Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to deliver my final remarks on the floor of the people's House.

I am humbled to have spent the last 2 years in this Chamber, where I proudly served New Mexico, alongside my colleagues past and present in the New Mexico delegation. I am thankful to Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan, in particular, for helping to build support for my confirmation, and to former Senator Tom Udall for his years of friendship and mentorship.

I love New Mexico. Not only is it my home, where I raised my child, went to

college, started a small business, and started organizing, it is my ancestral homeland.

As a 35th-generation New Mexican, and not unlike the other families with roots in our State, I have a deep connection to the land, air, and water that sustains our communities. My ancestors settled there because they were drawn to the once-mighty Rio Grande and the sacred places that dot the sandstone mesas and granite mountains.

That is why I made the most of my time in Congress. I spent every opportunity meeting with families, listening to small business owners, learning about our tech industry, connecting with brave servicemembers and veterans, and working to deliver for the people.

When I was a little girl, none of this crossed my mind as a possibility for me. I wasn't one of the students picked out to apply to college. In fact, I didn't apply to college until I was 28. I was constantly struggling to make ends meet, and I raised my child as a single mom.

Growing up, Native women rarely held Federal leadership positions, and now little girls everywhere will know that they can run for Congress and win and that this country holds promise for everyone.

In fact, it is the unique experiences and struggles that make good leaders and why I became an organizer in the first place. I believe that it is the fact that I relied on food stamps to feed my family that makes me qualified to advocate for families like mine. It is the fact that I overcame addiction that makes me qualified to help people who are in their own struggles. It is the fact that I know what it is like to be indigenous that makes me qualified to advocate for our country to meet its trust responsibility.

The beauty of this Chamber is that each Member of Congress brings their unique experiences to the table and advocates for the causes we know best. With Speaker Nancy Pelosi's brilliant leadership, House Natural Resources Committee Chair Raul Grijalva's wisdom, and House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith's guidance, and all the leadership here in the House, I had the opportunity to make a real difference for communities everywhere by addressing climate change; protecting voting rights; fighting for racial, environmental, and economic justice; and providing urgent COVID relief for millions of people.

I am also thankful for the collaboration and mentorship of my colleagues across the aisle, including Representative Tom Cole and the dean of the House, Don Young, and my colleagues on the House Armed Services and Natural Resources Committees.

We worked in a bipartisan way to address issues, including missing and murdered indigenous women and ensuring that our servicemen and - women and military families have the resources that they need.

To my colleagues in the Tri-Caucus, thank you for embracing the issues facing Native Americans and working to address longstanding disparities in our communities.

I am proud that, with the support of my colleagues, several of my bills became law: the Not Invisible Act; Rent the Camo, a pilot program for pregnant servicemembers in the 2021 NDAA; the PROGRESS for Indian Tribes Act; provisions from my Military Housing Oversight and Servicemember Protection Act in the 2020 NDAA; the Native American Business Incubators Act; and the Veterans Affairs Tribal Advisory Committee Act.

I thought I would have more time here, but we are called to service in different ways.

Though I am excited to become the first Native American Cabinet Secretary in history, I am also sad to leave this Chamber. As a twice- elected Member of Congress, it has been both a pleasure and privilege to serve alongside you in our quest to improve the lives of the American people.

I want each of you to know that I am grateful for the knowledge you shared with me, the friendship, and the work we accomplished together, and I will miss all of you dearly.

I wouldn't be here today without my extraordinary staff in Albuquerque and here at the Capitol, the Natural Resources Committee staff, and the House Armed Services Committee staff. They all put in very long hours on behalf of our State and our country. My legislative accomplishments are also their accomplishments.

Additionally, thanks to all of the staff who work right here on the floor, whose dedication and experience keep our Congress running. I am so grateful to all of you.

To New Mexico, thank you. Thank you to the activists, supporters, families, and communities that make our State an incredible place to call home.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Jose Hernandez, a beloved letter carrier and local hero who was killed on the job in 2019, while trying to resolve an argument along his route.

Residents who live along his route remember Jose as the type of letter carrier who would go above and beyond the call of duty. His shocking death was devastating for our community, and more than a year later, we continue to mourn the loss.

