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June 16, 2016
U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2017 Defense Appropriations bill that reprioritizes funding that will be used to develop the nuclear capable Long Range Standoff weapon and instead use that funding to reduce the United States’ unsustainable debt and deficits. Rep. Quigley’s remarks on the House Floor during debate of his amendment are available here. The amendment was defeated on a vote of 159-261.
June 16, 2016
Ramon Gardenhire remembers being in law school at Wayne State University in Detroit and trying to give blood for the first time. He went with a group of friends and sat down with the screener. "She was going through all the list of questions when she asked, 'Have you had sex with any men since 1978?'" Gardenhire says. After joking about how that was the year he was born, Gardenhire told her yes, he had, publicly revealing his status as a gay man.
Issues:
LGBTQI+ Rights
Health Care
June 16, 2016
A long held ban prevents men who have had sex with other men in the last twelve months from donating blood. Illinois Democratic Congressman Mike Quigley joins us on the line now. He’s with the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and he’s trying to get rid of that ban.
Issues:
LGBTQI+ Rights
Health Care
June 15, 2016
U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) urged his colleges on the House floor to reprioritize funding that will be used to purchase 1,000 Long Range Standoff military weapons and instead use that funding to reduce the United States’ unsustainable debt and deficits during debate of the Fiscal Year 2017 Defense Appropriations bill.
Issues:
June 14, 2016
House Democrats are encouraging the Food and Drug Administration to reverse course on a rule that bars many gay men from donating blood and shift toward more rigorous testing for all potential donors.
Issues:
LGBTQI+ Rights
Health Care
June 14, 2016
When news broke early Sunday morning of a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that killed 50 people and left over 50 critically injured, residents of the city began lining up in droves to offer their support at local blood banks. But the community hit hardest by the tragedy—gay men—was left feeling powerless because of a ban enacted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration more than 30 years ago that prevents gay men and men who have sex with men (MSM) from donating blood.
Issues:
LGBTQI+ Rights
Health Care
June 14, 2016
U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05), Vice-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, Barbara Lee (CA-13), Jared Polis (CO-02), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Xavier Becerra (CA-34), and Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18), along with David Stacy, Government Affairs Director at Human Rights Campaign (HRC), called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert M. Califf to end the discriminatory blood donation deferral policy for men who have sex with men (MSM) once and for all. The current policy for MSM requires a 12-month deferral, or celibacy, period before being able to donate blood.
Issues:
LGBTQI+ Rights
Health Care
June 13, 2016
U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05), Vice-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), and Barbara Lee (CA-13), along with U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released the following statement regarding the tragic mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) blood donation deferral policy for men who have sex with men (MSM)
Issues:
LGBTQI+ Rights
Health Care
June 13, 2016
For a copy of the resolution please click here.
Congratulating the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the 2013 Stanley Cup Championship.
Whereas the historic Chicago Blackhawks, as one of the˜˜Original Six'', have made countless contributions to sports;
June 13, 2016
Leading gay rights advocates in Congress plan to ask the White House to end a decades-old policy that prohibits many gay men from donating blood in the wake of the deadly Orlando, Fla., shooting at a gay nightclub.
Issues:
LGBTQI+ Rights
Health Care