Republicans Again Try to Use Gov't Funding Bills to Target LGBTQ+ People

In an unfolding number of legislative actions seen as targeted attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, the Congressional Equality Caucus on Wednesday condemned an amendment by House Republicans to prevent the implementation of Executive Orders to combat anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.

The House ended up rejecting an amendment to prohibit funding for the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

"This extreme measure would have undermined the ability of Americans to access justice when they experience discrimination," the Equality Caucus said in a tweet.

This move follows closely on the heels of an incident in July, where Republicans were accused of systematically defunding LGBTQ-focused community projects.

In July, during a committee markup for the 2024 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development spending bill, House Republicans introduced a last-minute amendment, stripping funding from three community projects dedicated to serving the LGBTQ+ community. Connecticut Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro labeled the move akin to the acts of “terrorists,” while other lawmakers expressed outrage over the blatant discrimination.

The GOP-led amendment targeted three specific community centers, namely the LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc., William Way LGBT Center, and LGBT Center of Greater Reading, all poised to receive funding for their crucial services. The ensuing fallout saw Democrats and LGBTQ+ advocates rallying against what they termed as clear-cut bigotry, underscoring the need for a more equitable and inclusive legislative approach.

The community projects in question, which had previously been approved amongst a pool of 2,680, were aimed at providing essential services to LGBTQ+ seniors in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. The projects represented a mere 0.1 percent of the requested funds, yet their defunding drew widespread criticism and raised concerns about the systemic discrimination within the legislative process.

The provisions were sent to the Senate, where Democrats stripped the anti-LGBTQ+ language. Much of this led to where the country is now, on the precipice of a government shutdown.

Fast-forward to the Tuesday night amendment, the Congressional Equality Caucus is again sounding the alarm bells. In a late-night session, House Republicans pushed through an amendment designed to halt the executive orders targeted at reducing anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination. The Equality Caucus decried this action on X, formerly Twitter, emphasizing the “heinous” nature of riders promoting discrimination and calling for their exclusion from funding bills.

Much like the July incident, the late-night amendment has evoked strong reactions from lawmakers supporting LGBTQ+ rights. These legislative actions, seemingly aimed at marginalizing the LGBTQ+ community, reflect a more profound ideological divide threatening to undermine the strides in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.