To honor his legacy, I introduced a bill to rename his old workplace in his honor.

Jose Hernandez has served proudly in the Army. He has four beautiful children and a loving wife, Nikki. He served the Albuquerque area U.S. Postal Service for 12 years.

Our letter carriers and postal workers shouldn't have to worry about their safety when they go to work. Those who will see Jose's name on the Five Points Post Office will remember him as the hero that he was who went above and beyond his duty.

For these reasons and many more, I am thankful first for the entire New Mexico delegation for their support, and for Chairwoman Maloney's and Chairman Raskin's swift work to move my bill that will name the post office at 1050 Sunset Road Southwest in Albuquerque to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 813 honoring Mr. Hernandez.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Technical Sergeant Patricia Salazar, who retired from the New Mexico Air National Guard on December 2, 2018 as a Master Sergeant after 25 years of distinguished service. Throughout her accomplished career, Technical Sergeant Salazar played many valuable roles in defense of our state and our nation. A native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Technical Sergeant Salazar graduated from St. Michael's High School in 1980. She received an athletic scholarship from the College of Santa Fe and graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology. She went on to receive a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice Administration from California State University, Long Beach in 1986. After completing her graduate degree, Technical Sergeant Salazar returned to her home state and attended New Mexico State Police Training Academy. She then enlisted in the United States Air Force and completed her training in 1993.

Technical Sergeant Salazar began her tenure with the New Mexico Air National Guard's 150th Security Forces Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, she helped develop and initiate emergency evacuation plans for senior Pentagon leadership. In 2003, she transitioned to the New Mexico Army National Guard's 1209th Medical Detachment. From 2009 to 2011, Technical Sergeant Salazar was stationed in Kosovo and supervised a team of field medics during deployment and field operations. In 2012, she returned to Kirtland to serve with the New Mexico Air National Guard's 150th Special Operations Wing.

My predecessor, Representative Lujan Grisham, had the pleasure of meeting Technical Sergeant Salazar in 2017 when she worked with the Air Force to ensure that her father, Staff Sergeant Joe Salazar, received the medals he earned while serving our nation in World War II. He served with the 497th Bombardment Group of the Army Air Forces from 1942 to 1945, earning several honors including a Bronze Star. Mr. Salazar was also a role model for his daughter when she enlisted and during her service overseas.

Madam Speaker, I want to salute Technical Sergeant Patricia Salazar for her 25 years of service to New Mexico and the United States. It is hard-working, service-minded individuals like her who continue to make our state and our nation so great. I wish her the best of luck.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with my colleague, Congressman Ted Lieu, to honor his constituent and life-long education champion, Harley Frankel. We join his friends and family in celebrating his retirement from College Match, Harley's non-profit that assists low-income students with applying to and excelling in college.

After a career in public service, Harley founded College Match in 2003 after witnessing the steep hurdles his son faced while applying to college. As a first-generation college student himself, Harley realized that the grueling and time-consuming application process presented far more consequential barriers to students in overcrowded schools who often lack built-in support, financial safety nets, and adequate college guidance. Following this realization, College Match was born, accommodating 40 students in just its first year. The program has ballooned to nearly 600 students accepted annually, each receiving one- on-one guidance from trained college counselors, SAT prep, tutoring, assistance with college applications and essays, and college campus visits. In the past 6 years, 95 percent of College Match's students have been admitted to a U.S. News and World Report Top 50 college or university, and 70 percent were admitted to a Top 25 school.

Harley's students have deemed him their ``fairy godfather''--a reliably approachable, friendly, and caring figure determined to help put them on the college path they deserve but would otherwise be out of reach. Harley's powerful impact on students across Los Angeles makes me think of my own academic career and the tremendous challenges I faced completing my undergraduate, and later my law degree as a single mother. No one ever told me to go to college, let alone guided me through the intimidating college application process. The education I received changed my life and put me on the path to serving in Congress. Every student determined to succeed should have that opportunity, regardless of their background or financial limitations, and Harley's work has helped to make that happen.

A born change maker, Harley's tangible impact on his students will last lifetimes. Even more profound is his organization's direct challenging of the unfair obstacles that prevent some of our country's brightest minds from reaching their full potential. It is an honor to witness the monumental work College Match is leading. Congressman Lieu and I thank Harley for his life's commitment to uplifting our future leaders.

