Equality Caucus Condemns Passage of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Congressional Equality Caucus released the following statement condemning House passage of H.R. 4367, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, 2024.
"This bill is an attack on LGBTQI+ people across the country and those who are coming to the United States seeking refuge and new beginnings. Extreme MAGA Republicans have made clear they don't believe the LGBTQI+ community deserves our government's support," said Equality Caucus Chair Mark Pocan (WI-02). "I condemn the bigoted anti-equality provisions included in this bill."
The Homeland Security bill included the following riders:
"License to Discriminate" Riders – Sec. 552
This rider creates a license for people and organizations—including those receiving taxpayer funds—to discriminate against LGBTQI+ people under the guise of religious liberty, and they prevent the federal government from adequately responding. For example, they prohibit the federal government from reducing or terminating a federal contract or grant with an organization that discriminates against LGBTQI+ people if the organization justifies their discrimination based on the belief that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. For example:
- If a contractor with TSA at a small airport refused to screen two women after learning they are married to each other, TSA could not terminate the contract.
- A benefits specialist could not be terminated from employment for refusing to work with or process the paperwork of a same-sex spouse of a DHS employee who is seeking to collect survivor benefits after their spouse (the DHS employee) passed away.
Gender-Affirming Care Rider – Sec. 223
This rider prohibits funds made available by the bill from being used "to administer hormone therapy medication or perform or facilitate any surgery for any person in custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the purpose of gender-affirming care."
Access to gender-affirming care is critical, medically necessary, and often lifesaving. Gender-affirming care takes many forms and is tailored to the age and unique needs of the individual in consultation with medical doctors, mental health professionals, and—in the case of youth seeking care—parents. While not all transgender people access this care, many do over the course of their lifetimes.
Every major medical and mental health association in the U.S., representing more than 1.3 million U.S. doctors, supports age-appropriate gender-affirming care for transgender people. This includes the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Endocrine Society, among other organizations.
DEI EO Riders – Sec. 545
This rider prohibits funds appropriated by the bill from being made available to implement, administer, apply, enforce, or carry out:
- Executive Order No. 13985, "Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government"
- Executive Order No. 14035, "Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce;" and
- Executive Order No. 14091, "Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government"
All these Executive Orders are LGBTQI-inclusive.
The House of Representatives also considered the following amendments to the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill on the floor:
Boebert #50 would decrease the salary of the head of the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Office, Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, to $1. REJECTED
Nehls #64 would prohibit funds from this bill from being used for the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. REJECTED
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