News

Log Cabin Republicans to House Leadership: "Shame!"

May 20, 2016

Washington, D.C. - Log Cabin Republicans has sent a letter to Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) demanding full accountability and a public explanation for the unprecedented and likely unparliamentary act yesterday that allowed a pro-gay amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to fail.

"During an election year in which voters across the country are crying out because they feel our country's political system is at best broken and at worst rigged, the sham on the floor of the United States House of Representatives yesterday spearheaded by Leader McCarthy played up everything wrong with congress today," Log Cabin Republicans President Gregory T. Angelo stated. "Beyond overriding an executive order that existed under President George W. Bush, yesterday's actions on the House floor defy the repeated promises of House Leadership to operate under regular order and with transparency. Log Cabin Republicans commends the 29 Republicans who refused to succumb to strong-arm tactics and voted for the amendment, and demands those congress members who perpetuated this fraudulence be held accountable."

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May 20, 2016

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
House Majority Leader
H-107, The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515

Leader McCarthy,

Yesterday the House of Representatives, in an unprecedented and likely unparliamentary act, affected the defeat of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act proposed by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney. Log Cabin Republicans finds this alarming for a number of reasons.

Rep. Maloney's amendment merely would have upheld President Obama's Executive Order stating that no federal contractor can discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity-an order that was a simple extension of a non-discrimination order that existed during the administration of President George W. Bush.

The circumstances surrounding the defeat of this amendment are highly suspect, as the apparent rules of regular order were not observed in allowing several members to change their votes after they had already been cast following what should have been the conclusion of the allotted time for voting.

These actions fly in the face of promises from Republican leadership as well as Speaker Ryan to operate the House under regular order, and the resultant defeat of the amendment does a disservice to the Republican Party's roots supporting equality, rather than fighting it.

What occurred Thursday appears to be a flagrant violation of House procedure, and-more importantly - an indication that House Leadership is willing to sacrifice ethics under the false pretext of "religious freedom."

Log Cabin Republicans believes these actions require public explanation.

Gregory T. Angelo
President

cc: Speaker Ryan, Whip Scalise
Rep. Denham, Rep. Issa
Rep. Maloney, Rep. Poliquin
Rep. Valadao, Rep. Walden
Rep. Walters, Rep. Young