WASHINGTON, DC –  House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) spoke on the House Floor today in support of H.R. 5, the Equality Act. Below is a link to the video and excerpts from his remarks:   “Today we will take another step in a long journey towards a more perfect union… Every Democrat will vote for this bill. Every Democrat will stand up and say this is another step in the quest for a better America, a more just America, a more accepting America. That is what we have the opportunity to do today, and I hope that many, if not all, of my Republican colleagues will stand not for party, not for policies of party, or for partisanship, but stand for principles enunciated 243 years ago but still not yet fully realized. That's what this day is about.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill, which I know will pass… but I hope will pass with a very strong bipartisan conviction and confirmation of the fact that we hold these truths to be self-evident. This is an opportunity for the House to come together and reject discrimination and exclusion. I'm proud to be an original co-sponsor of the bill that [Congressman David] Cicilline put forward.”

“The Equality Act is about America. It's about who we're, what we are, and what we believe. I want to commend the LGBTQ community and the Equality Caucus for being at the forefront of promoting full equality, equal justice, and equal opportunity for LGBTQ people and their families in this country.”

“Sadly, some states still permit discrimination against LGBTQ people… We need to put an end to that and ensure that all people in this country, no matter where they live, are protected against hate and bigotry, exclusion, and discrimination. The opportunities this country offers must be open to everyone in our country.”

“…Surely, we can agree that all men and all women are created equal and are deserving of equal treatment. Let's come together and make that promise of our Founders ring true.”

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, a century after the Civil War, said to America: you are not living out the promise of America. He called us to conscience. He called us to be America. He called us to be that light to the rest of the world. So today we say we will judge on content of character. We will be America. We will be the best we can be of America. Let us – like we did on so many of the civil rights bills that have come before us – again, let us vote overwhelmingly to confirm America's promise to its people and to the world. Vote for this critically important statement of America's values.”