Congressional Equality Caucus

Congressional Equality Caucus
Congressional Equality Caucus
Founded	2008
Ideology	LGBT rights ; Social liberalism
Political position	Center to Center-left
Seats in the House Democratic Caucus	100 / 193
Seats in the House	102 / 435
Seats in the House Republican Caucus	2 / 239
	Politics of United States; Political parties; Elections;

**Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus** Members at the Kick-off Press Conference from left to right: Niki Tsongas (D–MA), José Serrano (D–NY), Xavier Becerra (D–CA), Hilda Solis (D–CA), Jerry Nadler (D–NY), Barbara Lee (D–CA), Tammy Baldwin (D–WI), Lois Capps (D–CA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R–FL), Linda Sánchez (D–CA), Mike Honda (D–CA), James McGovern (D–MA), Barney Frank (D–MA), Chris Shays (R–CT).

The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus formation was announced on June 4, 2008, by openly gay representatives Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank.^[1]^[2] The caucus currently has 115 members (113 Democrats and 2 Republicans) in the 115th United States Congress. The caucus is co-chaired by the United States House of Representatives' six openly LGBT members: Representatives Jared Polis, David Cicilline, Sean Patrick Maloney, Kyrsten Sinema, Mark Pocan, and Mark Takano. Roddy Flynn serves as Executive Director.

Mission

The mission of the caucus is to work for LGBT rights, the repeal of laws discriminatory against LGBT persons, the elimination of hate-motivated violence, and improved health and well-being for all persons, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.^[3] The caucus serves as a resource for Members of Congress, their staffs, and the public on LGBT issues.^[3] Unlike the Congressional Black Caucus, famous for admitting only black members, the LGBT Equality Caucus admits any member who is willing to advance LGBT rights, regardless of their sexual identity or orientation.

Equality PAC

In February 2016 the caucus formed the Equality PAC to support candidates running for federal office who are LGBT or seek to advance LGBT rights. Equality PAC has endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential election.^[4]

History

On March 14, 2016, the board of the Equality PAC voted to endorse Hillary Clinton for president of the United States.^[4]

Membership

The below table summarizes the number of caucus members by party over a number of legislative sessions, the drop in membership numbers in the 114th congress was predominantly due to this being the first year that caucus members were charged fees for their membership:

Congress	Democratic	Republican	Total
111th	90	1	91^[5]
112th	101	3	104^[6]
113th	112	2	114
114th	55	0	55^[7]
115th	100	2	102^[8]

List of Caucus members in the 115th Congress:

Co-Chairs

David Cicilline (D–Rhode Island)
Sean Patrick Maloney (D–New York)
Mark Pocan (D–Wisconsin)
Jared Polis (D–Colorado)
Kyrsten Sinema (D–Arizona)
Mark Takano (D–California)

Vice Chairs

Ted Deutch (D-Florida)
Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona)
Joseph P. Kennedy III (D–Massachusetts)
Dan Kildee (D-Michigan)
Barbara Lee (D–California)
Ted Lieu (D-California
Alan Lowenthal (D-California)
Jerrold Nadler (D-New York)
Mike Quigley (D-Illinois)
Linda Sanchez (D-California)
Adam Schiff (D-California)

