Civil Rights & Justice
Protecting the civil rights of all Americans and keeping our families and communities safe is one of the most important responsibilities of government. We must continue the progress we have made in securing equality for all Americans, providing our law enforcement officers with the tools they need to keep Americans safe, and protecting civil liberties in all of our diverse communities.
In Congress, I have been a champion of legislation that guarantees equal rights to all Americans, including the LGBT community. I am a strong proponent of sensible gun violence prevention legislation to keep our families and communities safe. And, as a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have worked to provide police officers with the funding they need to do their jobs.
More on Civil Rights & Justice
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As you’ve already heard here today, H.R. 5544 is missing an awful lot of important detail & taxpayer protections -- creating major problems with its vague and unusual language. One major omission in this bill is its failure to acknowledge the treaty rights of Minnesota’s tribal nations. Treaty rights are a prominent concern in this land exchange because the unspecified lands under consideration in H.R. 5544 are all within the Superior National Forest, which is governed by the 1854 Treaty between the Chippewa nations and the United States Government.
For Immediate Release: August 6, 2012
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov
St. Paul, MN – Today, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) issued the following statement on the recent shooting at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
For Immediate Release: July 20, 2012
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) responded to Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s recent attacks on the Muslim-Americans.
For Immediate Release: June 28, 2012
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov
National Rifle Association Cheerleading for Censure Highlights GOP Political Strategy of Baiting Tea Party Voters by Attacking Obama Administration
STATEMENT BY CONGRESSWOMAN BETTY McCOLLUM
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 683, expressing the regret of the House of Representatives for the passage of laws that adversely affected the Chinese in the United States, including the Chinese Exclusion Act.
In 1882, the U.S. Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act to prohibit people of Chinese descent from immigrating to the U.S. and becoming naturalized citizens. While the Chinese Exclusion Act was finally repealed in 1943, severe restrictions on Chinese immigration continued until the Immigration Act of 1965.
Ms. McCollum. Mister Speaker, I rise today to speak in opposition to this bill. The Violence Against Women Act has never been a divisive piece of legislation until this Tea Party Majority came into power. Instead of bringing the bipartisan bill already passed by the Senate to this floor for a vote, House Republicans are attempting to pass a partisan and discriminatory bill that eliminates protections for violent crime victims.
For Immediate Release: May 9, 2012
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov
Washington, DC – Earlier today, President Obama announced that he supports same-sex marriage. Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) issued the following statement in support of the President’s change on the issue.
For Immediate Release: January 18, 2012
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) issued the following statement, opposing the Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R. 3261) and its Senate counterpart the PROTECT IP Act (S. 968).
"I oppose SOPA because it threatens personal privacy, imposes unnecessary costs on Internet providers, and undermines open access to information on the web."
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov