pride flag, a symbol of strength and acceptance of the LGBT community, individuals, and the many ongoing challenges that continue to be faced by that community.
Regardless of whether you are a servicemember serving overseas or a civilian employee working at the Pentagon, all of our servicemembers and defense employees should have the opportunity to celebrate their identity and their truth, and this amendment would take that away.
With the enactment of the Respect for Marriage Act, we saw possibilities for progress when both Democrats and Republicans came together in support of the LGBTQ community, yet instead of embracing this bipartisanship and progress, with this amendment, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are espousing an anti-equality and anti- trans agenda.
At a time when the LGBTQ+ community is facing a deluge of attacks in States across our Nation, now more than ever, we must come together in support of that community, their heroes, and those who honorably serve our country.
Once again, I stand here as a veteran, the mother of a gay daughter, an ally to LGBTQ servicemembers and DOD employees, and in strong opposition to this amendment.
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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley).
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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.
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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.
We agree that we should not be spending our time and wasting our time on this issue. We agree that flags have purpose and flags have meaning. We agree that we should be flying properly approved flags.
However, what we don't agree on is that we should be taking our Nation back. This is all of our Nation, not just for some.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this harmful and very misguided amendment; and let's do start with the facts.
This amendment, dare I say, is a naked attempt at discrimination, an attempt to ban books such as those who depict families with two moms or two dads. To block those stories is to block the story of my own daughter and her wife, as an example.
My colleagues on the other side of the aisle like to say that they are for individual rights and freedom, but it is perhaps more accurate to say that some of them want the individual right to deny other people and other families their rights and freedoms, as well.
The Federal Government does not and should not get to choose what my children or my daughter's children read.
As a parent myself, I also have children, and a former teacher, I believe that the beauty of books is in its ability to expose us to worlds and ideas that are outside of our own. Our schools should be focused on creating environments that support every student, all students, and not censoring their individual experiences.
Here is where we clearly do agree. Parents across the country want their children to learn in safe and affirming environments, which is why I am also in vehement opposition and, frankly, quite disgusted by some nonstop attempts that seem to be coming from our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to label content that they don't like as pornography, as a shield that, frankly, in my opinion is hiding blatant bigotry.
So I rise on behalf of my daughter and the LGBTQ+ people whose experiences must be told. This bill, this amendment doesn't stop with LGBTQ+ people or servicemembers. This amendment also yields other harmful consequences.
How the text is currently written would allow for further draconian and out-of-touch interpretations that could ban books simply like Judy Blume's, one that we have probably all read, those of us of a certain age and gender, ``Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.'' or other stories that teach young people about puberty, their bodies, or contain information about health and sexual education.
America is a country of freedom of speech and freedom of ideas, and yet my colleagues across the aisle want to ban books that enable the next generation to thrive.
So today I rise, dare I say, to allow people to be able to choose what they read to their children, or what their children read.
As a child in DoDEA schools, I actually got to be exposed to this exact situation where I had the opportunity to read a lot when I was growing up in Defense Department schools, and I can't imagine a world where my parents didn't have the ability or the authority to decide what it was that I was going to be able to read.
I urge my colleagues to vote against this very harmful amendment and against all efforts that politicize military and hurt military readiness and national security.
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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, how much time do I have remaining?
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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Sykes), my colleague.
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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, I would just urge my colleagues please to vote against this harmful amendment and other amendments that are similarly working very much to destroy and distract from what I think is really important, which is the national security of our Nation.
Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
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