Madam Speaker, I stand in support of equal pay for equal work and in celebration of the women's national soccer team.

The team's World Cup victory highlighted a stark reality: There is still work to be done to ensure equal pay for the same work.

Last week, my colleagues and I in the Democratic Women's Caucus wrote to the U.S. Soccer Federation with a simple argument: Our most successful U.S. soccer team in history deserves equal pay.

The work of the women soccer players, coaches, and staff should not be worth less simply because they are women.

The women's soccer team is inspiring young girls everywhere to dream big. We must make sure those girls don't have to worry about equal pay. You shouldn't have to be a record-breaking world champion to get the same pay as your male counterparts.

As Megan Rapinoe said at the victory parade on Wednesday, ``We have to be better.''

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment requiring reporting on human rights in Brazil in light of the Bolsonaro administration's dangerous actions.

President Bolsonaro has said he wants to strip constitutional land rights from Brazil's indigenous people. He has openly stated that indigenous people should have been exterminated.

His threats go beyond words. Bolsonaro's administration has already begun infringing upon the rights of indigenous people and other vulnerable groups.

Despite this alarming behavior, President Trump named Brazil a major non-NATO ally. Congress can and must use its authority to direct and block funds and conduct oversight.

The Bolsonaro administration must understand that increased U.S. cooperation is conditional upon respect for the rights of the people of Brazil, including indigenous people, Afro-Brazilians, women, and LGBTQ communities.

Congress is watching, and we must demand accountability.

Mr. Chairman, I also rise to support my amendment, which prohibits the Department of Defense from contracting with companies that do not have a sexual harassment policy.

Now more than ever, people are empowered to speak up and change the culture in the workplace. Congress, the Department of Defense, and many other workplaces have or are implementing policies to hold perpetrators accountable. We must demand the same from those who do business with our government.

In fiscal year 2017, the Department of Defense spent $320 billion on contractors. If these contractors are going to receive Federal dollars, they should be subject to the same accountability.

My amendment will ensure that contractors have sexual harassment policies in place prior to signing on the dotted line. All workers must be protected in the workplace, especially when they are working to protect our country.

I urge my colleagues to support workers and pass this amendment and pass the en bloc package.

Madam Chair, this administration's reckless behavior threatens to plunge the region into chaos and our own country into another endless and costly war.

We have powerful, peaceful tools to bring other countries to the negotiating table. Under the leadership of President Obama, we used these tools successfully to neutralize Iran's nuclear program.

The President's irresponsible policies have squandered that progress and, instead, set into motion tensions that are spiraling out of control.

We have alienated our closest allies, and Iran is taking steps toward developing a nuclear weapon. This senselessness demonstrates that this administration cannot be trusted with the authority to use military force in Iran.

Madam Chair, I support this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, America must live up to its values, and that means treating transgender servicemembers with the same respect and dignity as their counterparts. Both of my parents served and only judged their fellow servicemembers on one standard: their ability to complete the mission.

Transgender servicemembers honorably serve this country and are not any different than any other servicemember. They come from families where service is a tradition. They go through the same training and abide by the same requirements. They deserve fairness and respect, and I urge the passage of this amendment.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of this amendment, and I want to highlight three key points:

The military women of reproductive age lack access to adequate healthcare. This is a healthcare problem.

Unplanned pregnancies hamper readiness and make it harder for women to advance their careers, and this personnel issue can be easily remedied.

A service branch shouldn't determine the quality of care our servicemembers should have, and this is an equality issue.

I thank Chairwoman Speier, and I urge passage of this amendment.

Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I recognize my dear friend and lifelong Native American activist, Frank LaMere. I want to join his family, the Nebraska community, and the national tribal community in celebrating him and his decades-long dedication to civil rights for all, particularly for Native Americans.

An activist from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, Mr. LaMere was a prominent grassroots leader always ready for action. He was the longest serving Native American member of the Democratic National Committee, serving from 1996 to 2006. He founded both the Nebraska Native American Caucus and the Native American Caucus of the Democratic National Committee. In Nebraska, he also served as the state's Democratic Party First Associate Chair. I am proud to have served alongside him in the Democratic National Committee, and I will always have fond memories of his leadership, his stories, perspective and empathetic spirit.

