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Civil Rights
Our nation’s Declaration of Independence spoke directly to the issue of
our civil rights—equality among individuals and the right to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. However, while these are self-evident truths and
unalienable rights, they are promises that can be either kept or broken. We must
work to keep those promises.
I believe that the concepts of rights, freedom, liberty, choice and privacy
are interconnected. We must protect the right to direct our daily lives, free
from government intrusion, so long as our activities cause no harm to others.
These rights include the freedom to worship as one chooses, the freedom to
dissent, and the freedom to make medical choices, among many others.
Barriers to fulfilling one’s potential must be removed. Discrimination
has been an insidious barrier to many. I believe that government plays a central
role in guaranteeing equal opportunity to all citizens.
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Civil Rights Enforcement
I strongly support enforcement of the Civil Rights Act and all other federal civil rights laws. Continuing federal affirmative action programs to promote outreach to traditionally underrepresented groups is also important. Our civil rights laws are meaningless if they are not enforced.
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Disability Rights
I am proud to have helped pass the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which offers disability beneficiaries greater choices in obtaining services they need to help them go to work and achieve their employment goals. I am also proud of my successful advocacy to
expand the Violence Against Women Act to fund services for victims of domestic
violence or sexual assault who have disabilities.
I am a strong supporter of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA
has improved access for people with disabilities allowing them to more fully
participate in our society. Enforcement and strengthening the Americans with Disabilities
Act must be a priority.
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Voting Rights
I am a strong supporter of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and recently voted to reauthorize key provisions of the landmark legislation for another 25 years. Citizen participation is essential in a democracy. In a government “of the people,” I believe that the involvement of ordinary Americans is vital to meeting today’s greatest political challenges. Increasing participation in our political process requires a belief by voters that elections are conducted in an honest fashion, that our government encourages full participation by the electorate, and that we ensure that every vote that is cast is actually counted. I strongly support efforts to remove barriers to voter participation. We must keep faith with the promise and requirements of our Constitution.
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Employment Discrimination against LGBT Americans
Every year, qualified hard-working Americans are denied jobs or discriminated
against while on the job because they are, or are perceived to be, gay,
lesbian, transgender, or bisexual. Yet, Americans have a fundamental belief
that working men and women should be judged based on their job performance
rather than irrational prejudice.
I am very proud that, in 1982, Wisconsin became the first state to ban employment
discrimination based on sexual orientation. I strongly believe we must pass
federal legislation to ensure that every American is protected from employment
discrimination.
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Hate Crimes
Hate crimes are different than other crimes in that the perpetrators intend
to send a message to an entire group of people, not just the victim. Hate
crimes are an insidious form of domestic terrorism meant to limit the freedoms
of a particular group. When a hate crime occurs, other members of the victim's
group begin to fear that they may be next, and may not feel safe, for example,
visiting or living in certain areas.
I strongly support the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which would provide increased penalties for bias-related crimes that result in death or bodily injury.
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Racial Profiling
I believe it is critical that we draw attention to the issue of racial
and ethnic profiling. We must clearly articulate that it is wrong to discriminate
against people due to their race, religion, or ethnicity. Targeting people
based on their characteristics is simply unacceptable. I have always believed
that one of our nation’s greatest strengths is its diversity. We
must ensure that our laws are fair and fairly applied.
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Marriage Equality
I believe in full marriage equality for gays and lesbians. Our constitutional system – the checks and balances between the three co-equal branches of government – was created to ensure the protection of minority rights, and throughout history many groups of individuals have sought such protections from their government. Today, people who want the protections of marriage laws for their same sex partnerships are petitioning their government. The Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA) seeks to amend the United States Constitution to declare that marriage in the United States shall consist only of a legal union of a man and a woman, and that “neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman.” I am strongly opposed to this Amendment, which I believe is both harmful and divisive.
The U.S. Constitution has rarely been amended. Since the Bill of Rights was adopted, we have amended our Constitution only 17 times, all but once (Prohibition) to expand the rights and freedoms of citizens. The constitution should be a document that expands rights, opportunities and aspirations
The proposed amendment would also undermine our federalist tradition of deferring to the states to regulate marriage. The Federal Marriage Amendment would prevent cities and states from enacting any protections for same-sex couples. It would limit the ability of states to confer protections such as hospital visitation rights, health insurance or broader civil union or domestic partnership protections on unmarried couples. Most Americans support protecting families, yet this amendment would threaten civil unions and domestic partnerships.
I want to see the day when gay and lesbian families are protected through the same laws and with the same obligations, responsibilities and rights as straight Americans.
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