Members

Pete Aguilar (D-California)
Nanette Barragán (D-California)
Karen Bass (D–California)
Ami Bera (D-California)
Earl Blumenauer (D–Oregon)
Suzanne Bonamici (D–Oregon)
Bob Brady (D–Pennsylvania)
Julia Brownley (D-California)
Salud Carbajal (D-California)
Tony Cárdenas (D–California)
André Carson (D–Indiana)
Matt Cartwright (D–Pennsylvania)
Judy Chu (D–California)
Katherine Clark (D-Massachusetts)
Yvette Clarke (D–New York)
Lou Correa (D-California)
Charlie Crist (D-Florida)
Joseph Crowley (D–New York)
Carlos Curbelo (R–Florida)
Susan Davis (D–California)
John Delaney (D-Maryland)
Suzan DelBene (D–Oregon)
Mark DeSaulnier (D-California)
Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan)
Eliot Engel (D–New York)
Adriano Espaillat (D-New York)
Elizabeth Esty (D-Connecticut)
Bill Foster (D–Illinois)
Lois Frankel (D–Florida)
Jimmy Gomez (D–California)
Josh Gottheimer (D-New Jersey)
Al Green (D-Texas)
Raúl Grijalva (D-Arizona)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-New Mexico)
Luis Gutierrez (D–Illinois)
Colleen Hanabusa (D–Hawaii)
Denny Heck (D-Washington)
Brian Higgins (D–New York)
Jim Himes (D–Connecticut)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-District of Columbia)
Jared Huffman (D–California)
Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington)
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D–Texas)
Hank Johnson (D–Georgia)
Bill Keating (D–Massachusetts)
Ruben Kihuen (D-Nevada)
Derek Kilmer (D–Washington)
Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois)
Ann McLane Kuster (D–New Hampshire)
James Langevin (D–Rhode Island)
David Loebsack (D–Iowa)
Carolyn Maloney (D–New York)
Betty McCollum (D–Minnesota)
Don McEachin (D-Virginia)
Grace Meng (D-New York)
Gwen Moore (D–Wisconsin)
Seth Moulton (D–Massachusetts)
Stephanie Murphy (D-Florida)
Donald Norcross (D-New Jersey)
Frank Pallone (D–New Jersey)
Ed Perlmutter (D–Colorado)
Scott Peters (D–California)
Chellie Pingree (D–Maine)
David Price (D-North Carolina)
Kathleen Rice (D-New York)
Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Delaware)
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R–Florida)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D–California)
Raul Ruiz (D–California)
Jan Schakowsky (D–Illinois)
Brad Schneider (D–Illinois)
Bobby Scott (D–Virginia)
José E. Serrano (D–New York)
Carol Shea-Porter (D–New Hampshire)
Brad Sherman (D–California)
Louise Slaughter (D–New York)
Darren Soto (D-Florida)
Jackie Speier (D–California)
Eric Swalwell (D–California)
Dina Titus (D–Nevada)
Paul Tonko (D–New York)
Niki Tsongas (D–Massachusetts)
Juan Vargas (D–California)
Marc Veasey (D–Texas)
Tim Walz (D-Minnesota)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D–Florida)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-New Jersey)
Peter Welch (D–Vermont)
Frederica Wilson (D–Florida)