Frank served as a tireless advocate for Native American rights, leaving behind a legacy of tremendous and significant change for the state of Nebraska. He had the gift of truly connecting with any individual and used his voice to lift and empower others. Mr. LaMere fought against the loss of Native children to the child welfare system and against the violence they faced in their foster homes. He was instrumental in ending border town beer sales in Whiteclay, Nebraska, eliminating decades of predatory sales that fueled alcohol-related issues on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Mr. LaMere advocated to ensure that Native Americans were always involved in the political process and were guaranteed a seat at every table. He will be greatly missed.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my two amendments to the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill for FY20, which were included in en bloc amendment No. 5.

I thank my friend Chairwoman Betty McCollum for supporting these amendments, and for the work she and Ranking Member Joyce have done to increase funding for programs that are vitally important to Indian Country. Despite their good efforts, due to budget constraints, there is still work to be done to meet the needs of our Tribal Nations.

The United States Constitution defines the unique government-to- government relationship between the federal government and Tribal Nations. The federal trust responsibility originates from the days when Native Americans were forced to surrender tribal land and suffered loss of life and the removal/resettlement of one-fifth of Tribes from their original homelands. The United States signed 375 treaties, passed laws, and instituted policies that promised to safeguard Native Americans' right to self-governance and to enable delivery of essential services in Indian Country.

One of these services is health care. During the latter part of the nineteenth century, the federal government expanded health care for Native Americans due to overcrowding at boarding schools and the spread of disease. It was only in 1968, when Indian health care lagged behind the rest of the country, was the Indian Health Service (IHS) designated in an effort to fulfill the trust responsibility. Over the last two centuries, the failure of the federal government to adequately address American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) wellbeing led to this population being ranked in the bottom of health, education, and employment.

Congress has continued to inadequately fund Indian Country at disproportionately lower levels than funding for services for any other population. IHS is currently only funded at 40 percent of the need, and the average per capita spending for an IHS patient is only about $3,800 compared to the national average of $9,523. During fiscal year 2019, IHS' budgetary need was $30 billion, but the enacted level only amounted to $5 billion, which is $25 billion less than the amount needed to properly administer health care in Indian Country for 2.2 million AI/ANs across 573 federally recognized Tribes.

Urban Indian health care is an area of particular need. Approximately 70 percent of AI/ANs live in urban areas, but they lack access to adequate health care services because only 1 percent of the chronically underfunded IHS budget has been allocated to urban Indian health care. Currently urban Indian health is estimated to only meet 22 percent of the need of the roughly one million urban Al/ANs who live in urban Indian health care services areas.

My amendment seeks to draw attention to this area of serious need. While we are making strides with this bill, an additional $35,000,000 would help provide resources for health care services needed by the urban Indian population.

Tribes are also in desperate need of resources for tribal courts and law enforcement. AI/AN suffer from one of the highest rates of crime and victimization of any group of people in the United States. Although overall funding for public safety in Indian Country has increased, it does not come close to meeting the public safety needs in Indian Country or the needs to police and protect Indian Country, especially related to tribal courts and law enforcement. My amendment highlights that an additional $63 million is needed for tribal courts and $113 million for law enforcement to give AI/ANs living on tribal lands access to basic public safety services that are readily available for other Americans living outside of Indian Country.

I appreciate the good work done by Chairwoman McCollum and Ranking Member Joyce to begin to address these pressing needs in Indian Country, and I thank them for their support of my amendments. I look forward to continuing to work with them and Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger to ensure that the federal government fulfills its trust obligation to Tribes and that Tribes have the resources they need to provide services and opportunity to their members.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Equality Act. America must live up to its values by treating everyone as equals and ending discrimination once and for all.

The Equality Act is about making sure all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, can participate in our society without fear.

New Mexico is home to diverse religious and traditional communities and has stood up for its LGBTQ population for a very long time. The Equality Act allows us to adhere to our faiths, while prohibiting harmful and isolating acts of discrimination against the LGBTQ community.

No one should have to worry about being discriminated against when interviewing for a job or struggling to find a healthcare provider that will treat them.

Tomorrow morning, when I vote for the Equality Act, I will be proud to stand with my colleagues, with New Mexicans, and with my daughter, who is a proud LGBTQ American. The time for equality is now, and we must pass the Equality Act to live up to our values.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to stand in solidarity with families suffering from this administration's inhumane policy of separating children from their parents.

Earlier this week was the 1-year anniversary of this administration's family separation policy, and today hundreds of families are still separated. That means hundreds of children will not be with their mothers on Mother's Day.

This week, I visited a Families Belong Together art installation outside the Capitol by Paola Mendoza. It depicted a mother reaching out in anguish for her child who was in a cage. That is the reality for these families, and they will feel this trauma for the rest of their lives.

Native Americans know all too well the long-lasting trauma of government-enforced family separation. Our communities still struggle with the impact that cruel assimilation policy has had.

This trauma cannot be undone. We cannot let this administration forget the chaos it created in so many people's lives, and we must stop the racist policies it continues to push.

Madam Speaker, if we think back to the beginning of this Congress, we started the first 100 days under an unnecessary government shutdown. I met with constituents, Federal workers, and businessowners in my district who were forced to suffer for the President's frivolous campaign promise.

At the end of the day, we funded the government and made sure Federal workers received back pay. All the while, we were setting up a path to work for the people, making our communities a priority, not just the wealthy and well connected, but people who suffer when they lose a paycheck and need to rely on accessible healthcare.

We are in a special moment in history, a moment when our freshman class of House Members look more like the people we represent, and our experiences reflect the experiences of everyday Americans. I am a single mother. I often had to piece together healthcare for my daughter and I, and I am still paying off my student loans. This class of freshman lawmakers know the struggles that many are going through, and, with our new majority, it is clear we are working for the people.

We passed the bill that would ensure everyone has an opportunity to participate in our democracy, while taking steps to end corruption.

The most significant land legislation of our time made it across the finish line, including provisions of my first bill, to designate land for everyone to have access to public lands in New Mexico.

It was a huge win for my State, because in New Mexico we value our natural heritage and resources, and we believe in protecting the places we hold dear for future generations to enjoy.

The public lands package makes all of those things possible. It is also a prime example of what our Democratic majority can get done because we are willing to work across the aisle and push legislation through.

Our progress includes things like fighting for equality with the Paycheck Fairness Act and a resolution condemning the President's transgender troops ban, fighting for prosperity for everyone by introducing a $15 minimum wage and passing the Dream and Promise Act.

We are also tackling the challenges of our time with the Violence Against Women Act and forging a path to address climate change with an unprecedented number of committee hearings uncovering the climate change realities facing our communities, and we are working on legislation that will create a Green New Deal for everyone and for our country.

In 100 days, you can get a lot done, and we are looking forward to getting more done for the people in the next 100 days.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, this bipartisan amendment addresses the needs of Native Americans living in urban areas by making victim advocates available in State courts for urban Indians under the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program for States.

In 2018, the State STOP grant program awarded 56 awards totaling over $154 million to State programs to provide funding for victim services to address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking through State initiatives to enhance existing programs and fill gaps in services.

Currently, the State STOP grant program is used to strengthen partnerships between Tribal and non-Tribal stakeholders to improve responses to Native American victims, but there is no requirement for State grant activities to prioritize the hiring of in-court victim advocates for urban Indians.

Frequently, the subgrantees of this program are community-based organizations, which are chronically underfunded, short-staffed, and not able to specifically address the needs of urban Indian victims.

This leaves urban Native victims without any resources, which are severely needed within State courts and which could easily be remedied by hiring in-court State victim advocates. This is especially true in light of the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, to break the cycle of generational trauma and violence.

Due to devastating Federal policies, like forced relocation and removal, 71 percent of the Native American population lives in urban areas. Urban cities with high populations of Native Americans include places like Phoenix; Seattle; Los Angeles; and in my district, Albuquerque.

