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Pelosi Statement on the 150th Anniversary of the 14th Amendment

July 9, 2018

Contact: Ashley Etienne/Henry Connelly, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement to mark the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the 14th Amendment, which lays out the rights of citizenship, access to due process and guarantees equal protection under the law to all people in the United States:

"One hundred and fifty years ago, with the ratification of the 14th Amendment, our nation took a monumental step forward in its ever-advancing march toward a more perfect union. By expanding the rights of citizenship and due process and guaranteeing equal protection under law, the 14th Amendment righted historic wrongs by overturning the outrageous, immoral Dred Scott decision. This landmark amendment soon paved the way for many of our nation's most important legal and legislative victories, including the desegregation of schools, a woman's right to choose and marriage equality.

"On this historic day, the protections guaranteed in the 14th Amendment are under dire threat from a Republican Administration and Congress determined to undermine the health, safety, civil rights and financial security of hard-working Americans. President Trump's nominee to replace Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy places a generation of progress for women's rights, LGBTQ rights, voting rights, workers' rights and health care in peril. All of President Trump's potential nominees are prepared to dismantle our nation's promise of liberty, equality and opportunity for all, and to radically alter the course of American justice for decades to come.

"The rights enumerated in the 14th Amendment are fundamental to our democracy and to our values as a nation where all are created equal. While Republicans work to undermine these values and weaken our democracy, Democrats will stand firm against these outrageous attacks as we continue our work to build a freer, fairer and more just future for everyone."

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Issues:Human Rights