Former members

Neil Abercrombie (D–Hawaii; resigned to run for Governor of Hawaii in 2010)
Rob Andrews (D–New Jersey; resigned in 2014)
Gary Ackerman (D–New York; retired in 2013)
Tammy Baldwin (D–Wisconsin; elected to Senate in 2012)
Xavier Becerra (D–California; appointed California Attorney General in 2017)
Shelley Berkley (D–Nevada; unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2012)
Howard Berman (D–California; defeated in 2012)
Bruce Braley (D–Iowa; ran for Senate in 2014)
Tim Bishop (D–New York; retired in 2015)
Lois Capps (D–California; retired in 2017)
Michael Capuano (D–Massachusetts)
Kathy Castor (D–Florida)
Hansen Clarke (D–Michigan; defeated in 2012)
Gerry Connolly (D–Virginia)
John Conyers (D–Michigan)
Joe Courtney (D–Connecticut)
Peter DeFazio (D–Oregon)
Bill Delahunt (D–Massachusetts; retired in 2011)
Rosa DeLauro (D–Connecticut)
Michael F. Doyle (D–Pennsylvania)
Keith Ellison (D–Minnesota)
Anna Eshoo (D–California)
Chaka Fattah (D–Pennsylvania)
Bob Filner (D–California; resigned to run for mayor of San Diego in 2012)
Barney Frank (D–Massachusetts; retired in 2013)
Marcia L. Fudge (D–Ohio)
Tulsi Gabbard (D–Hawaii)
Gabrielle Giffords (D–Arizona; resigned in 2012)
Charlie Gonzalez (D–Texas; retired in 2013)
Janice Hahn (D–California; elected to Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors)
Richard L. Hanna (R–New York; retired in 2017)
Phil Hare (D–Illinois; defeated in 2010)
Jane Harman (D–California; resigned in 2011)
Alcee Hastings (D–Florida)
Nan Hayworth (R–New York; defeated in 2012)
Martin Heinrich (D–New Mexico; elected to Senate in 2012)
Maurice Hinchey (D–New York; retired in 2013)
Mazie Hirono (D–Hawaii; elected to Senate in 2012)
Rush Holt Jr. (D–New Jersey; retired in 2015)
Steve Israel (D–New York; retired in 2017)
Sheila Jackson Lee (D–Texas)
Patrick J. Kennedy (D–Rhode Island; retired in 2011)
Mary Jo Kilroy (D–Ohio; defeated in 2010)
Dennis Kucinich (D–Ohio; defeated in 2012)
Sander Levin (D–Michigan)
John Lewis (D–Georgia)
Zoe Lofgren (D–California)
Nita Lowey (D–New York)
Stephen Lynch (D–Massachusetts)
Dan Maffei (D–New York; defeated in 2014)
Doris Matsui (D–California)
Carolyn McCarthy (D–New York)
Jim McDermott (D–Washington) (retired in 2017)
Jim McGovern (D–Massachusetts)
Michael McMahon (D–New York; defeated in 2010)
Michael R. McNulty (D–New York; retired in 2008)
George Miller (D–California; retired in 2015)
Jim Moran (D–Virginia; retired in 2015)
Chris Murphy (D–Connecticut; elected to Senate in 2012)
Patrick Murphy (D–Pennsylvania; defeated in 2010)
Patrick Murphy (D–Florida; Ran for Senate)
Beto O'Rourke (D–Texas)
Bill Pascrell (D–New Jersey)
Gary Peters (D–Michigan; Elected to the Senate)
Laura Richardson (D–California; defeated in 2012)
Steven Rothman (D–New Jersey; defeated in 2012)
Gregorio Sablan (D–Northern Mariana Islands)
Loretta Sanchez (D–California)
John Sarbanes (D–Maryland)
Kurt Schrader (D–Oregon)
Allyson Schwartz (D–Pennsylvania; Ran for Governor)
Joe Sestak (D–Pennsylvania; defeated in 2010)
Chris Shays (R–Connecticut; defeated in 2008)
Adam Smith (D–Washington)
Hilda Solis (D–California; resigned to become United States Secretary of Labor in 2009)
Pete Stark (D–California; defeated in 2012)
Betty Sutton (D–Ohio; defeated in 2012)
Edolphus Towns (D–New York; retired in 2013)
Chris Van Hollen (D–Maryland; elected to Senate in 2016)
Nydia Velázquez (D–New York)
Robert Wexler (D–Florida; resigned to become president of the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation in 2010)
Lynn Woolsey (D–California; retired in 2013)
David Wu (D–Oregon; resigned in 2011)

References

^ "House Members Form LGBT Equality Caucus: Goal is Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Americans" (Press release). LGBT Equality Caucus. June 4, 2008. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
^ "U.S. House Members Form First Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus", The Advocate, February 5, 2008, retrieved April 7, 2010
^ ^a ^b "Mission". LGBT Equality Caucus. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
^ ^a ^b Equality PAC latest to endorse Clinton
^ "LGBT Equality Caucus Membership List". Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ "LGBT Equality Caucus Membership List". Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
^ https://lgbt-polis.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-equality-caucus-announces-membership-for-the-114th-congress
^ https://lgbt-polis.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-lgbt-caucus-announces-bipartisan-102-person-membership-in-the

External links

[1] "House Members Form LGBT Equality Caucus: Goal is Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Americans" (Press release). LGBT Equality Caucus. June 4, 2008. Retrieved January 5, 2013.

[2] "U.S. House Members Form First Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus", The Advocate, February 5, 2008, retrieved April 7, 2010

[mission-3] "Mission". LGBT Equality Caucus. Retrieved January 5, 2013.

[Equality_PAC_latest_to_endorse_Clinton-4] Equality PAC latest to endorse Clinton

[5] "LGBT Equality Caucus Membership List". Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[112Congress-6] "LGBT Equality Caucus Membership List". Archived from the original on January 5, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

[7] ttps://lgbt-polis.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-equality-caucus-announces-membership-for-the-114th-congress

[8] ttps://lgbt-polis.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-lgbt-caucus-announces-bipartisan-102-person-membership-in-the

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