Recent reports by the Urban Indian Health Institute identified 506 cases of missing and murdered indigenous women across 71 urban cities. My State of New Mexico ranked number one for the highest number of missing and murdered indigenous women cases, which was 78.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the bipartisan cosponsors of this amendment, Representatives Grijalva, Cole, Gallego, Moore, Young, Case, Soto, Davids, and Torres, for their support. I ask my colleagues to help these Native American women who are the victims of violence.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I offer this bipartisan amendment to improve public safety in Indian Country through the Tribal Access Program, or TAP, which is an existing information-sharing system for Tribes in Indian Country.

The Tribal Access Program administered through the Department of Justice is an effective method of sharing criminal conviction information between Tribal, local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies.

TAP allows law enforcement officers in neighboring jurisdictions to see each other's restraining orders, warrants, and exclusion orders across jurisdictional boundaries to improve public safety.

Having this information is critical to keeping victims of domestic violence safe from harm, but, unfortunately, the Department of Justice has told many Tribes they don't qualify to participate. Although the statute says that any Tribal government can access this data, the DOJ rejects applications from Tribes that don't specifically have arrest authority.

Under my amendment, a Tribal government with a designated public safety agency, regardless of their ability to detain and arrest perpetrators, will have access and the ability to enter information into the TAP program.

I want to be clear that my amendment does not allow these designated public safety departments or agencies to determine criminal convictions. That is a determination made by courts through due process. This amendment only allows information sharing and access to TAP to better communicate between public safety departments on reservations that are frequently limited in resources.

The stakes are too high to continue to deny Tribes that are already struggling from resources to keep people safe in Indian Country access to this important information.

For example, I heard from a Tribe that one of their members had a preexisting restraining order against her abuser; however, when the perpetrator entered the reservation, the Reservation Patrol--a Tribal public safety agency without arrest authority--unknowingly allowed the abuser to enter the reservation because they did not have access to information about the existing restraining order.

The violation of the restraining order against the unsuspecting victim could have been prevented if the Reservation Patrol had the ability to access the criminal history of the abuser through TAP.

Denying Tribal public safety departments access to information that can prevent crimes, particularly violence against women, is unconscionable.

The chronic lack of public safety resources in Indian Country, including inadequately staffed law enforcement agencies and lack of cell phone and internet service for communication, already puts Tribes behind in protecting their members.

If this were about any other community located off the reservation, it is likely this amendment wouldn't be at issue today.

I thank the bipartisan cosponsors of this amendment--Representatives Young, Cook, Grijalva, Cole, Gallego, Ruiz, Case, Soto, Davids, and Torres--for their support and ask my colleagues to help give Tribal public safety departments the information they need to protect Native American women from violence.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our transgender troops.

The United States is stronger and safer when our military reflects our Nation's diversity. This administration's transgender ban makes a mockery of that commitment. And let's be clear: This is a ban.

We must not ask transgender servicemembers to go back in the closet or tell them: You are less than other Americans.

I wholeheartedly support every single American who wants to serve our country. My father was a 30-year career marine, and he would never judge another marine on anything other than their ability to complete their mission. Why should there be another standard?

Trans servicemembers meet the same standards as every servicemember, and this was confirmed during a subcommittee hearing when trans troops testified as witnesses. These transgender troops were highly decorated and earned recognition on the basis of the quality of their work.

As all military personnel do, transgender troops deserve our respect. I challenge anyone who favors this kind of discrimination to look at their transgender constituents and tell them they are not fit to serve.

I thank my colleagues for taking a stand for all of our servicemembers today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Equality Act.

America must live up to its values, and that means treating everyone as equals and ending discrimination. The Equality Act is about making sure all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, can participate in our society without fear.

New Mexico is home to diverse religious and traditional communities and has stood up for its LGBTQ population for a long time. We stood up early to ban the cruel practice of conversion therapy.

The Equality Act allows us to adhere to our faiths while prohibiting harmful and isolating acts of discrimination experienced by too many LGBTQ Americans.

Consider this: 38 percent of transgender New Mexicans are unemployed; 40 percent live in poverty; 26 percent have been discriminated against during the hiring or promotion processes; 41 percent have been homeless at some point; and 33 percent have been discriminated against at a place of public accommodation.

No one should have to worry about being discriminated against when planning their wedding or struggle to simply get a cake. The Equality Act will outlaw such discrimination, which is why we should pass it as soon as possible.