Two days after the midterm election,
the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has called on the 116th
Congress to protect and expand civil liberties.
Tuesday's elections returned control of
the House to Democrats and strengthened Republican control of the
Senate.
In a press release, the ACLU said that
its legislative agenda in the upcoming Congress would include
advocating on behalf of immigrants, women and the LGBT community.
The group called for passage of the Equality Act, a federal bill
that would prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and
sexual orientation in employment, housing and education. It said
that passage would defeat “the Trump administration's efforts to
dramatically roll-back protections for transgender people.”
(Related: Nancy
Pelosi promises top priority for LGBT Equality Act, if Democrats
retake House.)
“American voters made their voices
heard Tuesday night and one thing came across clearly: When voters
are asked directly to vote on Trump's unconstitutional and
discriminatory agenda, they side with civil rights and civil
liberties,” Faiz Shakir, national political director at the ACLU,
said in a statement.
“In the months to come, the ACLU will
be pushing for a robust agenda to include expanding voting rights,
passing sentencing reform, moving quickly on the Equality Act, and
protecting Dreamers, among others. We will hold this Congress
accountable to their constituents, to the rights and protections
guaranteed in our constitution, and to the principles that drove them
to the polls in this election.”
“But before the 116th Congress is
seated, the 115th must demonstrate that it heard the people last
night. There is still a budget resolution to pass, and elected
representatives should make absolutely clear that it will not include
any additional funding for a border wall, and that there will be real
accountability if that budget is used for Trump’s anti-immigration
wishlist,” Shakir added.