The Left’s drive to impose government mandates that classify people by their sexual behavior and gender preferences was fully on display in Congress recently, drawing even some self-described conservative members in its wake.
On June 24, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1443, the LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act. The legislation would require financial institutions to report credit application data to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau detailing the sexual orientation or gender identity of business owners. Concerned Women for American Legislative Action Committee (CWALAC) scored votes against the measure, as it lacks any non-ideological justification for enactment and only furthers the Democrats’ goal of imposing the deceptive Equality Act objectives through the back door.
At the surface, H.R. 1443 is government overreach. Regardless of intended use, a federal database collecting such intimate, unverifiable information is intrusive and beyond the reasonable scope of government authority. Sexual preferences are irrelevant to business lending and should neither hinder nor help one’s credit prospects. Once the precedent for this reporting mandate is set, the case can be made for all federal programming to consider the LGBTQ-status of applicants and recipients. Should we expect these questions on the next census?
The long-term ramifications are limitless. This policy provides the foundation for a new, federally recognized class of LGBTQ business owners who would be eligible for procurement set-asides and sole-source contracting opportunities. Establishing these categories in federal statute paves the way for the government-wide redefinition of sex as sought in the radical Equality Act.
Far too many questions are left unanswered by this ill-conceived policy. We do not know how such data will be certified or why the government saw a need to collect the information in the first place. Even more troublesome is the fact that the Democrat Majority in the House originally intended to pass the legislation on suspension of the rules, a process traditionally reserved for noncontroversial measures that will proceed through the chamber without objection. Thankfully, this first attempt failed to receive the necessary two-thirds vote for approval, forcing the Democrats to place the bill up for full consideration.
Although we hoped to see more Members stand strong against this Trojan horse, many fell in line with the woke Left’s agenda, including the lead Republican member of the Financial Services Committee. You can see how your Representative voted here. CWALAC will continue to toe the line of reason in these cultural battles. Please pray that our elected officials find the courage to do the same.