Lankford, Cruz Introduce Repeal Of DC City Council Human Rights Act
Cruz and Lankford introduce resolution of disapproval to overturn Council bill
By John Riley
Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) on Wednesday introduced a resolution aimed at overturning the Human Rights Amendment Act, a bill passed by the D.C. Council in December 2014.
The act repeals the Armstrong Amendment, a 1989 law that carves out an exemption for religiously-affiliated educational institutions by not requiring them to abide by provisions that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Both Cruz and Lankford insist that the act violates the freedom of religion of educational institutions who might otherwise be forced to recognize gay students groups, in opposition to their religious beliefs regarding homosexuality, as well as those who choose to attend those schools. Lankford is the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management, which has jurisdiction over the District of Columbia.
“The D.C. Council is attempting to force religious institutions to provide services, make employment decisions, or participate in activities that directly violate their faith,” Cruz said in a statement. “No government entity should be able to coerce organizations — whether they be nonprofits or religious schools — into…promoting gender policy that is contrary to the organization’s fundamental mission.”