Rep. Nadler joined House and Senate Democrats to introduce the Equality Act, prohibiting discrimination against the LGBTQ community.
Almost 50 years ago, patrons at the Stonewall Inn said enough was enough. They said enough to police harassment and the mistreatment of the LGBTQ community, and they rose up—a historic moment in the fight for equality in our country. Earlier this month, Congress built upon the legacy of the people who fought for equality on that day, and of generations of LGBTQ advocates since then, by introducing the Equality Act, legislation I helped to write which explicitly prohibits discrimination against the LGBTQ community. It is past time to say enough to anti-LGBTQ discrimination in our laws and in our society. As Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, I pledge to do everything in my power to ensure this legislation is moved into law.
Closing the Mechanical Void Zoning Loophole
Over the past several years, developers across New York City have been exploiting a loophole in our zoning code that allows for mechanical voids – oversized, empty spaces in buildings that maximize building height to push luxury units ever higher into the sky. As a result, we have seen out-of-scale projects in our neighborhoods that would have otherwise been limited by zoning, and that threaten our residents’ ability to accesslight and air. I submittedtestimony to the New York Department of City Planning (DCP) in support of a proposed text amendment that would regulate excessive use of mechanical voids. This proposed regulation is a good first step in addressing the proliferation of these supertall buildings, but I also believe that we can and must go further to make certain that this loophole is closed and the issue is fully addressed.Along with many of our local community boards, neighborhood associations, residents, and my fellow public officials, I will continue to urge DCP to carefully consider stronger restrictions on the overuse of mechanical voids as they move forward with this zoning text amendment.
Last month, Rep. Nadler introduced the 9/11 Never Forget the Heroes Act to make the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund permanent.
Restoring Net Neutrality Protections
In 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to end net neutrality protections despite public opposition to this rule. Americans overwhelmingly support the restoration of strong, common-sense net neutrality protections for all. That is why I am proud to support H.R. 1644, the Save The Internet Act, which would restore protections and enact the three legacy net neutrality principles: no blocking, no throttling, and no paid prioritization. Congress must act to preserve a free and open Internet, and in my view, restoring these pro-consumer, pro-competition safeguards is the best way to do so.
Fighting the Unconstitutional National Emergency Declaration
The President's decision to declare a national emergency at the southern border is, in my view, a gross abuse of power that attempts to strip Congress of its constitutional authority. I believe this declaration was simply an excuse to build an unnecessary border wall that the majority of Americans don’t want and that Congress has explicitly refused to fund, which is why I voted in support of a resolution to nullify the President’s actions. Instead of these ill-conceived attempts to circumvent our laws, he should work with Congress to achieve the necessary bipartisan reforms our immigration system needs. I was proud to see my colleagues in the Senate join us in voting to nullify the national emergency declaration, and I will continue to defend our Constitution against what I believe are the President’s attempts to skirt our separation of powers.
Watch Rep. Nadler speak on the floor in support of a resolution to nullify President Trump's national emergency declaration here.
